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The Following is the head cannon i will be using which I hope will help make the story more realistic and remove some pet peeves I have about martins worldbuilding despite how much I love the work overall. The Purpose of this is to explore the timeline outside the butterfly nets of my first fic.

The Head canon will NOT be the same as the previous fic

If you are willing to roll with changes this is not as important to read before hand, you can intuit most of the stuff and enjoy the story even if you skip this

The Seasons of Westeros

When characters say winter year they do not mean a year with only winter as we understand it. The way their seasons works in this timeline is that the overall temperature and climate changes but in each year you still have a normal summer, winter, autumn and spring.

For example Riverrun during a winter year would be like the north of France and will see snow in the winter months but will still have nice warms summer months. However in the summer years will be like the south of France thus will see little or no snow even during the winter months. Hence the seasons refer both to the smaller seasons within the year as well as the overall seasons.

Map of Westeros and Essos

I will be adding changes to the map of Westeros and Essos and while most will be minor and explained, major changes I would spell out include-

The Reach:

The Green Hills, a mountain range mean that the Mander instead of curving flows south, joining with the Honeywine, and goes out into the whispering sound instead to its original bay. This makes Oldtown the principal port of the Reach from which all of the trade of the most populated river system flows and thus explains the size and importance of a city otherwise tucked away at the boot of Westeros. 

However the shield islands and the bay is still important for from the Green Hills flows west the Greenhands River draining into Garths bay which itself is the largest multiple estuary system in Westeros. In that bay also flow the Foxes river connecting the bay with the south, allowing ships to reach House Florent's seat of Brightwater keep in the blue mountains. Further it the Bay also flows the Oakheart river which flows from the Oak Hills  many days ride east of the Town and Keep of Old Oak.

At the mouth of the Greenhand River is the Keep and City of Seagarden the principle port of the Reach on the sunset sea.

The Riverlands:

The Green fork originates in the hills that form the southern border of the neck, popularly known as the Spine Hills, fed by the rains coming in from the Ironman's Bay, the river and streams flowing from the hills also feed Greywater Lagoon, location of Graywater Watch and the Town of Stone Reed.

The Blue fork originates from the Blue hills fed by mountain streams, underwater rivers and the rains the hills catch coming from the Ironman's bay.

The Gods Eye Lake is fed by many of the streams and rivers flowing down from the hills of the Westerlands.

Vale:

The mountains have larger and more valleys because currently the maps make it seem like its 80% mountains to 20% Valleys and plains, in this fic it’s more balanced, with the mountains making a smaller portion of the land.

Part of the Vale is the Weirwood Vale, it is deep in the Mountains of the Moon and is reasonable fertile and productive though at a pretty high altitude and difficult to reach. This is the hub of the Faith of the Old Gods in the Vale though unlike the mountain clans the Houses of the Weirwood Vale are integrated into the Arryn realm, for after centuries of being unable to conquer the Weirwood vale due to its secure geography the Arryn Kings of old gave up and decided to negotiate peace. Because of its defensive geography and religion it is mostly cut off and as such is not integrated well into the Vale Economy and politics.

But of course this is also the main (covert) supporters of the still rebellious mountain clans and explains why the clans have survived over the centuries.

The North:

Castle Cerwyn is south of Winterfell on the Cerwyn River a tributary of the Wolf Knife

The Wintertown is on the Wolfs Knife river acting as an important port. It is the largest inland settlement and one of the largest overall in the north.

The origin of the Wolfs Knife is the Direwolf Mountains, these mountains which are part of the lands owned and governed directly by House Stark  are a source of copper, tin and iron.

The Stoney River and Stoney shore is controlled by House Stonewolf. Their seat is the seat of Stoneden and the town of Stoneport and control most of the Norths western sea trade because having an empty river valley because reasons and not exploiting large fishing waters because a king thousands of years ago is too unrealistic

Due to me adding more magic to the setting House Stark now are also werewolves. Inspire by Pack of Wolves by EleanorDarkholme. With some changes in that they can magic away clothes (but with limitations and the more artificial product or metal they wear the shorter they can shift). I'm also making it so they can partially shift and thus become super strong. The inheritances rules and why not everyone in the north being a werewolf will be explained in the chapter notes again but is the following:

All children of the sons of House Stark have a 95% chance of transforming into wolfs. Called shifting. The children of Daughters have a 50% chance thus the female line, daughter of daughters rarely passes down the shift for more than a generation or two. There is also an observed phenomenon where even in lines of fathers and sons the percentage of probability mostly goes down over the generation if they are not part of the mainline, the great grandsons of a stark bastard shifter are unlikely to be shifters even if there is a continuous male line, at most they can partially shift but are still weaker than their full shift capable cousins. This is due to the fact that their Kings/Lord of Winterfell Blood has run out and also explains why the mainline always maintains the ability as by holding on to the title of Lord of Winterfell they hold on to the ability.

Also henceforth the lands the Others Come from is now the Lands of Eternal Nights which are beyond the Lands of Always Winter, even further up north.

The Crownlands:

Dragonstone is not desolate but is fertile like most volcanic islands, maybe not the parts directly surrounding the volcano the keep of Dragonstone is, but most of the rest of the island. It is also culturally distinct from Westeros, its people a mostly settlers from the Valyrian empire mixed with some remnants of native Westerosi. The Valyrian look is common and the language they speak is a form of High Valyrian with some local andal influence.

The Claw isle is the heart of the Westerosi glass trade. The Celtigar's being a cadet branch of noble glassmakers from Valyria, they don’t have access to clear glass for after the fall of the Freehold only Myr had that secret but they can make colored glass, having mostly (but not at all completely) cornered the Westerosi glass market. Though even with such a large market they are nowhere near being the largest glassmaker.

Map of Essos

The Sarnori Kingdoms were battered but not defeated but the Dothraki invasion, and after the initial invasion took back most of their lands. Similarly cities such as Mantarys, Essaria survived and have thrived .

Braavos grew on better connecting the Sarnori to the Narrow Sea and beyond and this explains why it is such as wealthy trade hub, Braavos is thus less fantasy Venice and more Fantasy Venice plus Fantasy Amsterdam.

The Rhoynar were never destroyed as in OTL rather they were incorporated into Valyria like the Ghiscari were. The River valley is densely populated and the many city states form an important part of Essos' culture, trade and politics. The Rhoynar still worship mother Rhoyne and maintain many cultural practices, yet at the same time have a strong dose of valyrian culture, thought and law infused into them. About Half or more are independent while the others are ruled by various free cities which are on the Rhoyne.

The Lands east of Valyria are now lush mountainous and filled with dozens of smaller city states each rich but smaller than the free cities. Think Fantasy Greece called Hellas.

Chapter Text

Aegon Targaryen was born on Dragonstone in 27 BC to Lord Aerion Targaryen and Lady Valaena Velaryon, the only trueborn son of Lord Aerion and as dictated by Valyrian tradition the Heir to House Targaryen. The Targaryens were the Last of the Dragonlords ever since the Doom of Valyria and the Century of Blood.

The Doom was when the fourteen flames, the great string of volcanoes of the Valyrian peninsula, had erupted all at once and in doing so, in a single day, destroyed the greatest city and greatest and mightiest civilisation in the world. However the Targaryens had survived for twelve years before the Doom of Valyria,  Daenys the Dreamer the daughter of Lord Aenar Targaryen foretold the destruction of Valyria. In response to this, Lord Aenar sold his personal holdings in the Valyrian Freehold and the Lands of the Long Summer, and moved with all his immediate family, wealth, slaves, and dragons to Dragonstone a bleak island citadel attached to the furthest domain formally a part of the freehold, the island similar in size to Tyrosh if not larger, which he had bought outright for his line, selling their properties in Oros, the city which was where their House was mostly based when not in Valyria itself, to pay for it. The Targaryens were far from the most powerful of the Dragonlords, and thus instead of believing them their rivals and even allies in Valyria saw their flight as an act of cowardice and a declaration they were not strong enough to participate in the highest strata of Valyrian society and politics. In fact all the cadet branches of House Targaryen, including the sister of Lord Aenar and her family stayed in Valyria, mocking their family head and mainline and disbelieving their warnings. However, because Lord Aenar had moved his family away from Valyria, the Targaryens were the some only Dragonlords to survive the Doom which took place during the election of new Triarchs meaning all but a handful of Dragonlords were in the City, for none wanted to miss out on their opportunity to vote.

But soon after the Doom the continent of Essos erupted into rebellion. From Lorath in the North to Tyrosh to Gogossos in the South the entire Valyrian empire turned on the few remaining Dragonlords and a terrible slaughter took place in the year, a slaughter which when combined with the actions of many foolish Dragonlord to reclaim their doomed land meant that the within just a handful of years the Targaryens were the last of their kind. This was a terrible time for the family for in a way they were ghosts for all that they had beating hearts, for they were all alone in a world, clinging to a past which no longer existed and were unable to move on. In the years to come House Targaryen would keep to itself building out its domain and turning it into the last bastion of Valyria using the gold they had and the expertise of the refugees they accepted from the former empire. For many Valyrian's came seeking safety in a world drowning in blood and for the useful among them the Targaryens had place amongst their council and on their island.

During these years the island of Dragonstone flourished, it was already prosperous due to its fertile soil and its dense network of roads, made of cobblestone, making internal trade and travel easy. The productive farms of grains in the scattered flatland's and valleys that existed could feed a populace many times it size, and they also had the bounty of the large orchards of wine grapes, fruits and olives to sustain themselves and for trade. These had been planted in the step farms the Freehold and later the Lords of Dragonstone had carved over a century. A hundred stone bridges, many of the ones bridging the valleys a mile or so long with ten to twelve level of Valyrian arches supporting,  made crossing streams and valleys easy, taking an hour on foot at most, what something in Westeros would take a day. As for its coastline, it was dotted by orderly fishing villages with protected harbours which benefitted from the bounty of the bay, while also harvesting salt. In these years the Port of Dragonstone, the main settlement on the island, located on the eastern end of the island grew and expanded greatly, filled with artisans, traders, and craftsmen seeking shelter under the order provided by the Last Dragonlords. Many minor Valyrian nobility also came to Dragonstone, coming with skilled sons, treasure, ships and people. They would be given lands on the island for themselves and their people for it was still mostly empty, with the populace concentrated on the southern third of the island. In doing so they not only put land to good use but they allowed the Targaryens to feel less alone in the world, as if the Freehold still existed.

A few decades after the Doom, once Lord Aenar was dead and his son Gaemon was Lord of Dragonstone many of the Free Cities began courting the Targaryens, asking them to return to Essos and rebuild Valyria anew. Lord Gaemon accepted all the gifts and tributes, playing them off each other to extract more but refused all offers. For he had pledged to himself and his family that the Targaryens would keep out of the affairs of Essos,  having renounced the whole continent for each and everyone of them was guilty in the slaughter of the Dragonlords, even Volantis which had claimed the mantle of Valyria and who had become the Targaryens greatest suitor did not have its hands clean of Dragonlord blood, the Targaryens never forgetting the slaughter that took place inside the Black Walls, Black Walls the Dragonlords built and gave to the Volantene no matter how much gold the current generation spent suppressing the knowledge. Lord Gaemon also abolished slavery on the island and used the wealth received in tribute to grow his domain, building roads, aqueducts, villages and towns while also expanding the Targaryen Fleet, and for this benevolence and prosperity was called Gaemon the Glorious. But the Glory ended with Gaemon and the next three generations of Targaryens each brough turmoil into their lives, or were struck by disease or misfortune, for decades the new Lords of Dragonstone being just skilled enough to maintain the holdings passed down to them.

And so was the way until Lord Aerion Targaryen who despite frequent his ill health was greatly interested in the world, their heritage and was immensely proud of his people's accomplishments. He expanded the wealth of House Targaryen by sponsoring more trade fleets and more importantly being prudent with their revenue, not wasting it away on baubles, gambling, parties, wine, gifts and exotic luxuries like his father and grandfather before him, under Lord Aerion the coffers of Dragonstone while never dry began to overflow while his domain received more care than they had in generations. Lord Aerion realising that his health would not let him live out his ambitions bequeath them to his children and in particular his son Aegon.

Lord Aegon was like his father intelligent, but he was also strong and healthy. He was not just his fathers heir but in many ways the heir to Valyria itself, for he rode Balerion the oldest dragon, becoming the first Targaryen in three generations to mount the beast. This was auspicious for Balerion was one of only two remaining who had been born on the Freehold and due to his age the only one to have seen its true glory for Vhagar was a hatchling when it came to Westeros. Lord Aegon became Lord of Dragonstone and Head of House Targaryen at a young age due to his fathers early death. And in order to secure his House's future he wed both his older sister, Visenya, and his younger sister, Rhaenys to wife to keep the bloodlines pure; Aegon married both of them it is said because while he was honor bound to marry Visenya out of duty he refused to give up Rhaenys and wed her as well out of desire.

Well educated by both a Maester and his father he was keenly aware of his House's history and so when in 10 BC  when Pentos and Tyrosh asked Aegon for his aid in their struggle against Volantis, Lord Aegon flew to Pentos atop of Balerion, and accompanied by his fleets and armies, to meet with the Prince of Pentos and the city's magisters. There instead of rendering aid he blackmailed them for gold and jewels for remaining neutral revealing a likely false message sent to him by the Volantene offering him much in return for his aid including being declared Triarch for Life. Scared by Balerion joining the battle and Volantis gaining Dragonriders for the future Pentos agreed to pay in gold and ships.

Lord Aegon then flew to Lys, which was then being occupied by Volantis in its attempt to rebuild the Valyrian Freehold under their rule, where he was greeted with derision for by now the Volantene considered the Targaryens cowardly and weak. After rejecting his demands for being paid to remain neutral Lord Aegon made a bet with the Admiral in charge, and in order to resolve it flew atop Balerion and burned the largest ship of the Volantene fleet in a minute. This display was enough and Lord Aegon convinced the Volantene Archon overseeing the occupation to pay him to remain neutral, this was helped by showing the many messages Tyrosh and Pentos had sent him. And so with both sides paying  House Targaryen to remain neutral it was able to profit handsomely from the war. When Lord Aegon returned to the Port-of-Dragonstone he was welcomed by cheering crowds as if he was a Valyrian general of old, for he had brought back ships filled with golds and all the men who he had departed with.

 These payments single-handedly transformed the fortunes of House Targaryens, for while they were never poor , they were never this rich since stepping foot in Westeros. Lord Aegon used this gold to build the Targaryen War Fleet, improve the town of Port of Dragonstone and to reward his court, while having his coffers and vault still be packed to the brim with gold. It was at this time the first whispers of the Conquest of Westeros are heard, with Lord Aegon telling many of his vassals including his half brother Orys Baratheon that he would not content himself with being Lord of a mere island anymore and in a signal of his ambitions had the infamous painted table created in Dragonstone, but there were many years for the conquest to come.

In the coming years Dragonstone would prepare for war, training its sailors and recruiting veteran soldiers from the Volantene wars to create what would become the Dragonguard, the household force of House Targaryen which would be its vanguard in war and would guard the family, its seat and its fiefs in peace. It would grow into a large force, ten times the number an ordinary household guard lands as large as Dragonstone would be expected to have, further its troops spent much time practising in ways to counter the many Westerosi ways of war, showing it expected to fight many enemies from many regions. House Targaryen in this time would also attract many stewards, scholars and artisans fleeing from Essos seeking to escape the chaos that followed the fall of the Volantene Empire, which collapsed after a three front setback with Lys and Myr revolting and breaking away, the Rhoynar-Norvosi-Qohori alliance defeating the Volantene River Navy and Army on Dagger lake and the Dothraki invading; For fresh from their humiliating defeats against the Sarnori, they came charging in across southern Essos cutting through the Tomori Kingdoms, the Free City of Essaria, and then invaded the Volantene lands as they sought to conquer the south and take the Rhoyne in compensation for failing to take the Sarne, a task at which they would also fail but not before driving the final nail in the coffin of Volantene expansion efforts. These scholars and stewards would help the Targaryens prepare for the coming battle, expanding the administration apparatus and form the core bureaucracy which will govern their soon to be expanded domain. Many were also disguised as traders and sent across Westeros with the Targaryen, Celtigar and Velaryon fleets to gather information, from the might of individual kingdoms and Houses, The various internal balances of power, the personalities and competences of its leaders and the strength of its armies and generals.

In 4 BC Lord Aegon became a father for the first time, where after multiple miscarriages Lady Rhaenys gave birth to Lord Aenys, Lord Aegon's eldest child and son. Lord Aenys would be followed by his half brother Lord Maegor, born to Lady Visenya in 2 BC.  This latter birth is said to have been herald for the Targaryens firmly placing their sights on Westeros with the succession of House Targaryen being deemed safe enough. The Targaryens began to enact the plans which had been years in the making.

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In 4 AC about one and half years after the end of the First War of Conquest the King and his court began planning to finish what they started. As the Maesters promised the coming of a spring year the dragons were now well rested and they soon began putting the plans created into action. They summoned their vassals to Dragonstone and at the same time sent envoys to Dorne, futile though it may be, for many Dornish saw the coming invasion as a chance to repay the Valyrian's for their ancestors sins.

The war that follows is known by many names including The Second War of Conquest, The Conquest of Dorne,  The Defiance of Dorne and so many more names. The Invasion of Dorne is one of the most storied parts of the wars of conquest; For Dorne was the only Kingdom which truly tried to fight off the Targaryens and while this defiance won them the admiration of all, even that it is said of Aegon the Conqueror the consequences of which also showed the rest of the Kingdoms that bending the knee quickly was the right choice.

In 4 AC Dragonstone raised an Army of 10,000 Troops mostly from the Reach yet he also called for nobles from most of his kingdoms as King Aegon wanted to use this as an opportunity to unify his realm by making them allies in a war. At the start of the War the Targaryen sent ravens promising amity if the Dornish surrendered and destruction if they did not, and when no reply came the Targaryens declared war. As the armies of the Crown enter Dorne they find resistance but nothing too substantial. After passing through the Boneway and Princess Pass they quickly take many keeps but their victory was of a peculiar kind. The Dornish did not fight the dragons or the armies of house Targaryen, but neither did they surrender exactly, the Nobility and their closest servants simply disappeared, along with their harvest, their food reserves and their valuable items.  Keep after keep was found with greybeards and crones to guard and run them. The people of the villages instead of being pressed into hosts were still tending to their farms. They also gave up the noble seats and their settlements to the Dragons after the armies of the Iron Throne promised them mercy.

When the Targaryen army arrived at Sunspear, having crossed from the Boneway and marched across all of Dorne they discovered that Princess Meria had vanished. Declaring themselves victorious due their opponents fleeing, King Aegon and Queen Rhaenys placed Dorne under the rule of the Dragonstone. They returned to King's Landing, leaving Lord Jon Rosby as castellan of Sunspear and Warden of the Sands until House Martell returned and surrendered and charged Lord Harlan Tyrell and his army of some 4,000 Reachmen with putting down any revolts that might arise in the interim.

Aegon and Rhaenys had only just returned to Dragonstone when the Dornish rebelled against the Targaryens. From Sunspear's shadow city Dornishmen came forth, retaking the castle. Lord Rosby was captured and thrown from a window atop the Spear Tower by Princess Meria Martell in what is remembered as the First Defenestration of Sunspear . As the year 5 AC starts, Lord Harlan Tyrell marched his army from Hellholt, intend on taking Vaith and Sunspear. In the deserts of Dorne the entire army disappeared. Even the Hand of the King Grand Duke Orys who led reinforcements was captured in the Boneway. Elsewhere, entire garrisons were put to the sword. The knights who had been in charge of the garrisons were horrifically tortured and mutilated. Raids and skirmishes affected most of Dorne, people were poisoned in their sleep and in their meals uncaring of guest rights and the Dornish continued the fight even the odds spelled certain defeat.

Knowing that this rebellion could mortally wound his dynasty King Aegon chose to extend one last hand of peace before taking actions he rather not have on his consciousness. He sent ravens to all the Keeps of Dorne, giving them one chance to surrender, declaring those who sincerely bend the knee and release any hostages will be forgiven, he further promised all claims to lands and titles would be respected and Dorne's existing laws and customs upheld. When the only reply to this is a ship with dead hostages King Aegon unleashes his fury, taking his fleet and army to Dorne he lands by Sunspear which he burns along with the shadow city to the ground, his men slaughtering any who tried to escape, the calvary running them down. From the Water gardens which he took as his temporary seat the King then sends word to the Dornish again, telling them that this is the future that awaits him and that if the Martells could not protect their own seat they could not protect neither their vassals or the people of Dorne. The local nobles surrender and release what hostages they have though not included in these men is Grand Duke Orys whose location was unknown even to the Dornish, though the mountains near Wyl was a good guess. Soon reports come of the Dornish nobility surrendering as far as the Red Mountains as Dorne absorbed with horror the fact that the largest Dornish settlement and all its people, tens of thousands of them had perished in but a day and under but a single dragon. The King satisfied that the Burning of Sunspear and the Shadow city had won him the war leaves taking many of the nobles as hostages and placing Daemon Velaryon as the High Steward of Dorne, with instructions to secure the release of Orys Baratheon and to treat those who surrendered with magnanimity.

However in the later half of 5AC as soon as the King reached Dragonstone the Dornish rebel. They once again attack the forces of the Crown, refuse to release hostages, refuse to pay taxes. Even the families who had surrendered hostages rebel and most prominently retaliate by setting half the Rainwood on Cape Wrath ablaze and sack half a dozen towns and villages, as 'payment for Sunspear'.  Losing patience and angry at his humiliation the King orders another full scale invasion of Dorne, but as the forces gather word come of the death of Lord Daemon, for the Dornish under the command of Lord Toland had taken over the Water Gardens and captured Lord Daemon, killing him by throwing him out from the ruins of the Tower of the Sun in what is remembered as the Second Defenestration of Sunspear. As word comes that Lord Daemon had died of treachery from his servants the king declared that this time there would be no surrender or mercy.  For the King realised if all of Dorne was against then all of Dorne must die, if the children were messengers they would need to be eliminated to prevent coordinated action, if the elderly worked as stewards they must be put to death to wear down the rebels and if both men and women were warriors then both must be put to the death without distinction. All who contributed to the rebellion would be punished, the presumption of innocence and the privilege of having pity or mercy were revoked.

Furthermore the King would not try to reduce the size of his forces any more, for the king cared naught for optics or his lords coffers this time, using the gold he seized from the Westerlands to make interest free loans to all lords who complained about the costs and burden on their treasury, the war debts to be paid off over 25 years once the war in Dorne ended with more than 1 million gold dragons loaned to the nobility over the course of the war as gold was also loaned to repair and replace ships and the destruction caused by Dornish retaliation, especially in Oldtown and the Stormland Marches . As such in 6 AC nearly 2 years after the first invasion 30,000 troops were raised from across the Targaryen realm and the navies from Gulltown to the Iron Islands mustered. King Aegon also declares that his lords will send him two new soldiers for each one the Targaryens lost.

King Aegon further decrees that for each soldier killed by poison or treachery 14 Dornish smallfolk must die, the number rising to 140 for every noble and 1400 for the high nobility. Soon Dorne is flooded with blood as thousands upon thousands are killed in retaliation for previous Dornish poisonings, blood which the Dornish rise to avenge and the cycle of violence escalates. King Aegon by now has had Grand Duke Greyjoy bring in the fleets and armies of the Iron Island and had them break the Planky town and occupy it. A not so simple task, for while the Kraken did the first with ease, the second task was not so easy. For while the Ironborn were fierce, they were not spared from the sun and more importantly not used to actually face resistance from the smallfolk themselves. The Ironborn were raiders and pirates, used to using swift attacks and their reputation in order to shock their victims and take what they could before fleeing. The Dornish however did not flee, each man and women fought back causing the krakens to lose many men at the start as they were slow to realize the Dornish were less like the Riverlanders and more like the smallfolk of the shield islands . In the first day of the battle, In the narrow paths and waterways of the Planky town, the sun cut up the krakens and fed them to the fishes. However this did not last long and in the days that followed the Ironborn unleashed such a killing spree that three weeks later the Planky town was but a memory.

Enraged by the continued defiance and also the Dornish refusal to release their half-brother Aegon and his sister-wives began burning the keeps, towns and lands that the Dornish were able to take back. Yronwood Town and Yronwood Port both were also burnt down along with Starfall. The Targaryens also aid the Velaryon's in taking Ghost Hill and putting House Toland and its Household and much of their fief to the sword for leading the assault which lead to the death of Lord Daemon.  As 7 AC approached, the Targaryens had once again secured and occupied all the major towns (or rather their ruins) and keeps.

By now some 7 thousand troops under the command of the Targaryens had died, not including those wounded, meanwhile tens of thousands of Dornish had died at the very least if not hundred of thousands.  Greater still was the loss of the plantations and famed orchards of Dorne burned by soldiers and dragons alike, making much of the land conquered worthless until they were fixed once again, something which would be difficult for the Dornish to do as all the treasuries had been seized by the crown to finance the occupation. Despite the carnage and heavy losses though peace was a distant prospect as both sides committed countless atrocities requiring vengeance to be extracted and making the fighting both longer and bitterer. During this time many high lords died including the young Duke Tarly, Margrave Danye and his wife, Lord Celtigar’s Heir. However the most memorable deaths were still to come.   

On the tenth month of the sixth year of Aegon’s Conquest, the Yellow Toad, Princess Meria Martell, was captured in a village outside Godsgrace. With her in custody Aegon secured the release of is half brother and his remaining men, the crown paying with not just Meria but also with the hostages weight in gold for the Dornish were quick to point out that due to her age Meria was to die soon anyway while Grand Duke Orys was still young. And yet despite promising to return them whole the Wyl of Wyl took off their sword hands, so they could "never take up arms against Dorne again". Grand Duke Orys became bitter and obsessed with revenge, and resigned his office as Hand of the King.

Angered at this humiliation and breaking of their word the King not only burns the Wyl Keep but also every village in their fief, his armies and those of the Stormlands sweeping in killing all smallfolk in the land without exception, for every Dornish from babes to greybeard, to step into Wyl lands was to be marked for death. Soon comes word of the death of Princess Meria leading to some in the Targaryen court to hope that the war would soon wind to an end, but if anything seemed to inflame it further, in the months after the death of Meria, the Dornish under the leadership of Nymor, Meria eldest child and heir, led over 5 major raids, setting 2 keeps on fire while the garrisons were still inside and used four captured velaryon ships as fire galleys, ramming them into the ports of Oldtown killing thousands. The Targaryens retaliated with more fire from their dragons, finding and burning 2 armies.

As the war continued and having lasted longer than the rest of the Conquest combined the lords under House Targaryen are starting to lose hope, in private away from the Targaryens themselves of course, for while they controlled the keeps they were unable to protect the caravans that supplied them, resulting in hunger, nor were their soldiers safe in the towns for the Dornish attacked even knowing the consequences, requiring thousands of smallfolk to be slaughtered. Such was the slaughter that many of the soldiers had started to rebel against their lords refusing to fight and kill more innocents such as women and children, making discipline difficult to enforce for even the nobility recoiled at the actions of the Crown, many complaining that the Targaryen barbarism was tainting their names and honor.

As this strategic stalemate continues many believed that the war could simply not become even worse. Of course the gods then decided it was time to intervene, unleashing the Dragons Wroth.

And so it was in the first month of the year 7 AC at the Tor ,the seat of House Jordayne, which the Dornish had captured the gods struck. Queen Rhaenys had arrived at the Tor that day with a host in order to take back the keep. There the Dornish asked for parley which the Queen granted. There under the banner of Parley the members of House Jordayne struck and killed the Queen instantly. Her Dragon Meraxes then went on a rampage, burning the keep, and then the nearby town and villages before retreating to Dragonstone where it found the Crown Prince Aenys who is said to have cried for days when he saw Meraxes return without his mother. This incident along with its political implications in escalating the war also lead to the formation of the Kingsguard. For King Aegon and Queen Visenya felt that they could no longer be assured of their safety.

The Death of Queen Rhaenys also completely changed the war for it begins the Dragons Wroth, whereas previously the Targaryens had not wanted to rule over just corpses and ashes now that was their burning desire. For nearly 4 months King Aegon and Queen Visenya reigned fire down on all men, women and children they could find. Every village, hamlet, town they came across was burned, those who made it out were slaughtered by the troops of the Iron Throne who would show no mercy for they knew none would be shown to them by the Targaryens. From the ruins of Planky town the main host, aided by the Ironborn Fleet,  was split into two and marched up the Greenblood, the most important section of Dorne, its most richest and densely populated. Where as earlier mercy was promised now each man, woman and child found was slaughtered without exception, no pleas allowed, no exceptions make, the Orphans of the Greenblood in particular faced devastating losses and were nearly driven into extinction. Across Dorne Keeps were taken and their garrison from young babies to old beards barely able to walk were slaughtered, surrenders and pleas for mercy rejected. When departing the forces ensured the gain stores were burned which combined with disrupted harvests led to famine. In every village men, women and children were tortured until they revealed all that they knew, even the Septons and Septa's were not spared while those who followed the old Rhoynish faith were publicly burned. Many resisted but many more broke and the hiding spots were founds and their inhabitants slaughtered or driven away.  It was through this method that they found and killed the eldest child and heir of Prince Martell. Soon enough forces from the Reach enacted the same treatment on the Torentine valley forcing many Dornish to flee into the Uller desert where the desert killed more than the dragons they fled.

Even outside Dorne, in every port and city of the Seven Kingdoms all those identified as Dornish were slaughtered by the order of the King, merchants, refugees, long time residents who had never even set foot in Dorne, all were slaughtered in pogroms. Along with being a tragedy on its own the slaughter also shattered the trade networks built over the generations by destroying those who functioned as vital cogs in them.

Dorne burned in this period, every town, every keep, every field was set alight by the dragon riders who in their grief would not listen to a single plea of mercy or reason which soon ended for those who advocated for mercy and reason found themselves fulfilling the role of Dragon food.  By now most in the seven kingdoms were debating if there was going to be a Dorne left for the dragons to conquer or if it would enter the history books like the Arm of Dorne. Even the most zealous supporter of the Targaryen cause was finding it difficult to support the war in light of the endless death, such as that seen in the lands of House Jordayne where the King led a force to slaughter every single smallfolk without exception to avenge the Queen Rhaenys, the entire fief slaughtered without mercy or exception. Even the Maesters were sent to the wall rather than spared as was tradition, and that too only due to great pleading by the Westerosi lords.

On the third month of the 7th year of Aegon’s Conquest Dorne was dying, by maester estimates 1/4 to 1/2 of the people were dead.  The Yronwoods broke first, Duchess Arianne was slain by her younger brother the Kinslayer Armin, who also slew her husband, her paramour, all her children as well her greatest supporter, Armin's younger sister as well as a hundred others who supported his sister and the Martells. Arranging their heads on spikes, and walking under the banners of House Yronwood and of surrender now Duke Armin walked to the nearest Targaryen Host, which as he knew had Queen Visenya among their number, there he threw the skulls of his kin, the banner of his house, his swords and jewels at her feet. Kneeling on both knees and with his head touching the ground Duke Yronwood beseeched Queen Visenya that if she would have a Kinslayer under King Aegon's peace to let him speak his vows of fealty and if she would not to take his head and give his younger brother the option. The Queen is said to have remarked "better a Kinslayer than a fool" and accepted his oath though it is known she had to be convinced to do so by her half brother, Grand Duke Orys, for her first instinct was to continue the slaughter. Till this day under Armin's law House Yronwood refuses to have a female leader in contrast to the otherwise egalitarian Dorne.

This surrender began a cascade of surrender and also of infighting for soon the Dornish turned on one another over whether to surrender for many who had lost loved ones refused to bend the knee preferring to die defiant till the end while other wished to preserve what they had, for many houses had gone extinct and many lands wiped clean leading to the Dornish to fear that the Targaryens may actually end up killing everyone in Dorne. Soon word came of Houses Dayne, Fowler, Uller and other's surrendering while in the rest of Dorne pockets of smallfolk began revolting against the Martells and those nobles who supported them, blaming their greed and stubbornness for having brought this hell upon them. Knowing his authority was almost over two months after the Yronwoods surrender Prince Nymor sent his youngest son to Aegon's camp as an ambassador on Nymor’s behalf to negotiate a peace. At first many in Aegon’s court were skeptical and demanded Dorne’s total surrender immediately however this demand was rejected. House Martell may have been beaten but it was not weak and would not simply let their peoples sacrifice be sullied by an unconditional surrender.

And while at first King Aegon would not be moved and the fighting continued, if anything the slaughtering only intensified as the forces of the Targaryens sensed victory was near, it was only six weeks later when he received a letter from his son asking him to come home did the Conqueror agree. A ceasefire was announced, to great celebration from both sides for all wanted an end to the war and after a week of negotiation a treaty was drafted and approved, though it is fair to say the Martells had little leverage to negotiate with, something the King was much aware of and used to his advantage fully. The Accord of the Sun and the Dragon as it is now known, the treaty ended the Conquest of Dornish and brought Dorne into the realm in return for concessions by the Iron throne.  Among the terms of Accord are the following clauses-

• House Martell were allowed to keep their stylings as prince’s/princesses’ however as non-royal princes they were ranked lower on the order of precedence similar Archdukes and Grand Dukes, all three titles being a singular rank of Lords Paramount.
• All the various Dornish Crowns, both the one used by Prince Nymor and historical ones which survived the burning of Sunspear were, like that of the rest of the Great Houses barring House Stark, surrendered as tribute. House Martell's defiance meaning it would not receive the same consideration.
• The Dornish were assured that there would be no retaliation against any Dornishman for their actions during and before the war, with the exceptions of Houses Wyl, Toland and Jordayne and their vassals who were attained and whose members were to be executed by either burning or being fed to dragons.
• The Island of Sunstone, also known as the Veiled Isle, a part of the stepstones which Dorne claimed was seceded to the Crown, never again to be a part of Dorne. As the local populace had been either driven extinction or forced to flee it was resettled with smallfolk Dragonstone with a Dragonguard called Rhaegar of Myr who saved Queen Visenya from assassins founding House Sunstone and becoming lord of the Island which legally was part of the Crownlands, his entire team of Dragonguard men from that night, as well as the families of those that lost their lives would also be elevated as Landed knights and also settled on the Islands.
• The Lands of House Wyl of Wyl, including the entirety of the Boneway were to be seceded to Storms End and were to become part of the Stormlands with the second son of Orys Baratheon to become the Head of the new House Baratheon of Wyl. Since all its smallfolk and knightly houses were extinct, driven away or attained new Landed Knights and petty lords would be raised from the ranks of the Dragonguard while the land would be settled by smallfolk from the Marches.
• The Lands of House Jordayne of Tor were given to the second son of Lord Jon Rosby as a reward for his fathers service, who renamed the seat, becoming Lord Rosby of Queenscrown. Since all its knightly houses were extinct new ones would be raised from the ranks of the Dragonguard. Settlers would be brought in from the Stormlands and the fief of Rosby.
• The Lands of House Toland of Ghost Hill were given to the third son of Lord Daemon Velaryon, who renamed the seat, becoming Lord Velaryon of Seahorse Hill. Since all its knightly houses were extinct new ones would be raised from the ranks of the Dragonguard. Settlers would be brought in from the Stormlands and Driftmark
• Since Houses Dalt of Lemonwood, Santagar of Spotswood, Vaith of Vaith and Allyrion of Godsgrace had lost the mainlines of their houses since the start of the conflict the claims of distant relatives was dismissed and the seats and lands were given to worthy members of the Dragonguard who would take the extinct Houses names, sigils and words. These lands, some of the richest of Dorne and also some of the most devastated whose people had been killed to the rate of nine out of ten, would see settlers from Dragonstone, Driftmark, Claw Isle but by number mostly the Reach marches, in particular the fief of Houses Tarly and Costayne.
• House Yronwood was to be exempted on any tax levied by the Martell for 99 years as reward for being the first to surrender. This privilege was also extended to all the newly raised Dornish nobility.
• Half the Torentine Valley, which was decimated, was resettled with smallfolk from the Reach marches and given to landed knights raised from the Dragonguard.
• Dorne’s own laws and customs would be maintained with no interference from the Iron Throne, in particular inheritance law.
• Princess Meria, second daughter and now heir of prince Nymor would marry the nephew of Lord Valentia.
• House Martell would also surrender children for fosterages and as squires.

And so in the end it was nearly three years after the invasion began, after the death of possibly up to half the Dornish population, destruction of all its major settlements, the death of tens of thousands of soldiers and hundreds of thousands innocent bystanders, the destruction of two major ports, and with many high lords, one queen and two princesses meeting an early grave did Nymor Martell finally bent the knee before Aegon who declared him Prince of Dorne.

And so ended the Dragons Wars of Conquest and with the unification of Westeros came the Dragons peace.

Chapter Text

The end of the Wars of conquest lead Westeros into a new era, the Dragon peace. From the Lands beyond the Wall to the summer sea Westeros was peaceful, the squabble of lords had moved from the battlefield to the courts of the King and the Lord Paramount’s. Merchants who earlier would spend large coin to keep track and protect themselves of the various battles and conflicts now devoted their entire time to trade and only trade. Bandits were now hunted down by lords who enforced the Kings Peace with a new zeal unseen before. For the first time Westeros was one realm, united under the Dragonlords who in just 7 years had conquered the Seven Kingdoms. But just because Aegon the Conqueror had seized Westeros did not mean he was content to be idle for the rest of his life. The King was a man of ambition, and that ambition was not confined to the battlefield.

Thus from the moment since Aegon began planning his conquest he had also began planning what would come after it, these plans featured prominently the City of Kings Landing, the new capital King Aegon would build on the mouth of the Blackwater Rush using the gold he had seized from the Houses Lannister and Gardener; Along with using city planners and architects from Essos King Aegon ,when he conquered the Reach, had demanded the citadel send teams of maesters to Dragonstone in order to plot his future actions.

Aegon began putting his peacetime plan in motion in 8 AC when a Great Council and Tournament was called at the Aegonsfort. Planning for this had been going on for years and many consider the Great Council of 8AC one of the most important events in Westeros, being the starting point of a single Westerosi history for it was here Aegon the Conqueror began his project to unify Westeros so that it truly was one realm. Even before the flames of the Dornish War died out the workers started building halls, kitchens, latrines and cisterns across the tourney grounds, jousting and melee arenas and other facilities. Land was cleared and prepared and large storehouses built to store food while the docks, both sea and river were expanded. Word went out that all high ranking nobles of the realm and the senior clergy of the three main faiths of Westeros were to attend. While the preparations were made so that at least seven hundred lords, priest and their entourages could be hosted it was not enough for in the end, more than a thousand such lords and clergy came, gathering over three moons. This of course did not include the ever increasing number of smallfolk and merchants and together with the nobility the new Royal seat was briefly the fifth-largest settlement of the realm, behind only Oldtown, Lannisport, Gulltown and White Harbour. Here along with feasting and jousting King Aegon announced to the realm a series of Royal Decrees and Proclamations which would become the basis of Targaryen rule in Westeros. These are generally categorised into four pillars: Legal, Religious, Crownland, Reform and administrative.

The first decree of the Great Council proclaimed its own opening, doing so in the name of Aegon of House Targaryen, the First of His Name, Lord of Dragonstone, Head of House Targaryen, King of Westeros, Shield of His People, King of the Andals, the First Men, the Ironborn and the Rhoynar,  Lord of the Seven Kingdoms and Lord Protector of the Realm. These would become the traditional titles of the Targaryen Kings, with the exception of Shield of His People which was on his death declared to be King Aegon's honour alone.

This would be followed by the legal decree's which were a combination of reforms as well as restatements of the authority the Targaryens had claimed for themselves. The most important of these was the proclamation of the Kings Peace and the placing of House Targaryen and the Crown as the 'Font of Justice' making it clear in a legal sense that the Crowns authority was absolute and unquestionable and it was from the Crown that all rights and duties were derived. But more interesting than these were the reforms to many aspects of the legal system, for while the Targaryens continued the separate laws of each kingdom they added certain common elements across the land inspired by their homeland of Valyria. All towns of a certain population would have Courts of Magistrates and all cities would have Courts of Magistrates and branches of the Kings Benches,  in order to provide justice in both commercial and criminal matters even when the Lord was unable to attend to these duties, with the number of magistrates being determined by the size of the settlement. For the countryside travelling circuit magistrates were implemented with the local lord being responsible for appointing and paying for them, their transportation and other relevant courts. Similarly various forms of writs, warrants, and other such written legal orders while hardly unknown before were made mandatory for all matters, large and small from the execution of lords to the imposing of fines on a tavern, a written writ, warrant, verdict and order became mandatory, as the Targaryens tried to transition the legal systems from the Westerosi oral system to the more Valyrian paper based system though this was hampered initially by the low level of literacy, lack of skilled lawyers and magistrates and desire to preserve the current system by more traditional lords.

The King also decreed a formal compilation of laws for each Kingdom, decreeing that within 15 years time each kingdom would need to send to the King a single, comprehensive, formalised code of law for approval and then adoption. Under the Targaryens the then current system of traditional and unwritten law would come to an end. The Crown would recognise no law nor any amendment to existing law not written down and sent to the King for approval. This included not just criminal law but also commercial law and the matter of tax, because while the crown was giving the Lords Paramount (the Grand Dukes, Archduke and Prince of Dorne) much leeway in setting of taxes so long as the Kings own taxes were paid, it also did not want to give up complete oversight in tax matters. Especially as tax codes could be manipulated to reduce the taxes paid to the Crown. Hence all taxes even if not paid to the crown had to be made known to and in some cases approved by the Crown. This system was replicated in each kingdom itself for in matters of laws and taxes which were devolved from the Lords Paramount to the lower nobility the same requirement of having written and approved laws and taxes were implemented, this time the approval coming from the Lord Paramount.

These decree's would lay the groundwork for future reforms by beginning the transition of Westerosi justice from a personal judgement driven to law driven system, it also constrained the power of the nobility by reducing the scope where it could act in an arbitrary manner while setting up an independent judiciary, even if at the start its independence was only nominal. It also led to the clarifications or roles, powers and responsibilities within the nobility and gave more certainty to the smallfolk about their rights and responsibility.

The next set of decrees which were proclaimed the next day would be the single most contentious ones and yet also as important the legal reforms. Infront of the assembled nobility and clergy of Westeros the King and his Heir Prince Aenys were baptised and welcomed once again into the Faith of the Seven with the Septon of Dragonstone, Father Reagon having the honor. And yet while the King adopted the Faith of the Seven (at least publicly) he on the same day immediately after the ceremony issued some of the most controversial decrees of his reign, ones which quickly wore away any goodwill brought forth by his conversion.

The first was the Edict of Tolerance forbidding religious discrimination in Westeros, allowing people to practice any of the now Four Recognised Westerosi faiths they wished and forbidding any restrictions on public worship or construction of their holy sites, for all Septs, Godswood's, Valyrian Temples and Shrines to the Drowned God were declared sacred to all and were also forbidden from being harmed. Similarly it was forbidden to treat people differently on the basis of faith in matter of criminal proceedings, holding of offices, trade, taxes, marriage and inheritance and all such matters. Long standing laws on banning conversion and marriages between faiths were invalidated and upholding such laws was deemed a crime. The freedom of religion promised also made the crimes of Heresy and apostasy much harder to punish as church courts and ecclesiastical benches were forbidden from trying members of the laity for changing their faith or questioning the local septons doctrine. All this was immensely controversial for the Andal nobility requiring Balerion the Black Dread to roar in order to restore order. Such was the clamour for the king to repeal these laws and to bring the Iron Islands and the North to the Light of the Seven that no further proclamations were read that day instead the King cooly and calmly countered any and all arguments the nobles made while at the same time trying to ensure the Northerners and Ironborn did not start shedding blood over the insults being hurled at them.

When some of the clergy told the king he would be punished by the gods for this; King Aegon losing patience decreed a trial by combat, each of the nobles or clergy could battle Balerion the Black Dread, he would even order it to use no dragonfyre, and if any champion defeated the dragon then he would rescind his edicts. Surprisingly at least one knight from each of the seven regions of the crown which worshipped the seven volunteered and so a trial by Seven was decreed for the next day. The day of the Trial as the Seven chosen champions waited in the jousting arena the King flew in on the Black Dread and made his way to the Royal pavilion.  As the trumpet sounded the battle began, within seemingly just a moment, Balerion the Black dread had used its claws to crush two of the champions, throwing the others on to the ground with the force even affecting the seated nobles, the rest of the champions were soon also killed with one being swallowed whole. In the silence that followed the king stood up, decreed the gods had favoured him and declared the edicts passed would be upheld and that those who opposed it still would be allowed to battle Balerion if they wished to win the favour of the gods. 

The King then to much protest also passed his decree on Godwoods and temples to the Gods of Old Valyria. Every chartered city henceforth required at least one Godswood open to the smallfolk for every 10,000 smallfolk; Each Godswood also had to meet requirements such as size and facilities such as homes for the green men, the priests of the old gods. This meant Oldtown for example the largest city of Westeros required near 20, though in this case, as allowed by the decree, they merged the 20 into two large Godswood's; The Godswood of the Dawn and the Godswood of the Dusk became very popular to visit by the smallfolk of the city even if they did not pray to Old Gods for it was the first public green space in the city since the coming of the Andals. While heavily protested, considering it only applied to cities it was still mostly bearable. Finally the King declared just as the First Men nobility who converted to the Seven kept the Godswood's as a mark of their heritage so would the new Valyrian Houses. In both the keeps and the principal settlements of the Valyrian Houses a temple each to the Gods of Valyria would be built.

But as the Andal nobility got more upset the King was able to salvage his popularity for the King decreed he would unite the Faith of the Seven. For before the conquest there was no single Faith of the Seven. Rather there were many different sects, some which covered whole kingdoms, others which covered only a locality. Furthermore the Faith while all adhering to the Seven, each individually claimed to be the one true  version of the faith and bickered with their peers and rivals, after all there were many translations of the Seven Pointed Star, disagreement on the text of the original version for even in the copies of the Seven Pointed Star written in Old Andal there were regional differences , there were also the disputes on the liturgy which also existed in sects which were formally unified, on the saints and their blessings, the dates of the festivals and even if a month of the calendar should be dedicated to the stranger.

As such to resolve it all and create a single faith which would reach across most of his realm King Aegon called for a Ecumenical council in Duskendale to unify the Faith of the Seven as he unified the Seven Kingdoms, something which brought him much praise. What would become the Seven Ecumenical Councils of Duskendale and its decisions would be an integral part of the Faith of the Seven as practised today and so important was it that after his death King Aegon was canonised as a saint for his role in them, the first to be canonised across Westeros at the same time, becoming Saint Aegon, the Patron Saint of Westeros, Dragonstone and Kings Landing. With this the religious decree's came to an end.

The next set of decrees were less popular with and interesting to the nobles as they relate to the Crownlands or rather the City of Kings Landing. The King would decree many great works, paid for using the gold taken in the aftermath of the Field of Fire. The principle works being started in the aftermath of the Great Council were the Red Keep, the Dragonpit, the main boulevards and the main squares and the surrounding offices, manses and markets which were to be built.  But this was hardly the sum of it for King Aegon was ambitious and many works which would be built even decades later would have their origins in the master plan he developed in these early years.

As part of this the King would also declare Queen Rhaenys hill and all its land a permanent monument to the fallen queen, with a  Sept, Godswood, Valyrian Temple and Drowned God Shrine of remembrance being build on the hill along with a large Hellas style stone statue being housed in a Valyrian style hall, open to all. The rest of the fill was preserved as is with the building of shops and houses forbidden upon pain of being drawn and quartered.

The final set of decrees were his reform and administrative decrees. These were numerous and shaped Westeros deeply. Among the many passed at the end of the Great council was the announcement that a great census would be held in 10AC across Westeros, the result of which will become known as the Doomsday book. Furthermore the king decreed the adoption of Valyrian weight and measures as the new royal standard ridding Westeros of its traditional measurements in the legal system though it would be continued to use informally for centuries still.  King Aegon also introduced to the realm the new Royal Coinage with Gold dragons, Silver stags and Copper stars or penny's as they were called, this would in time create a truly single market eliminating the hundred of other coins which were in use before the conquest and helped provide a certain legitimacy to the still fledgeling Targaryen dynasty.

The King would also decree that High Valyrian alongside Oldtown Andal, now called Royal Andal, would be the languages of the Royal Court and that all high ranked nobles and all who served in any office of the Crown and in the administration of any city of the Realm would be required to learn not just Royal Andal, which was the language of maesters and traditional education being known to all educated nobles, but also High Valyrian whose use the Royal family would encourage heavily, making it a language of Courtly culture for the Targaryens spoke High Valyrian in their daily lives and thus preferred it for their songs, plays and even sermons. Many singers and bards would receive Royal Favor and patronage by translating classic Westerosi songs into High Valyrian to be sung at court . Similarly once the King Aegon Seven pointed star was adopted the Crown had it translated into High Valyrian and sent a copy of the text to every bishopric and to every noble House which had attended the Great Council of 8AC.

 But the largest and most impactful of the administrative decrees were yet to come. First the King invited the Alchemist guild to establish itself in Kings Landing, providing it with land, gold as well as a seat on the City Council which was to govern Kings Landing . This would soon make Kings Landing the headquarters for the Alchemists who under the reign of King Aegon transformed from multiple orders with a lose affiliation to a true pan Westeros organisation. 

Finally the King proclaimed his decree on the Maester Order and the Citadel. As part of the decree the King declared the Maesters would receive twice the land they had in Oldtown within the new capital and that a second Royal Citadel was to be constructed. The Maester Order would receive royal funding for the endeavour and from henceforth there would be library in the capital which, like its Oldtown counterpart, would contain a copy of all books, maps and charts the Maesters possessed so that even if a book was lost in one library the knowledge would be preserved in the other. As part of this the King also decreed that all those who attended either citadel would be required to learn High Valyrian; And that for 49 years Oldtown would have a monopoly on Maesters with the Royal citadel producing specialised workers, who were proficient in just one art such as healing, bookkeeping, economics, architecture or law. As the King would say 'If I had to choose I rather have a hundred men with one link than ten men with ten links.' However this was not the end for King further decreed that after 56 years the citadels would double in number ever 49 years for the King wanted a centre of learning in each of the regions of his realm, training not just maesters but also healers, stewards, lawyers etc. 

Hence according to the decree in 64 AC two new citadels would be founded in either the Westerlands, Vale or North, followed by 4 more in 113 AC which would allow for each region except either Dorne or the Iron Islands to have its own Citadel (for they were the least populated of the regions of Westeros). By 162AC not only would a citadel be established in each region but larger regions such as the Reach could host more than one citadel. This decree would in time lead to the prominence of the Maester Order over all other such orders with many such as the law school of Lannisport being absorbed into the expanding network of citadels. Those other orders which kept both their independence and their prestige were the Alchemist Order, the Westerlands Miners School and other such smaller niche bodies or those whose skills that the nobility wanted to keep in their own hands.

With this one final decree the Great Council and Tournament of 8 AC came to an end and the new course of Westeros was set.

Chapter Text

In the aftermath of the Great Council of eight AC the realm was at peace, so much so that the period of King Aegon's reign after the conquest is recorded by Maesters as the Dragon Peace. In the years that followed the Conquest of Dorne the King made many progresses during his reign, which usually lasted for near half a year. While he was on these progresses the ruling of the kingdom was left to Queen Visenya and the king's councillors. King Aegon is known to have visited many places during his progresses, including the Arbor, Ashford, Casterly Rock, Crakehall, Evenfall Hall, the Eyrie, Gulltown, Harrenhal, Highgarden, Horn Hill, Lannisport, Old Oak, Oldtown, Riverrun and Storm's End. He also journeyed thrice to the Iron Islands (twice to Pyke and once to Great Wyk), spent a fortnight at Sisterton in 19 AC, and visited the North six times, holding court thrice in White Harbor, twice at Barrowton, and once at Winterfell.

King Aegon travelled on Balerion during his progresses and was accompanied by a famously large retinue, sometimes including as many as a thousand knights and lords and ladies. He always surrounded himself with six maesters, to answer any questions he might have on local law, customs, and history and help him hold court wherever he went. With time as they got older King Aegon would also take along his sons Prince Aenys and Prince Maegor with him. It was these progresses it is said which made him alert to the need to improve roads, particularly between kingdoms though he would not be able to undertake that task in his early reign as he had more important priorities in the building of Kings Landing itself.

Meanwhile in the growing City of Kings Landing and in the Keep of Dragonstone the royal bureaucracy was being built and was under two separate yet interlinked bodies , the first one was the Small Council which helped the King govern the realm as a whole and was the more powerful of the two bodies. The second being the City Council which was overseen by the High Steward of Kings Landing, who kept a seat on the Small Council. For many years the City Council would have more wealth than the Small council despite not having the same amount of prestige, as the various Royal works meant that the bulk of the income of the Crown as well as the gold received from the Westerlands and the Reach after the Field of Fire were poured into the new City over the reign of King Aegon and his descendants; The seemingly endless amount of gold which otherwise would have simply gathered dust in the caverns of Casterly Rock or Castamere, or forgotten about in the overflowing coffers of the Houses of the Reach ended up making the Targaryens somewhat careless in their ambitions paying no heed to the cost of their grand works that they ordered, though it should be noted they still punished any theft or wastage heavily and were as such merely ambitious and not entirely careless.

The Small Council traditionally consists of certain office holders who sit alongside appointed members of the royal family such as princes, queens and of course the King, the office holders were:

• The Hand of the King, the chief advisor of the king and the second-most powerful man in the realm who along with overseeing the council also had the power of appointment over many offices.
• The Grand Maester, who advises the king on any matter concerning governance, though despite living in Kings Landing he did not represent or lead the Royal Citadel which was led by the Seneschal.
• The Master of Coin, head of the treasury and finances of the kingdom who also oversaw the Royal Mint and who supervised the Chancellor of the Exchequer who was responsible for assessing and collecting the Royal taxes.
• The Master of Laws, who oversaw the laws of the realm, advising the King on which law to approve or amend, the Master of laws also appointed the Lord Chancellor of Justice who oversaw the judiciary and the Kings courts .
• The Master of ships, commander of the Royal Navy which traditionally has three Royal Fleets based out of Dragonstone, Kings Landing and the Stepstones.
• The Master of whisperers, the spymaster and gatherer of information.
• The Lord Commander of the Kingsguard, leader of the Kingsguard and also oversaw the Dragonguard which aid the Kingsguard in securing the Royal Family, while also protecting the Targaryen seats and other important buildings such as the Dragon pit. The Lord Commander is also the principal military advisor for the King.
• The High Steward of Kings Landing who oversees the City Council and the Targaryen holdings in the Crownlands except Dragonstone itself.
• The Master of Roads, a later addition to the council, the office was in charge of building and maintaining the Royal Roads as well as collecting tolls for its upkeeps among other duties.

Meanwhile the City council was the body that ran the City of Kings Landing and also exercised oversight over the Dragonlands, the mainland personal holdings of the Crown. As mentioned it was headed by the High Steward and was composed of the following:

• The City Clerk, who was the main deputy of the High Steward and fulfilled a role similar of that of the Hand of the King
• The Overseer of Markets, In charge of the maintenance and construction of the many markets of the City , supervising the many market councils which the merchants elect to run them on a day to day basis as well as supervising the guilds of the city, the traditional envoy of the Crown to the cities merchants and artisans. 
• The Lord Chamberlain who acts as the City Treasurer.
• Harbour Master of Kings Landing
• River Dock Master of Kings Landing
• The Head Wisdom of the Guild of Alchemists, though in practice his duties in regards to City Council is carried out by a Deputy
• The Seneschal of the Royal Citadel, though in practice his duties in regards to City Council is carried out by the Deputy Seneschal
• Overseer of the Roads, Fountains, Canals and Sewers
• Overseer of Royal Works who was responsible for much of the construction of the City.
• The Bailiff of the Dragon lands, overseeing the mainland holdings of House Targaryen in the Crownlands including the many villages and towns. The Bailiff also appointed the Sheriff of the Kingswood who regulated the Kingswood in terms of non-noble hunting, logging, firewood collection and other such activities.
• The City Surveyor, who is responsible for the maintenance of the Crown's property in the city such as the Magistrates Courts, the buildings of the many offices of the crown such as the customs houses etc.
• The Recorder of Kings Landing, the senior magistrate who ran the judiciary of the City and the Dragonlands, appointing the justices to the both criminal and commercial courts of the city, As well as the Circuit Courts and Courts of Common Pleas in the Dragonlands. Though these courts only dealt with the smallfolk with the nobility being tried by the Kings Benches who were appointed by the Lord Chancellor, under the supervision of the Master of Laws.
• The Lord Commander of the City Watch who maintained order in the City.

The following roles were also a part of the City council but were retired at the tasks completion and similar such roles were later put under the supervision of the Overseer of Royal Works rather than being offices and council members in their own right.

• The Master Builder of the Red Keep
• The Master Builder of the Dragonpit

During this time the City of Kings Landing was taking shape, growing at a rapid rate it attracted immigrants from across Westeros with many coming from the islands of Dragonstone, Driftmark and Claw Isle, as well as significant immigration from the Blackwater Rush valley and the Lower Riverlands regions. Many smallfolk coming to the city using the services of recruiters who sold them on the prospect of a fresh start and being assured of well paying work as the Targaryens built not just great works such as the Dragon Pit and Red Keep but also fresh water canals and flying aqueducts, Braavosi style square wells, sewers, roads, wide Boulevards, Manses for Offices and Officials, Barracks, Shipyards and Docks, Harbours, and other such public works meaning the demand for labour was ever expanding even without considering all the other jobs from housebuilding to stableman whose demand was created by the people themselves rather than the crown. As such from across Westeros people came in droves, living together with people they may have never met before with the people of Kings Landing becoming in a sense the first true Westerosi, peoples whose identities were bound to the Crown and the realm of Westeros rather than the old Seven Kingdoms.

However not all this growth was due to labourers, for the growing well paid workforce created a new and lucrative market which caused merchants to rush to fill in the gap, similar to the large number of artisans who came from as far as Essos, soon King Landing became a small but growing hub of trade. By 25 AC Kings Landing would be as large as Gulltown and White Harbour.

The Island and People of Dragonstone would face mixed fortunes in this era. It too would benefit because of the increasing trade brought by the peace and spending of the expanded court of Dragonstone, much of the rock required for building the city would also be sourced from Dragonstone, further the Targaryens would also set generous rates for Dragonstone rock contingent on generous wages boosting the coffers of all. However the Island would also become depopulated, first as all the departing Noble Houses and new Landed Knights would take with them about one third of the population of the islands to Westeros so as to form the base of their households and to help trustworthy and familiar people administer their holdings and staff their seats. This would mean along with scholars and stewards so too would depart guards, cooks, scribes, maids, stable hands, blacksmiths, fletchers, healers, gardeners and a wide variety of people not to mention the families and even friends of all these people who sought new prosperity on the mainland.  In many cases nearly the entire fief of the new noble houses would make the travel to their new seats, while when the new Landed knights would travel to their new lands they would take with them sometimes half their village if not more as everyone from second sons seeking lands to farm to those who simply adventure in their blood sought to leave with them. This would especially be true of the new Dornish and to a lesser extent Riverland nobility as their seats had the most empty lands with by one estimate a fifth of the islands population would move to Dorne and the Island of Sunstone alone. With Sunstone being known as New Dragonstone by some due to both its heavily its Valyrian Population, as well as its characteristics with the same types of hills and fertile volcanic soils perfect for the kind of crops and orchards the Valyrian's had been planting on Dragonstone for generations. More than half of those who left Dragonstone for Dorne would end up in Sunstone despite the lands of Dorne available to them being much larger, for this very reason.

Furthermore as the City of Kings landing grew and the lands of the Blackwater bay which used to be in a state of constant turmoil stabilised it proved to be very enticing for many.  And soon many people moved both to the new city, seeking gold and jobs and to the new Dragonlands or the mainland personal holdings of House Targaryen where farmers of Dragonstone could receive two or three times the land to farm compared to what they had back on the island making it more lucrative even if the lands were less built and the soil less fertile. As such soon a decades long exodus of farmers, winemakers, herders , fishermen, artisans, musicians, innkeepers, bakers, tailors, blacksmiths, fletchers, merchants and many more other professionals was made to the mainland, their skills and labour would be invaluable to build the new City and Dragonlands as well as to rebuild Dorne and the Riverlands. In many cases a village simply travelled as a whole after being granted lands while in the case of the towns and the Port-of-Dragonstone it was a near continuous stream.

This exodus would also help make a lasting cultural mark on the City of Kings landing and the Dragonlands as people would note for many years in terms of language, architecture for commoners homes and shops, people, names, fashions, practices and traditions, cuisine, faith and other such matters it is the most Valyrian of the Westerosi cities and regions, these original Dragonstone migrants sharing much of their culture with the rest of the Westerosi who also migrated to the city.

 Though it was not all bad on Dragonstone as even those who stayed behind would benefit, for they would be able to access a fast growing market close to their shore and face less competition for fishing waters, pastures and farm lands. The Island would soon become more oriented towards trade of these resources as with its population falling to levels not seen since before the doom it would cease to be a market of any size or note. A similar situation, though to a lesser extent would also be seen with Driftmark and Claw Isle who would each lose half of their populations rather than more than two thirds in the case of Dragonstone.

At this time the Targaryen court was based in Dragonstone as the Red Keep ,the new royal seat of the Targaryen dynasty and its new capital city was still under construction. It was overseen by the Westerosi and Essosi artisans, builders and architects under the command of the City Council. This construction would have a profound impact on the culture of Westeros as Valyrian influences in architecture and decoration would grow rapidly. This would be aided with the establishment of the Valyrian Artisans Guild of Kings Landing, composed initially of Essosi immigrants in time it would expand as it inducted more Westerosi into the Valyrian way of making statues, buildings, Tapestry's, Mosaics, decoration, art and architecture. In the years to come the Valyrian Artisans guild would become so large it would split into multiple specialised successors such as the Valyrian Mosaics Guild and the Valyrian Statue Guild. There was both much interest in learning the Valyrian arts and a large requirement for such skill due to the very high level of royal patronage the guild received, its artisans having a large hand in building much of Kings Landings great works.

And these works merited the title of great; The Red Keep for example covered within its walls even more land than Harrenhal for its walls extended far beyond Aegon's high hill despite that negating a key defensive advantage . While called the Red Keep it was in reality composed of three separate Keeps, each larger than the Great Keep of Highgarden, as well as seven Great Halls and seven Great Towers. Each of these structures on its own would do a noble family proud as their seat and they had to be of this size, for it was in these towers and halls much of the apparatus of the realm was to be accommodated and its office holders and their families settled . It also sported many gardens, small inner yards, dedicated practice grounds for archery and melee , even a 5 acre ground meant for riding and to practice Jousting;  Covered bridges connected the Keeps to the towers and the Halls negating the need to return to the ground floor and also present were the barracks of the Dragonguard, dungeons, granaries, storehouses, kennels, enormous stables, and many more smaller building fulfilling a wide variety of roles from armouries to fletchers to woodworkers. Massive curtain walls of stone some 20 feet thick and 40 feet high surround the castle, with nests and crenelations for archers. Thick stone parapets, some four feet high, protect the outer edge of the wall ramparts, where the heads of traitors are traditionally placed on iron spikes between the crenels at the gatehouse. The walls have great bronze gates and strong iron portcullises all aided by large corner forts each worthy of being a Marcher Lords seat. It also contained a Valyrian temple, a Sept and a dozen chapels and a Godswood. Within the wall there was also Balerion's Garden where the royal family could land many of their dragons together, the more skilled of the Dragonriders could even call for their dragons from the Dragon pit using the magical connection they shared, saving them the journey and negating the need to worry about enemies cutting off the Red Keep from the Dragon pit by blockading the Dragon Pit Boulevard which connected the King Square in front of the main gate of the Red Keep with the Dragon Pit. Building the enormous Red Keep was similar to building Harrenhal and in recognition of the scale of what he wanted to achieve the King had recruited any architect and master builder who had worked on the great fortress.

Despite its size however the Red Keep remained smaller the Harrenhal receiving the title of the second largest Keep in Westeros for not even its Great Keeps could even come close to match Harrenhal's towers, though it made up each individual structure's smaller size by having many more of them. It would take over four decades to complete the Royal seat in its entirety though parts of it would be inhabited from 20AC or so.

Along with the Red Keep the Dragonpit would also be built; It is one of the great works of King Aegon and is a large building which takes up most of the Visenya's hill. Built using the palaces of the Dragonlords of Lys as inspiration it is a series of large half halls surrounding large squares, allowing the dragons to take shelter from the elements, dig tunnels into the hill side and when they wished, to fly in the air whether they had a dragon rider or not, allowing them to choose if they would prefer to hunt in the Kingswood or in Blackwater Bay or be fed by the Dragon keepers. However considering the safety of non Targaryens  a single gated chamber with chains was also built to hold a dragon which would not calm down, though it would only fit a younger dragon if not a hatchling. The Dragon pit would become as much as a symbol of Targaryen might as the Red Keep for it represented the Dragons which had humbled and torn down ancient dynasties. It would also be the only of the Great Works laid out in King Aegon's Masterplan that the King would see completed in its entirety with the Dragon Pit being finished just a few months before his death.

Some of the other Great Works, in particular one which would mostly take shape before King Aegon's Death was the Targaryen Square, which was this was the largest square in Kings Landing and Westeros being 1.4 million square feet in area and is the traditional centre of the city. From it came 10 Boulevard roads in all directions, these roads would lead to all the major landmarks and corners of the city, from the Red Keep to the Dragonpit to the docks and harbours to all the major markets and their own squares. The Targaryen square itself would be flanked by multiple palaces and offices, among them would be the Royal Courts of justice where the King's bench would hold its sessions; The Manse of the High Steward of the city; The Watch Manse which would act as the main headquarters for the City Watch of Kings Landing though not the largest for that honour would go to the main barracks on Winterfell Yard; The Guildhall which would act as the central building in regulating the cities commerce for not only would it house the offices of the overseer of the markets but also house the chambers where all the guilds present in the city would meet. The Lord Aerion and Lady Valaena Sept and the City Hall; as well as a small but richly decorated Valyrian Temple. Also built on the square would be the future headquarters of the Bank of the Dragon which would act as the only formally chartered Westerosi bank for decades, though originally this building was part of the offices of the Master of Coin, in particular it was to house the offices of the Chancellor of the Exchequer.

The square is famous for its many fountains, monuments and statues. At the very centre of the square is a large fountain with a 21 foot tall statue made from marble of a three headed Dragon representing the Targaryen Dynasty, surrounding the statue of the dragon, which stands even taller on a large plinth are the various sigil's representing the Great Houses of Westeros bowing or kneeling in homage, with men holding the banners of Houses Gardner and Martell kneeling to represent the Green Hand and Sun. On the north side of the Central Fountain is a large red marble rotunda containing a statue of Lord Aenar the Exile while on the south side is the exact same rotunda but in black marble, containing a statue of Daenys the Dreamer. The Boulevard surrounding the square is lined with a variety of flowering and fruit trees unlike all the boulevards of the city which use evergreen trees, while the outer square itself holds large statues of all the member of House Targaryen that have busts or statues in Dragonstone, 46 Targaryens going nearly 10 generations back are represented on the square, covering not even one side at the start for the intention was to keep it compact to leave with plenty of space left for statues of future descendants for generations to come. On the West to the central fountain is a large Valyrian Style Carved Pillar nearly 140 feet high not including the base telling the story of the Daenys the Dreamer and Lord Aenar the Exile escaping Valyria before the Doom. Behind the pillar on the Edge of the Square is a large wall composed so stone blocks turned into one smooth slab 28 feet high and 140 feet long. Embedded in the slab are a total of 124 bronze castings, in total depicting 14 separate scenes from the Conquest from the Coronation of King Aegon by his wives, Aegon's First Test, Burning of Harrenhal, Edmyn Tully swearing allegiance, King Ronnal flying on Vhagar with Queen Visenya, Orys Baratheon defeating Argilac the Arrogant in battle, The Surrender of Crackclaw Point, the Lannisters and Gardeners surrendering after the Field of Fire, Torrhen Stark Kneeling, King Aegon being Crowned by the Drowned Priests, the Accord of the Sun and Dragon being proclaimed and more.  Similarly on the east of the central fountain is the Arch of Victory, built in style of the Valyrian Triumphal Arch's. It is it is 140 feet high, with a width of 250 feet and a depth of 72 ft between the eastern and western arches. The three gates representing King Aegon and his two Queens, and while the interior is stone it is covered with thick layers of marble, carved with figures and further decorated by statues, most prominent being the two large statues of Balerion and Vhagar which flank the main arch looking towards the central fountain.

On the northwest corner of the Square is the Conquerors Fountains, one of the largest and most famous fountains in Westeros. Fed from the water of a stream which now makes up one of the lost rivers of Kings Landing, rivers which were quickly turned into natural canals for the city, the Fountain is a marvel of High Valyrian architecture, its sheer scale was unprecedented measuring approximately 86 feet high and 161 feet wide. The fountain's design is a testament to the artistic genius of the Valyrian Artists Guild, combining many elements and styles to develop the fountains intricate details and dramatic interplay of light and water.

At the center of the spectacle, King Aegon the Conqueror commands attention. He sits triumphantly on a large Valyrian chariot of triumph drawn by two small dragons, one calm and the other rearing in a display of the creature's fiery nature. Two men guide, the but not ride, the dragons, one being Grand Duke Orys Baratheon who guides the calmer dragon, and the other trying to guide the rearing dragon being Lord Quenton Qoherys , adding to the scene's dynamic energy.

Besides the King on two plinths placing them just slightly above him are the statues of the Queens: on one  side is Queen Rhaenys with abundance surrounding her, holding a basket overflowing with fruits and grains, and on the other is Queen Visenya, holding the sword Dark Sister aloft in the air.

Along with these main statues are many with numerous other sculptures and reliefs, tell stories of Valyrian mythology and the history of Old Valyria.

Above the central group of the Conqueror and his wives is a colossal triumphal arch which frames the scene. Its intricate carvings depict the story of the coronation of the King and the Founding of Kings Landing. The arch is adorned with seashells, coral, and other marine motifs, further emphasizing the aquatic theme of both the seaside city and the fountain itself.

The fountain's water cascades dramatically from various levels, creating a mesmerizing spectacle. Water gushes from the mouths of mythical creatures, spills from the chariot wheels, and crashes down from the cliffs that form the backdrop. The overall effect is one of overwhelming power and beauty. The facade behind the fountain is an integral part of the overall design. It is adorned with intricate carvings and sculptures, blending seamlessly with the fountain's architecture. The triumphal arch and columns provide a sense of grandeur and reinforce the overall impression of opulence.

The Conquerors Fountain is not merely a source of water; it is a work of art that captures the essence of Targaryen grandeur and the power of the New Royal Dynasty. It would take 32 years to complete, but King Aegon would give his approval before his death on the main fountain statues itself, depicting him and his wives.

Other Great Works of the Masterplan that King Aegon would not live to see being completed or even started include the nine lighthouses, commemorating the forefathers of the House Targaryen who lived in Dragonstone during the Century of Blood, with one lighthouse dedicated to each Lord of Dragonstone. These were short in height, no more than 70 Feet tall each and were meant to make up for their lack of height compared to the Hightower or the Lannisport lighthouse with sheer number.

Similarly the King planned to rebuild the tournament grounds built for the Great Council of 8 AC, currently these were made of wood however in time they would be replaced by larger Arena's made of stone and brick. Both the wooden arena complex and its later stone replacement would be known as Prince Maegor's Arena, but he did not intend to neglect his eldest and thus the King also planned a large stone bridge across the Blackwater Rush which would one day be realised as the King Aenys Bridge.  The King also planned to build the Great Dragon Sept, the largest sept in Westeros along with multiples manses and palaces in order to make Kings Landing the new center of the Faith rather than leaving it to Oldtown.  All this and much more such as the ever expanding docks, shipyards and harbours, new Royal Fleets dedicated shipyards, the Palace of the Admiralty, the Queen Visenya Aqueduct and others meant that the Targaryens would end up spending not just the 7 million gold dragons they received as tribute after the Field of Fire, but even more gold by the end of the first century after conquest. In doing so however they would receive the largest city in Westeros, and one of its grandest.

As all this was going on, as the city and the Great works being built and as the King took his progresses about the realm the eyes of those who worshipped the Seven who are One was firmly on Duskendale for it was here that the Ecumenical councils were held. Starting in the year 9AC seven councils were held over 21 years in a bid to unify the Faith of the Seven. The meetings themselves were held in a variety of locations including the Grand Sept of Duskendale as well as the Hunting Lodge of House Darklyn which was a palace by another name. Also used in later councils were manses and halls which started being built after the First Council for this purpose, paid for and owned by the Crown as a more permanent solution to the need for accommodation and office space as all realised that the work done here would take years to complete.

The expenses of the council, including the travel of the Bishops, First Septon, High Septon and heads of the various orders and chapters of the Faith were paid by the Royal treasury. Contemporary reports of attendance range from 250 to 300 across most of the councils for it changes, with the lists of signatories to the final decisions of the council showing some 200–220 consistent officeholders such as bishops being present, 100 or so individuals attended all Seven councils. With each attendee having assistants and advisors attending to them the total attendance may have been between 1200 and 1900.

Over the many councils much was affirmed and much was reformed, but the role of the First Ecumenical council of Duskendale was to create a common structure and creed of the Faith. It was decided that the main structure of the Faith was to based in local parishes centred around Septs, with many such parishes being part of a Diocese being overseen by a Bishop who in turn was overseen by a Cardinal who was the leader of the faith in one of the Kingdoms, the cardinal being a bishop elevated to the role by his peers. The Cardinals then selected representatives to the Council of the Most Devout who would select the High Septon. There were of course many more bodies, offices and roles in this chain, yet the base structure was made the same across Westeros, with even the North being integrated into the structures of the faith, under the Archdiocese of the White Harbour whose Archbishop oversaw the entirety of the North and despite not being named a cardinal was allowed to send representatives to the Council of the Most Devout. The Council also created the Creed of Duskendale which laid the foundation for a common version and a common canon of the Faith of the Seven.

As part of this common structure building and in order to facilitate the future councils a single leader for the Faith was also to be chosen. And it was clear from the start of the First Council that the High Septon of Oldtown was the leading voice in the Faith using his prestige and his control over the Faith in the Reach, the largest of the Andal Kingdoms and the self proclaimed heartland of the Faith to win many outside the Reach to his cause leading to his elevation as the First High Septon of Westeros, as selected by the First Council of Duskendale.

But while this helped secure his influence over the other councils to come, in every one of them he had detractors and bitter enemies with no High Septon ever exercising absolute control of the Faith. There were many reasons for this, including the continued doctrinal differences and traditions, but a lot had to do with the political rivalries between kingdoms and the various sects of the Faith. The High Septon of Oldtown was an office which after centuries of being the leader of the faith in the Reach had gathered many enemies and rivals and while the old office was officially disbanded and replaced by the Bishop of Oldtown and the Cardinal of the Reach, in truth there were still major overlaps between the two offices as at the time the Bishop of Oldtown, the Cardinal of the Reach and the High Septon of Westeros were held by one man. This meant he inherited his enemies and rivals in his new role as well.

As part of this accession into his new role the High Septon took on a new name, becoming High Septon Pious the First and starting a new Era of the Faith of the Seven, as momentous as Hugor of the Hills coming to Westeros. Over the next 21 years the Faith was slowly united, the boundaries of the Diocese fixed, the roles, rights and responsibilities of the various clergy clarified and formalised and the various orders and chapters of the Faith from the Warriors sons and poor fellows to the Monks of the father, to the Mothers Maidens, to the Crone's Friary's, to the Silent Sisters integrated. All beliefs, traditions and interpretations of the faith which aligned with the Creed of Duskendale were deemed valid if not correct in a bid to prevent schisms and disputes which may weaken unity. Furthermore as part of that all the Saints of the various Kingdoms were recognised as being valid even if they would not have been canonised under the common criteria moving forward.

The Councils of Duskendale created a common version of the Seven Pointed Star written in Ancient Andal, putting centuries of conflict over esoteric differences in text to an end. Further basis this the council would create an official version of the Seven pointed star in Royal Andal (also known as Oldtown Andal), known as King Aegon's Seven Pointed star. This would become the definitive version of the Seven pointed star, used by the Faith even till this day.

After the creation of King Aegon's Seven Pointed Star the last two Councils of Duskendale would create of the Book of Common Prayer which would become so entrenched in the faith of the seven that even half of the septons believe that it was written in the time of Hugor of the Hills. The Book of Common Prayer is the prayer book used by the faith and includes in Royal Andal Morning Prayer, Evening Prayer, the orders for Baptism, Confirmation, Marriage, and a funeral service.

In Duskendale the location of the houses built to accommodate the representatives is now know as the Council road, with dozens of septs, abbeys,  monastery's, shrines, Friary's, Septenary and Septa Houses it was and is a centre of the Faith of the seven.  More than due to any one Sept, but rather because it still to this day has representatives of the Faith from all over Westeros.

Chapter Text

Excerpt from "A History of the Seven Kingdoms, From the Dawn Age to the Targaryen Dynasty" By Grand Maester Marwin

The Weirwood Faith or Faith of the Old Gods revolves around entities called the "The Old Gods". Many southerners claim that they are all nameless and countless and mean to mock the followers of these gods with their claims as people too stupid to even name their gods. But the truth is more complex. The followers of the Weirwood faith divide their gods into two, the lower gods or the Spirits of Nature who are present in all natural things, in the rocks, streams, birds, and beasts, including forces of nature and prominent landscape locations, these are the gods which are countless and nameless. There are also the Higher gods who have names and domains, but in the Weirwood faith they are not prayed to directly, rather the followers of these gods ask the lower gods to intercede on their behalf, the natural acting as the bridge between the mortal and the divine with the prayers of the faithful carried by the earth, winds, waters and waves by the lower gods to the higher gods. This is why the most sacred object in their faith is the Weirwood Tree. Worshippers believe the spirits of nature watch through the trees, into which they carve faces, and thus they pray to them to take their prayers to the higher gods. This is also why the First Men don’t build temples, rather than inability to as some septons and zealous Andals claim, for they believe the spirits of nature prefer to hear their prayers in the Godswood where they reside.   

The Higher gods of the Weirwood faith are:

Taal - God of the sun, summer, wilds, forest, beasts and nature.
The husband of Rhya. Brother of Ulric. 
Patron God of the Weirwood Trees, and considered the oldest of the gods.
Rhya - Goddess of spring, agriculture and fertility.
The wife of Taal.
Manann - God of the Rivers, Storms and the Seas. 
Son of Taal and Rhya.

Morr - God of death and the dead. Also the god of Autum.
The husband of Verena. 
The Dead are believed to go to his realm after death.
Verena - Goddess of justice, Law, knowledge and learning.
The wife of Morr.  
Shallya - Goddess of mercy, healing, hearth and family.
The daughter of Morr and Verena.

Ulric - God of the Winter, War, the Moon and Wolves. 
The husband of Myrmidia.
Brother of Taal
Myrmidia - Goddess of love, beauty, honour and the strategy of war. 
The daughter of Morr and Verena. 
Wife of Ulric
 
Ranald - God of trickery, Ravens, fate, beginnings and endings.
Ursun the Great Bear-  God of bears, strength, fatherhood, the sky and the stars. 
Handrich- God of Wealth, Commerce, Craftsmen, Smiths, Trade and Merchants.

Excerpt from "An Analysis of the Faith of the Old Gods" By Maester Martin

There was at one time another major god, the twelfth of the original pantheon. His true name is forgotten, and is only remembered as Khaela Mensha Khaine or simply Khaine. He is the God of Time, Chaos, Violence, Cruelty, Betrayal, Madness, and Murder.  He is also referred to as the Lord of Murder, the Lord of Skulls, the Great Defiler and the Great Corrupter. It is said in the dawn of days when the gods created the world that Khaine took dominion of time. Through his mastery over time he controlled the cycles of day and night, life and death, the seasons and thus kept balance among the gods. But he was not content and while outwardly supported his brothers Taal and Ulrich and the other gods, he in truth began to sow discord among the gods for he wanted domain over all the world and all its peoples, he wanted to be the one and only god. It was Khaine who corrupted the species of men imbuing in them the sins of Violence, Cruelty, Chaos, Betrayal, Madness, Destruction, and Murder, and who was the cause of the wars between the Children of the Forest and the Giants and then later the Children and the First men.

When the god Ranald discovered Khaine's lies and deception he alerted the gods who declared war on him to punish him for his sins. This was the Long Night when Khaine broke the cycles of Day and Night and of the Seasons. He also created his own being White Walkers or Others, these creatures were built in mockery of his kin. 

They brought war and winter to usurp the domain of Ulric, raised dead men as undead slaves known as wights in mockery of Morr, Banished the sun, moon and stars from the sky and rode undead wolves and bears to weaken and mock Taal, Ulric and Ursun. The wight walkers also had an unageing beauty greater than any creature Myrmidia blessed, and when they reached the seas and rivers, they froze them in thick sheets of ice, so strong even the strongest storms of Manan could not free them. They brought death to all living beings, beasts, woods and people to destroy the Family, Agriculture, Justice, Law, Commerce, Wealth, and bring forth the end of all where there would be no new beginnings, no new fates for new life. 

Eventually in the mortal realms led by the Last Hero the tide against the Others was turned, and men found courage and fire in their hearts once again.  The gods who had been weakened by their subjects losing hope also rallied once more at their victories and led by Ulric and Ursun the Great Bear triumphed in the Final Battle of the Heavens and the Lord of Murder was defeated, and through the actions of the Last Hero and of the Mortal Realms, the Dawn returned to the world with Kaine banished into the Timeless Halls where he has dwelt imprisoned ever since. His creations, the White Walkers however were not destroyed fully, rather they were defeated and banished into the Lands of Eternal Night, beyond the Lands of Always Winter, where they slumber and wait for the return of their master.

In the years since Bandon the Builder of House Stark, the First Son of the Direwolf and Chosen of Ulric, raised the great Wall and founded the Nights Watch to protect the realms of men should the Others ever return…..But the world has never been the same, the cycles of day and night, of the seasons, never retuned to harmony as they were before. It is a corrupted and broken place still, never seeing the glory of the Dawn of Days according to the Faith of the Old Gods.

Excerpt from "A History of the Seven Kingdoms, From the Dawn Age to the Targaryen Dynasty" By Grand Maester Marwin

Before the coming of the Andals the First Men had a mostly oral tradition, that writing being confined to runes which were used only on special occasions rather than for day-to-day purposes. After the coming of the Andals and the conversion of much of the land to the Faith of the Seven who are One the followers of the old gods adapted. Under the leadership of House Stark the northern alphabet would be formed, it would be based heavily on the Andal script which would be modified to better suit the various Old tongues of the North. This northern alphabet is the second most commonly used writing system in all of Westeros, with the Dornish adopting the Andal writing script in its entirety and not adapting it like the First Men. Along with using the northern script for more practical day-to-day purposes, under the direction of the Starks the green men began writing down their knowledge and heritage, transitioning the Faith of the old gods from a completely oral system to a mix of oral and written form. This would be done via the Weirwood Book, it is the closest equivalent to the Seven Pointed Star of the Faith of the Seven. In the book are stories, songs, poems, prayers for each occasion and need, psalms, quotes, anecdotes and much more. The Weirwood book, also known as the Green Book, contains the Common Core of the Faith of the Old Gods, telling the reader about the old gods, their laws, their deeds, tales and history and is used by both the Green Men and the laity.

In the coming centuries, to preserve their faith and solidify their authority the Starks would also commission the creation of another book.  The Records of Ancient Matters.

Excerpt from "The Faith of the Old Gods and House Stark" By Archmaester Tristan whose ring and rod and mask are of Valyrian Steel.

In order to preserve their faith and their crown against their many enemies the Starks commissioned The Records of Ancient Matters, it is a chronicle of myths, legends, hymns, genealogies, oral traditions, and semi-historical accounts from the crossing of the First Men to Westeros via the Arm of Dorne to the First Long Night to the Age of Heroes, finishing with the coming of the Andals and them being thrown back by the Kings of House Stark. 

It begins with the coming of the First Men, explaining their origins and how they forged Peace with the children of the Forests and the Giants and denounced Khaine whose trickery was revealed by the god Ranald. It then goes on to account for the Long Night and tells the story of how Ulric blessed the Starks with the ability to become Direwolfs as a reward for their deeds and their faith in the Gods, and how they built the Wall to protect the Realms of Men. It then documents how the Starks were further blessed by Ulric to win all the wars they fought, unifying the North and then tells of the rule of many legendary Stark kings such as Brandon the Builder, Brandon the Breaker, Brandon the Shipwright, Brandon the Burner, Theon the Hungry Wolf, and Rickard Stark the Laughing Wolf who defeated the Marsh King and extended the Stark kingdom to include the Neck. Giving the North its current borders.

The Records focuses on the merits of the virtuous rulers as well as the errors of the bad rulers. It describes episodes from the Dawn age and the Age of Heroes particularly those tales where the Old Gods intervened in the affairs of man to punish those who broke their laws, and also told tales from the rest of Westeros including tales of House Gardener, Lannister, Durrandon and others. It then documents the Andal invasion and tells of the First Men staying true to their faith in face of the incoming Andal onslaught. It also documented the suffering brought on by the Andals and the Faith of the Seven. Finally it also included many stories, songs, poems and prayers, for each occasion and need which were not already present in the Weirwood Book.

The Records acknowledges that other ancient families and the regions they ruled such as House Reed the decedents of the Marsh Kings and the Dustin's the descendants of the Barrow Kings, have their own historical records; indeed, one of the reasons it gives for the compilation of the Records of Ancient Matters is the correction of errors that had supposedly crept into these documents and songs. The Records of Ancient Matters is a collation of different traditions woven into a single "official" history, made in an attempt to justify the rule of the Starks at a time when it seemed greatly challenged and the North was at risk of destruction both from internal rebellion and Andal invasion, as well as to counter the accusations that their ability to change form was evil rather than a divine blessing. To ensure unity against the Andals and the Seven it would go to great pains to remind the Northern smallfolk and nobles of the atrocities it committed against their ancestors in the past and denounce the Faith of the Seven who claim to be aspects of a singular and one god as nothing more than a cult of Khaine who also aspired to be the one and only God and had seven domains (He is the God of Time, Chaos, Violence, Cruelty, Betrayal, Madness, and Murder)

Excerpt from "The Faith of the Old Gods and House Stark" By Archmaester Tristan whose ring and rod and mask are of Valyrian Steel.

The ability of House Stark to shift either partially or fully is well known and documented. In the South it is considered unnatural with septons preaching it makes the Starks a line of unholy demons. In the North However it is considered as the blessing of the Old Gods, and of Ulric in particular. It is said that this strength is what allowed the Starks to unite the North, the largest of the Seven Kingdoms, a claim which has credence as we see in history time and time again the ability of the Starks allowed them to not only win battles and thus rally morale but also by using it as a form of legitimacy, of having the divine right to rule based on their unique ability. In a way it was similar to the Targaryen claim of being closer to gods than men.

Despite centuries of study by the citadel we know not how the shift is made other than to say magic. But that is not to say the Citadel has made no observations, it is known for example that while the Starks can magic away their clothes while shifting, this has limitations, and they cannot make appear and disappear large blades, or large baskets or sacks like the way they can shoes and shirts. Furthermore the more metal they wear the shorter they can shift into a full Direwolf, though there seems to be no limit when they become Wolfmen or partially shift. As wolfmen they grow fangs, yellow wolf eyes, deep ridges in their faces, and claws on their hands and feet.They also gain enormous speed and strength with a young boy in wolfmen form having the strength of many full grown men..........

........All children of the sons of House Stark have near certainty in transforming into wolfs, called shifting. The children of Daughters have about even odds of shifting and this compounds with each generation thus the female line, daughters of daughters, rarely passes down the shift for more than a generation or two if that.......

There is also an observed phenomenon where even in lines of fathers and sons the percentage of probability mostly goes down over the generation if they are not part of the mainline, they great grandsons of a Stark bastard shifter are unlikely to be shifters even if there is a continuous male line, at best being partial shifters, with only weakened abilities at that. Those Cadet houses who have shifters show up every other generation without marrying into the mainline are called the Great Cadet Lines, for this reason. They are the Stonewolves, Whitewolves, Icewolves, Seawolves and Karstarks....... The fact that after millennia three Great Cadet lines were established in just one lifetime was considered auspicious and the gods blessing the King who knelt. But as stated this does not mean that all of the members of these Houses are shifters, just that other than the Starks they are the most likely ones......By ancient laws if there is a shifter noblewoman in one of the Cadet Houses or Vassal Houses the Heir to House Stark if supposed to marry her unless cicumstances apply leading to many instances of lords attempting to fool the Starks, but they have never been successful for shifters can tell when the wolf before them is one.........

Excerpt from "An Analysis of the Faith of the Old Gods" By Maester Martin

…….If a Weirwood tree is not present in the Godswood another tree may be designated as the Heart Tree. Compared to the Andal lands where many settlements cannot afford a sept or a septon even the smallest hamlet in the North and the lands where the Old Gods reign has a Godswood, it is not considered unusual for a family of farmers to take over the care of the Godswood on behalf of the community for no pay or compensation other than gratitude, though there is no upkeep cost to speak of……..

A Godswood without a priest , known as a Green Man, is also not considered to be strange or deficient as a Sept without a septon would be for the Faith of the Seven. This is as most worship and rituals are done by the lay people themselves. Though Godswood, particularly in larger settlements and the Noble Keeps, are generally staffed by priests who are dedicated to oversee the worship of the Old Gods. They are said to cultivate harmony between humans and Old Gods and to solicit the latter's blessing. But this is not mandatory. Green men may dedicate their lives to service instead of overseeing prayer with the Green Men of the North being responsible for running the Order of the Weirwood. This Order is composed of both Green Men and in much larger number by the laity and provides a network of orphanages, homes for greybeards, healing centers, birth rooms, and other such services. But it is important to note the Order and Green Men while linked are separate entities………….

Common rituals include dances, rites of passage such as naming and marriage, and seasonal festivals marked by the equinoxes which the followers of the Old Gods hold to be sacred days. The Green men can facilitate forms of divination through Green Dreams, and the priest who can do so are called Green Seers. 

Chapter Text

It was at the Great Council of 8AC that the realm was introduced to Prince Aenys the future King, elder son of King Aegon. At birth, Prince Aenys was small, with spindly limbs and small, watery eyes. He was weak and sickly and slow to grow, but once he was given the hatchling Quicksilver, he began to thrive and would end up growing to be as tall as his father, yet slender and weedy at the same time. The Prince was a kind hearted, courteous, charming, and soft-spoken man, who wished to be loved by everyone and always sought to please. This made him indecisive, as he would dither and hesitate over his decisions, fearing to disappoint someone. This was made more difficult due to the fact that he made friends easily meaning he tried to juggle too many interests and sought to find solutions which harmed none, solutions which more often than not were not effective. Prince Aenys thus disliked the burdens associated with being King rather he delighted in music and dance, so much so that he became a patron of singers, actors, and mimes. He was not a warrior, and lacked his father's strength. Instead, he preferred the companionship of maesters and septons, and dabbled in alchemy, astronomy, and astrology.

He was raised in Dragonstone mostly by his grandmother for his Father, Mother and Aunt Visenya at first were busy conquering Westeros, and then later after his mother died his father and aunt devoted their days running the realm and spending much of the year in progresses. In these early years his closest companion was his younger brother Maegor, together the brothers would fly nearly every day with Prince Aenys on Quicksilver and Prince Maegor on Morgul, the first hatchling of Balerion and Vhagar and one of the oldest dragons on Dragonstone, whose previous rider was Lord Aerion, their grandfather. The brothers closeness though would suffer with the end of the Wars of Conquest and the transformation of Dragonstone into a Royal Castle and Court for while in the company of all these nobles, parties and feasts Prince Aenys would thrive, his brother would not. For Prince Maegor was in some ways the opposite of his brother, as a babe, he was a big and healthy child; almost twice as heavy as his half-brother had been. By the age of twelve, he was already unhorsing boys four and five years his elder in the lists and battering seasoned men-at-arms into submission in the castle yard, and by the age of thirteen he was already defeating hardened knights in mêlées. He was also decisive in both battle and decision making, many times despite being younger taking over his brothers duties in helping his grandmother administer the Castle of Dragonstone. The Prince Maegor cared little for parties and feasts, though he was interested in the old ballads telling the tales and glories of Valyria. Unlike his brother who while not particularly pious converted to the Seven sincerely enough Prince Maegor did not even pretend to keep to the New gods, praying instead to the Gods of Valyria in which he was joined by only some members of the court for most of the Valyrian Houses had adopted the Faith of the Seven following the example King Aegon the Conqueror, at least in name if not in their hearts. The Prince Maegor would be more comfortable with High Valyrian than Royal Andal which to his regular protests ,despite legal decrees saying otherwise, was the working language in the Royal Court and Administration, though High Valyrian remained in use and retained legal if not actual primacy with the laws of the Crown written in High Valyrian being used if there was a dispute between the many translations used by the kingdoms for local interpretation. As such more than one noble was glad that it was Prince Aenys who was the elder and heir to the throne

As the years passed the Crown prince would quickly be overshadowed by his younger brother who was stronger, rode a larger dragon, was as decisive as a king should be, though Prince Aenys remained the favoured son of his father who spent more time with him as he tried to compensate for the loss of Queen Rhaenys and who dismissed with anger any whispers of him making his younger son his heir. But the realm had reason to whisper, as the records show that in a tournament which was held in the Prince Maegor Arena in 14 AC that Prince Maegor, at the age of sixteen and as a mystery knight, won renown by defeating three knights of the Kingsguard in the joust, and next winning the mêlée with the final match being against Lord Commander Corlys Velaryon of the Kingsguard . So impressive was his victory that when he revealed his identity, he was knighted then and there by his father, King Aegon, making him the youngest knight in the realm at the time. This victory would be the seeds of future tension for in 15 AC after years of speculation the Crown Prince was betrothed to Lady Alyssa Velaryon daughter of the Master of Ships. The King when sending out the declaration also invited the High Septon, the most devout and every bishop of the realm to Kings landing to arrive at least two months in advance. The reason for this would become clear when just a week before the wedding the High Septon would proclaim the Doctrine of Exceptionalism, though this was known to history as the First Doctrine of Exceptionalism. The First Doctrine of Exceptionalism stated that since the Targaryens did not have their roots in Andalos, but in Valyria, where different laws and traditions held sway, the Targaryen incestuous marriages of the past were as the gods made them and as the gods had made them this way, the faithful may not use them as a reason disobey the crown or dispute the succession. This decree was a compromise made for it seemed unlikely the Targaryens would have an incestuous marriage on the horizon as the King wished for his grandchildren to get married, and in doing so unite both of his lines by his sons and wives. As such faced with the possibility of the faithful revolting the king chose to accept this lesser doctrine rather than forcing the High Septon to bless and legalise incestuous marriages which would have been an outright violation of the faith. The king was convinced that in the future his son would deal with the matter as and when it became relevant, the Small Council also advised him that by taking this lesser step now it would make any future decree easier for the Realm to bear, it was good advice for even this decree was somewhat contentious with some brave and zealous souls denouncing this decree and doctrine even when knowing I would bring the Crown's wrath upon them, with exile, the wall, excommunication and other punishments being used over the coming months against opponents of the Doctrine. Though the vast majority of Lords and septons did not care much, which is why the realm overall remained at peace, for to them it was about a past which like the practice of Slavery the Targaryens had left behind. After all, they all knew the King had married his sisters and he had been accepted even with this sin, as the marriages occurred before his conversion, to most this was not sanctioning any future incestuous marriages but rather was made to ensure there would be no challenges to King Aegon's heirs and successors.

The match between Prince Aenys and Lady Alyssa while happy was a political one and would lead to House Velaryon becoming the second House of the Realm as the Hand of the King Lord Alton Celtigar was a close ally and kin of the Velaryon's, giving them much influence over the realm.  And yet despite the whispers about the realm the brothers remained close, but as they were cognizant of them, when the first session of court after the marriage was held  Prince Maegor in front of the assembled nobles swore his loyalty to his brother as the rightful heir and the next King while his brother pledged Prince Maegor would always have a place in his home and his court.

The Prince Maegor was able to make such pledges easily for he dreamed of conquest and glory instead of dealing with 'whining Andals'; As such in 15 AC when he was barely a man Prince Maegor assisted the Master of Ships, Lord Aethan Velaryon in a campaign against the pirate king Sargoso Saan in the Stepstones using the island of Sunstone as a base. The Prince lead his men to victory, both by assisting the fleet but also by winning 5 battles from dragon back before the Royal Fleet could even arrive winning him much acclaim. After this victory the realm and the Royal Court was at peace once again.

This peace however was followed by turmoil in the Royal Court when in 18AC Princess Rhaena was born causing the issue of whether Prince Maegor would fall behind her in the line of succession to be raised. The king had five separate laws to choose from, under the laws of the First Men, the Ironborn and the Valyrian's uncles would, barring exceptional circumstances, come before daughters. Though in the case of Old Valyria the laws gave much latitude to the Dragonlord family in question, with families able to choose their own laws of succession which could only be changed if all Dragonriders of the family agreed to them, and not something a family head could decree on his own, however most families including the Targaryen adopted laws to pass down their inheritances and lordship down the male line exclusively.  On the other hand Andal Law stated daughters come before uncles and Rhoynar Law went even further and stated daughters came before younger brothers.

To the outrage of Princess Alyssa the King ruled, with the agreement of his son Prince Aenys, that Prince Maegor would come before his niece in the matter of succession. It is said his wife Queen Visenya who advocated for her son as heir demanded that the king turn his throne over to her if he thought a daughter or granddaughter could come before a son, for she was the eldest and had only accepted his Lordship due to the Old Laws of Valyria. In this the Targaryens distinguished themselves with the Andal houses of Westeros, who composed a majority of their vassals. But the matter would become moot the in 20 AC when the Princess Alyssa fell pregnant again giving birth to Prince Aegon the Heir. But Prince Maegor would not be there to stake his claim at either of these two events.

For in 16 AC the Prince had sent with replies with messengers from the Sarnori who were in another one of their near endless wars against the Dothraki, who were rapidly expanding their raids across Essos once again, agreeing to their pleas of aid and offered his services in return for gold and a large share of the spoils. This was accepted by the increasingly desperate Sarnori despite the high costs in gold and the majority of the spoils going to the Prince. As such in 16 AC the call for volunteers went out and the Sons of the Dragon Free Company was founded, led my Prince Maegor and his close friend and rumoured lover Aenar Velaryon, younger brother of Princess Alyssa. Participating in it were Valyrian's, Andals, First Men and in the form of Omar Martell even the Rhoynar nobility of Westeros, it was aided by the proclamation of King Aegon which urged all hedge knights that had not been able to find employment under a lord or other noble to join the Sons of the Dragons, but the proclamation was not really needed as hedge Knights travelled without needing to be coerced for they too wished to see the east and partake in its riches. Before departing Prince Maegor and the sons of the Nobility were commanded to swear oaths forbidding them from being involved in the politics of the Free cities and other polities of Essos, to not involve themselves in wars where the Dothraki were not a belligerent, to not sack or attack cities unless they had been attacked first or unless the cities had broken their word in matters of aid, payment or contracts. This was mostly done in order to assure the powers of Essos that the Targaryens did not covet lands and titles there and this was for the glory and wealth of a single Prince rather than a precursor to an invasion, hopefully preventing panic and possible assassins. Though they did not need to be too worried for all of Essos cheered knowing dragons would help drive the barbarians back to their homelands.

The Sons of the Dragon would win victory after victory in Essos, with Prince Maegor leading them and the Sarnori armies to the edges of their ancestral land, reclaiming what had been lost since the days Great Dothraki Invasion in the Century of Blood. In doing so they would win both great prestige and even more wealth for when the Prince atop Morgul destroyed khalasar after khalasar he was to receive three fifths of the spoils not including the lands reclaimed, and most of the sarnori share was settled by the newly freed slaves most of whom were themselves sarnori captives or their children.  This meant the Sons of the Dragon got to keep most of the gold, silver, furs and jewels with the Prince also getting to keep three Valyrian steel blades including two arakhs as well as near two dozen daggers made of Valyrian steel; Though in the case of Valyrian steel, unlike gold, the majority of what was recovered was given back to the Sarnori under terms of their agreement meaning a lot more was captured and many nobles and the Prince himself cursed themselves for underestimating just how much the horse lords would yield and not fight the Sarnori too hard on this clause . The daggers were distributed  among the nobility, but the swords and arakhs the prince had reforged into the a Valyrian great sword he named the Dragonclaw, and a shorter bastard sword called Dragonfang becoming the holder of the third and fourth Valyrian steel blades of House Targaryen.

This lack of Valyrian Steel swords did not mean his men did not benefit, for the Prince was generous in the share his men received, the nobles along with the Valyrian steel daggers which were a rarity as well, relieved much of the jewels and a large portion of the gold, enough that they would find their standing among their peers transformed back in Westeros. Along with the now much richer nobility even the hedge Knights and lowest common soldier earned more in a year in the Sons of the Dragon than he would have earned with 10 years of labour and Hedge Knight Tourneys back in Westeros earning their own fortunes and many formerly poor men returning to Westeros wearing the kinds of jewels they had previously only seen in the distance.

Thanks to an agreement with the Iron Bank of Braavos the common men, nobles and Prince Maegor alike were able to ensure their gold was secure for all opened accounts with the Iron Bank which had long standing ties to both Westeros and Sarnor. Through this the men were confident that even if they fell their earning would be given to their families, further the company as a whole also became confident in carrying only what gold was required to pay for their operations which was important for like the Dothraki the Sons of the Dragon prized mobility, everyone rode a horse or was in a cart, most of which were seized from the Dothraki, in order to maintain speed.

As a consequence of these factors the company travelled with a large mobile contingent of Iron Bank officials who along with tending to the needs of the company also used this to capitalise on the new lands that the Sarnori had reclaimed. In many cases the gold earned by the company from a battle entrusted to the bank was loaned to the local lords immediately by the bankers they travelled with. Many nobles and common soldiers alike also used this trusted connection to send money to their families back home even before they returned, as the bank offered truly cheap money transfer services to the company. winning them prestige and leading to tales of the fantastical wealth being earned by the company spreading across Westeros; This lead to some more nobles travelling to aid the Prince and win wealth and glory for themselves and their families.

Meanwhile the Prince would leave the Sarnori lands and travel south, aiding the Tomori and Lhazareen Kingdoms, chasing the Dothraki who began to flee south from his dragon. He would extract the same concessions he got from the Sarnori and would again lead the Tomori and Lhazareen to victory after victory. With the Dothraki mobility rendered useless when compared to the speed of the dragon and the walls of fire Morgul could use to block paths, allowing the Prince to pick off the Dothraki even if they broke apart their hosts and travelled in different directions. But the Dothraki rarely used such evasive manoeuvres for not only were the Khals loath to risk breaking apart their hosts the Dothraki culture made it difficult for them to justify fleeing from battle. Similarly unlike the Dothraki the Sarnori, Tomori and Lhazareen maintained wide ranging and sophisticated communication networks which made the interception of Khalasars easy, especially when they crossed into lands outside the Dothraki sea. The Prince in his efforts to chase the Khalasars would travel as far as the City of Mantarys which sent desperate pleas for aid after being overwhelmed by sheer numbers, for it mattered not if one of your men was worth ten of theirs if they had brought a hundred with them for each of yours.

The Prince would break the land siege and slaughtered a great host composed of the union of some eight former khalasars and was boasting of 100,000 blood riders, using the flames of his dragon to make walls of fire trapping the Dothraki and splitting up the host ,making it easy if strenuous to slowly take out the Khalasar. After the battle was over the slaves were freed and every surviving Dothraki woman, child and greybeard was put to the sword without exception. The slaughter making the waters of the sea of sighs red for the second time since the coming of the Doom of Valyria.  It is said that the dragon Morgul would feast on the corpses for seven days and seven nights after the battle and this claim speaks true for it would be fed with the corpses of the largest Khalasar assembled since the Khalasar of Khal Mengo, the main host of the Great Dothraki Invasion which was broken in the battle of Sarnath.  With this battle alone the Prince wrote his name into the history books and was rewarded with all the wealth Mantarys, one of the Free cities which held the wealth of not just its trade caravans but also the bounty of its mines which were found in all the mountains around the seas of sighs, it is said that outside the fourteen flames and the hills of the Westerlands these were the richest mines in the known world. As promised the City gave the Prince all the wealth it could spare, requiring the Sons of the Dragon to grow five fold the number of stewards, carts and horses they had simply to transport the gold and jewels they won, not to mention guards assigned to protect it.

By now some five years since he had arrived in Essos the Prince Maegor had culled the Dothraki thoroughly, banishing the Khalasars deep into the Dothraki sea under the shadows of the bone mountains, especially after his great victory at Mantarys which was in a sense a desperate last stand by the Dothraki. In this time he had become one of the wealthiest nobles of not just Westeros but Essos as well and with his bloodlust and thirst for adventure, wealth, battle and glory satisfied he decided to return to Westeros. Prince Maegor would decide against marching north and would instead travel southwest from Mantarys. They would make their way to Hellas where they would buy themselves a fleet and the services of sailors, the Prince deciding to spend some month's travelling the land. He would sail to the great cities of the land and would buy books, works of art, armour, jewels and fine clothes. The Sons of the Dragons and Prince Maegor would be welcomed everywhere they went with open arms as heroes who defeated the Dothraki, and the men would get to finally relax after years of near continuous battle while the commanders and Prince Maegor would be given many precious gifts by the nobles and magisters of each city who all wanted to meet the Bane of the Dothraki and who all wanted to make deals considering how much gold the Prince Had, and how much he was willing to spend, for example the Prince buying 5000 silk scarves and shawls from the City of Thelma for his men.  After spending some months the fleet would depart, its passengers finding among their number skilled slave architects, engineers, teachers and artisans and their families who were bought and freed by the prince so that they may travel to Westeros, its holds filled with mostly with gold but also with other goods both gifted and purchased. The fleet then travelled to Qarth where the fleet was doubled as more ships were purchased and its holds filled with goods purchased using the gold they had. Soon the fleet then arrived in Volantis where the Prince would be welcomed by the Triarchs and be propositioned by nearly every woman of the Old Blood, but he would turn them all down to their disappointment; And then to Tyrosh, crossing into the Narrow sea before reaching Kings Landing where he would be welcomed by his parents and family to the cheers of the smallfolk and awe of the nobles who refused to join him, many seeing Dragonclaw, Dragonfang and the other riches on display with ill concealed jealousy.

So would end Prince Maegor's Great Adventure popularised in Westeros not just through song, or the tales of the veterans passed down through the generations but also by a book of the same name detailing the Prince's exploits that would be written by Lord Aerys Telyrion who had accompanied the Prince, and which would soon become mandatory reading by every young noble boy dreaming of glory.

The campaigns against the Dothraki also brought many other benefits other than the gold and treasures seized, it brought together young nobles from across the land and made them into comrades and allies rather than enemies. It also held reduce tensions between those who had been enemies for generations, Riverlanders and Westermen fought side by side with Ironborn; The Valemen and Dornish broke bread together, lords japing with those who they otherwise would never have met. The Stormlanders, Reachmen and Northerners attempted to outdrink one another in friendly competition, not to slaughter one another over their divergent faiths and Kings. They learnt new thing from one another and helped to overcome distrust. The greatest example of this would be when nobles who worshipped the Seven and had been raised on stories of demonic northern wolf kings who turned into terrifying mad beasts saw that while there was some truth in that, for the Starks indeed were magically blessed with the ability to turn into Direwolves or to become wolfmen, a partial shift which made them half men and half wolf. But they also saw that despite becoming wolves and wolfmen they did not lose their ability to think like men, nor were they any different from ordinary men most of the time. Prince Maegor in particular was extremely fascinated by this ability, and is said to have openly wondered if in the future a child of both Stark and Targaryen blood may be able to become a dragon rather than merely ride one, or shift partially and grow wings while retaining the body of a man. It was a possibility the Andal lords did not want to contemplate, and silently pledged to prevent if possible for it would make the Targaryens even more powerful than they already were, and they were already powerful enough. The other reason was that it would mean that Stark blood would be bound inexorably to the throne if they wished to keep the ability for it was known that outside the main line of House Stark the ability would fade, reurgin only into the lines where a Stark Maiden had married into or at times in the Great Cadet Lines of House Stark.

While Prince Maegor was off fighting in Essos, Westeros was seeing changes of its own. The same year Prince Maegor left Prince Aenys accompanied his father to Sunspear to celebrate the tenth anniversary of the peace between the Iron Throne and Dorne. Mindful of the Kings growing age and knowing of his many plans for the next two years of 18-19 AC Prince Aenys took over the royal progress so as to give his father more time in the capital to oversee his work as well as a longer break from the demands of travel. The royal couple would also have another son, Prince Viserys, who would be the third child born while Prince Maegor was away.

In 20 AC the King called for a tournament in Kings Landing to both celebrate two decades of his coronation but also to unveil to the realm two of the most recognizable pieces of his legacy. In the Throne Hall of the Red Keep the King had forged the blades he collected in his conquests decades ago into the Iron Throne, a seat which would become intwined with the Crown and become inseparable from the name Targaryen. According to the songs, the throne was constructed with seven thousand blades, heated by the Dragonfyre of Balerion, Meraxes and Vhagar and quenched in the blood of a thousand screaming sacrificed Dornish children who had one of their eyes plucked out and forcible fed to them. According to history, however, the throne was forged by armorers from Dragonstone, Qohor and the White Kingdoms of the East with aid of the Archmaester of the Higher Mysteries, sorcerers from Asshai and Wisdoms of the Alchemist Guild with some Dragonfyre and magic probably involved, but no sacrifices and especially not of children forcibly fed their own eyes.

The Iron Throne an asymmetric monstrosity of spikes and jagged edges and twisted metal, constructed from the melted, twisted, beaten, and broken blades surrendered by his enemies, or wrenched from the hands of the dying. The seat is ten feet above the floor allowing the king to see till the back of the hall easily. Instead of cushions the Iron throne used many scabbards of thick but soft leather knit together to form coverings. For without the scabbards the steel behind would make it impossible to lean back on the iron seat of the Iron Throne and even with them it would never be comfortable, despite these scabbards however most blades remain uncovered, meaning a king must first familiarize themselves before becoming too comfortable and attempt to lounge about the Iron Throne.

On the steps leading to the seat of the Iron Throne, along with the swords beaten to steps and a maze of swords flanking the path are the Crowns of the defeated royal families, the Crowns of Kings, Queens, Princes, Princesses and Regents all were present; The ancient crowns incorporated into the Iron Throne as a symbol of the nobility's powerlessness against dragons and for their foolishness in challenging House Targaryen in combat. Some were twisted around the swords, others had swords twisted around them, others were nailed into swords, and some were tied to swords via chains, all were dented and bruised but all still had their jewels attached to them. House Stark which had surrendered without a single battle and joined only through negotiation, had been allowed to keep its Royal Crown, the one King Torrhen wore, though the crowns of its Princes, Princesses, Regents and Queens was chained and incorporated into the Iron Throne all the same.

It was a blunt, unsubtle and very powerful statement of having the King walk past the broken Crowns of Westeros each time he ascended the Iron Throne. With these, the symbols of the Great Houses authority, independence and ancient heritage reduced to a part of the steps of the Iron Throne, not its seat, its steps, showing the power of King Aegon and House Targaryen. The Iron Throne is a symbol of conquest of the likes unseen before for no seat of any previous King came close to matching its Aura, especially as the realm realised that it does not rust, as many expected it to.

But this was not the only thing the king had in store, because on this day he unveiled the Royal Ducal Banners. As the king was quick to explain these were not meant to replace the house banners of the Great Houses or their vassals, rather these were meant to be a symbol of authority, of duty, of loyalty and of unity. The Royal Ducal Banners as such were meant to complement the existing house banners similar to how the badge of the Hand of the King complements the office holder who is not expected to renounce his own house sigil by any means. By royal decree they were meant to be present in each courthouse, in every customhouse in each harbour and port, and in each seat of every noble family, they were to be displayed in each tournament that took place with the Royal Ducal Banner of the respective Grand Duchy being displayed as prominently as that of the Host, and henceforth when jousting along with displaying the house banner of the Knight in question their Grand Duchy's banner was also to be displayed. Furthermore the King declared the banner was to be flown alongside the House Banner on ever Warship and was to be carried by every noble host, with any noble host not displaying the banners of their Grand Duchy declaring treason by rejecting the Crowns authority.

In time the Royal Ducal Banners would become a common sight across the Realm and would come to symbolise the lands themselves, for while heavily associated with the ruling Great House, it was also distinct and symbolised the lands as a whole under the Targaryens. The Royal Ducal Banners are the Following:

Crownlands: The Crownlands banner consisted the Royal Banner modified by having a representation of King Aegon's crown on top of the three headed dragon. The Crown was in terms of width just as wide as the royal sigil itself.

Westerlands: The banner was composed of 4 quarters, the top having the Lannister Golden Lion and the Reyne Red Lion on their fields of Red and Silver respectively. the lions of the banner faced inwards, facing each other. On the bottom the sigil's for House Lannister is present once again, diagonal to the top sigil and to its opposite side it the sigil House Maegyar with a purple unicorn on silver. In this the banner depicts the three most powerful houses of the Westerlands while affirming Lannister Primacy by depicting its sigil twice.  In the center of the banner in between all the lions and unicorn was a shield holding the Targaryen sigil of a red three headed dragon in a field of black.

Vale: Rectangle divided into two sections with a dark blue on top. The bottom white stripe is jagged and features five peaks, representing the snowy peaks of the mountains of the moon. On top of the tallest peak which rises up to two thirds of the way till the top of the banner, while all the rest only reach until the middle, is a white seven pointed star meant to represent not just the faith but rather also the importance of the Vale as the first land where the Andals landed and from where the Faith Spread. On the top left is the Arryn sigil of a sky-blue falcon soaring against a white moon, while on the top right is the red three headed dragon of House Targaryen. On the bottom of the banner in the runes of the first men 'The Kingdom of the Mountains of the Moon and the Vale' is written out in black, making them very noticeable on the white mountains.

North: On an ice-white field a large Weirwood is in the center, its top touching the top and the roots spreading across the bottom dividing the banner in two on the on the right is the running grey direwolf of house stark, facing left while on the right is the Targaryen red three headed dragon reversed and facing right.

Reach:  It would be a banner with a top white half and lower green half, the colours of House Gardener, and imposed upon it would be a red dragon, but it was not the three headed dragon of House Targaryen. Rather it was a red dragon design which the Targaryens had previously rejected. Instead of three heads it had four legs, and two wings, and one curled tail, for a total of 7 appendages and was meant to be based more on Westerosi tales rather than the Targaryen Dragons. Also unlike the Targaryen dragon it also did not breathe fire, rather it had an arrow like tongue.

Riverland's: the banner is a field of white and the Targaryen sigil of a red three headed dragon is in the center. Surrounding it, swimming in a circle around it are three trouts in red, blue and green, in the top left, top right and bottom respectively. Representing both House Tully as well as the Trident. The first and last seventh of the banner is also blue, giving the banner two stripes to frame the sigil's in the center. These two stripes are meant to represent the Trident and the gods eye lake.

Stormlands: the banner is a golden field with a large black shield holding the Targaryen sigil of a red three headed dragon in a field of black. Flaking the shield on either side are two crowned stags of House Baratheon.

Iron Islands: the banner is a black field with the Targaryen sigil of a red three headed dragon in the center, on either side are two crowned golden krakens of House Greyjoy, the field is lined on the edges with broken golden chains in 14 separate pieces, to symbolise the shattering and fall of House Hoare.

Dorne:  the banner is a field of white and the Targaryen sigil of a red three headed dragon is in the center. The first seventh of the banner is also orange and last seventh of the banner is sand, the Colours of House Martell and Yronwood, giving the banner two stripes to frame the sigil's in the center. The top and bottom seventh in between the two stripes is blue and purple respectively, representing House Dayne and Rivers of Dorne. As such the Targaryen dragon is surrounded in a box composed of four stripes.

These banners would symbolise many things, among them the authority of the Targaryens and the submission of Westeros. Because of this unveiling of the Iron Throne and of the Royal Ducal Banners the Tournament of 20 AC is known as the Tournament of Unity.

In the last month of 23 AC with the return of Prince Maegor House Targaryen was reaching new heights of prestige and in honor of Prince Maegor's victory an Arch of Triumph was ordered to be built in the Port of Dragonstone, for Prince Maegor held the title of Prince of Dragonstone. Built to be about 30 feet high and 15 feet wide it had a single arch of gateway and was situated in the main square of the town , the Arch commemorated not just the prince but all those who had fought alongside him and was paid for by the Prince himself. During this time the Prince who by now was one of the richest men in Westeros, rivalled only by the Crown, the Lannisters and the Hightowers also announced his intention to fund the building of a large Valyrian Temple in the Hellenes fashion in the City, deeming the two small ones built inadequate. The Great Temple of Kings Landing or Prince Maegor's Temple while not as tall as the Great Septs of Westeros was nonetheless Grand and impressive, and one of the Largest Houses of Worship in the land, beginning construction in 27 AC it would be finished in 57 AC and would quickly become a center of Valyrian worship in both Kings Landing and Westeros as a whole. But with this would come disquiet amongst both the faith and the nobility.

This disquiet would grow when in 24 AC the King would grant his son's request for a banking charter, giving him the Master of Coin's building at Targaryen Square as a gift. The Bank of the Dragon would become the first chartered bank of Westeros, meaning that its loans were backed by the law, as such noble houses which defaulted could see part of their tax revenue taken directly by the bank if they were unable to pay, similarly the bank also had the right to seize assets of both noble and smallfolk clients. Though it is more accurate to call it a money lending company for at the start it did not take deposits, lending out the money of Prince Maegor only; Nor did it formally charge interest for the faith had deemed the practise of charging interest usury. As such the bank used well established work arounds such as charging 'mandatory' late fees and imposing onerous exchange rates in order to extract interest by another name. In order to start the bank the Prince hired bankers and money lenders from both sides of the narrow sea, From the city of Pentos and from the workforce of the Iron Bank of Braavos younger but still experienced bankers were recruited. Many of these bankers would be the second and third sons of a well known banking families and money lenders, coming to King's Landing in order to built their own future and legacy and expand their family's network. In time the Bank of the Dragon would develop deep links with the Iron Bank in particular and would grow its network not just across Westeros but across the Narrow Sea as well.

The bank was supposed to follow a 21 year programme; For the first seven years as it tried to find its foothold it only lent to the nobility and in particular those nobles who had already received loans from a bank based in Essos or a reputed money lender such as House Lannister or House Blackwood. This would allow the bank to take advantage of the due diligence already performed on these nobles, because the bank could simply refinance the existing loans. Even at a lower interest rate this would not only give the bank an income with which to fund its ongoing operations but also gave it time to establish means to transport gold over large distances safely and for it to develop a well established and secure method of recording and verifying transactions. For the second set of seven years the bank would make fresh loans to members of the nobility expanding from its previous role or refinancing, the last set of seven years was meant to develop its ability to make loans two non noble merchant clients. 

Despite the Prince following well established work arounds to the law against usury many of the Faith were unhappy, as such by establishing the Bank of the Dragon Prince Maegor planted the seeds to even more opposition to the Targaryen dynasty in general and to him in particular.

In year of 24 AC the Prince would be engaged to the elder daughter of House Mantarys, Lady Shaena Mantarys. The marriage which was carried out in 25 AC, like the marriage of his elder brother, was not made out of love rather it was selected for him by Queen Visenya, whose primary consideration was the fact that the new princesses grandmother was a bastard daughter of a Lord of Dragonstone. Despite this however the Prince is said to have found some happiness in his marriage and he was cordial with his wife. It is said by many contemporary accounts that both Prince Maegor and Lord Aenar had tears in their eyes when the call for the bedding went out, making many believe the rumours of them being lovers. But these would decline when the new Princess would fall pregnant on her wedding night giving birth to Prince Aerion Targaryen.

During this period,  cognizant of the rumours that had been circling for years at this point, the King would push Lord Aenar to marry and the young Lord would do so by taking Lady Serena Valentia the niece of the Lord of the Weirwood tower as his wife in 24AC. Using his own funds, the large fleet of ships Prince Maegor had assembled and then gifted to him and loans from Prince Maegor who became his Patron, Lord Aenar would create the Seahorse trading company of Kings Landing which the King would officially charter giving it certain privileges on the dock of Kings Landing as well as discounts on certain custom fees. Starting first on the safer and well known routes of the narrow sea the Seahorse company would grow quickly, soon becoming profitable enough to fund regular routes to the shivering sea and opening trade with Lorath, Ib and the Sarnori Kingdoms as well as taking voyages to lands beyond Volantis, to Hellas, the White Kingdoms and Qarth. Lord Aenar would in coming years earn enough to not only pay back his loans but also earned enough wealth to buy his own large manse in the City near the Queen Visenya Godswood and the Prince Maegor Arena. He would buy the plot next to the Manse of Princes Maegor, the men breaking down their joint property wall to create a common garden where their children would play together.

In due time Lord Aenar would also sell half of his company to Prince Maegor in order to raise funds to buy large chunks of land further out from the existing yet ever expanding harbour and the City of Kings Landing and to build them into what would become known as Seahorse town, a large section of Kings Landing which was dedicated to carrying out the operations of the growing Seahorse trading company and which would become a city within the city, being by area ten times larger than hull, though it would be decades before the full area was developed. Along with its own harbour, shipyard and both wet and dry docks the Seahorse town would include warehouses, storehouses, shops, auction houses, market halls, currency exchangers, stables for horses, artisan facilities for rope makers, shipwrights, armourers, brasiers, coopers,  and halls for various guilds. There would be a large manse containing offices for the governing of the company halls for records, charts and maps. Further afield Manses for the captains and high officials of the company would be built as well as comfortable homes for the ordinary sailors, workers of the Seahorse trading company and others who simply moved to this part of town to set up their own businesses. In time all other manner of facilities would also be developed from Septs to Valyrian shrines to even a theatre stage where Westerosi and Braavosi mummers practised their trade. Both Prince Maegor and Lord Aenar would also have their own small but luxurious townhouses built, the small size not being a constraint as these were not their primary residences, but more for making a statement, for extra office space, and for guests. They would be connected on the third floor by a land bridge allowing them to travel between the two without needing to enter the street. Though considering the street with the townhouses was gated and guarded on both ends its was a luxury than a necessity.

As such despite these marriages and the children produced in them however the old rumours regarding Prince Maegor and Lord Aenar would never fade,  the homes they maintained in Kings Landing physical proof of their impropriety though none would have the courage to accuse them openly. The two would raise their families together with the children of Prince Maegor being closer to the Velaryon's of Kings Landing than their royal cousins. As even during the months the two families would spend together living in the Red keep or Dragonstone they would spend more time with each other than with their common cousins, aided by their much closer age compared to Princess Rhaena and Prince Aegon, as well as the distaste Princess Alyssa had for both families. But others dispute this interpretation of them being lovers rather than merely good friends who forged a close friendship in childhood and on the fields of Essos. For proof they offer the existence of the twins Julian and Jason Waters, sired by Prince Maegor on the Pentoshi Noble Julia of Andalos and who were raised in his home after their mother returned to Essos. As well as Avery Waters and his younger brother Maelor Waters, sons of Prince Maegor he sired on Lord Sunglass's sister whose parentage was so beyond dispute that even the King welcomed the boys to his Court and greeted them as "my dear grandsons".

And so the years continued, and in these years the realm and city flourished and the Targaryens and the Valyrian culture they brought grew more entrenched. This can most clearly be seen when on both the Queen Visenya's and the Princes' insistence the Crown began sponsoring chariot racing which quickly became popular, with smallfolk and nobles lining the fields where the initial races took place in such numbers that the City Watch had to intervene to keep order. The Royal Family, in particular the King and both the Princes, were fans and the King would within the first month of the first race order wooden bleachers be built around a rudimentary circus so as it accommodate more people. The Queen Visenya seeking to make Kings Landing a proper Valyrian city ordered the creation of a large public bath which was lavish and grand, built over the next 12 years which could accommodate 1400 bathers at once. The Queen Visenya baths, like all Valyrian Public Baths, was far more than just places to wash. It served as a center for hygiene, health, leisure, and social interaction. For the Queen hygiene was paramount. Public baths provided a crucial means of maintaining personal cleanliness which was generally lacking from Kings Landing and most towns and cities of Westeros and the Queen refused to accept 'filthy Andal filth' polluting her city. The baths also were used as medicine with healers prescribing specific bathing regimens for various ailments, the heat and steam were thought to alleviate aches and pains, improve circulation, and promote relaxation. Furthermore almost as importantly for the Queen the baths were centers for culture, leisure and entertainment. The Queen Visenya Bath like all large Valyrian Baths included open fields, gardens, and even shops so that people could engage in sports, read, relax, and enjoy the company of others and were viewed by the Queen as vital in keeping the culture of Valyria alive in Westeros. In this it would succeed especially as initially only Valyrian's used the Baths for the were familiar with them while the septons had denounced them as sinful, as such it became an important way to preserve among the Valyrian immigrants from Dragonstone their own cultures. But of course slowly the non-Valyrian people of Kings Landing would begin using the bath and other like it more and more. But crucially they would integrate into the Valyrian culture which the baths promoted, though in truth it was not a one way process and the Valyrian's absorbed just as much from their Andal neighbours.

During these years Lady Valaena also called the Mother of Dragons died in 30 AC, being cremated and half the ashes scattered into the sea. She died knowing her end was near and was surrounded by her family. The next year the King appointed his son Prince Aenys as Hand of the King, only to strip him of the office in 32AC and appointed Lord Vaelaros in his stead. In 33 AC, King Aegon made his final progress throughout Westeros, during which he visited Winterfell.  He would then order Lord Vaelaros to reform the Small Council by appointing the Master of Roads who was to be was in charge of building and maintaining the Royal Roads as well as collecting tolls for its upkeeps. Though the Master of Roads initial mandate was to simply to survey and map the lands of Westeros and its existing roads and settlements under the authority of the new Office of Royal Surveyors and Cartographers which was put under his command.  The Crown seeking to understand its land so as to plan the best routes and those which would generate the most yield, though this alone would take more than a decade and a half.  Furthermore by having its own maps and surveys of Westeros the Crown would not be so dependent on the Nobility. The King made the initial plans for the office, which after mapping and surveying the whole realm was to connect the Crownlands with proper paved roads of the Sarnori style to Kings Landing for the King was not happy with dirt paths and wanted paved roads like those he had used in his youth in Dragonstone. It would take many years, many decades, to connect the realm together as the cost and time taken to build the roads were high. In a bid to ensure that the roads would be adequately maintained and not so expensive as to deter commerce, the Royal Roads were not to be under the jurisdiction of the local lords, rather the Crown would create toll officers and road wardens of its own, with the Lords only earning a nominal rent for the land used. In later decades this network of roads would be protected by the Royal Mounted Guard, a force meant to patrol and maintain the roads as well as its surrounding areas which answered only to the Crown. After connecting the Crownlands the Master of Roads was to connect the realm as defined by connecting Kings Landing to each Duchy, major city and Lord paramount's Seat followed by expanding the network to the seat of every large town, Countly seat and major lords keep.

After the king stopped his progresses the Prince Aenys and his wife Princess Alyssa made the progresses in King Aegon's stead and were at times joined by Prince Maegor who travelled the Kingdoms extensively both due to his love of travel and desire to meet old comrades from the War against the Dothraki but also for the purposes of the growing Bank of the Dragon and Seahorse Trading company. But he did not have time this travel after 34AC when the King appointed him as Hand of the King.  Prince Maegor as Hand under his father would keep the Royal administration running while at the same time constantly battle against the nobles of the Royal Court over the power of the Crown versus the Nobility. He would summon many maesters and Essosi scholars to write ways in which the Crown could improve administration and its hold on the realm. But despite these arguments and sponsoring these reports in all he changed very little in these years, simply continued running the realm as had been going on before his appointment under the instructions of his father.

In 37 AC the Dragonpit was completed, celebrated with a Tournament. This would be the last tournament the King would attend. Within the month work would begin on the King Aenys Bridge, the rebuilding of the Prince Maegor Arena complex in stone and brick and the nine lighthouses by the order of the King. Just some time later on Dragonstone, surrounded by his trueborn grandsons consisting of Princes Aegon, Viserys, Jaehaerys, by Prince Aenys and Princes Aerion, Gaemon and Aelyx by Prince Maegor, as well as his bastard grandsons in Julian and Jason Waters, while telling the tales of his conquest at the Painted Table, King Aegon the Conqueror died from a stroke at the age of sixty-three.

His funeral was held in Dragonstone where he was cremated in according to both Andal and Valyrian final rites. Sermons and prayers where held by both a Septon and a Valyrian priest, with even the Green Man and Drowned Man of the Royal Court calling for blessing from their gods, a mix of faiths which would come to define most Targaryen Kings Funerals. Similarly Valyria's strict restriction on those who could give eulogy was discarded and Courtiers, Holders of Royal Offices and even long standing personal servants of the King gave words in honour of his memory, this open floor to speak very much a Westerosi habit but one which became standard in all funerals of Valyrian's in Westeros, even for those who claimed to have held on to their faith and heritage. Of House Targaryen his surviving wife refused to speak her eulogy out loud, rather she had written it out and tucked it into his pyre, beneath his left hand, a rather sorrowful gesture for this meant that she saw herself as a secondary wife of her husband, despite being his elder sister, the first woman he had wed and the now long ago death of Queen Rhaenys.

And of his sons only Prince Maegor had spoken the eulogy for their father as his elder brother was too distraught, the Prince's eulogy was long and tearful and true to form in High Valyrian. Knowing his elder brother was too distraught to speak, the Prince took it upon himself to deliver a proper Valyrian eulogy for Honoured Heroes for King Aegon. Reciting his father's distinguished lineages and history from up to 14 generations ago and telling of their glories and triumphs, he also recited his father's life; telling of his skills in arms and commanding armies; And the patronage he gave in the cause of advancing the noble arts of poetry, singing, sculpture, theater, mosaics , and others. And of course of King Aegon's many Great Deeds, the lands he conquered, the battles he won, the treasures he gathered and the monuments erected in his honour. The Prince also spoke of his father bringing written law to the continent and bringing forth an era of peace, justice and prosperity for all the people of Westeros regardless of the faith, culture or former allegiances, and listed all his known descendants including his sons, their sons and daughters, and all known and acknowledged bastards of his line, though only prince Maegor had any bastard children. After this long eulogy all of his grandsons also gave words, though theirs's was more of a personal nature telling of the love they held for their grandfather and small stories and anecdotes from their time spent with him. As all the courtiers noted, with the exception of Prince Aerion, all the young Princes' gave their words in Royal Andal, something with which the Queen Visenya was very much wroth, though she did not make a scene at the funeral itself.

Once all eulogies had been given it was time to cremate the body, despite this being the responsibility of the eldest son and heir King Aegon's funeral pyre was set aflame by Vhagar on the command of his wife Queen Visenya for the Prince Aenys was unable to do so, collapsing to his knees and being unable to stop crying when time came to give the command . The King when cremated was covered with his House Banner and held still in his hands the sword Blackfyre which was burned along with its wielder, Westerosi traditions for cremations the Valyrian families including House Targaryen had adopted. But unlike what these traditions dictated the sword had to be retrieved from the ashes by Prince Maegor rather than Prince Aenys, the eldest, who was unable to summon the strength to do so, being so distraught he had left while his father was cremated for he could no longer stay in the presence of the Pyre.

After the funeral King Aenys entrusted his brother with the sword Blackfyre over the objections of his wife, sons and councillors admitting before the Royal Court that Prince Maegor was more fit to wield the blade than he was, being not just the best blade in House Targaryen but also one of the best in the realm. King Aenys appointed his brother Hand of the King and asked the Prince Maegor to wield the sword in service to him and his sons, and told his brother that they would rule together just like their father intended. Prince Maegor at this time also knelt and pledged that he would be loyal to his brother so long that he lived and would defend their House and their claim to the Iron Throne and Westeros until warm blood flowed in his veins.

And so ended the Reign of King Aegon the Conqueror.

Chapter Text

The death of King Aegon marks the start of the period called The Anarchy, signalling less the absence of law and order entirely and more the breakdown of Royal authority and the Kings peace, as well as the unintended consequences of the violence unleashed in order to restore it. It came about from two main factors, the first being the weakness and mistakes of King Aenys and the second being the unleashing of tensions that had been building up for decades for despite the years of peace there were many who wished to return to the era before the Targaryens and the Valyrian's with their new ways and foreign traditions.

After King Aegon's funeral, Prince Aenys travelled to King's Landing, where he claimed his father's throne in the still to be completed the Red Keep and was cheered by many. Here was his first formal coronation as King Aenys of House Targaryen, the First of His Name, Lord of Dragonstone, Head of House Targaryen, King of Westeros, King of the Andals, the First Men, the Ironborn and the Rhoynar,  Lord of the Seven Kingdoms and Lord Protector of the Realm. It was also at this coronation that the title of Shield of His People was declared to be King Aegon's honour alone, with no other Targaryen King allowed to claim it. There are conflicting written accounts about his coronation by the maesters. According to Archmaester Gyldayn, King Aenys was crowned with his father's circlet of Valyrian steel and rubies on Dragonstone, and later, when he travelled with his wife and children to Oldtown by the way of Riverrun, Lannisport, and Highgarden, was presented by the High Septon Pious the Third at the Starry Sept with a crown of yellow gold, with the faces of the Seven inlaid in jade and pearl. However, according to Maester Yandel, King Aenys was crowned during a ceremony in the Red Keep with an ornate golden crown. In either case it is known that at the very start of his reign the King Aenys received the blessings of the Faith and the support of his nobles, the king also had wise counsellors attending to his many offices, plenty of gold to fill his treasury and the firm support of allies from across the realm. It was also on this visit to Oldtown to meet the High Septon Pious III did he and the Most Devout declare King Aegon a Saint of the Faith of the Seven for his unification of the Faith by calling for the Councils of Duskendale. He would be formally canonised in a lavish ceremony in the Starry Sept as Saint Aegon, Patron Saint of Westeros, The Crownlands, The City of Kings Landing and Dragonstone. In doing so the Royal House received enormous legitimacy, for now they could claim descendance from the Patron Saint of the Realm

 In the first year of his reign the King faced three main problems or challenges which caused his authority to be questioned. The first and most minor was the matter of his heir and his marriage, with Prince Aegon the Heir still not being wed or even betroth despite being of age. Many assumed the Crown was waiting for Princess Alysanne, the third child and eldest daughter of Prince Maegor to come of age but there were still persistent rumours that Prince Aegon was to marry his sister Princess Rhaena who remained unmarried despite being near twenty years of age. This would lead to a few to remain wary of the Crown as none had forgotten King Aegon marrying both of his sisters, though for now most considered it a remote possibility at best for unless Prince Aegon married his cousin the two lines of the Conqueror and the House of the Dragon would remain disunited and he would continue to face a real and significant threat from his cousins, not to mention that both the Faith and Nobility would not stand for such a marriage, meaning that most nobles and bishops considered it a question of when rather than if Prince Aegon the heir and his cousin Princess Alysanne would get married.

The second which was more serious was the fact that the King faced a crisis of legitimacy, with a potent threat coming to his claim to the Iron Throne from his brother's family. His brother wielded Blackfyre, The Sword of The King, but this was not such a problem on its own for the sword had been given to him by the King to wield in his name. The main issues was his son's inability to claim Balerion as he was supposed to or even Meraxes. For after the traditional 14 day waiting period Prince Aegon under the supervision of his father and uncle attempted to mount the Black Dread, but despite making multiple attempts over three days he was unable to do so with the dragon rejecting him, the prince spent another day trying with his grandmothers dragon of Meraxes, which also rejected the Crown Prince as such the Prince was left at Dragonstone contrary to previous plans while the King, Queen and Hand departed for the Royal Progress to Oldtown. But as soon as the knowledge of the failures became well known many foul rumours spread across Dragonstone and the realm of cuckolding and treason, with the Queen Alyssa facing much vitriol from even the Valyrian Houses which were House Targaryen's basis of support. This while a major blow to King Aenys would still be a somewhat manageable problem if not for what followed, for as the Royal progress left Kings Landing and reached Riverrun they received word that Prince Aerion was allowed by his grandmother Queen Visenya to attempt to mount Balerion after another 14 day waiting period, and that unlike his cousin who saw three days of failure Prince Aerion succeeded on his first try, flying the Black dread. This was made worse when his younger brother Prince Gaemon managed to mount Meraxes a week later, meaning that all three dragons used in the Wars of Conquest and the four largest dragons the Targaryens had now belonged to Queen Visenya's line. This led to unkind whispers across the realm and deeply damaged King Aenys authority with the childhood claims that he was too weak to be King Aegon's trueborn son returning with a vengeance and caused many to say and that the gods themselves had chosen the line of Queen Visenya. Only Prince Maegor serving his brother loyally mitigated this challenge to the King's authority.

The third and most dangerous was the kings of inability to handle and corral his own vassals. This can be seen in the chaos that occurred in King's Landing when nobles from across the land came to pay homage to the new king after his return from Oldtown. At the day of the main celebrations a fight broke out between the many Grand Dukes, the Prince of Dorne and the Archduke of the Reach, as well as between their bannermen on the correct order of precedence, as none of these proud nobles would accept coming after their ancient rivals and enemies. The situation got so bad that swords were drawn within the Red Keep, with the nobility prepared to fight for their honour and their rank, and even when the king tried to intervene his indecisiveness and constant flip flopping of support led to the argument only escalating with even his own friends refusing to listen to his pleas of peace. In the end it was the Prince Hand who secured order by leading a contingent of guards to calm the situation, the Prince Maegor also ordered the Grand Maester to select the order of precedence and declared he would take the head of any man who complained. But the King's inability to manage even this situation, one which took right outside the throne room, became infamous across the realm. This unresolved matter of precedence also engendered ill will between the Great Houses against one another as the order of precedence was something they would argue over for decades.

Perhaps bolstered by his well known weakness four uprisings against the Crown arose throughout the realm marking the beginning of the challenges to the Targaryens and leading to start of the blood shedding which defined the Anarchy. The first of these occurred in the Riverlands, where a bandit outlaw known as Red Harren claimed to be a grandson of Harren the Black. Harren and his men seized Harrenhal and killed Lord Gargon Qoherys with the support of his own men for Lord Gargon known as the Guest was infamous for exercising the right to first night meaning no one came to his aid and the greatest Keep in Westeros fell to a bandit in a single night. Nearly at the same time of the same day word came from the Iron Islands, that a man claiming to be the priest-king Lodos began to gather followers, while in just a moon more, in the Vale, Grand Duke Ronnel Arryn and his family was taken captive by his own brother, Jonos Arryn who imprisoned his own brother and nephews; Jonos Arryn also sent out ravens to the rest of Westeros in which he declared himself King of Mountain and Vale but also as someone willing to return to the Kings Peace if his claim to the Eyrie and the Vale was recognised and the complaints of the Vale nobility satisfied. Finally as if coordinated with Jonos Arryn almost the same day word came from the Dornish marches that the bandit called the Vulture King than begun to gather an army of Dornishmen who wished to avenge the destruction visited upon Dorne during the First Dornish War. While initially small in the following months this army would grow to be some 10,000 strong according to the songs, though only half that number by the estimates of the Maesters of the day. Convinced that the smallfolk loved him, King Aenys did not understand why people felt the need to rebel against him. He wanted to send messengers to the rebels, to learn why they had rebelled and when hearing of Lodos' crowning even mused calling for a Great Council to show his legitimacy. But while the King was unable to decide how best to handle the rebels, The Prince Hand took matters into his own hands.

 After suffering through the Kings indecisiveness and the Nobility's inaction for just a week, the Prince Hand sent instructions to the nobles in the Riverland's and the Iron islands on how to deal with the problem, telling them he expected it to be resolved quickly or he would have to get involved personally, something that they would find extremely unpleasant for not just the rebels but also for themselves. But later that month upon hearing of Jonos Arryn's treason Prince Maegor personally flew to the Vale deeming the matter of the Vale most sensitive, for as a Grand Duke Ronnel Arryn was the Crowns immediate vassal. Before he left he had ordered the Arryn bannermen to assemble at the Eyrie with all possible haste, though to his annoyance and anger most dithered and wasted time with only Duke Allard Royce of Runestone arriving promptly with his household knights and guard.

Realising Prince Maegor Targaryen had personally arrived seeking his head with a hostile Royce vanguard outside the Gates of the Moon rather than a missive from the King Aenys he could use to negotiate concessions, and seeing the complete lack of letters of support from a Vale nobility which had been claiming for years in the shadows that they were eager to rebel against the Targaryen's and their foreign ways, the traitor Jonos Arryn knew he had lost, for who could stand against a dragon that was used to slaughtering hosts of tens of thousands? and attempted to have his revenge by killing his brother and nephews. He would send his brother and oldest nephew flying out of the Moon Door, earning him the nickname Jonos the Kinslayer, but his younger nephew was saved for his Stark blood awoke at this point, the young boy transforming into a Direwolf and biting free of his uncles grip. Frozen in their shock the sworn sword of Jonos Arryn, Robb the Widowmaker, was unable to respond before his throat was ripped out and before anyone else could react to the strongest among them falling so quickly, Duke Artys Arryn fled in a run so fast no human could match. He was the first Arryn to transform into a direwolf in centuries according to songs and the first in the recorded histories of the Citadel, and as news of his transformation and that he was lose somewhere in the Eyrie spread the knights in the Usurper's service realised that they could not fight a dragon and that they had just lost their only piece of leverage. Knowing that they too would be punished for treason the Rebels split apart, Jonos the Kinslayer was seized by some of his men while a brief battle erupted when word came of a Direwolf being sighted in the eastern end of the Eyrie, many of the more foolish rebels went there in an attempt to 'honor the Seven and kill the demon child' while the turncloak rebels tried to save the Grand Duke in a bid for mercy. Soon they delivered both the boy, still in his wolf form, and the Usurper to Prince Maegor and Lord Royce who had by now seized the Gates of the Moon and had made their way up to the Eyrie, the three forts guarding the way surrendering rather than risking certain death. Surrender saved Jonos's followers from being fed to Morgul like he was, a fate they were forced to watch as they heard his bones crunch and his screams quickly die out, but not from punishment. All of the rebels were sent to the Wall, highborn and smallfolk alike. With this Grand Duke Artys Arryn became the new ruler of the Vale, though it would be three days before he turned back into a man, with Prince Maegor said to have shouted at him for an hour in order to convince him to turn back and do his duty. For his service Duke Allard Royce was named regent and High Steward of the Vale despite the objections of many including many Arryn cousins who felt their blood ties and name meant they should rule in the name of House Arryn.

At the same time order was being restored to the Eyrie, the Riverland's and the Iron Islands had also been put to right. For before his departure upon hearing of the fall of Harrenhal and the death of Gargon the Guest the Prince Hand would order the Valyrian Houses of the Riverland's to march on Harrenhal, declaring that Red Harren, who had proclaimed himself Lord of Harrenhal and King of the Rivers was a traitor who would die a traitors death along with all who defended or supported him. The Prince Hand would send also send Lord Gargon's cousin Lord Quenton Qoherys, one of the captains of the City Watch of Kings Landing to become the new Lord of Harrenhal, and with him also was a force led by Lord Alyn Stokeworth, a close friend of the King, to help put the household of Harrenhal to right. Red Harren would soon be forced to flee the keep by the Riverland forces and then was chased down by Lord Stokeworth.  Eventually the man was killed by Lord Alyn's squire, Bernarr Brune though the Lord himself would die in the hunt. The refusal or inability of Riverrun to put Harrenhal to right as was their duty as Grand Duke of the Riverlands, and the silence of Harrenhal's vassals in Houses Strong, Harroway and Whent in raising forces to protect and avenge their liege lord was noted by the Crown. All these nobles were summoned to the Red Keep to explain themselves though they were forgiven by the King Aenys when the men pleaded for mercy. Meanwhile the Valyrian Houses of the Riverland's on the Prince Hands command would send cousins and second sons to Harrenhal to help Lord Quenton rebuild the household and administration of House Qoherys with trusted and leal men. On the Iron Islands having received the Prince Hands letter reminding Grand Duke Goren Greyjoy of his responsibility as Grand Duke of the Iron Islands and the consequences of failure and treason, The Lord Reaper of Pyke in turn sent his fleet to Old Wyk and Great Wyk, where thousands of the followers of the priest-king Lodos the Second were massacred for treason against the Crown. In the fighting the Priest-King Lodos himself was slain as well, his body along with two of his closest companions were mounted on stakes at Nagga's hill, stakes which also flew from it the Targaryen, Greyjoy and Royal Iron Islands banners; As a further symbol of his fealty the head of Lodos was pickled and sent to King Aenys in a jar by Grand Duke Goren.

The largest of the threats, the Vulture King, was the last to be dealt with for despite letters of the Prince Hand the Vulture Kings forces were mostly ignored by Princess Deria Martell and the Red Mountain Houses, although the Princess assured King Aenys that she was doing everything she could to put the rebellion down while also telling the King it was an exaggerated problem, something only the King believed. As such in order to prevent this rebellion from growing the Prince Hand called for not just the marcher lords of the Reach and Stormlands to raise hosts but also went with his sons Princes Aerion and Gaemon and their dragons Balerion the Black Dread and Meraxes to resolve the situation. The forces of the Crown combined with the might of the three Dragons defeated the followers of the Vulture King quickly, with the main host being burned in the Battle of the Princes Pass before battle of the two hosts could truly be enjoined. After the Vulture King's lines and train burned, his host fled. The hunt for these fleeing rebels became known as "The Vulture Hunt". The Vulture King himself was captured alive and tied naked between two posts, where he was left to die. He eventually died of thirst and exposure, although the singers like to claim the rebel king was torn to pieces by the vultures from whom he had taken his name. The Prince Hand would summon Houses Fowler, Dayne and Martell to Kings Landing to explain their inability to suppress the rebellion and counselled the king to attain them and banish their families for they had committed high treason through their inaction, but once again to the frustration of the Prince Hand the King showed mercy believing the Dornish lies that they knew not the size of the problem and to them they were just a larger group of bandits even when letters from Duke Yronwood told of him telling Princess Deria of the growing host.

When all these insurrections finally ended, King Aenys rewarded all lords and knights who had led their forces against the rebels with gold and titles. Bernarr Brune was personally knighted by King Aenys as a reward for his service. The King also granted House Greyjoy "any reasonable boon they might desire" as a show of gratitude, a decision the Crown would later regret as Grand Duke Goren requested that he be allowed to expel the Faith of the Seven from the Iron Islands, much to the Faith's fury but which Prince Maegor argued the Crown should comply as the Iron Islands should not be forced to accept the Seven if they did not want to. As such as a compromise between Septon Murmison, representing the Faith, and the Prince Hand was reached and the decision was left to the individual lords of the Iron Islands, most but not all of whom expelled the faith as some meant to use the services the faith provided, both in terms of material aid but also by acting as a way of maintaining relations with the mainland. All the Valyrian Houses for example kept the faith on the islands as did the Harlaws. As Lord Alyn Stokeworth had been killed by Red Harren, the King declared that the Crown would pay for and help arrange his daughters wedding. This would be followed by the King providing gold to House Stokeworth while also declaring that for the next seven months all chariot racing sponsored by the Crown in King's Landing would be dedicated to the late Lord Alyn Stokeworth, a generous gift which was well received by the nobility.

In 38 AC as the second year of the King's reign began and the Crown stabilised the realm the pressure to marry his eldest children or ,considering Princess Alysanne was still too young to be a wife, to at least betroth them was growing strong. As such many lords from across the realm came to Dragonstone with their heirs in a bid to win the Hand of Princess Rhaena, for the gap between her and her cousin Prince Aerion was also large and they hoped they would be able to convince the King to marry her into their house. As such Dragonstone came to see what was called the Tournament of Love as they all tried courting the most eligible Targaryen on hand. Some of the more foolish nobles even had their daughters try to entice the eye of the Crown Prince but most considered the action not just foolish but also dangerous for that would mean going to war with Prince Maegor who was not just the most powerful but also most dangerous man in Westeros, and most likely in the world. As the realm spent their days waiting for more news from the island about the antics of the nobility, antics most of which the nobles cheered and jeered with scandalised delight, soon word came from Dragonstone that shocked the realm to its core. In a desperate bid to avoid marriage to any other man Princess Rhaena decided to marry the only person she found suitable for her hand, her younger brother Prince Aegon who she had bedded in order to force his hand. But what the raven did not say were the other reasons for this coupling, for in this endeavour the Princess was supported by both her Mother Queen Alyssa and Prince Aegon himself, for none of the three had been blind to King Aenys' increasingly precarious position. Prince Maegor was Hand of the King and the true ruler of the Seven Kingdoms, his legitimacy boosted by the fact that he was wielder of Blackfyre, the Ancestral Blade of House Targaryen and The Sword of The King, and his sons and mother wielded the remaining blades of House Targaryen, including the two that he owned personally. He also had many friends and allies across the Realm, and held the admiration of nearly every man for his campaigns against the Dothraki and his building of one of the largest fortunes in Westeros. His family also flew the largest dragons the Targaryens had, the dragons associated with the Targaryens might and power as well as having more dragons in general. For Prince Maegor's family had the grown dragons Balerion, Vhagar, Morgul and Meraxes as well as the hatchlings Bluefyre for Prince Aelyx and Silverwing for Princess Alysanne. Meanwhile the Royal line only had two large dragons in Quicksilver and Dreamfyre, and they were still smaller than Morgul even put together as well as two hatchlings in Prince Viserys Ambertail and Prince Jaehaerys Vermithor. 

 As such the Queen and Crown Prince in particular were afraid that even if Prince Maegor did not outright overthrow his brother and take the Iron Throne for himself, that any marriage between Prince Aegon and Princess Alysanne would lead to them being usurped in reality if not on the surface. That Prince Maegor would act as a shadow regent and hand for the rest of his life and set up a hereditary line of Hand of the King's who were the true power, a fear made real by the fact that many expected Prince Aerion, Prince Maegor's eldest son to the next Hand of the King, with Prince Maegor boasting that the young prince was already suitable to take the role which was to his one day. Currently Prince Maegor's authority was so absolute that only the bond between the sons of The Conquer was giving the royal line any true authority over the Small and City Councils, with many of the orders the Queen and Crown Prince obeyed only after the Prince Hand or the King gave his support for them. Thus knowing they had to act before the formal betrothal was announced  for either of them, and Prince Maegor and his sons authority was even more entrenched, the Prince and Princess coupled and then asked the King to marry so as to keep the Crown in their own blood and prevent Princess Rhaena to being engaged to a Maegor Loyalist which may weaken the Royal Line further, after the marriage they also hoped for Prince Aegon to supplant Prince Maegor as Hand of the King in coming years. With his Queen and his children arguing for the match the King decided to announce the marriage of his two eldest but the negative reactions to his announcement took King Aenys by surprise. The Faith condemned the planned incestuous marriage as an obscenity, King Aenys though normally indecisive, decided to stand by his decision this time due to the pleading of his wife and son and went ahead with the wedding even when his brother resigned as Hand over the breaking of the informal betrothal between Prince Aegon and Princess Alysanne which was to merge the lines of the Conquerors two wives together.  Needless to say even the supporters of the king found his actions to be ill advised at best, disastrous at worst

On the day of the wedding, Warrior's Sons scowled and made note of the guests as they entered the Sept of Remembrance. Of all the people at the wedding only the king, his wife and his children looked genuinely happy; Other members of the wedding party and festivities made a show of looking happy but were in reality glum, either because they disagreed with an incestuous match, or because they were supporters of the Prince Hand who got angry that his daughter had been robbed of the possibility of being queen. Even the Queen's family, House Velaryon, was upset in truth for while they were at some level happy that their kin were marrying they knew that this match would have consequences, deep and disastrous consequences, and in fear of the Prince Hand the Royal Line had unleashed forces that they could not control, forces which were just as dangerous as Prince Maegor if not more so. At the feast that followed the ceremony, King Aenys, on his wife's bidding, named his son Aegon the Prince of Dragonstone, a title which had previously belonged to Prince Maegor, hearing this further insult Prince Maegor's family including Dowager Queen Visenya left the feast in protest despite the King asking them to stay, promising to give his brother more titles and lands in recompense but explaining that Dragonstone should stay in the direct Royal Line. When news of this spread many considered the House of the Dragon to be broken and divided and the King robbed of his greatest and most powerful supporter, now weak and vulnerable in a way that his father never had been especially when there we brother he alienated had more dragon riders on his side.

In an attempt to placate the Faith which had denounced the marriage and the crown, King Aenys named Septon Murmison as his new Hand of the King when his brother refused to return to the office. However, the High Septon continued to voice his discontent declaring that no incestuous marriages were acceptable to the Faith, even those of House Targaryen; Meanwhile the lords of Westeros began to call King Aenys the Weak and considered him incapable of ruling and being commanded by his wife and son rather than commanding them as was proper, accusations which were compounded as freed from the oversight of the former Prince of Dragonstone the kings counsellors and vassals now fought for power, with the King and the Queen's family simply unable to keep things in order, with the king being too indecisive and wishing to please everyone and the Queen's family despite being known as the second House of the realm being too powerless for they had no Dragons nor the wealth and martial power needed to force the nobility to obey. Soon there was increasing chaos in the realm and many denounced the King for he had ended the Dragons Peace that his father had established and in doing so had undermined not just his own standing but one of the greatest arguments for the new Royal House Targaryen had for its own legitimacy, for they represented a new era of peace on the continent. The King was not oblivious to these criticisms and problems which caused him much distress and suffering, to the point of having a physical impact on his health. During this time word came that the Prince Aerion was engaged to the Heir to the North's second daughter with a daughter from their line promised to marry into House Stark, a set of marriages that scared the Faith, the Nobility, the Smallfolk, and truly everyone in Westeros, even the peoples of the North. For the merger of Stark and Targaryen blood could create beings too dangerous and powerful. No one wanted the possibility of Targaryens gaining the ability to transform into Dragons rather than merely ride them, not even many members of the Valyrian Houses who were increasingly lead by a new generation of younger Nobles who while ever loyal to House Targaryen had also adopted their peers views, seeing themselves as Westerosi nobles who needed to struggle with the Crown for their rights and privileges, within the bounds of Oaths, Law, Honour and Tradition of course.

The King decided to publicly ignore the ever louder whispers and instead focused on the preparations needed to send Crown Prince Aegon and Princess Rhaena on a royal progress throughout the realm to win the love of the people, remembering the cheers of the smallfolk when he made his own progresses. He refused Princess Rhaena when she requested to bring her dragon Dreamfyre with them, not wanting his son Prince Aegon to seem unmanly by riding on a palfrey while his wife rode on dragon back. However, the moment they set off, their party were jeered by crowds and even pelted with dirt, at that incident the Crown Prince Aegon had to be restrained by knights in the escort from trying to chastise the culprits as their party was outnumbered. Seeing the hostility even in the Crownlands and realising that they would not be safe the Royal Party would return to the Red Keep, having only travelled as far as Harrenhal. In the meantime for having performed the wedding ceremony, Septon Murmison was expelled from the Faith. When King Aenys asked the High Septon to restore Murmison, explaining the long history of Valyrian marriage customs practiced by House Targaryen and the need to keep their blood pure, he received a denunciation as a response, addressed to "King Abomination". Lords who were pious to the Seven yet still loyal to the King also counselled him to annul the marriage. The more pious and disloyal lords of the realm, and even the smallfolk who had once loved King Aenys, turned against him. When the King refused to set aside the marriage and after months of arguments seemed to be ever firm in his mind the High Septon had enough and in a grand ceremony in the Starry Sept declared King Aenys to be an Unrepentant Heretic, Pretender and a Tyrant who had no right to rule the Seven Kingdoms, Who had offended the Seven who are One themselves and thus was excommunicated. The High Septons words were then transmitted by the Faith to parishes and congregations across the land from the Summer sea to the snowy fields of the North, something never truly done before for such purposes. Faced with the King's own undeniable and sinful actions, the excommunication of the King from the Faith, and the removal of his recognition as the rightful King of Westeros the Faithful responded. Within a fortnight, Septon Murmison was hacked in pieces, signalling the start of the Faith Militant Uprising.

The Faith Militant uprising was the main conflict which defined the Anarchy, it engulfed the whole land and undid the peace that came before. Soon after the death of Septon Murmison Poor Fellows scaled the walls of the Red Keep, attempting to murder the king and his family, failing only when a knight of the Kingsguard intervened. Realising that they had failed the Warrior's Sons began to fortify the Hill of Rhaenys, ensuring the Sept of Remembrance could withstand the Targaryens. They did so by destroying the Valyrian temple on the Hill for stone and chopping down the trees of the Godswood for wood. Even the rock salt of the shrine of the Drowned god was given away as alms. These actions while showing the resolve of the pious only made it harder for those seeking peace to talk of amity and sense, for the city soon became divided between Andals and Valyrian's. Meanwhile King Aenys and his family fled the city and went to Dragonstone, joined soon by his elder son and daughter. At Dragonstone King Aenys refused to follow Queen Visenya's and Prince Maegor's advice to burn the Starry Sept at Oldtown and the Sept of Remembrance in King's Landing, along with breaking the Faith Militant, for he wanted to resolve the matter peacefully. In the meanwhile Prince Maegor began fortifying the Island of Dragonstone and was monitoring the situation of the mainland but he refused to fight until he was made regent as he did not want to deal with the Kings indecisiveness and mercy while fighting a war. Meanwhile of dozens of Lord across the realm pledged arms to the Faith Militant.

The fighting to come however was not merely about the Targaryen practices of incest, for while thousands of Poor Fellows threatened the king's supporters and dozens of lords gave their support to the Faith much of the fighting that broke out was between the Lord of the realm was regarding more worldly matters such as land and revenge. In the Reach the Florents and the Tyrell-Celtimon alliance would in the coming months go to war as the Florents tried to take back the land taken from them during the Conquest. Meanwhile in the Riverland's the Blackwood's and Brackens began a new chapter in their never ending feud, going to war after the Brackens accused the Blackwood's of gifting both Nathi and Myrish silk to House Tully in order to purposely upstage their own gift of Nathi Silk and humiliate them (Yes this was indeed the official reason stated in their declaration as both Houses had been made to formally forgive all previous disputes and slights making them unsuitable reasons to go to war for even if those would be the more truthful cause).  Similarly, Houses Strong and Whent rebelled against their overlord when Lord Quenton tried collecting their overdue taxes which his cousin Gargon the Guest was persuaded to ignore by throwing woman after woman at him. A hundred other such feuds erupted into battle as Westeros seemed to be making up for the bloodshed that had been prevented under the Dragons Peace. King Aenys weakness and inability to restore order meant that by the end of the year, most of the realm had joined the side of the Faith and denounced King Aenys as too weak to be king and an unlawful pretender. Within the year, unable to decide how to deal with the rebellion and wars ravaging the realm, the king fell even more ill, to the point where he could no longer function. According to Grand Maester Gawen, King Aenys looked like a man of sixty five even though he was only forty four years old. The maester despaired of improving his condition and thus he was cared for by his wife and daughter and was visited by his brother and family barring his aunt Queen Visenya who was 'disgusted too much by his very presence' to be comfort to him.

Upon hearing that the Lannisters, including Grand Duke Lyman a very good friend of his, had abandoned him by calling for the Kings removal for inability to perform his duties, and burning all Targaryen and Royal Westerland Banners as a show of his displeasure, the King collapsed in shock and soon died. He was cremated at Dragonstone, with his widow, Queen Alyssa, singing a dirge for him. With this his son was crowned Aegon the Second by his mother using his Father's crown.

King Aegon II's accession to the throne at the end of 38AC was inauspicious to say the least, Westeros was burning and the Crowns authority was in tatters. However now the King had in him the strength of will and the courage to tackle the difficulties facing him head on rather than hiding away from them, or so he claimed. His first course of action after being crowned by his mother, the now Queen Mother Alyssa was to claim his father's dragon Quicksilver finally gaining a dragon. He then declared his uncle Prince Maegor the Hand of the King and the Prince of Dragonstone, and also took from him the sword Blackfyre in order to show the realm that unlike his father he was not weak. The King sent to all the houses of Westeros news of his coronation and with it demand to return to the King's peace or face Fire and Blood. Similarly he sent ravens to all the Bishops, all the Cardinals, the heads of all the various orders of the Faith and even the High Septon; In these letters he demanded that they recognise his marriage to his sister under the Doctrine of Exceptionalism which had been ratified by the High Septon, the Most Devout and all the Bishops of the realm during the reign of his grandfather, though the then Doctrine did not mention recognising new marriages between brother and sister. Even before receiving a single reply the King ordered the host of Dragonstone to be raised along with the armies of the Crownland Houses. The king also decreed that his heir would marry a grandchild of Prince Maegor in order to bind the two lines of House Targaryen together and as an attempt to mend the rift his marriage had caused.

While this was occurring Prince Maegor left for King's Landing, where the Faith had seized the Sept of Remembrance on Rhaenys's Hill initially but were now expanding their hold to other parts of the City. After arriving at the Red Keep, Prince Maegor then flew to the city on Morgul with his mother Queen Visenya, as well as three of the Kingsguard leading a large contingent of Dragonguard following on horseback, and planted his banner on Targaryen Square to rally men to his side. His mother, Dowager Queen Visenya, challenged those who questioned her House's right to rule to prove themselves. Ser Damon Morrigen, the Grand Captain of the Warrior's Sons, came forth. Prince Maegor quickly decided to settle the matter with swords, and Ser Damon demanded a trial of seven, to which Prince Maegor agreed.

Since Prince Maegor had only three knights of the Kingsguard with him, he turned to the crowd instead of the Dragonguard and asked who would stand with him for he knew he had to show popular support rather than just those already pledged to him. At first, most turned away or pretended they did not hear until Ser David Waterclaw, a knight of a Dragonseed house founded by a legally unacknowledged bastard of Lord Aerion Targaryen and a common man-at-arms of the city watch named Dick Bean stepped forward. Ser Bernarr Brune was the last one offering to stand beside the Prince. Together they faced seven of the Warrior's Sons, led by Ser Damon Morrigen, their Grand Captain. After a brutal battle Prince Maegor was the only survivor of the trial, so exhausted that he collapsed just as the last Warrior's Son died. The Prince Hand was carried off the field by his mother and his supporters and confined to bed for a day and a night in the Red Keep. At the Sept of Remembrance, the Warrior Son's debated, prayed and argued about their course. Some felt that the Targaryens must be accepted as kings even with their sinful marriages, since the God's had blessed them with victory and as King Aegon the Conqueror had shown even those who sinned could greatly serve the faith; others insisted that they were bound by oath to follow the High Septon and fight on regardless for the King Aegon II was acting so sinfully that he could not be tolerated, that unlike the first Aegon these marriages could not be forgiven for Aegon II was raised in the light of the Seven and thus was held to different standards than his grandfather who married his sisters before his conversion.

When he woke the next day, Prince Maegor mounted his dragon Morgul and flew with his garrison to Rhaenys's Hill. During the burning of the Sept of Remembrance his archers killed all those who attempted to flee the inferno and in doing so helped secure the City of Kings Landing. The screams of burning and dying men were said to echo in the streets of King's Landing, and it was claimed a pall hung over the city for seven days as the people realised that the Seven would not save them from Dragonfyre. As across the realm the Lords and Faith took note of the Targaryens ending their self imposed restraint and exile the supporters of the Crown rallied. King Aegon II soon decreed the disbandment of the Faith Militant ordering to lay down its arms at the penalty of death or the wall. In response, the High Septon commanded the King to present himself in Oldtown and beg the forgiveness of the gods for his sins and cruelties.

In the first month of 39 AC, led by Wat the Hewer, a force of nine thousand Poor Fellows marched against the forces of House Targaryen which had been rallying in the reach under the command of the Valyrian Houses, in particular House Mantarys whose daughter had married Prince Maegor and were thus some of his greatest supporters. As they attempted to cross the Mander, with the intention to capture Tumbleton they were caught between six different royalist hosts led by Duke Mantarys. The Poor Fellows were untrained and undisciplined, clad in boiled leather, roughspun, and scraps of rusted steel. Armed largely with woodsmen's axes, sharpened sticks, and farm implements, they did not stand a chance against the knights of the royalist armies. With Wat's forces divided by the river, the Poor Fellows were cut to pieces. The sheer brutality of the carnage made the Mander run red with blood for twenty leagues, resulting in the bridge and castle that commanded it forever after being known as Bitterbridge. Wat fought Lord Myles Smallwood in single combat, with both men surviving the fight, though unlike Lord Smallwood who withdrew from battle Wat later managed to kill half a dozen lords, including Lord Meadows, the commander of the King's army. Wat was eventually taken alive himself and delivered to King's Landing in chains where he was fed to Vhagar by Queen Visenya while most of the poor fellows were put to the sword with only the younger ones allowed to return home after swearing oaths to never take up arms against the Crown again.

Just the very next month the First Battle of the Green Fork was fought in brutal storms and near darkness; Where thirteen thousand Poor Fellows and two hundred Warrior's Sons, led by Ser Horys Hill, joined nearly seven thousand household knights and feudal levies of a dozen rebel lords from the Riverlands and Westerlands, led by Lord Rupert Banehood, Lord Richard Falwell, Alongside Rupert the Fighting Fool rode Ser Lyonel Lorch, Ser Alyn Terrick, Lord Jon Lychester, and many other pious knights. Prince Maegor had a similar number of men mostly raised from the fiefs of House Valentia, Darry, Rosby and Vhassar, although he had near twice as many armored horse. The Prince Hand also had numerous longbowmen and his dragon, Morgul.  The two armies met at the Great Fork of the Blackwater Rush. During the battle, Lord Rupert killed two knights of the Kingsguard, but was himself slain by Lord Mooton of Maidenpool. Despite having been blinded by a sword early on in the battle, Big Jon Hogg led a charge which put the Poor Fellows to flight. Prince Maegor flew upon Morgul's back during the battle, and despite the rain, the dragon caused many deaths with its flames. The savage battle lasted until nightfall, ending in victory for Prince Maegor.

While this was occurring the King would lead the forces of House Qoherys and Qhaedar against Dukes Frey and Vypren both of whom wanted their lands back more than any desire for the King to seek a new non-sister wife. At the Second battle of the Green Fork despite not being as big as Morgul or Balerion, Quicksilver burned away the charging calvary of Duke Vypren and his remaining host were broken and sent running by the charge of Royal Host. The King hoping so set an example attained House Vypren when they refused to surrender their seat of Vypren Hall after learning of their families demise, for the Vypren forces garrisoning the Keep wished to continue fighting against 'King Abomination the Second' wishing to wing glory in a battle they had already lost. But soon they were all slaughtered when the Vypren Keep was burned down by Quicksilver. With House Vypren attained its lands given to the Knightly House Waterclaw for both their role in the Second Battle of the Green Fork and their assistance in the Trial of Seven in Kings Landing.

Making their way to Willow Wood which was under siege by Frey forces the Duke Severus Frey surrendered and was shown mercy and was allowed to keep all his lands and wealth, showing the realm that they could surrender without worry.  This would soon be joined by Houses Strong and Whent who too would end their rebellion, striking a deal to return to the Kings peace after the King forgave the unpaid taxes as the 'price of the Guests folly'

While the King was at Willow Wood he received word that the Gardener's had forced peace between the Tyrells and Florents and were now marshalling their strength. But soon word came that this host would now be marching against the Targaryens, now that Archduke Garth was dead from old age and his eldest son Willas upon assuming control had denounced the Targaryens and the incestuous ways and had declared independence, proclaiming himself King of the Reach. And while King Aegon II wished to deal with this personally he was required to return to the keep as Queen Rhaena was close to giving birth, meaning this was deemed a responsibility of Prince Maegor.  For most of the Realm Archduke Willas' rebellion was surprising both because of his Valyrian heritage, he was related via his mother to the Royal House via Prince Maegor's wife Princess Shaena who shared his Mantarys blood and was his cousin; But this shock was mostly for the fact his youngest brother Count Mern was at the time residing in the Red Keep, being the representative of his House to the Royal Court using his blood ties to the Hand of the King in order to receive concessions and Royal favour, meaning by rebelling he had condemned his own brother to near certain death. Another reason why the rebellion was very surprising was the simple fact that House Gardener had faced the single largest loss during the wars of conquest, other than House Martell, and so many wondered how exactly did the Archduke think he would win this time. According to the court tales of Highgarden the archduke's confidence in victory was based mostly on zealotry and a belief that since Dorne had lasted years against House Targaryen when the rest of the realm was united behind it, Westeros as a whole, now that it knew how not to fight against Dragons, could win a drawn out conflict especially when the Targaryens did not have the luxury of time and the endless armies of a continent.

During this time word came that despite his brothers treachery Prince Maegor did not put Count Mern to the sword, perhaps due to their familial ties, instead after he swore his loyalty to the Crown and proclaimed he deemed his elder siblings traitors deserving a traitors death Count Mern was declared the new Archduke of the Reach and was taken with the Royal Host which marched on Highgarden, acting as a pretender Lord of Highgarden for the Crown. On the way they were joined by the forces of Houses Mantarys, Merryweather, Rowan, Osgrey, Fossoway, Gaellia and Shaeyor who all denounced the declaration of independence and swore once again their allegiances to the Crown. This was a great shock to the new self-proclaimed king Willas for he believed that his nobles would rally to his side, that they would denounce the royal family for his incestuous marriages, that they would fight to the death to reclaim the glories of the past before they were conquered and made subjects to these invaders. What he did not realise was that most of the noble men were still vassals to a Crown, and just because it was not the Crown their forefathers had been vassals to did not mean they had forgotten the importance and weight of their oaths. Furthermore many of the noble families while disgusted with incest were more than happy to live in a peaceful realm, and more importantly did not wish to die in dragonfyre just so the new head of House Gardener could call himself king.  After reaching Highgarden Prince Maegor gave House Gardener and its allies one last chance to repent due to their familial ties, promising them a comfortable life but one which was contingent on acknowledging Archduke Mern and the Crown's authority, yet Archduke Willas refused calling the Prince 'a gods dammed unholy abomination who he was disgusted to share kinship with'.

That night before the battle Prince Maegor was attacked by seven assassins but survived the battle, killing two with his bare hands after being unable to pull out Dragonclaw from the two he slew with it, the fact that the sword was simultaneously lodged in two bodies made pulling it out very difficult. The next morning the Prince flew in on Morgul and began burning the hosts which he continued for the entire day. The morning after the destruction of their host the Prince ordered House Gardner's surrender though he rejected any negotiation, burning the Sept of Highgarden Castle as a show of his displeasure, causing his host to be attacked by the Poor fellows and Warriors sons in the city who survived when they occupied it with near suicidal fervour, for while the Great Sept of Highgarden City remained intact on the pleading of Archduke Mern, the Sept of Highgarden Castle was one of the most important septs in the Andal faith despite its relatively small size and lack of access for the faithful, being one of only seven recognised basilicas of Westeros due to its role in bringing the Faith of the Seven to the Reach.

Finally the Prince ordered the attack on Highgarden, easily burning away the scorpions the Gardner's had constructed the Prince was able to clear a path through the defences meaning Highgarden would fall in just a day and a night, being mostly intact. Much retaliation was done of the rebels with the three elder sons of Archduke Garth and their families were sent to the Wall along with their supporters leading to the formal accession of Count Mern as the new Archduke of the Reach. House Gardener and the houses which had followed them such as Houses Tarly and Florent were also only fined in gold for their actions, though it was a heavy amount worth more than half a million gold dragons , rather than in land, and were allowed to return to the Kings peace. A few stubborn lords who refused the generous offer were sent to the Wall.

Furthermore all septons, septa's, poor fellows and warriors sons were put to the sword due to the attempt on the Prince's life.  King Aegon's twin daughters Princesses Aerea and Rhaella were born almost to the day Highgarden fell in what many felt was an auspicious omen. With Highgarden secure the Prince Hand began a march on Oldtown, but this would be slow as they were in hostile terrain and the Prince Hand wanted to draw out as many enemies as possible on their march. 

While the Prince Hand was fighting in the Reach his sons Princes Aerion and Gaemon were deployed to the battlefield by Queen Visenya who was the acting Hand of the King and who kept the Royal bureaucracy running and oversaw the rebuilding of the Valyrian temple, Shrine to the Drowned god and replanting of the Godswood on the Hill of Rhaenys, though the Sept of Remembrance was left in ruins . The need for the Princes to take to the battlefield was because despite the heavy loss the Dornish had just faced in the Vulture Hunt they had not learnt better and Princess Deria had declared her realms independence leading to civil war when the Houses of Dorne raised by King Aegon and House Yronwood sided with the Crown. Similarly they had heard of Houses Blackwood and Vaelaros facing defeat as the Brackens were fortified by more and more of the Poor Fellows and the Warriors Sons, the Houses had sent letters begging for the aid of Dragonriders as the King had returned to the Red Keep without fully putting the Riverland's to right. As such Prince Aerion mounted Balerion the Black Dread first flew to Harrenhal with only his sworn shield as escort, riding on Balerion with him as even a purely mounted party would only slow them down. At Harrenhal he ordered House Qoherys to deploy its men to the field again and used in the meantime the castle as a base to burn the seats, towns, villages, and hosts of Houses Blanetree, Terrick, Deddings, and Lychester within a week as defiance, the memory of the Week of Terror passed down generations as tales to frighten children to behave or the Black dread would come down and burn them. The Prince then flew north to Raventree Hall before joining Duke Blackwood at the Fifth Battle of the Red Fork where the royalist forces won the final of a series of battles which till now had ended in a draw, decisively defeating the Bracken-Faith Militant forces and scattered its hosts. Under the orders of Prince Aerion 14 sons and daughters of House Bracken as 126 knights and septons of the faith militant, for a total of 140 were executed and their blood used to feed the Weirwood of Raventree Hall. The remnants of House Bracken were also made to pay heavy fines but were allowed to live with their holding intact by the request of House Tully who publicly advocated for mercy to ensure wounds from this conflict healed but in reality wished to keep them around as a check to Blackwood power. In the coming years the Weirwood tree of Raventree Hall which had been considered dead ever since the Brackens had poisoned it centuries ago had begun to grow leaves and came alive again. And in thanks the Blackwood's would build a Valyrian temple in honour of Prince Aerion in Ravenden the main town overseen by House Blackwood which stood next to their keep.

The Prince would then after a week fly to the Golden Tooth seat of House Tagaros with reinforcements, he would use the Keep as a base for burning the seats of Houses Broome, Falwell, Lorch, and other "pious lords" who had defied his royal summons and supported the Faith Militant Rebellion as well as burning the lands north of the Golden tooth which had been taken over by the Faith Militant. His displeasure also encouraged the Iron Born to invade 'in order to destroy the Faith militant', but in reality it was just simple reaving with Grand Duke Goren personally leading a raid at Lannisport, though even without their full strength the Westerlands would soon throw back the squids into the sea, their defences too strong for the Ironborn to breach but momentarily. The Prince would soon fly to the Hornvale and assist House Maegyar in fighting House Crakehall and the Faith Militant which had been trying to wipe it out due to its Valyrian Heritage and support of the Targaryens. With the Princes assistance not only would they defeat the Faith militant but also its backer in House Crakehall, seizing their keep and taking the family as hostages. The ancient vaults of Crakehall were opened and the equivalent of hundred of thousands of gold dragons were sized, the bounty of the Crakehall mines now theirs to use,  and sent to King Landing to fund the Crown in its war, with much gold also going to House Maegyar. Then the Prince would lead a royalist host to take Lannisport and humble the Lannisters.

As both sides prepared for the coming battle there were many attempts to make peace, with House Lannister pledging to return to the King's peace and bend the knee, in their letters noting that while they had denounced the King Aenys they had never taken up arms against him, or unlike the Gardeners and Martells declared independence . However Prince Aerion was frankly not interested in peace, accusing them of murdering his uncle the King by their actions, an accusation which meant that the house had to be exterminated for justice to be done. The Prince's own allies, as well as his enemies, realised that there was nothing House Lannister could do since the Prince coveted its holdings and wealth, as such this was not a regular war to punish rebellion but a battle to the death for House Lannister who had been found guilty of crimes they had not committed. The Lions would put up fierce resistance, but it would be burned, all their hosts and all the villages and towns surrounding the city which resisted were burned. Soon the city of Lannisport was taken after the prince burned the gates and defences and defenders; And a terrible slaughter occurred as all the members of the Faith Militant, any of the faithful who tried to aid them and any Lannister or member of their cadet branches were put to the sword, even bastards and babes were not spared, and for feeding the children directly to Balerion the Black Dread and refusing to accept honourable surrender in order to feed his greed, as well as many of his previous actions such as sacrificing to Weirwood trees and the Week of Terror, the Prince would receive a dark title, becoming known across the land as Aerion the Cruel.

Soon it would come time to take the castle of Casterly Rock, which had never fallen to an assault in 8,000 years. This was mostly due to the Lion's Mouth, the main entry to Casterly Rock,  an enormous natural cavern reaching two hundred feet high located on the south face of the Rock. It was well defended and impossible to breach, except with dragons. Balerion's flames entered the keep burning away the gates and the metal, killing all the defenders and setting much of the entrance on fire. Not letting the Lannisters recover the prince then flew and using the balconies carved centuries ago began setting parts of the rest of the castle alight,  by that night Casterly Rock had fallen for the first time in recorded history.  Almost every single Lannister was declared a traitor and put to death, the Prince Aerion declaring since the thought they knew who should wear crowns, he would give them their desires and allow them to wear some crowns themselves. The mainline of House Lannister was extinguished by having molten gold poured on them to create golden 'crowns', killing them painfully and slowly, their bodies mounted on stakes and sent to Lannisport to decorate its squares to show the price of defiance against House Targaryen.

The only Lannisters who lived in Casterly Rock who were spared were Loren Lannister, a second cousin of Grand Duke Lyman Lannister who had a strong friendship and marriage ties with a Maegyar family member and Household Knight. He and his sons Strafford Lannister and Kevan Lannister who despite their very strong Lannister looks were half Maegyar, as well as his daughter Genna Lannister who was the picture of Valyrian beauty, were taken hostage to Kings Landing while House Maegyar were put in charge of Casterly Rock and were to bring the rest of the Westerlands to heel, which was easy to do as among the noble Houses all resistance surrendered. After all for years the Lannisters had boasted even dragons could not bring down the Rock considering how large it was and how thick its natural walls were, and the Westerland Lords believed them having seen the strength of Casterly Rock themselves, but now the words had been proven false and the price of defiance, and its hopelessness, made clear. The Lannisters and the surrendering Westerland Houses would also pay a total of 2.5 million gold dragons, with 700,000 gold dragons going to the crown and 1.4 million to Prince Aerion personally. King Aegon II publicly supported his cousin in this action, and even claimed the idea of this large was his to begin with. But he was privately wroth over the action and the insult he had received, the King was also angry over Prince Aerion exterminating a great house just so he could take their inheritance worrying what message it would send while also becoming wary of a future dragonriding House Targaryen of Casterly Rock directly controlling the Westerlands and in doing so having both dragons and stronger holdings than the Crown. Further insult towards the king came when 400,000 was distributed to the Royalist houses and their armies across the realm as rewards, the insult not being the gold but that it was given in the name of Prince Maegor and Prince Aerion, personally, not on behalf of the Crown or King Aegon II. The lands surrounding the city were also carefully rebuilt with villages and towns housing survivors consolidated, and more than half the lands set aside for settlers from Dragonstone. Meaning that while the Andal nature of Lannister holding would remain it would receive a large dose of Narrow Sea Valyrian culture, enough to have a lasting impact.

Meanwhile Prince Gaemon would go with the Royal and Velaryon Fleets to Dorne where he would assist the Royalist Houses against House Martell and its main allies of Houses Fowler, Dayne and Uller with the rest of Dorne having remained neutral. Travelling with the Prince Gaemon was Prince Omar Martell who was declared the new Prince of Dorne. Compared to the resistance shown in the Conquest of Dorne the fighting the Targaryens faced was minimal as for all intents and purposes the Martells and their allies were already facing defeat, the Dornish had still not recovered full near three decades later, and even if they had the Dornish strength was in resisting against invaders, not in conquering other lands. Soon Sunspear was conquered and the Martells were captured quickly this time as Prince Omar knew all the hidden paths and hideouts, even the one he was not supposed to know due to his close Targaryen ties. With the rest of House Martell banished to the wall or the silent sisters Prince Omar became the new ruler of Dorne. Prince Omar would then lead the new joint Dornish Host against House Fowler, which unlike Houses Dayne and Uller did not bend the knee upon the Fall of Sunspear. The Fowlers would attempt to revive the bandit tactics of the Wars of conquest but considering the power of Meraxes and the aid of the Dayne's who had turned on them to prove their loyalty to the Crown they were soon defeated. In all this it greatly helped that all the elders and greybeards of Dorne remembered the pain and suffering of the War of Conquest and knew what the price of defiance would be, and as such unlike their parents and grandparents refused to sacrifice themselves, that is not to say they were craven, but the fanatical resistance of yesteryear was absent, no garrisons were poisoned, no guest rights broken. The new head of House Fowler was Melissa Fowler the daughter of the previous lord, who was selected before her elder siblings so as to marry a second son of Omar Martell . In thanks of their service the Royalist Houses were given offices and more years of tax exemption from Sunspear so that they would not need to pay taxes to the Prince of Dorne until the year 139 AC.

House Dalt of Lemonwood also received much of the Martell's Holding south of the Greenblood and Plankytown and they would also be raised to Lords and given permission to build a port and town. Port Lemonwood would soon grow to compete with Plankytown, the exemption from Martell taxes making it somewhat cheaper to trade there while also giving House lemonwood higher revenues. As thanks to Prince Gaemon for this the main square of Port Lemonwood holds a statue of the Prince and is named after him.

While on the way back from Dorne the Prince Gaemon also assisted the Lords of the Stormlands to put down the Faith militant there. Most famously by destroying the forces of Poxy Jeyne Poore. She led the Poor Fellows in the forested lands between King's Landing and Storm's End, making travel impassable. The forested terrain made Jeyne's troops more difficult to fight than others, and the Kingswood was in close proximity to King's Landing. As such Prince Gaemon while returning from Dorne targeted Jeyne's Poor Fellows. Scores of them were hunted down, and any taken alive were hanged if they refused to join the Night's Watch. Although Jeyne eluded Prince Gaemon's forces for some time, she was eventually betrayed by three followers who received pardons and knighthoods for turning her over to the Crown. Three septons declared Jeyne to be a witch for wearing men's clothes, and the Prince ordered her to be burned in a field by the Wendwater. On the day of Jeyne's execution, three hundred Poor Fellows and peasants under the leadership of Ser Horys Hill attempted to rescue her but soon found that Jeyne's public execution was a trap to lure out her remaining followers, with the Prince's forces waiting and ready for them in an ambush. The rescuers were surrounded and slaughtered and their bodies were displayed 'impaled in a forest of stakes'. Jeyne forced to watch the macabre scene before being fed to the Dragon Meraxes. Many years later the field would be declared holy by the Faith, the shrine built to the dead becoming a minor site of pilgrimage.

While his sons took to the field Prince Maegor reached Oldtown. This was a very important battle for the Crown, for if they could win here they could end the entire rebellion. There was some last minute attempts to maintain peace but these talks were futile for both sides were stuck in their course, well convinced of the righteousness of the ways and believed that the gods were with them. Another reason for the failure of the peace was the Prince Hand, he did not trust the High Septon Pious III and he did not trust House Hightower who he had felt were traitors to the Crown and needed to be humbled and put in their place. As such despite some of his Lords and Knights requesting him to show mercy for Oldtown was the largest city of Westeros the Prince Hand would not be persuaded, on the 7th day of the 7th month as the faithful gathered in front of the Starry Sept to celebrate and honour the gods the dragon Morgul descended from the skies, he was a terrifying yet awe inspiring sight; Both an Angel of death and an Angel of hope,  something unholy yet also divine embodying the strength which so many men desired and yet also the strength with so many men despised.

The Prince hand did not immediately attack the gathered faithful or the Starry Sept instead use dragon fire to surround the square and the complex to prevent anyone escaping ,he took some time to do so and as such the crowds began cheering claiming that the Seven would protect them and that the unholy beast had no power over them, the zealous fools did not realise that all their escape parts were being cut off, those who did managed to escape did it through the two covered markets which the prince probably did not realise could facilitate escape as he made sure to cut off the paths from the open air markets. The Prince also flew and burned the tops of the city walls and its holdfasts, most speculate he was supposed to do this first but in his eagerness forgot. But soon the cheering in the square turned into screams of horror as the dragon returned and began raining down its flames on them, and then the square in front of the Starry Sept was ablaze filled with screaming children crying out for their mothers, weeping mothers crying out for their children, and fathers desperately and hopelessly trying to protect their families from the carnage. The Prince Hand then turned his dragon on the Starry Sept, burning both Sept and the people inside ,so hot were the flames that the structure of stone fell apart collapsing within itself. Within just a couple of hours one of the greatest symbols of the Faith of the Seven, one of the greatest symbols of the Andal conquest, one of the greatest symbols of the wealth of Oldtown and House Hightower, one of the bastions of defiance against the Targaryen dynasty, one of the greatest claims of the Andals and Westerosi having a culture and a faith as grand and powerful as that of old Valyria was destroyed and with it were some 30,000 people wo either died or were injured with many carrying painful scars for the rest of their lives. But the burning of the Starry Sept was merely the beginning, the next day after the gods showed some mercy by sending rains to extinguish the spreading fires, the gates of Oldtown were opened as the city surrendered with all thoughts of defiance burned out of them. The Prince rejected the surrender for the terms House Hightower proposed for to him they were unacceptable , the Prince hand demanded a sum of 1,000,000 gold Dragons from House Hightower, furthermore Grand Duke Martyn Hightower would be required to take the Black, House Hightower was also to provide hostages to the crown in the form of Grand Duke Hightower's grandsons. These terms would be accepted if grudgingly after the Prince Hand threatened to bring the Hightower down, but what the Prince hand did not realise was that by killing the High Septon and the Most Devout he would be dismembering the leadership of the Faith of the Seven and in doing so making it impossible for it to be brought to the negotiating table with one voice, some speculate the Prince Hand knew, realised it and decided that there would be no negotiation with the Faith as it is.

Chapter Text

After the Crown burnt the Starry Sept and secured the surrender of Oldtown the Faith Militant was at a loss on what to do. At the Stoney Sept in the Riverland's a conclave of bishops sent out a joint declaration calling for peace, they invited the many leaders of the various sects off the Poor Fellows and the Warriors Sons. This Conclave also invited the King who agreed to go despite his Queen and his Small Council pleading with him to do otherwise, for it is known that the King feared that the more time he spent in the Red Keep while his uncle and cousins were out there in the field of battle, the more his prestige and his authority suffered, the King knew that if he was to be anything better than a puppet of his uncle he must either outcompete him on the battlefield, something which was very difficult if not impossible to do, or make peace and be known as the man who could do what the great Prince Maegor could not.

As such the king went and with him went 2000 Knights and soldiers, and for three weeks the King and his enemies broke bread together, negotiated and debated on all sorts of matters including the Doctrine of Exceptionalism, the nature of Valyrian marriages and ways to make peace, and the people became hopeful that a peaceful solution may be found. It was on the third day of the third week as the sun set, the king was arguing with over the rights of the crown on appointments in the Faith with a Bishop, both men hunched on a table reading a book on the History of the Westerlands and the Faith, without stopping his speech the Bishop pulled into his sleeve a small knife, before the King or his guard could even react the blade was used to slit the King's throat, King Aegon II died within a minute. As panic and outrage gripped the tent the dragon Quicksilver realising its rider was dead unleashed carnage upon the entire town, burning the Grand Stone Sept from which the town derived its name. This was the third of the seven basilicas of the Faith of the Seven to be burned over the course of the war. Further with this burning as well as news spreading of the Kings death at the hand of a bishop carnage and battle broke out but it was not true battle rather it could be described as a massacre where everyone kept slaughtering everyone because they did not trust their fellow man to not kill them the moment they stopped. Of the 100 people in the hall where the king died only 3 survived to recount the tale of his death.

With the death of Aegon II his younger brother Prince Viserys became King Viserys, First of his Name, Head of House Targaryen, King of Westeros, King of the Andals, the First Men, the Ironborn and the Rhoynar, Lord of the Seven Kingdoms. This was as Aegon II had only two daughters and no sons, therefore under the decree of Aegon the Conqueror the throne would pass to the King's brother. As news spread around the realm there was much cheering and celebration, and yet also great sorrow even among many of the enemies of the Targaryens as many of them knew that there would be much pain as a price for this event. The Prince Maegor declared himself Regent of Westeros, Hand of the King, Prince of Dragonstone and Lord Protector of the Realm. He also announced a new bounty where the scalp of a warrior son would earn a single gold dragon while the scalp for poor fellow would earn silver stag, he also stripped the Faith of the right to conduct trials and levelled other penalties as well. The Prince Hand would also declare an upcoming marriage between the new King Viserys and his eldest daughter the Princess Alysanne, but the marriage would be still many years away due to the princesses' young age.

As the first half of 40 AC came the fighting began to come to an end, both sides had exhausted themselves, their coffers and their storehouses and their supply of fighting men. My now the Crowns authority was both stronger and weaker than before for while they had shattered the enemy hosts they had still not been able to maintain total authority, for across the room people still rebelled against the crown, refuse to follow its laws, refused to pay its taxes and sheltered traitors. But just as the forces of the rebels regrouped the Crown stuck for now the North joined the battle, for under the orders of the Crown the North sent warriors. Soon the causeway would send forth many thousand of grizzled greybeards, with a much smaller contingent younger adventurers who were to a man at least the second son of their family if not the third or fourth, calling themselves the Winter Wolves, these warriors wore old mail and ragged skins, and they rode shaggy northern horses. The Northmen wielded axes, mauls, spiked maces, and ancient iron swords. It was long the custom in the North that in times of great need such a truly terrible winter or famine for older men to leave their homes in winter and thereby preserve supplies for their younger kin. But now while there was no famine there was opportunity for riches, so the Winter Wolves expected they would die while marching for glory, adventure, and plunder to be sent back to their Kin. They would on the orders of House Targaryen take over and slaughter the rebellious monasteries, sending food and gold back North in large quantities, and in doing so attract fresh recruits in the coming years. The Northerners in this period took ample revenge against the Seven for its ancient crimes against the First Men and the Old Gods, becoming feared across the Riverland's, Crownlands and Vale for their strength and savagery. The Northerners would also receive Weirwood seeds in great quantities from the Blackwood and Wierwood Vale, and in later years from the North. They would take the lead in planting the saplings made from these seeds in every village and the site of every battlefield. Soon Prince Maegor upon hearing of this would order that across the Dragonlands all villages would be required to have a Godswood with a Weirwood tree, something all the Valyrian Houses of Westeros, at the very least, would copy leading more Weirwood to be planted south of the neck than any point since the coming of the Andals. And while the trees would not lead to an immediate resurgence in the worship of the Old Gods or a weakening of the Faith of the Seven their existence was a living reminder of the authority of the Crown. During this time using the carnage of Winter wolves invading the Vale the mountain clans would also raid in great numbers but would face far lesser success as House Arryn sallied forth against them, for while they could begrudgingly tolerate the Winter Wolves fighting the Faith Militant in their lands the mountain clans raids were still unacceptable under any circumstance including raids on rebelling villages. In this they even joined forces with the rebelling members of the Faith Militant as the Valemen united against their ancient foes.

 In the year 41 AC the Royal Fleet with some 5000 soldiers sailed north, they were accompanied by Prince Gaemon and their destination was the Three Sisters. For after months of negotiation with House Sunderland it agreed to renounce the Faith of the Seven and take up once again in public the worship of the Lady of the Waves and the Lord of the Skies which had never truly died out, with the mark of webbing between their hands and feet still being considered sacred despite the centuries of septons who had denounced it as unholy. In return for this conversion the Three Sisters would get to regain much of the autonomy they had lost to the Eyrie and be exempt from its taxes for a century as well as the chance to gain all the lands the Faith owned on the island. The vassal noble houses all agreed to  the conversion as well and soon there was a mass renunciation of the Faith of the Seven amongst the common people, prompted by their Nobles, but of course not all agreed and soon religious civil war tore the Three Sisters apart. With the aid of Prince Gaemon and the Crown the Faith Militant would be defeated in just a few months securing the Three Sisters. In time the Faith of the Seven while never completely fading away would by a very slim majority be replaced with the Sistermen Faith which would be entrenched over the years to come though it is more truthful to say both religions were practised simultaneously, as they had before as the way the Sistermen practised the worship of the Seven was very different from the rest of Westeros.

Prince Gaemon would also aid the houses of the Weirwood Vale, who were facing constant attacks by the Faith Militant, as such the Prince flew to the Vale and set the Faith Militant alight his dragon slaughtering thousands upon thousands, the Prince would also win a victory at Hearts Home where he would lead a host made of the houses of the Weirwood Vale and the Winter Wolves against 10,000 Warrior Sons and Poor Fellows. He would further lead them to Gulltown where he would achieve another victory, this time over a host 20,000 strong. While the city would not be sacked it would be required to pay extensively in gold and grain, which were given in its entirety to the host which supported the Prince Gaemon as a show of his gratitude and benevolence. House Grafton and its vassals would also be taken as hostages and sent to Claw Isle. During this time House Arryn stayed in the Eyrie, supporting the crown but not wanting to be seen fighting the Faith militant even if they were rebels, and also being very angry due to the Crowns sanctioning of the Winter wolves and the conversion of the Three Sisters. This more passive support suited the Targaryens just fine now that the Vale was secured.

The year 42 AC passed very quickly and the realm began experiencing some measure of peace as there was no great battles that year but the persecution of the Faith militant only intensified and continued, so much so that the fighting would go up again in the year 43 AC. However the event which would define the year would not be a battle, at least not a battle fought honourably on the battlefield rather it would be the Great Betrayal.

The Great Betrayal would occur in the middle of 43 AC  and was conducted by the Queen Mother Alyssa and her sworn shield Ser Gyles Mertyns. For years now the Queen Mothers paranoia regarding the Prince Hand and his family had grown and grown, yet none could provide her any comfort except Ser Gyles who was in her opinion the only one willing to act on her behalf, the others too cowed by the Prince Hand. It was Ser Gyles who suggested taking control of the Red Keep and take the Princesses Alysanne and Valaena and Princes Gaemon and Alyx in a bid to put a leash on the Prince Hand, a plan the Queen Mother agreed with. Soon preparations were put in place, supplies secured and men brought in. Security protocols over ridden by the Queen Mothers command who slowly prepared for her moment,  arranging for the aforementioned children, except Princess Valaena, to be in the Red Keep together. Though she kept her family barring her son King Viserys in Dragonstone, for to assemble the entire Royal family or even all the children of Prince Maegor in the Red Keep would arouse too many questions, the Queen Mother even allowed for small scorpions to take out the dragon Bluefyre which roamed the halls with Prince Alyx as an extra form of protection, its small stature, the same size as a large hunting hound, allowing it to go everywhere and even sleeping in the Prince's bedchambers where for protection his sibling joined him each night while they were in the Red Keep. What the Queen Mother never realised was that Ser Gyles was no longer loyal to the Targaryens, whereas earlier he had supported them after the destruction of House Lannister by Prince Aerion the Cruel Ser Gyles realised that no noble was safe from the greed and whims of the dragons. Hence he used his ties of kinship to Knights who were Warriors Sons to contact the Faith Militant which remained in the city and had been faking loyalty to prepare for a single strike to wipe out House Targaryen, or at least to take enough hostages to force them to listen to the Faiths and nobility's demands. In this he was aided not just by the queen but many otherwise loyal retainers of House Targaryen who agreed with and shared the fears of Ser Gyles.

One day when the Queen Visenya and her Master of Ships Daemon Velaryon were inspecting the Royal Fleet the plot was sprung as word had come that the Master of Whisperers, Lord Darklyn had caught on to the fact that something was amiss even if he did not know exactly what just yet. Realising that this was their last chance, in a half coordinated strike which was defined by chaos and setbacks, many but certainly not all of the Dragonguard were slaughtered and forced to flee to other parts of the Keep, and the Queen Mother rejoiced, only for her to cream in horror when Ser Gyles plunged his sword into King Viserys chest killing him instantly for the traitor believed that the King would be worthless as a hostage, being an impediment for Princes Maegor and Aerion who were the true enemy. Soon the Red Keep became a hub for slaughter, the gates were seized and hundreds of the Faith Militant and Poor Fellows who had hidden in the city rushed in, many unarmed or carrying only kitchen knives and broken mops as weapons for many of their arrangements for weapons had not yet been in place, in the carnage that followed the Red Keep became an even deeper blood due to the carnage, for the supporters of the Targaryens were not helpless, they rallied and fought. Around this time using scorpions the traitors and Faith Militant would be able to kill the dragon Bluefyre but not without sacrificing a large chunk of their forces in the process and not before the Princess Alysanne and Alyx escaped, riding on the back of Silverwing from one of the courtyards of the Red Keep, the rebels thwarted by two dozen servants who blocked the passageway at the cost of their lives to buy them time. They would fly to the docks alerting the Dowager Queen Visenya and Master of Ships Lord Daemon Velaryon about the carnage allowing him to quickly rally the sailors of the Royal Fleet, afterwards the Prince and Princess on their grandmothers orders flew to Dragonstone, the journey straining Silverwing so much she stayed in the courtyard where she landed for a day and two nights in order to recover her strength. Till this day in the Courtyard in front of Sept of the Red Keep a life sized statue, the first of many, of Bluefyre exists. Carved from Lapis Lazuli and other precious stones it remains a monument to the loyalty of dragons to their riders.

The Queen Mother herself survived as she was locked away in her chambers after the death of son as a hostage to be used against House Velaryon, but she would soon be freed as the Dragonguard would seize the gate and let in the forces brought in by Lord Daemon and the City Watch, With the Dowager Queen Visenya taking to the skies above the Red Keep, the angry roar of Vhagar a potent weapon. After a day of brutal fighting the Red Keep would be reclaimed and most of the conspiracies leaders captured. But unfortunately for the Targaryens Prince Gaemon who had survived the battle died that evening from a wound that festered due to a poisoned blade, dying in the arms of his Grandmother who in her grief fed all three of his healers to the dragon Vhagar as punishment of their failures, almost doing the same with Lord Daemon when he tried to protest the action.

While this was going on the city erupted into a riot, for within hours the entire city had learned of the violence in the Red Keep and the death of the King and later in the night Prince Gaemon. Those who traced their heritage to Dragonstone, the North or the Iron Islands mourned the King and the Prince, but the Andals fearful of the very brutal reprisal that was sure to come broke out in a riot in order to take the City and the Red Keep. During the first night of these riots, the mobs plundered and killed all over the city, with Andals killing Valyrian's and Valyrian's killing Andals in an orgy of grief, violence, malice, revenge and fear, neighbours who just hours ago had comforted one another came out with what crude instruments they held and participated, almost unwillingly, in violence which spread rapidly and everywhere one could hear screams of terrors as humanity vanished leaving only human looking beasts. The mobs also killed Ser Luthor Largent and a hundred City Watch men on Cobbler's Square, one of the largest squares of the city when they arrived to arrest the septon called Shepard preaching against the Targaryens, losing over a thousand of their own in the process . The Shepherd himself fled and continued rallying support, and it was under his command that near midnight a mob tried to take the Red Keep again, something which only led to slaughter.

Although most of the mobs fled at dawn, they returned in greater numbers the following night, dubbed the Day of Blood. The Shepherd appeared once again at Cobbler's Square to preach to the large crowd which had formed on the square. Hi did so on the pile of bodies stacked seven feet high from the carnage of the previous day composed of both the mob and the City Watch. From this macabre stand he gathered supporters, people who feared the arrival of Prince Maegor's dragons and army, feared for their homes, feared for their families, fears exacerbated when the Shepherd told his "lambs" that everyone would burn when the dragons arrived, and that prayers would not be able to stay the wroth of the Stranger. Instead, the Shepherd claimed that the only way the city would be able to achieve salvation was by killing the dragons in the Dragonpit. His speech as recorded that night reads in part:

When the dragons come, your flesh will burn and blister and turn to ash. Your wives will dance in gowns of fire, shrieking as they burn, lewd and naked underneath the flames. And you shall see your little children weeping, weeping till their eyes do melt and slide like jelly down their faces, till their pink flesh falls black and crackling from their bones. The Stranger comes, he comes, he comes, to scourge us for our sins. Prayers cannot stay his wroth, no more than tears can quench the flame of dragons. Only blood can do that. Your blood, my blood, their blood. There the demons dwell, up there. Fire and blood, blood and fire. This is their city. If you would make it yours, first you must destroy them. If you would cleanse yourself of sin, first must you bathe in dragon’s blood. For only blood can quench the fires of hell.

As he was preaching the city was once again an orgy of violence, the City Watch marched forth from their barracks on Winterfell Yard in full force to defend the innocent and restore order, but while successful in many parts of the city they could not halt the mob led by Shepard, which was drunk on fanaticism and violence, made its way to the Dragon Pit with little resistance for defence of that building and its surroundings was up to the Dragonguard. Once they broke through the meagre barriers set up by the local city guards who tried to stop them they found none of the Dragon keepers or Dragonguard manned the gate or stood watch. Heartened by this supposed good omen the mobs eventually smashed through the doors of the Dragonpit's lesser entrances, made of oak and iron, by using crude rams and axes. Others climbed in through windows.

Inside, the four dragons had been awakened, roused, and angered by the sounds of the attack. While they were able to simply fly away for all their caves were opened ended on one side and chaining a dragon was a capital crime and also to the Dragon keepers sacrilege, the four dragons fought with the very first attackers with horns, claws, and teeth, in particular the Dragons Meraxes and Ambertail. But as the bulk of the forces entered they let loose their dragon flame and transformed the Dragonpit into a fiery inferno. Some of the younger dragons faced with the increasing number were indeed forced to fly soon and when they did they reigned death on the crowds gathered both in their caves and on the outside. Archers and crossbowmen loosed arrows and quarrels at the these dragons but none reached or damaged them. The dragons, now all of them flying, ravaged the city, being able to identify and burn many of the Septs due to their distinct shape and soon the fires spread. No one knows how many people died that night; thousands certainly, with many more having been injured. The worst part was that it was all for nothing, not a single dragon died that night nor did the Red Keep fall, neighbours who even the previous week would have been sharing bread turned on one another, the bloodshed in the riots divided communities in a way they would have not even being able to imagine before the carnage. The fires across the city would burn for another day before a storm and its rain extinguished them. In the meantime the dragons would leave the Dragonpit, most going to caves in Dragonstone where they would find the Dragon keepers and Dragonguard protecting the eggs which had been at the Dragonpit, having placed them into the dragon caves next to the Castle of Dragonstone. Meanwhile all the precious books on dragons and dragonlore returned to the library of Dragonstone. But in the case of Meraxes and Ambertail, they roosted in Balerion's Gardens. When the funeral was held for the King Viserys and Prince Gaemon it was held in these gardens for this exact reason, the dragons needing no command to light the pyre's.

But while the Red Keep did not fall the Crown did lose control of much of the city as the riot brought forth the Moon of the Three False Kings, also called the Moon of Madness. Although he did not formally declare himself king, the Shepherd, the man who had instigated the Storming of the Dragonpit, commanded a mob of thousands despite the failure of the Storming of the Dragonpit, having taken over the large building. He advised his followers to cast aside their possessions and live more humbly, but his influence began to wane as the devastation brought forth by his preaching became clear.

Ser Perkin the Flea a Warriors Son with delusions of grandeur claimed the Iron Throne, and 'ruled' with his 'seat' in the ruins of the Sept of Remembrance, and while he claimed the most amount of land of the three 'kings' most of his holdings were made of the forests off the Hill of Rhaenys. His band of Poor Fellows and Warriors sons no more than a gang of outlaws move over more motivated by greed than by piety, this can be seen most clearly when one of the first actions they undertook was selling the woods of the forest that was chopped down to be used by the smallfolk. When Royal Order and Law was restored those who had hacked apart the trees, and their families, where hacked apart themselves using the same axes in punishment. The final pretender king was Aenys silver hair, the four-year-old son of Bessie, a whore who claimed the boy had been fathered by King Aegon II. This claim was deemed possible for the king was known to have partaken in whores from the brothel where Bessie worked around the time of the child's likely conception; And so from his 'seat' of the House of Kisses Aenys Silver hair was able to gather a few gangs and hanger-on's to his name by 'issuing' 'pardons' for the riots. He also 'issued' a series of edicts, including a declaration that incest should be forbidden and the Crowns gold should be used to aid the poor. Though it must be made clear that while all the city had heard his claims any true authority he or rather his guardians held was barely applicable to the street right outside the House of Kisses and rarely even that much.

This state of affairs lasted for so long was as the City watch had been decimated and had its hands full maintaining order in what parts of the city they controlled. Similarly the concentrated their efforts on securing areas which were more important to the Crown such as the Targaryen Square, King Aegon's Square, The Prince Maegor Arena, the Lands surrounding the Red Keep, the Citadel, Harbours, Docks, Seahorse town and others. Also there were fears as moving against any of these factions could cause riots to erupt again in areas which were deemed to be less loyal such as fleabottom. Similarly it took time for the forces of Duskendale, Driftmark and Claw Isle to rally and to help take back the city; Finally Queen Visenya was so struck by grief that she was barely able to function and process that parts of the city was lost and the leaders of the riots were not dead, as such many were worried that if they took any action now when there was no one to restrain her she would break out of her grief, ride out and burn the entire city down in order to punish the traitors, hence the truth of the situation was forbidden to be mentioned in the Red Keep without the leave of Lord Daemon which also slowed down a response. The hosts soon arrived and took back the city completely in about a weeks time, facing little organised resistance. Soon Princes Maegor and Aerion arrived with their armies and thus begun the Great Trials.

The Great Trials were in truth not that great in the verdicts. For the most part, all those who had been captured for their role in the riots and the Storming of the Dragonpit, the Septon Shepard, the Poor Fellows and the Warriors sons who revealed themselves to lead the mobs were fed to the dragons, while the child Aenar silver hair was made to renounce his claims and sent to the Oldtown citadel to become a Maester. His mother and main supporters of his claim were whipped for claiming royal titles but otherwise shown mercy and let go as they were deemed to be mere opportunists seeking money rather than a threat, many claim that this mercy was mostly due to the fact the child was believed by the Royal Family to indeed be a Targaryen by blood based on sharing not just the colouring but the look of the late King Aegon II making the Prince Hand take a more merciful view. Ser Gyles and his supporters were given much worse deaths for their crimes. The members of the faith militant and poor fellows were hacked apart and had their body part hanging from the walls of the Red Keep. In the meantime the knights and retainers who betrayed House Targaryen were tortured in a variety of manners for days on end, their torturers punished if they died too quickly. After a week or so all would be dead and their bodies would be impaled and displayed on Targaryen Square.

The Great Trials as such really only refers to the trial of the Queen Mother in the popular history, attended by her brother, her children and grand children, the rest of House Velaryon as well as the entire Royal Court and Prince Maegor's family whose presence in the Red Keep rather than Dragonstone was meant to symbolise their authority over and control of the city. The testimony of the conspirators heard before the court were damming, both on themselves and especially on the Queen Mother, and through her on House Velaryon whose members, allies and retainers had inadvertently aided the Queen Mother in her treason. The number of witnesses meant no ones guilt was in question. The Prince Maegor who heard the testimony without reacting from atop the Iron Throne then declared the conspirators guilty and had them fed to the dragons. Then came the Queen's tear soaked testimony where she confessed it all, and when it was over the Prince Hand ordered all members of House Velaryon and the Queen's family be to secured. Then in front of the entire Royal Court and her own children the Prince Hand descended and ordered his men to cut the Queen Mother out of her dress while taking out his belt. As Queen Rhaena and Prince Jaehaerys protested and struggled against the guards, the Velaryon's begged for mercy and much of the court was too silenced by fear the Prince hand began beating his goodsister the Queen Mother with his belt like the lowest whore wife in fleabottom,  at Princess Rhaena's cries of calling him an abomination Prince Maegor ignored her, but when she claimed she was happy that Prince Gaemon was dead the Prince Hand lost his temper, he had her stripped and began beating her as well, using her fists to turn the Dowager Queen Rhaena's skins to a tapestry of blue and black, and so a perverse cycle began as the Prince Hand cycled between the two Queens, even Prince Aerion aided in this matter, but was sent away by his father when he attempted to take out his rage on the Princesses Aerea and Rhaella, the twin princesses saved only by the determination of Queen Rhaena's companions who took all the beating the Prince Aerion inflicted on them without hesitation before guards on the order of Prince Maegor finally intervened and dragged him away. When Corwyn Velaryon eldest son of Lord Daemon broke free from his captors and came to their aid the Prince Hand used his foot to smash the right leg of the Heir of Driftmark shattering it. He then gave him such a powerful punch to the head that the skin would break and blood would pour out, knocking the lord unconscious for two days. Lord Corwyn would walk with a heavy limp for the rest of his life, and would continue feeling the pain of his wound. The Prince Hand then picked up the Queen Rhaena with one hand around her neck and ignoring her pleas of mercy began chocking her, and when the Queen Mother tried to intervene he kicked her in the stomach so hard blood fell out of her mouth. It was then that the guards who had held Prince Jaehaerys as he screamed himself horse and cried out of all his tears let go so that he was finally able to come to the aid of his kin, but he was of no use for with his other hand the king punched him in the gut so hard that the Prince went flying a few feet away. The Prince hand then took out his blade and plucked out the left eye of his niece and then threw Queen Rhaena aside like a rag doll while she screamed in agony and pain. The Prince Maegor then walked to the Prince Jaehaerys who was trying to breath properly again, and then beat his nephew in pain, ripping of his shirt and then belting the rightful King of Westeros with the same belt he used for the rest of his family as if he was a lowly smallfolk criminal. Prince Maegor then took out the sword Dragonfang and asked the Royal Court 'Look at him, another weak king, another failure and another stain on House Targaryen, on the Blood of the Dragon. Is there anyone who would fight for this lad? Tell me why should we suffer once more a product of the Line of Rhaenys which has given us Aenys the Weak, Aegon the Timid and Viserys the Craven? Is there anyone who would offer their life and the life of their family for them? Well?' No one spoke or moved out of fear but one. Lord Aenar Velaryon came to his nephews aid,  kneeling on both legs, hugging the crying and bleeding Jaehaerys. The Lord Aenar to the shock of the Royal Court and his own family offered his own life for his nephew's even though he had always had a at best strained relationship with his sister the Queen Mother Alyssa and was a second father to the slain Prince Gaemon . On both his knees Lord Aenar bowed his head, begging and beseeching the Prince Hand for mercy and for him to not become a Kinslayer and oath breaker, saying they had all lost and they all grieved the deaths.

After many tense moments where the Prince and Lord Aenar fought a battle not with words and swords but with their eyes, the Prince would sheathe his sword and dismiss the Royal Court, his judgement to be given the next day. In the end mercy, of a kind, prevailed, the Queen Mother was stripped of all titles and power and confined to her bedroom without servants or handmaidens, only a maester to tend to her many wounds, the former Queen of Westeros expected to clean and dress herself and also to tidy up the room, sweeping, mopping and making the bed. Similar treatment was made for Queen Rhaena but she was given a sull set of rooms and her companions aid so as to accommodate the twin princesses who were legally given to Prince Maegor's custody. They were to also take a walk of attornment after a month of healing, both queens shaved of hair from her head and her entire body by silent sisters, then stripped naked, before beginning a barefoot walk from the Prince Maegor Temple to the Red Keep. An escort of Dragonguard and the guards of House Velaryon, as well as Balerion the Black Dread flying above, protected them from the leering and jeering crowds that have flocked to see their shame, with the Valyrian's of the city in particular came out and shouted at the insults of Kingslayer and Kinslayer. Prince Aerion the Cruel follows the two queens, joyous and enthusiastic, he spends the time ringing the bell which ideally a septa or septon would have held and sang, "Shame, shame, shame upon the Weak, shame, shame,  shame upon the Timid, shame, shame, shame upon the Craven, shame, shame, shame upon the Line of Rhaenys, shame,  shame, shame upon the whores who pretended to be dragons , shame, shame, shame upon the Kinslayers," He would even organise singers along the entire route singing the same litany which the crowds quickly took up. In the end the Queen mother breaks, needed to be half carried by her daughter into the Red Keep where they were given into the custody of Lord Daemon Velaryon whose anger at the state of his kin and his inability to act drove the proud lord into frustrated tears. This also greatly divided the Royal Court for while no one dared openly object this punishment took a hammer to the support the Prince Maegor and the Crown held in truth as nobles across the realm recoiled at such humiliation being inflicted on any women of noble blood much less queens of Westeros.

During this time, once he had also had the time to heal Prince Jaehaerys was crowned using the Crown of his Father and both his brothers by Prince Maegor who proclaimed him Jaehaerys of House Targaryen, the First of His Name, Head of House Targaryen, King of All Westeros, King of the Andals, the First Men, the Ironborn and the Rhoynar, Lord of the Seven Kingdoms.

Prince Maegor also declared himself once again to be Hand of the King, Regent of Westeros, Prince of Dragonstone and Lord Protector of the Realm, and announced the betrothal of King Jaehaerys to Princess Alysanne, though for once the Princess Alysanne was betroth to a cousin too young for her rather than the other way around. At this day Prince Maegor also pledged Fire and Blood would be brought to Westeros like never before and declared that if Faith would rather die before it would bend then he would gladly kill it with his own hands. Prince Maegor proclaimed Royal Supremacy in Faith as it held in law, and declared all religious authority would be derived henceforth from the Crown who received it from the Gods, all the Gods. The Crowns judgement could not be appealed to any authority, even on religious matters. All ecclesiastical charges and levies that had previously been payable to the Faith would now go to the Iron Throne. Also decreed was the Submission of the Clergy, where all clergy and religious orders was to accept this or be killed or sent to the Wall as the Prince expanded the scope of the war from the Faith Militant to the Faith itself. Consequently, any act of monastic resistance to royal authority, not just the previous aid to the Faith Militant, would be more than just treasonable; it would also be a breach of the monastic vow of obedience. Great efforts were made to cajole, bribe, trick and threaten these the various sects of the faith, not just the Poor Fellows and Warriors sons into formal compliance, with those Septons and Septa's who continued in their resistance being liable to imprisonment until they submitted or if they persisted, to be sent to the Wall or put to the sword though this was extremely rare, with even defiant septons allowed to continue on so long as they did not support the Faith Militant .

On Prince Maegor's orders the Winter Wolves were deployed to the rest of the Kingdoms, in in order to aid in the fight against the Faith Militant but all these men did was pillage and murder and rob innocent abbots and monks who refused the Submission of the Clergy for the most part, turning many against the Crown for they were angered by the Crowns Usurpation of the Rights and Prerogatives of the Faith among its many other actions . In many lands the local nobility turned on the Northerners, slaughtering them while not flying banners and blaming the death on infighting, bandits or the Faith Militant for they took a very expansive view on how much time they had to persuade the Faith to obey the new rules. Similarly most lands and its taxes remained with the faith, the few properties or relics seized being made famous by the fact the new laws had actually been applied by the local nobility. Even in the lands of the Valyrian Houses and House Blackwood the new laws rang hollow with excuses sent to the Crown on why they could not implement them just yet, these houses despite their Valyrian heritage or following the faith of the Old Gods realised that such persecution of the Faith was not just self defeating but also went against the ideals and words of Aegon the Conqueror who promised the Westerosi that their Faith would be respected and Freedom of Worship would be upheld, it helped of course that unlike Prince Maegor and his family most Valyrian nobles either practised the Faith of the Seven exclusively or at the very least concurrently with the Valyrian Faith, with few in Westeros holding to the Gods of Old Valyria and no other.

In the Reach a new threat was rising as following the Faith Militant's earlier defeats in the battles at Stonebridge and the Great Fork of the Blackwater, new leaders in the rebellion arose by slowly stitching back the scattered remnants of the Faith Militant. Among these was Septon Moon who was seen by the Crown as hardly distinguishable from an outlaw but who grew ever more popular with the Faithful. After the destruction of the Starry Sept and the death of the High Septon Pious III and destruction of the Conclave of the Bishops in the Stoney Sept there was a vacuum of the leadership of the Faith. As such the rebels crowned Septon Moon as their own High Septon, in defiance of High Septon Pious IV the "High Lickspittle" that House Hightower had proclaimed in Oldtown, who in any case most did not recognise for he was seen as a pretender put into office by the Crown rather than the Leader of the Faith and the Vicar of the Seven who are One. As the years progressed Septon Moon roamed the Riverlands and Reach, and whenever he emerged from the woods to preach, he drew huge crowds to hear his condemnations of Prince Maegor and the Targaryens. At Stoney Sept in 42 AC, he denounced the destructions caused by the Dragons calling them abominations and was cheered on by hundreds of smallfolk. Soon tales of a divinely ordained final battle were told across the realm as the Faithful were told of Septon Moon's visions that if they united the Seven Who Are One would walk the earth again and strike down the Dragons and reward the Faithful for uniting into one Faith across the land.

In 43 AC in the aftermath of the death of King Viserys and the Moon of Madness, Septon Moon, realising that the Targaryens were regrouping and their supporters were hesitant in their loyalties and divided in their actions after the decrees made by the Prince Regent, took his chance and began gathering a host. His calls for aid were sent out and he quickly led thousands of followers of the Faith across the Riverland's and Reach to Oldtown, with the openly announced intent of "bearding the Lickspittle", to demand that he lift the ban on the military orders, and denounce both Prince Maegor and his heretical new laws for the nobles, merchant guilds and clergy of the cities and towns had accepted Pious the IVth even if the clergy and the people of the countryside had not. Oldtown was also to become a Bastion of the Faith, the site of the Final Battle with it being not just a center of the Faith but also being the furthest they could go from Kings Landing and its heathens. While encamped outside of Oldtown, his forces were joined by the armies of Duke Torgen Oakheart and Duke Rickard Rowan who rebelled after being unable to continue supporting the Dragons after the destruction they wrought, the houses, laws and traditions they had obligated, and the sacrilege they announced into law usurping the rights of even the innocent clergy, this allowed them to put Oldtown under siege. The rebellion of these two houses which had previously supported the Targaryens inspired many other nobles to listen to their consciousness, and while few rebelled many decided to at least practise neutrality in truth if not by proclamation with nearly half a hundred houses putting an end to their wars with the Faith Militant. Septon Moon was also quickly joined by the remnants of the Faith militant from the Westerlands, Reach and the Stormlands. Most prominent of these was Ser Joffrey the Red Dog of the Hills who had ruled the hill country north of the Golden Tooth in all but name before the coming of Prince Aerion. In the aftermath of the burning of the Westerlands the Warrior's Sons no longer had the strength to defy the Iron Throne in open battle, so the Red Dog sent them out disguised as hedge knights to hunt down and kill Targaryen loyalists and "traitors to the Faith". Now facing immense pressure after the fall of House Crakehall and Lannister to the forces of House Maegyar he fled the Westerlands, raiding parts of the fief of Houses Valentia and Vhassar before making his way to Oldtown to lend his word to Septon Moon. By the time he arrived at Oldtown, he had amassed five thousand followers of knights, squires, free riders and poor fellows.

Grand Duke Donnel Hightower had closed his gates to Septon Moon and his men, he also refused to attack them fearing a rebellion in the city which held no love for the Targaryens or the Crown. As such Princes Maegor and Aerion were dispatched, soon they arrived at Oldtown and brought Fire and Blood to the host there, but the Seven did not come again to walk the Land, the Final Battle was but a Field of Fire and Morgul and Balerion slaughtered the Faithful as they begged for salvation and to be let into the city. As the fields outside of Oldtown became a feasting ground for crows and ravens; Again House Hightower surrendered to the dragons, and again the sum of a million gold dragons was the price they were required to pay leading to House Hightower to empty its coffers and borrow gold from Highgarden to meet the demands.

After the matter was settled father and son began their journey North, but through two routes. Prince Aerion was to fly to the Uplands where they had requested aid dealing with a band of the Faith Militant while the Prince Hand decided to fly to Highgarden directly and from there he was to fly to destroy the seats of Houses Oakheart and Rowan . It was here that Prince Maegor would receive the news that while he and his escort was being welcomed by Duke Mullendore to his castle the maester of the Keep, an old man who it was later learnt was a son of House Lannet, a cadet branch of House Lannister which had been wiped out by Prince Aerion, would stab the prince with a knife coated in poison. The Prince surviving just long enough to burn away the forces of the Faith Militant which tried to take the Keep as the Maester had conspired with the Faith militant. While in the process of brining Fire and Blood to their enemies, the Prince Aerion, also called the Cruel, ended up falling from his dragon and dying from both the fall as much as the poison, the dragon Balerion burning the Castle of Upland, the nearby Butterfly Town and much of the countryside in its wrath and grief, with much of the Royal escort also dying in the flame.  Prince Maegor, in a haze of grief and outrage would destroy not just the keeps of rebels but also destroy the towns and villages in their fiefs killing tens of thousands it is said. But despite this many across Westeros celebrated the death as the infamous Prince was considered to the worst of the Targaryens, even the supporters of the Crown found it difficult to truly mourn him.

This death would be but the start of massive campaign of death across Westeros, anyone even suspected of being a member of the Faith Militant or supporting it was put to the death, mostly without trial, many killed by Essosi sellsword brought in by the Prince Maegor who began to distrust the nobility. Soon Prince Maegor announced the rule of three meaning that not only would the members and supporters of the Faith Militant be punished so too would be three generations of the family. Blood flew freely as the people turned on one another, using the harsh laws to settle old grudges and disputes leading to escalating cycles of violence and slaughter.

Prince Maegor would, despite not needing the revenue due to the gold taken from the Hightowers and the Reach lords, raises taxes on the nobility to punish them while also announcing a complete overhaul of the noble titles the Houses held. In the coming month many tales were told of the Small Council begging the Prince Hand to not dissolve and any all titles of nobility other than Lord, so that it would be more Valyrian. The whispers spoke of the Prince Hand devolving into madness, of dark sorceries being practised in the Red Keep. Tales came from across Westeros of entire villages being put to the sword for the actions of a single person, and it was said across the realm that in King Landing people were executed for simply reading the seven pointed star out aloud though on the last tale no contemporary sources from the city attest to it.

With the Second Burning of Oldtown, the destruction of the last great host of the Faith Militant and the slaughter killing out much of its supporters, the violence began to reduce but peace was not achieved for each death only created a new martyr and a new supporter of the Faith militant, further Prince Maegor was too far gone in his grief to discuss peace meaning that there was at this point no end in sight to the Anarchy which was increasingly living up to its name as disorder grew more and more. Similarly by and large the nobility had also ceased supporting the Crown, even if they knew that they could not openly rebel the fear of being wiped out on the whims of the mad Dragonriders who had no restriction on their authority by any law and tradition was a fear which had taken deep root and as such increasingly the Crown lost support and control of lands which were previously secure. As such King Jaehaerys decided to take the initiative, part of motivation was also to make a name for himself, one which would give him authority and power separate from his uncle's martial strength which he could not hope to match. He would fly to Storms End on Vermithor and struck an accord with Grand Duke Rogar Baratheon, the only man in the Seven Kingdoms who was not afraid of Prince Maegor.  In 45 AC, on the shores of Shipbreaker Bay, King Jaehaerys named Grand Duke Rogar Lord Protector of the Realm and Hand of the King and Grand Duke Rogar Baratheon in turn used the authority to call for a Great Council in Kings Landing  to be attended by the Nobility and the Faith to put and end to the violence and bloodshed to the bring King Aegon's peace back to the realm.  A hundred lords and knights from the Stormlands cheered the proclamation and rode out to spread the word and invite the noble houses to participate in person and more importantly to cajole them into placing their trust in King Jaehaerys and Grand Duke Rogar, a not easy task as King Jaehaerys was a green boy who suffered from the taint of being from the Line of Rhaenys and Grand Duke Rogar was considered much more foolish than brave for not being afraid of Prince Maegor. That very night ravens would fly to every keep of Westeros which Storms End had access to and in the Crownlands and Stormlands a hundred heralds would be sent forth to spread the word among the Smallfolk.

When word reached the Red Keep that King Jaehaerys was gathering forces at Storm's End and calling for a Great Council, Queen Rhaena with the aid of her three companions Alayne Royce, Samantha Stokeworth and Elissa Farman was able to escape her guard and took the Valyrian steel sword Blackfyre from Prince Alyx who cared not whether she lived or died due to her folly, only preventing her from taking her daughters so as to keep them safe. She then escaped on her dragon Dreamfyre to join her brother's cause. Prince Maegor's wrath at this action was great and when he heard that Lord Daemon Velaryon, Maegor's own lord admiral, declared to the Court of Driftmark his desire for a Great Council he declared the Velaryon's a house of traitors, flying to Driftmark and setting the Velaryon fleet and the docks of Hull alight as punishment, though the castle and the members of House Velaryon were spared at the pleading of Lord Aenar Velaryon. But this show of force and displeasure was not enough to turn the tide for peace and soon ravens and messengers from across the realm came in declaring their desire to attend the Great Council in Kings landing and for peace. Among those who supported King Jaehaerys call included Houses Tyrell, Hightower, Redwyne, Arryn, Royce, and many others soon followed as each House sent its declaration to others as well creating a cascade as the nobility became more and more confident that speaking their true desires would not see them punished. Prince Maegor had supporters of his own, but they were insignificant compared to King Jaehaery's: the Crownlander Houses Darklyn, Massey, Staunton, Bar Emmon, Buckwell, Rosby, Stokeworth, Hayford, Harte, Byrch, Rollingford, Bywater, and Mallery answered his call and denounced peace while the Faith Militant still lived but soon the Prince Maegor realised that peace would be inevitable when the Valyrian Houses, except House Mantarys, and Houses Martell and Gardener whose leaders had been elevated by Prince Maegor also joined the calls for a Great Council.

As the forces of Storms End made their way to Kings landing they were joined by Queen Rhaena as well as bishops and heads of Holy orders who also desired peace, the Royal Party slowing as it grew. But soon it became clear that the Faith Militant still had belligerent members and friends in high places as one night the Grand Duke was betrayed by a member of House Penrose, for Count Penrose's younger brother smuggled a well armed pack of Warriors sons into the camp, allowing them to attack the Grand Duke and his tent, as well as make an attempt at killing the King. The Grand Duke soon found his men overwhelmed and he was only able to escape due to the actions of Ser Daegon Rivers, a Bastard of Gargon the Guest who slew seven of the assassins before fleeing with the Grand Duke, dying while in the process of restoring order and aiding the King. For his sacrifice and aid the Grand Duke would award his  son Aelon Rivers with the Barony of Eastwood, a part of the Northern Stormlands, making him a direct vassal to Storm's End being but a two day ride away. This would mark the start of the ascendence of House Eastwood which would in coming years make a major mark on the Stormlands and Westeros.

Soon the Royal Party would be in sight of King Landing and would be met by the Prince Hand. In a discussion in a middle of a field attended only by King Jaehaerys, Prince Maegor and Grand Duke Baratheon the course of peace was set and Prince Maegor surrendered the titles of Hand of the King and Lord Protector of the Realm. Though he would remain as regent for King Jaehaerys who was still underage, further the marriage between King Jaehaerys and Princess Alysanne was reaffirmed. Thus over the next few moons all the high nobility of Westeros, all the surviving bishops, cardinals, heads of various orders etc. all made their way to King Landing.

There in the Hall of the Iron Throne in the Red Keep the Great Council was held as the Lords and Faith debated and discussed the basis for peace. It was clear from the start that Prince Maegor was more than happy to continue the war, also clear was the fact that the Great Council was about more just the Crown and Faith but also about the ongoing disputes of the nobility between themselves and between them and the Crown.

After months of discussions, including one month of plenary sessions where all participants were present each day seemingly from dawn to dusk, the Final Verdict of the Great Council of 45 AC was announced to the realm ending the Faith Militant rebellion and returning peace to the land. The terms included:

• The bounties that Prince Maegor had placed on the heads of the Warrior's Sons and Poor Fellows were removed and all those of the Faith who would set aside their swords were pardoned.
• The Crown, to compensate for refusing to reinstate the Swords and Stars of the Faith, would take on the role of protecting the Faith going forward with the King gaining the title Defender of the Faith.
• The Royal Line as defined by the Line of the King and his descendants was bound to the Faith of the Seven, with all their children and grandchildren being raised in the Faith of the Seven.
• No Targaryen professing another faith but the Faith of the Seven, including any of the other Royally Recognised Faiths of Westeros, was allowed to take the Crown.
• The Queen of Westeros was also required to be either be born into the Faith of the Seven or Convert upon either wedding the heir or when their husband became the heir.
• The Faith agreed to set aside their traditional right of judging criminal in their own lands by accepting the secular courts of the Crown and its Magistrates, the authority of the Ecclesiastical courts would also no longer include disputes between the Clergy and Laypersons or between two members of the laity, having jurisdiction only over the clergy, matter of belief of the Faithful and over the Faith's internal matters.
• The Submission of the Clergy was modified, the previous requirements withdrawn to instead have them acknowledge the Final Verdict of the Great Council of 45 AC.
• The Lands and the incomes derived from it seized from the Faith were restored.
• The prisoners taken were freed if they agreed to lay down their arms.
• A new modified Doctrine of Exceptionalism or the Second Doctrine of Exceptionalism would be applied to any future marriages of House Targaryen, exempting them from the ban on incest.
• The  Targaryens would rebuild the Sept of Remembrance in Kings Landing, and build three of the largest septs in the Seven Kingdoms in Kings Landing, each larger than the Starry Sept. After the completion of the first of these Great Septs Kings Landing would become a Basilica and the new seat of the High Septon and the Most Devout. The three Great Septs or Basilicas were allowed to be built one after another.
• The Crown would bear the cost of building the Great Stone Basilica of The Father and the Seven Pointed Star of Stoney Sept town, the replacement of the previous Great Sept which was burned down and destroyed by the Dragon Quicksilver . The Town would also remain under the authority and ownership of the Faith overturning a decree which awarded the lands to a Knight.
• The High Septon Pious IV was acknowledged as the rightful High Septon despite his selection not meeting the requirements of Faith law, having been appointed to the post by Grand Duke Hightower who held no such right. He was however to abdicate his role in no more than 7 years after the Great Council.
• All the lands owned by the Order of the Faith militant was to be given to the Faith for the use of rebuilding the realm and caring for the poor. This included any and all lands seized since the death of King Aegon the Conqueror.
• All Holy relics and other works and artifacts seized by Nobles and Lords were to be returned without exception.
• All Weirwood Trees and Godswood planted in recent years would be protected, no preaching by the Faith of the Seven against them would be allowed. However the orders of planting more were rescinded, and no more would be planted unless there were worshippers of the Faith Old God present in the settlement.
• The Ironborn Invasion of the Westerlands was retroactively sanctioned so as to not violate the King Peace, however they were to turn over all their thralls and saltwives from their raids, any man refusing to so would be gelded. House Greyjoy also allowed the Faith of the Seven to return to Lordsport as a sign of reconciliation.
• All those who died during the uprising against the Crown were allowed to be declared Martyrs of the Faith, with Poxy Jeyne, Septon Pious the Third, Ser Joffrey Dogget, Septon Theodore of Gulltown, Septon Shepard, Septa Margret of Highgarden and others canonised as either Saints or Blessed by the Seven, the level just below saints. But the Faith also agreed to canonise Septon Murmison as the Lesser Patron Saint of Kings landing and Kings Aegon the Second and Viserys the First as Lesser Patron Saints of Westeros. Furthermore Prince Aerion and Prince Gaemon were declared Blessed by the Seven. Becoming Prince Aerion the Blessed of the Riverland's and Westerlands and Prince Gaemon the Blessed of the Vale, the Stormlands and Dorne.
• All those who had supported and participated in the Great Betrayal were formally excommunicated and were refused martyrdom status.
• Septon Moon was not excommunicated but was also not allowed to be given any formal honours, being barred from not just sainthood but also any lesser level of canonisation. In return Prince Maegor and his still living family were similarly barred.
• Most Houses were taken back under the Kings peace despite supporting the Faith Militant, the exceptions being the following
• House Crakehall of Crakehall was attained with its sons sent to the wall and its daughter to the silent sisters, the Lands of House Crakehall was given to Julian Waters the Bastard son Prince Maegor who took the name, sigil and words of House Crakehall and married the granddaughter of its last lord. All non-Valyrian Petty lords and Knightly Houses of the fief were attained and their holdings given to newly ennobled members of the Dragonguard. In order to rebuild the villages and towns burned during the rebellion smallfolk settlers from Dragonstone, Claw Isle and Driftmark were brought in.
• House Oakheart of Old Oak was attained with its sons sent to the wall and most of its daughter to the silent sisters, the Lands of House Oakheart was given to Avery Waters the Bastard son Prince Maegor who took the name, sigil and words of House Oakheart and was to be married the daughter of its last lord once he came of age.  All non-Valyrian Petty lords and Knightly Houses of the fief were attained and their holdings given to newly ennobled members of the Dragonguard. In order to rebuild the villages and towns burned during the rebellion smallfolk settlers from Dragonstone, Claw Isle and Driftmark were brought in.
• House Mullendore of the Uplands was attained with the claims of distant kin and relatives dismissed, as the mainline was already dead. The Lands of House Mullendore was given to Jason Waters the Bastard son Prince Maegor who took the name Welsh though he kept the sigil and words of House Mullendore. He would rename the castle to Castle Aerion. All non-Valyrian Petty lords and Knightly Houses of the fief were attained and their holdings given to newly ennobled members of the Dragonguard. The New House Welsh was also released from their oaths to Oldtown and were sworn directly to Highgarden weakening House Hightower by depriving them of lands they had overseen since before they joined the Kingdom of the Reach in ancient days before the coming of the Andals .In order to rebuild the villages and towns burned during the rebellion smallfolk settlers from Dragonstone, Claw Isle and Driftmark were brought in.
• House Rowan of Goldengrove was attained with its sons sent to the wall and its daughter to the silent sisters, the Lands of House Rowan was given to Maelor Waters the Bastard son Prince Maegor who took the name, sigils and words of House Rowan, marrying a daughter of House Rowan, a cousin of the last Duke who was the only one who was of the appropriate age for the match. All non-Valyrian Petty lords and Knightly Houses of the fief were attained and their holdings given to newly ennobled members of the Dragonguard. In order to rebuild the villages and towns burned during the rebellion smallfolk settlers from Dragonstone, Claw Isle and Driftmark were brought in.

• Princess Valaena would marry the second son of Ser Loren Lannister known as Loren the Lucky, Lord Kevan Lannister, the last remaining branch of the family which was closely related to the main line. She would become the Grand Duchess of the Westerlands, Lady of Casterly Rock and Warden of the West. The Princess Valaena would adopt the name, sigil, words and lands of House Lannister from her husband. Her good family was given gold and property seized from the now dead branches of the House, becoming the new principle House Lannister of Lannisport even if the city remained as part of the direct fief of Casterly Rock. In the lands surrounding Lannisport in the villages and towns set aside smallfolk settlers from Dragonstone, Claw Isle and Driftmark were brought in.
• House Gardener announced the agreement which they had struck with Prince Maegor years ago when he spared their house. Archduke Mern's eldest daughter was stripped from her position as his heir, instead she would marry Prince Alyx Targaryen with the Prince assuming Lordship of his wife's house and adopting her name, sigil, words and lands, ruling the Reach as its Archduke in his own right rather than serving as a consort upon Archduke Mern's passing. This ended up making the Gardeners a cadet branch of House Targaryen in the male line.
• The burning and wilful destruction of the Royal Ducal banner and the Royal Banner was to be treated as high treason, and the punishment would be the House's destruction. House Lannister's destruction was also upheld as rightful and just because of this even if no one agreed with this in their hearts.
• The land redistribution by King Aegon the Conqueror were reaffirmed, in particular the loss of Florent lands with Houses Florent and Tyrell required to exchange daughters to bind the Houses together.
• Houses Bracken and Blackwood would be required to exchange daughters to bind the Houses together.
• Any union of House Stark and Targaryen was barred for three generations as the Faith did not want the unholy and demonic blood of the Starks who had send the winter wolves to kill so many of the Faith on the Iron Throne.
• Prince Omar Martell, Duke Mern Gardener and all who aided the Crown against their houses were found not guilty of any crime of Oath breaking or blood treachery, and to accuse them of Kinslaying or aiding in Kinslaying would be punished by having the guilty party's tongue cut out.
• All Knights and Lords who aided the Crown were absolved of any sin or crime of breaking their oaths by taking up arms against the Faith and disobeying the High Septon.
• The Conversion of the Sistermen would stand but none should be forced to abandon the Faith and half the faiths Land and Incomes would be restored to it including the Sisters Sept. The Cost of reconstruction for all septs and monasteries would be borne by House Sunderland. The Faith of the Three Sisters was also made one of the Royally Recognised Faiths of Westeros.
• House Waterclaw receiving the lands of House Vypren was acknowledged. All non-Valyrian Petty lords and Knightly Houses of the fief were attained and their holdings given to newly ennobled members of the Dragonguard.
• In all the cities of the Realm and in all the large towns of the realm, as defined by having the population of 2,000 or more, in the main squares two banners where henceforth to be displayed everyday. These were the banner of the local noble on the left and the relevant Royal Ducal Banner on the right.

And so in 45 AC after nearly 7 years of chaos and carnage was the Faith Militant uprising ended and peace was restored.

Chapter Text

The end of the uprising and the return of peace was welcomed across the realm, especially as there was much to rebuild, and the people looked forward to a new beginning. And yet in one aspect Westeros looked much the same, i.e. in the power Prince Maegor had over the administration of the realm. If anything his control was even more absolute for due to the actions of Queen Alyssa the Velaryon's and their allies such as the Celtigar's had been all but expelled from the Royal Court, further among the Andal nobility all those who opposed the Prince earlier were either death, at the Wall or were disgraced  meaning he had no opponents. In a demonstration of this a Celtimon was brought in as Master of ships, the first time this office which in a way was created for the Lords of Driftmark had been lost to them. The Small Council with the exception of Grand Duke Rogar who was now Hand of the King was composed by staunch Maegor loyalists, as were most of the Crowns offices. And even Grand Duke Rogar found his authority quite limited as Prince Maegor remained regent and thus could render the new Hand more of a symbol of reconciliation rather than the wielder of actual authority. As the year of 46 AC arrived the Prince Maegor began implementing all the plans that had been put aside due the chaos which was being called even then as The Anarchy.

Now that the war was over the Prince Regent was interested in overseeing the many construction projects of the Crown, hoping to bring King Aegon's Master plan back on track, luckily they had not been too damaged or delayed. During this the Prince was also seeing the rebuilding and administration of the noble seats his bastard sons would inherit with the former castle of House Mullendore, being renamed to Castle Aerion, was being rebuilt completely due to the extent of the damage while the others which were less damaged were being repaired. In the meantime competent and loyal administrators were installed in these lands to ensure they were ready when his children reached their majority. As for his trueborn children their futures were also secured, with his only surviving son Prince Alyx becoming the Future Lord Paramount of the Reach while his daughters would become Queen and Grand Duchess of the Westerlands. Particularly due to the his daughter being the next Queen the Prince was convinced of the need to bring the Nobility to heel in a more systematic manner, something which he went about in a variety of ways.

The first was to gain more leverage over the nobility and this was easy to do for the Bank of the Dragon was finding it difficult not to lend out its entire reserves as the demand for its cheap loans to rebuild holdings, cheap at least compared to the rates charged by the Iron Bank or the ordinary moneylenders, meaning that it quickly became an important source of influence in every corner of Westeros matched in its debtors by only the Lannisters (with Ser Loren the Lucky serving as Castellan and High Steward) and Reyne's. It only benefitted the Bank that portions of the Royal Coffers were also entrusted to it so that they may be put to use in rebuilding the Realm and generate income in the meantime, for despite the costs borne by the Crown it was richer than before the Anarchy, the gold seized paying for the entire cost of the rebellion and leaving it more flush than before. Meanwhile the Seahorse Trading company expanded its operations as markets tried to recover from the damages of war, forming new partnerships and giving the crown more say over the trade conducted in the realm and the fortunes of the Houses that depended upon it without seeming too heavy handed. This would boost the financial leverage of the Crown for Prince Maegor had long ago realised that Gold Dragons could be just as powerful as real ones when convincing men.

As this was happening the Prince would also begin the process of creating what would become the Dragon Code, the unified set of laws for the entire Kingdom but this would take decades to fully develop and enact, being more of a continuous process as the new Dragon code covered more and more parts of the law, in time it's Common Law, as compared to the Ducal Law, would become the dominant system of Law in Westeros supplanting local and traditional laws. This would greatly constrain the power of the nobility and allow the Crown to more easily dictate and check their actions as it restricted the rights and privileges of the Nobility in subtle yet important ways. The Master of Coin, Duke Mantarys, the Prince Regents Good Brother also had taxes placed on luxury and exotic goods, which would not impact the smallfolk and would not be too oppressive to the high lords, predicting correctly that any lord who wished to flaunt his wealth and power to the outside world, would still desire to purchase these goods, and thus pay the taxes placed on them. And so the crown's revenue slowly increased at the expense of the nobility. An additional tax, with a dual purpose, was also proclaimed: henceforth, any lord who wished to repair or expand his castle, or raise a new one, would pay a heavy tax based on the number of crenelations, which the Crown hoped would discourage them from building these structure which while no match for dragons still made it easier for Nobles to disobey the Crown.

This desire to constrain the nobility and standardise the Seven Kingdoms into one united realm under the Targaryens would also be seen clearly when in latter parts of 46 AC the Prince Regent would finally reform the noble titles of the realm. While he would not carry out his threat to replace all noble titles with a simple 'Lord' as was the situation in Old Valyria; He would do away with the 9 or so independent systems built over countless generations to a much more simplified one which was the following:

King>Princes of the Blood>Duke/Prince of Dorne(Lords Paramount)>Count>Lord>Landed Knights/Masterly House>Smallfolk

This mean that many titles such as Grand Dukes, Archduke, Viscount, Earl, Margrave, Marquess, Baron, Grand Baron, Jarl, Magnar, First Baron etc were simply discarded. In all the Westerosi nobility was to have 7 Dukes and one Non-royal Prince of Dorne as the titles of the Lords Paramount, while all the Principal bannermen received the title of Counts,  being some 70 in number.  The rest of the nobility being either Lords or Landed Knights and its equivalent. This was a major change for earlier there were about 50 Dukes alone across Westeros . This also needs to consider that some 20 of these Counts were the Valyrian Noble Houses who received the title by default. As such it should demonstrate the extent to which the nobles who had claimed their titles for millennia had been stripped of their 'Honor' and 'Rights'. Many would bitterly complain but none dare rebel for they realised they would not win and none wished to be the next ancient House to be replaced by a Targaryen Bastard or Daughter, besides the Prince Regent cared not for their protests for to him this was an important way to demonstrate the power of House Targaryen and drive in the fact that it was in control, with all the authority.

Furthermore to further integrate the Kingdom of Westeros along with this one unified system of noble ranks, a new Westeros wide Knightly order was formed. The Order of the Red Dragon was founded by the Crown in order to reward Knights who the crown felt were "Loyal, Valiant, True" which became the motto of the Order. In the aftermath of the Faith Militant rebellion thousands Knights who had fought on the side of House Targaryen were invited to join, and so were all the remaining members of Prince Maegor's campaign in Essos, though these were one and the same for the most part. Many of those who joined were further recognised for their exceptional deeds by being given the title of Knight Commander of the Order of the Red Dragon. Those such as the Lords of the Crownlands, now Duke Mern of Highgarden, Prince Omar, and others who had been some of the Crown's greatest supporters where given the title Grand Knight Commander of the Order of the Red Dragon. Furthermore in recognition of the Northerners support the Order of the Red Dragon was officially made as a secular order, withs three sets of oaths, one for the followers for the Faith of the Seven, one for the followers for the Weirwood Faith, and one for all other faith as it was sworn to 'your faith and the divine' which was used by the Ironborn, followers of the Fourteen Flames, and the Sistermen. This allowed for Northern and Ironborn knights to be created. Many noblemen, lords and exceptional yet common born warriors were recognised and Duke Rodrick Stark and Duke Gaemon Greyjoy were made Grand Knight Commanders of the Order of the Red Dragon, certainly the first time a Stark or Greyjoy happily accepted such a title.

All the Knights of the Order of the Red Dragon received the right to wear its cloak, it was a black cloak with three red stripes, one running down the middle of the back from the collar to the hem and two running on the top of the shoulders down the sleeves. On the front of the cloak on the breast where the heart would be, the emblem of the order was displayed. It consisted of the Red Dragon of House Targaryen in the centre surrounded by a thin gold chain which linked together the eight sigil's of the Great Houses, each of whom was displayed inside a large link, interconnected by the links of the thinner chain, evenly spaced out. On the right first was the Falcon of House Arryn, followed by the Tully Trout, the Baratheon Stag and the Green Hand of House Gardener. On the right the first sigil was the Lion of House Lannister followed by the Direwolf of House Stark, the Kraken of House Greyjoy and finally the Sun and Spear of House Martell. To wear the cloak of the order without being a member was declared treason by the crown, it also decreed that after the death of the member the cloak was either to be burnt or buried with the recipient. If kept as a memento the name and various titles of the cloak holder was to be embroidered into the fabric beneath the orders emblem to ensure others would not use it duplicitously. Originally, at its founding the cloak was given only to the common born and hedge knights by the crown with Nobles ordering their own, but in the future the crown would become the sole provider.

Knight Commander of the Order of the Red Dragon along with the cloak received a badge of the Order. The badge is a gilded bronze, nine sided star to represent the nine duchies of Westeros, with the 9 pointed star becoming known as the Star of Westeros. At the center of the star is the three headed red dragon of House Targaryen which was made out of red tinted glass, forged in Claw Isle which received a royal warrant to be the Crowns exclusive provider. The entire badge is typically surrounded by a red ribbon embroidered with the order's motto in Royal Andal, Winterfell First Men and High Valyrian in their respective scripts. As with the cloak the badge was either to be buried or destroyed with the death of the holder, or its front was required to be engraved with the holders name and title after their death. In in the immediate aftermath of the Faith uprising there would be a shortage of badges with it taking over three, nearly four, years for each Knight Commander to receive his.

Grand Knight Commander of the Order of the Red Dragon, the highest rank of the Order of the Red Dragon was restricted to the King, the sons of House Targaryen and the husbands of Targaryen Princesses, as well as 40 other members appointed by the King at his sole discretion making it much more exclusive, with the order rarely if ever having more than 50 members in total, especially as it was rare for all 40 positions of the order which were open to non-royals to be filled at the same time. All Grand Knight Commander's along with receiving the cloak and badge also were given a collar. Crafted from gold, the collar consists of alternating links. Eight of these links feature the sigil's of the great houses made from gold covered in coloured enamelled glass and the most prominent feature is the another glass red dragon suspended from a the center of the chain. Unlike the Badge or the Cloak the chain was never allowed to be kept. After the Funeral ceremony was over it was returned to the Crown and either in some cases destroyed or stored with the expectation that it would be reused with the son of the previous member being appointed as a Grand Knight Commander, as was regularly the case with Dukes where fathers expected sons to inherit not just their titles but their collars and position as Grand Knight Commanders. Others were stored for generations if need be until another man of the same hose won the honour.

Despite being founded by Prince Maegor who was hardly the most popular man in Westeros, the Order of the Red Dragon, by law headed by the King, would become the most prestigious knightly orders in Westeros, surpassing even the Order of the Green Hand and the Order of the Gold Lion who were made to recognise its primacy. Members of the order would often wear their badges or collars at all significant royal events. Another major factor for its prestige which was acknowledged in the order of precedence. Members of the Order would rank ahead of non members of the same rank, thus Lords would come before all Lords if they were Lords, and would come before all Counts if they were a Count.  Similarly Grand Knight Commander's would come after the Dukes and Prince of Dorne in the order of precedence regardless of their inherent noble rank at all events, even if they were not Royal in nature.  

This along with further integrating Westeros into one single realm would also provide the Crown with new tools with which to reward and control the nobility, for the threat of having their honor stripped away or offering the reward of being given the title of knight commander or even Grand Knight Commander would prove to be very useful in the coming years.

As the Prince continued with his reforms House Targaryen was gripped in a series of upcoming nuptials by 46 AC with it being announced that Queen Mother Alyssa was to wed Duke Rogar Baratheon. This was both a great honor and in truth an insult for while the now Duke Rogar Baratheon was marrying a Dowager Queen, the same Queens foolishness and misjudgement, as well as the humiliation suffered by her, had already become legendary. This was not even taking into account that by marrying into the Velaryon's one would make an enemy of Prince Maegor who never forgave the House, a position none wanted to be in. But Duke Rogar was in the end the only man not afraid of Prince Maegor. There is a split in the reasoning for the union according to the histories, some accounts claim he was genuinely in love with the Queen Mother while others claim he married her on request of Lord Daemon Velaryon his closest political ally in Kings Landing, in either case the two were married in a modest ceremony in the Red Keeps sept in Kings Landing for the Prince Regent would not authorise much in terms of funds, a fact that enraged Duke Rogar.

Although King Jaehaerys liked and respected Duke Rogar and generally agreed with the decisions of his uncle at the announcement of the wedding he felt slighted, as neither Prince Maegor nor Duke Rogar had not asked the Kings leave for the wedding. Nor did King Jaehaerys approve of the marriage, confessing to Septon Barth, a recent yet close friend that he did not need a second father, and that he felt his own intelligence, judgment, and temperament to be greater than Duke Rogar's.  But the wedding went ahead even with the Kings disagreement , and during the wedding the remaining four slots of the Kingsguard were filled by the victors of a test of arms that became known as the War for the White Cloaks.

The other marriage being prepared for was the marriage between Duchess Elenor, eldest daughter of Duke Mern and Prince Alyx. In a grand ceremony in Highgarden in the second month of 47 AC the two would marry with Prince Alyx Targaryen becoming Duke Alyx Gardner of Highgarden, Future Lord Paramount of the Reach and Warden of the South. This would give the Targaryens a firm grip on the Houses of the Reach and would help them secure their position. As a wedding gift the Prince Regent would give his only living trueborn son the Valyrian Steel song Dragonfang, a priceless gift, its name retained by his descendants so they may never forget that despite not riding them nor having the Targaryen name, they too were blood of Old Valyria and Blood of the Dragon.

After the wedding of his son Prince Maegor also drafted and proclaimed the Dragon And Targaryen Inheritance Law.

This would set out the rules of the inheritance of dragons and dragon eggs. Under the law the King or Head of House Targaryen was made in charge of all dragon and dragon egg inheritances, being the only one able to grant the right to claim a dragon, even to Targaryen Princes, but this power was not absolute for many restrictions were made sacrosanct, with not even a king allowed to override them. Both acknowledged bastards and Dragonseed were strictly forbidden from claiming dragons or dragon eggs, being deemed High Treason, furthermore to aid in this would also invite a death sentence. House Targaryen also restricted the inheritances of dragons by name, forbidding non-Targaryens from flying them. Therefore the children of Targaryen Mothers or Fathers who did not have the Targaryen name and thus were considered part of another House were forbidden with claiming dragons or being given dragon eggs under penalty of death. Any house which attempted to aid them would also be attained. This mostly affected the daughters of House Targaryen who if they did marry into other houses, they gave up for their children any and all dragon inheritances. This law was drafted with the firm intention of preventing the daughters of Queen Rhaena from challenging King Jaehaerys and his line which was to merge with Prince Maegor's. But not all sons were exempted for the law made clear that any son of House Targaryen whose child would be expected to inherit their mother's fief as heir or be in the direct line of heirship, and thus expected to take her family name, would also come under the scope of the law, forbidden from being granted a dragon or dragon egg.

Furthermore any Dragonriders who married outside the house and took the name of another house also renounced for themselves and their children any claim to the Iron Throne or any lands or title held by House Targaryen being considered legally dead without heirs from that day forth in such matters. The law upon the insistence of Queen Visenya however also allowed for men to marry into House Targaryen which would allow women to pass on dragons and the Targaryen name. But for this to be done the noblemen they married would have to renounce not just their old name but their inheritances, being considered the heir to their House only if they were the last of their line, with all other branches including the female line going four generations back becoming extinct. 

Non Targaryens could claim dragons if they were the children of a Targaryen Prince or Princess AND married a Targaryen Prince or Princess and took the Targaryen name. But this was only to be in the case for the children, not grandchildren so as to restrict the number of these new Dragonriders who also received additional restrictions. The law would have just one exception though, it allowed Prince Alyx the right to take the Iron Throne as Alyx Targaryen should the Line of Jaehaerys did not survive, for Prince Maegor made it clear that King Jaehaerys would be the last chance the Line of Rhaenys had to redeem themselves and the Iron Throne would not pass to King Aegon II and Queen Rhaena's line a second time.

In the meantime as the Prince Regent handled the administration of the Realm from the Red Keep, the King was on Dragonstone where he spent his days with his betroth the Princess Alysanne, they were seldom apart from each other for it is said that they grew deeply in love during this time despite the hatred between their parents, and King Jaehaerys never forgiving the Prince Hand for what he did to him and his family during the Great Trial and its immediate aftermath. They were at this time supervised by Dowager Queen Visenya and Princess Shaena, who kept them under close watch and oversaw their education. Those nobles and small council members who came to Dragonstone to meet the King would be received by their King with his future Queen beside him. While on Dragonstone, King Jaehaerys intended to rectify his own shortcomings before he came of age and took the rule in his own hands. He had already shown to the realm that he was not cruel or bloodthirsty as his uncle Prince Maegor or his late cousin Aerion, but he was equally determined to not be considered weak like his father, or as timid and craven like his brothers had been either. As such King Jaehaerys began an intense regimen: He spent every morning until midday in the castle yard training with sword, shield and any other weapon, sparring with Ser Merrell Bullock, commander of the castle garrison, and his sons, Ser Alyn and Ser Howard, Ser Elyas Scales, the castles master-at-arms, and with his seven Kingsguard knights. It was a brutal training regime, but the Kings skill increased greatly within the year. His constant dedication to improving his skill also won him the approval of Queen Visenya to marry her granddaughter, with her saying 'you have some dragon in you', something neither of his brothers had achieved. King Jaehaerys would say till his last days that this would be one of the great accomplishments of his life.

As 47AC dawned the realm began to prepare for a King in his majority. As such more and more Lords began to visit King Jaehaerys on Dragonstone, many to complain about his Uncle's decisions in particular his decision to strip them of their noble titles and replace it with a lower one, hoping he would reverse the decree. But King Jaehaerys did not make any promises to do so, he knew perhaps better than anyone else that his uncle was the true ruler of the Realm and he had no desire to throw it back into chaos by allowing cracks to form in the House of the Dragon. King Jaehaerys had also adopted much of his uncles and soon to be good-family's views on needing to keep the Nobility in check, remembering how they had so easily turned against his father and abandoned his family. But just as the Nobles anticipated the end of Prince Maegor's regency so did the Prince begin implementing more reforms, aided by a royal bureaucracy which was rapidly being rebuilt and expanded.

As 48 AC came and King Jaehaerys name day approached, the realm prayed hard for the end of Prince Maegor's reign to come in truth just as swiftly it was coming to an end by the formal laws. But what they did not realise was that the Prince Regent was busy planning his final blow against the Nobility as Regent. On the Holy Day of the Seven, on the Seventh Day of the Seventh Month as the people across the realm prepared and great celebrations were planned did the Prince Regent act, in the Garden of Balerion in front of his dragon Morgul The Terrible as he was now known, Infront of the Royal Court which had been ordered to assemble there and with the presence of High Septon Pious IV the 'High Lickspittle' who had been summoned to lead the prayers of the day and prepare for the upcoming coronation did Prince Maegor personally read out 'The Great Emancipation Proclamation', to the shock and outrage of the nobility. But there was no stopping it, especially when the High Septon gave it his blessing and it was announced that as they were gathering a hundreds messengers were sent to the towns and cities of the realm to spread word and to alert the nobility. With great flocks of ravens bursting out from the Grand Maesters towers like ominous clouds. The proclamation is one of the most important ones of the Targaryen Dynasty and is a change as momentous in the History of Westeros as the landing of King Aegon on the Blackwater Bay.

The Great Emancipation Proclamation declared that by binding men to the land by manmade laws which had no basis in the Seven Pointed Star, the Nobility had made slaves out of them. And thus to rectify this the Crown had abolished immediately the binding of the smallfolk to the land by any law of the Realm. As such;

• All smallfolk were granted the rights to travel, to leave the fiefs of nobles who mistreated them or to just seek new homes and better opportunities in either other villages or in towns and cities;
• They were granted the rights to marry anyone they wished even from a different fief without having to gain consent of the lord;
• Smallfolk were allowed to own property such as homes outside the cities and farms rather than merely rent them;
• Smallfolk received the right to trade, to become merchants and artisans without the permission of the Lord;
• Smallfolk were given the right to receive rent or tax in only coin or through crop, unpaid labour would only be allowed to be imposed if the smallfolk failed to pay their due rather than being an expected part of a smallfolk's rent or tax.
• Smallfolk were to receive payment for their time served in local militias
• The right to gather deadwood and mushrooms from their lord's forests was to be given for paying him his rent and tax, it could not be made contingent on unpaid labour;
• Smallfolk received the right to appeal for justice against their lord if he violated their rights to the Crown;
• Smallfolk received the right to public trial, to know the alleged crime against them and the law they violated, to receive counsel from friends and family;
• The Smallfolk received the right not to be arbitrarily taxed, nor have new customs, tariffs or charges imposed on them by their lords without it having basis in a law approved by the Crown or Duke;
• All contracts regarding rent and tenancy had to be both oral and written.
• Septons who also preached false passages justifying the binding of men to the land or using versions of the Seven Pointed Star other than the King Aegon's Seven Pointed Star were to be sent to the wall if they did not repent, an interpretation and punishment blessed and sanctioned by the High septon;

And while in the months that followed the proclamation would change little as most smallfolk continued life as before, as it took time for them to be informed that they now had more rights and privileges, and even longer for those rights and privileges to be enforced, this would have enormous impacts on Westeros in the years, decades and centuries to come, in many fields such as mining and the harvesting of fruits the smallfolk would demand better wages, and in the case of the lands ravaged by the Anarchy where there may be local shortages of labour many would demand lower rents out of the nobility. In time the economic rights granted and the Peace that was to come became the foundation for a rising merchant class while the loss of the traditional unpaid labour would weaken the nobility.

The proclamation would send a stream of nobles to Dragonstone begging King Jaehaerys to denounce and promise to overturn it. Many particularly from the Lowe Riverland's and Northern Reach would also denounce it complaining that they were already facing labour shortages as smallfolk moved in droves to the City of King Landing, aided by recruiters who promised them much higher wages building the seemingly endless Royal Works. Though the King would not, once in exasperation asking Duke Tully if the Lord of Riverrun would be his champion against Morgul should he do so, for "Vermithor would be no more than the first course for Morgul, barely more filing than a light soup" the Duke was reportedly less than enthusiastic about the prospect. However knowing he had to take some action to show he would take the nobilities concern into account and act to aid the King would order his uncle to concentrate on other regions, particularly the Southern Vale and Northern Stormlands, which the Prince Maegor would agree to do.

And so with great eagerness did the realm awake on the twentieth day of the ninth moon in 48 AC. For on that day King Jaehaerys reached the age of majority and turned sixteen. He sent five knights of his Kingsguard to King's Landing to make certain that all was ready for his arrival and then three days later the King departed from Dragonstone on Vermithor and flew to the capital to assume control of his realm.

After arriving at the Red Keep he reconciled with his mother who he never quite forgave for the death of his elder brother or for marrying Duke Rogar. Despite this however the King and Queen Mother were genuinely affectionate with one another and had seemed to regain some of their lost connection. King Jaehaerys also decreed that his sister the Queen Rhaena would receive back legal custody of her daughters which till now was with Prince Maegor and also regain the entirety of her incomes and rights. However the reconciliation between the two would not be complete, for when the Queen Rhaena asked her brother for justice for her eye, demanding an eye from either Princess Valaena or Princess Alysanne in recompense, the King not only denied her but also declared that she needed to move on for what she desired would only see them dead, for he was no fool and could see where any battle against their uncle would lead. It is known that the King and his sister shouted and fought bitterly that day, while their mother cried in the background, and that Queen Rhaena denounced him as a coward, a craven, a turn cloak, a blood traitor against their family and nothing more than their uncles puppet who had used the death of her husband and her younger brother King Viserys as nothing but ladders to ascend to the Iron Throne, accusing him of being a Kinslayer.

The next day King Jaehaerys was coronated in the Hall of the Iron Throne by the High Septon Pious IV in front of the assembled nobles, though unlike his brothers and his first crowning he did not wear his fathers Crown, instead he wore a crown gifted to him by Princess Shaena, it was a band of gold with seven large jewels of seven colours to represent the Seven with the Targaryen sigil imprinted onto the gold a further 7 times. His coronation feast was modest in the food served if not the scale with food worth seven times its cost being given to the smallfolk of the city, giving them a reason to celebrate. But a modest feast fit the mood the best for till now despite the crown on his head and the coronation as far as the nobility was concerned the King was possibly just another puppet for the true ruler of the Realm, despite him no longer being regent, and that he had gained the Iron Throne but not yet its power.

Queen Rhaena used her restored freedom by leaving just a day after the coronation to Fair Isle in the Westerlands, not even giving her brother the King the courtesy of a farewell. But the King had little time to ponder such actions for that day after his coronation the King began to work on the Small and City Councils, dismissing some members, confirming the positions of most, and appointing others. The biggest change was the return of his uncle Count Daemon Velaryon as Master of Ships signalling the end of the unofficial banishment of House Velaryon, he also dismissed the Hand of King Duke Rogar for mindful of his power and the danger he represented the King offered the office to Prince Maegor asking the prince to serve him with loyalty like he had the Kings father. Duke Rogar took the dismissal for what it was, angry but understanding at the same time. He refused the position of Master of Laws when he learnt that the King agreed with the Dragon Code for he had no desire to commit to decades of wrangling the laws of Westeros into one. Thus he announced his intention to leave for Storms End with his wife after the Kings Wedding.  This was held some months later in 49 AC, but before it could occur in the second month of 49 AC, Queen Rhaena married Marq's second son, Androw, in a quick and small ceremony. Count Farman presided over the wedding, and guests included Ser Loren the Lucky, Count Reyne and his family, and two of Rhaena's friends, Lady Samantha Stokeworth and Lady Alayne Royce. Days after the wedding, a raven was sent to King's Landing from Casterly Rock, to inform the King Jaehaerys and his court of the marriage. Queen Rhaena's mother, Queen Mother Alyssa, was deeply offended that she had neither been informed of nor invited to the wedding. According to chroniclers in King's Landing, this caused a rift between the pair which in truth was more over the Queen Mothers actions during the uprising and her acceptance of Princess Alysanne as the next Queen and Prince Maegor as Hand of the King rather than the wedding itself. Duke Rogar Baratheon was also furious that Queen Rhaena had not asked the crown's leave to wed mostly because he wished for her to marry his brother, hoping like many of the noblemen of the realm to add a dragon rider to the family, for the value it offered was priceless even under the structure of the Dragon and Targaryen Inheritance Law. However, the news was welcomed by King Jaehaerys himself and by Rhaena's younger cousin sister Princess Alysanne, who dispatched gifts in celebration. Prince Hand Maegor only sent a note of congratulations and a reminder that any child born to the union was bound to the new Dragon inheritance law, and that he would personally enforce penalties.

Queen Rhaena's choice of husband was something that caused uproar once again. Lord Marq's second son possessed no martial skills, nor was he considered clever, and the maester of Fair Isle claimed he could hardly read or write. Maester Smike speculated that Queen Rhaena had taken Lord Androw for her husband not because she loved him for it was well known the wedding remained unconsummated till the very end, but because she loved his sister Lady Elissa. Men in the Westerlands, the Reach, and parts of the Riverlands began referring to Rhaena as the "Queen in the West".

Nigh on half a year after King Jaehaery's arrival at King's Landing, Princess Alysanne departed from Dragonstone with her mother and grandmother to join her King with the Royal Wedding to take place a moth later. However before that the Queen to be, and her mother and grandmother would announce the Memorial Decree which was to be signed by the King. Its being the work of years of planning, setting out the monuments to Prince Aerion and Prince Gaemon, and would be paid for by the gold they had seized during the war, in particular the 1.4 million gold dragon fortune of the Late Prince Aerion. While it took years to plan, and would take a few years more to finalise the designs it would take decades to actually build all of them.

The Monuments to Prince Aerion included:

• On the side of Casterly Rock, on the side facing the city the Prince Aerion statue was built or rather carved. It was a monumental statue of Prince Aerion carved directly into Casterly Rock, standing 140 feet tall, and reaching 180 feet when including the base. It would take decades to complete. For after the first step of selecting the rockface it had to be carefully prepared, removing any loose or unstable sections before it as carved out using large chisels and hammers, requiring thousands of workers. Once the rough forms were established after nearly two decades, sculptors were brought in for the more intricate details. This would have included carving the face using busts made of the prince before his death, hands, feet, and clothing folds. The Princes face had gold paint applied to it, made using powdered gold and mortar and gold leaf. House Lannister was put in charge of building the Statue, with the Crown providing supervision.
• In Kings Landing Bakers Square was renamed to Prince Aerion Square
• A 70 foot triumphal column regarding his battles was added to Targaryen Square. A copy of the column was also to be built in Lions Square, the main square of Lannisport.
• In Kings Landing the Prince Aerion Collegium was founded. Unlike the Royal Citadel it was based on the Collegiums of Myr, and was distinct from the Order of Maesters. It aimed to provide a comprehensive education that would prepare students for a variety of careers in fields such as law, medicine, engineering, Stewardship, administration and commerce and was not affiliated or even aligned with the Faith of the Seven, with most of its students recruited first from the followers of the Valyrian Faith or from those who claimed direct decent from Old Valyria even if they had converted. Even later expansions first brought the followers of the Old Gods and Drowned god before the Collegium saw more Andal students who preferred using the Citadels. So as to keep it separate from the citadels the school was staffed from scholars from Myr and Essos in its early years with most if not all instruction being done using High Valyrian, in fact until much later Maesters were even forbidden from setting foot in the Collegium without explicit and written permission on pain of losing the leg. The Prince Aerion Collegium would start small but would grow along the City of Kings landing and with Royal Patronage it would become alongside the alchemist order the main impediment to the Maesters attempts to secure control of learning and knowledge in Westeros.
• In Kings Landing the Prince Aerion's Circus was to be built, rebuilding the existing Royal Circus in stone. The Crown also became its patron declaring providing free chariot racing to the smallfolk was a royal duty, with the rent charged from the food vendors and stalls in the attached market, as well as a small cost for covered seats with better views for richer merchant smallfolk being the only recovery of funds. In coming years the Prince Maegor would sponsor races and so too would his children. Chariot racing would become one of the most popular past time and Kings Landing would soon become famous for them. Though the Prince Aerion Circus and its races would be all together on a small and plainer scale, about the size of the those in some of the smaller, less wealthy Volantene cities rather than the monstrous ones in the Free cities of Lys, Myr and Volantis, or in Hellas where it was nearly a religion of its own.
• The Pendric Hills of the northern Westerlands would be renamed as the Prince Aerion Hills, and to use the old name in descriptions, titles, laws, maps and even songs was forbidden, with all the singers in the realm given one year to change the name in all song or otherwise face public whippings. After three such whippings they were to loose their tongues.
• In Lannisport a large Valyrian temple to the Fourteen Flames was to be built along with a giant square where another memorial arch was to be built, all three dedicated to the Prince. The Great Temple of Lannisport would be smaller but just as opulent as Prince Maegor's Temple in Kings Landing. With it also built were smaller temples in the villages and towns settled by smallfolk from Dragonstone. And supporting the temples was the Prince Aerion trust which was given gold and lands and property in the city seized from the various cadet branches of House Lannister making the trust very wealthy and very influential, the Trust helping the temples to build and fund facilities such as healing centres,  alms centres, houses for greybeards and orphanages, monasteries, homes and a seminary for Valyrian priests, and later schools for the sons of poor families and orphans. The Valyrian priesthood and House Lannister were given the joint responsibility of overseeing the works.

The Monuments to Prince Gaemon included:

• In the side of a mountain facing Moontown and the Gates of the Moon in the Vale of Arryn, the Duchy where he had one his greatest triumphs, a monumental statue of Prince Gaemon carved, standing 114 feet tall, and reaching 132 feet when including the base, shorted due to the limitations of usable rock. Like its Westerlands counterpart it would take decades to complete. The Princes face had silver paint applied to it, made using powdered silver and mortar and silver leaf. House Arryn was put in charge of building the Statue, with the Crown providing supervision.
• In Kings Cobblers Square was renamed to Prince Gaemon Square and a 42 foot tall memorial arch was ordered to be built.
• A 70 foot triumphal column regarding his battles was added to Targaryen Square, to be right next to that of his brother. Both of them occupying the South West corner.
• The Mander Hills of the northern Reach from which the Mander River flows would be renamed as the Prince Gaemon Hills, and as with the Prince Aerion Hills to use the old name in descriptions, maps and even songs was forbidden with all the singers in the realm given one year to change the name in all song or otherwise face public whippings. After three such whippings they were to loose their tongues.
• A large park called Prince Gaemon's Park was built on what was then the outskirts of Kings Landing, 350-acre in size and open to the smallfolk. It's main entrance was through a triumphal arch called the Prince Gaemon Arch, rising 43 feet high and spanning 60 feet wide. Constructed from stone from Dragonstone, it features a central archway flanked by two smaller arched passages. The exterior is adorned with intricate bas-relief sculptures depicting scenes of war and victory from the Faith Militant uprising and the battles the Prince had fought in, adding to its grandeur. However, the most striking feature of the Arch is undoubtedly the colossal bronze sculpture that crowns it. This masterpiece, created by a team of 30 Volantene sculptures, depicts the Prince Gaemon on a dragon. The sculpture, measuring an impressive 23 feet high and weighing over 12 tons, is one of the largest bronze sculpture in Westeros . It symbolizes the transition from the chaos of war to the peaceful reign of victory. In the Park itself a 40 acre lake was dug into the park and on its shore a large Valyrian temple dedicated to Prince Gaemon was built, the statue  of the Prince Gaemon in front of the temple mournfully watching into the lake.
• Next to the Prince Aerion Circus, after the circus was complete, new Valyrian Baths were to be built. The Prince Gaemon Baths would be twice as big as the Queen Visenya Baths.

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A week later, before the assembled nobility Princess Alysanne would be baptised and brought into the Faith of the Seven by the Cardinal of the Crownlands. The next day King Jaehaerys and now finally Queen Alysanne were wed in a public ceremony bringing the Lines of Queen Rhaenys and Queen Visenya together. As the High Septon was not present for the festivities the King's friend Septon Barth performing the marriage rites before the Iron Throne, for King Jaehaerys would accept no other Septon. The Celebration and the Tournament that followed was so grand and opulent it was called the Golden Wedding and symbolised many different things, the start of a new reign, the start of an era of peace, the joining of the lines of the Conquerors two wives and many more omens, including the enduring influence of Prince Maegor on House Targaryen and the Realm. Dowager Queen Visenya the last of the Conquering Three gave her sword Dark Sister to her granddaughter the now Queen Alysanne to wield at the festivities, marking the Queen Visenya's withdrawal from the affairs of the realm and the Royal Court.

The King and Queen intended to go on a royal progress to introduce themselves to their subjects, though unlike Aegon II and Queen Rhaena they intended to travel on Vermithor and Silverwing, which would discourage any thought of an assault and would act as an unspoken reminder to the realm of the power of the dragons. They also wished to establish a new face of House Targaryen which for decades had been that of the Prince Hand Maegor, for while influential and useful the King wanted to rule Westeros in not just name but also fact and most importantly in a different manner altogether. To further set this new path King Jaehaerys, who had no children of his own body attempted to name his niece Princess Aerea so as to deny his uncle the power of being his formal heir, but this was firmly rejected by the Lord Hand as he publicly declared himself next in line to the Iron Throne followed by his son Prince Alyx, causing a rift between uncle and nephew. But in the end the King folded and upheld the fact that Prince Maegor was his rightful heir over his sister Queen Rhaena and her daughters and accepted the inheritance laws of his House without any changes; And also affirmed the Dragon and Targaryen Inheritance law including its exception, bitterly accepting that the Line of Rhaenys was on its last chance.

In 49 AC King Jaehaerys and Queen Alysanne began the first of their many royal progresses. Starting in the Crownlands, King Jaehaerys visited lords great and small, determined to be seen in as many places as possible and to make friendships of these nobles who due to their location had great say in running the realm and occupied a disproportionate amount of its offices. To this end, he travelled in the company of less than a hundred men, including twenty knights. The royal progress continued to the Riverland's, where they arrived at Maidenpool, where the pregnant Queen Alysanne was attacked by three holy sisters who served at Jonquil's Pool in a bid to take revenge for all the destruction her father and family had wrought. Following this incident, King Jaehaerys postponed the remainder of his progress and returned Queen Alysanne to the Red Keep, where she remained until the birth of their child, it is said the King and the Kingsguard had to physically restrain the Hand from flying to burn Maidenpool to the ground while Small Council (including Duke Rogar who had been appointed as an advisor and more importantly as a supporter of King Jaehaerys) fought each other with fists and kicks in as they divided over whether Maidenpool should be destroyed. In 50 AC, Queen Alysanne went into premature labor and the child, a boy named Aegon, died three days after his birth to the grief of the entire family and Court. Later in the year Dowager Queen Visenya died at the age of 80. Mourned deeply by her family she was the last of the Conquering Three.

To honor her legacy the Queen Visenya Godswood one of the two original public Godswood of Kings Landing and one of the first green spaces of the city was transformed in her memory. A 140 foot tall, four legged memorial arch was built of stone from the isle of Dragonstone, dividing the park into two halves and facing the Dragonpit road. The structure of the Arch is oblong, with a large archway on each of the four faces, but the arches on the long sides are larger and higher. The arches on the shorter sides are blocked at the bottom, with doorways, but open higher up, and the longer arches have on their tops a large slab stating 'Visenya' with one side in the Andal script and the other in the Valyrian script. The ceilings the arches are decorated with well-spaced coffers with intricate draconic mosaics, and the inner walls are marble carvings of the Queen in her glory, painted in vivid colour and as intricate and detailed as frescos. On either side of the long gate statues of the Queen greet viewers each having its own cupola or dome-like structure covering it from the top, resting on slender marble columns. The statues depict her defeating her enemies, crowning her husband who contrary to history is kneeling before her in supplication, sitting upon a throne (based on the Throne of Dragonstone) and ruling the realm. But it was the last one which would become the most famous, this iconic statue would be replicated and taken inspiration from for generations of artists, crafted by Maekar Anjaelo of Myr.

It shows the Queen Visenya cradling the lifeless body of her grandson, Prince Gaemon after his death in the manner Saint Helga is said to have held Hugor of the Hills after his death. The sculpture showcases a remarkable contrast between the devastated serenity of Queen Visenya and the tragic weight of the Prince's body. Queen Visenya, despite her immense grief, exudes an almost supernatural calm, her face etched with a profound sorrow. Her delicate features and flowing drapery create a sense of ethereal beauty, emphasizing her role as the Matriarch of House Targaryen and Queen of Westeros.The Prince's body, realistically sculpted with anatomical precision using his funeral effigy, lies limply across her lap. His limbs are relaxed, his head drooping gently, conveying the profound impact of his suffering. The intricate detail of his wounds, visible beneath the thin cloth, adds a poignant layer of realism to the scene. The composition is masterfully balanced, with the Queen's figure forming a strong vertical axis that supports the horizontal weight of the Prince. The interplay of light and shadow further enhances the drama, highlighting the contours of the figures and emphasizing the emotional intensity of the moment. The statue would serve the realm as a poignant reminder of the enduring power of love and loss would become a symbol of the city and the Early Targaryen Dynasty.

Built on either side of the Arch and dividing the Godswood are two more monuments.  On the south side is a Hellas style hall with its columns and triangular roofs, in its center is a life sized statue of the Queen surrounding by slabs of marble built into the walls into which important moments of the Queens life have been carved into, including her crowning of her brother, the Conquest of Gulltown and the Vale, to her fighting in Dorne, teaching her child prince Maegor and ruling alongside her brother the King as well as ruling the realm during the Anarchy.

On the North is the Queen Visenya Tower, in total it is 154 feet high composed of a large stone column 140 Feet high on which is a 14 feet tall statue of Queen Visenya riding atop her Dragon Vhagar who had been shrunken to be the size closer to that of a horse, But what is most striking about the statue and the reason it took longer than either the Memorial Arch or Rotunda to build is the fact that it was designed to lean, giving the impression that the Queen is just about to fly off a tower collapsing forward. The Statue itself incorporates this forward movement playing into the leaning and despite looking like stone is half steel, iron being cast in the crevices and holes formed in the stone in order to bind it together into a single shape.

150 large bronze statues of the Queen either standing or on a horse sized dragon were also commissioned and sent to settlements across Westeros. About 70 were sent to settlements in Dragonstone and the Crownlands, the remaining were sent to the 8 other duchies, with the 10 largest cities and towns of each Duchy hosting a statue. On the Port of Dragonstone a 240 foot lighthouse was built, called the Queen Visenya Lighthouse; And finally in the Kings Square in front of the Red Keep the team that was to create the Prince Gaemon sculpture for the Park Arch was also to create a similar one for Queen Visenya. The highest hill on Crackclaw point, and the Crownlands, was renamed Queen Visenya's Might, a life sized bronze statue of the Queen was sent up and planted next to the summit, taking months of planning and many more weeks of labour to carve out and prepare the plinth, with Prince Maegor flying on Morgul with the statue, and slotting its heavy and elongated stepped base into the plinth which was then further secured with iron stakes, mortar, stone and earth.

The cost of building these monuments, like those set out in the Memorial decree, was borne by the private purse of Prince Maegor and his family and of the Conquering Three only Queen Visenya was so honoured for no Memorial Arch or other commemorative structures of this size and scale was built after her siblings death.

In 51 AC King Jaehaerys left for a progress visiting the Vale of Arryn and the Riverlands. Although Queen Alysanne had originally planned to join him, she chose to stay behind as she was once again with child, and refused to allow King Jaehaerys to cancel the progress to remain by her side. King Jaehaerys was at Stoney Sept to see the reconstruction of the Sept and meet the Cardinal of the Riverland's when news arrived that Queen Alysanne had given birth to a daughter, but flew back on Vermithor immediately. Although he had hoped for another son, he was delighted in his daughter, Princess Visenya, named after her Great Grandmother. With her birth, King Jaehaerys finally had an living child of his own but the realm could not yet breath easy knowing the Iron Throne would not pass to Prince Maegor, for he was still next in line until a son was born.  A few months after the birth of the new Princess the Royal Court departed to Casterly Rock where Princess Valaena married Lord Kevan and became Duchess of the Westerlands. After the wedding Queen Rhaena returned to King's Landing with her husband, insisting on having a seat of her own where she could raise her daughters; Queen Rhaena requested to be granted Dragonstone which angered Prince Maegor but the King acquiesced and even Prince Maegor agreed after much persuasion from Queen Alysanne who hoped to offer a hand of amity and reconciliation to her cousin and good sister, though he insisted on holding the title of Prince of Dragonstone still.  Meanwhile the year ended with the surprise announcement that Queen Mother Alyssa despite being near 50 was pregnant.

That same year in 51 AC the King would create the institution of Sheriffs.  Sheriffs would be officers of the Crown, appointed by the Master of Laws whose job it would be to oversee the judicial system among other duties. The need for this had come as even decades since the Decree's Of King Aegon in the Great Council of 8AC many Lord still had not appointed an adequate number of magistrates in the towns and on the rural circuit courts. Similarly many of these judges still deferred to old laws rather than the written codes or used the old Kingdom specific law even when it had been superseded by the Dragons Code, did not create or maintain their records as required , and ran their courts in violation of the laws, not using writs, warrants and other instruments correctly if at all.

As such the King would announce the creation of Sheriffs, these officials would be appointed from the nobility to oversee the Court of Common Pleas and other Magistrates bodies across the realm. Appointed to either a single fief, portion of a fief, city or overseeing multiple smaller fiefs they would report if there were adequate number of magistrates, if all villages were receiving visits, if laws were being followed by sitting into sessions, and if proper records were being created and maintained by auditing them. To ensure they would be competent enough to do the role all Sheriffs along with noble blood were required to receive two links in law from either of the citadels or similar qualifications from a law school, the Prince Aerion College or an apprenticeship. The King probably anticipating his nobles complaints also allowed the nobility to nominate their own sheriffs to the Master of Laws, with the unsaid expectation he would accept the nomination if the man in question was competent and not corrupt enough to do the job adequately if not brilliantly. The Sheriffs were also to ensure the banner laws were followed and the Royal Banner and the appropriate Royal Ducal Banner were displayed correctly and in all the correct locations, such as the courts and square and in tournaments.

The King would also create a new position of Master of the Rolls, reporting to the Master of Laws who was responsible to maintaining and organising the records from all the courts of the Kings Landing, Dragonstone and the Crownlands at the start before expanding his scope over generations. Unlike the Great Emancipation, the Sheriffs were not protested heavily by the nobility, and instead many welcomed the new role for their brothers and second sons as the Crown would be responsible for paying the Sheriffs, it helped of course that protesting at being forced to perform thier duties would perform poorly no matter what. As such King Jaehaerys was able to continue the fragile peace between the Crown and its Nobles.

The year 52AC was an important one for the Targaryen Dynasty with it being a busy year for the Royal Court so much so that the Progress to the Stormlands and Dorne was cancelled. The start of the year was marked by the completion of the Original plans for the Red Keep and the Nine Lighthouses to commemorate the Lords of Dragonstone. This meant the last of the Royal Offices in Dragonstone was transferred to the Red Keep, this also freed up both gold and labour to begin construction of the Great Dragon Sept, the Largest Sept in Westeros, though it would take decades to build. However this did not signal all the works in the Red Keep to come to an end, for the Princess Shaena Tower and Docks would begin work in this year, intended to provide the Royal family a secure access to the sea without needing to rely on the regular dock and harbour of the city. On the seaward side of Aegon's High Hill, there was a one hundred seventy foot drop below the wall into the sea, however there were natural passageways which connected the thin beach to the top of the hill. These passages were originally barred, but now the Targaryens had them opened and improved, the tunnels were widened and a system of pulleys was built to make transporting goods easier up and down the hill. But this is not to say they left it unprotected, the passageway's were guarded by murder holes in its ceiling and a series of 10 thick gates. Furthermore on the main entrance which led to the beach there was a tower with an iron portcullis with thick bars constructed to bar entry to the Red Keep as needed. The beach itself was transformed with piers and wharves,  large enough for galleys and cogs to dock and have multiple ones be loaded and unloaded at the same time. This meant that henceforth one would need to besiege the Red Keep from both Land and Sea. Further the beach on both sides of the dock was also fortified watchtowers and with walls which extended deep into the sea, so far out that even the tallest knight on the biggest horse could not walk around it without being completely submerged.

Also that year word came from Storms End that the Queen Mother Alyssa had given birth to Boremund Baratheon, Heir to Duke Rogar Baratheon and the Kings Half-Brother. The year would then see a Great Conclave called for the election of a new High Septon when High Septon Pious IV resigned in accordance to the Final Verdict of the Great Council of 45 AC, and in an upset that surprised most of the realm the Bishop of Lannisport won the vote despite the Reach holding the largest voting block amongst the Most Devout. As such a new High Septon Justice, First of his name, became the Vicar of the Seven Who Are One. He refused to become Bishop of Oldtown and moved the leadership of the Faith to Lannisport where they were enthusiastically welcomed by the Duchess Valaena who saw this as an opportunity to reconciliate with the Faith while also keeping a close eye on it. The High Septon Justice himself pursued a pragmatic policy towards the Crown and the other faiths of Westeros, attending the groundbreaking ceremony of the Prince Aerion Temple and saying a prayer asking the Seven for peace and amity in the land between all those who saw their light and all those who didn't, and kept his focus on rebuilding the institutions of the Faith within the framework established by the Great Council of 45AC.

Finally it was in this year that the twin bastard sons of Prince Maegor assumed their titles as Counts of Crake's Forest and the Uplands with the seats of Crakehall and Castle Aerion being ready for their new lords. Large tournaments was held in not just in these seats but also in Lannisport and Highgarden and the Royal Court attended all of them. As for their younger half brothers the new Count Avery Oakheart would marry his wife and take his seat in 54AC with his younger brother Count Maelor taking his seat in 56AC as the new Count Rowan of Goldengrove. Both would announce their own memorials to the Princes Aerion and Gaemon, as well to Queen Visenya in their fiefs in the forms or rivers and lakes, marked by statues and large carved stone markers.

The Year 53 AC would see the end of the Early Years of the reign of King Jaehaerys, and it was a year marked with triumph and tragedy. At the start of the year a tournament would be held to mark 10 years of his rule and 5 years since the King gained his majority; As well as the completion of the rebuilding of the Prince Maegor Arena complex. The workers would be redistributed to build the monuments to Queen Visenya, The Princes monuments, the Queen Visenya Aqueduct and a new Sept to the Warrior to be built on the grounds of the Prince Maegor complex itself as a gesture of the King's piety and as a symbol of the Crowns reconciliation with the Faith of the Seven, a gesture Prince Maegor did not take kindly to. This year the Prince Hand Maegor announced the Bank of the Dragon's new expansion plan, declaring that it would aim to open new branches in the next two decades to boost trade, with the branches being opened in Port of Dragonstone, Claw Isle, Duskendale and Maidenpool to help boost trade in the Crownlands and lower Riverland's which would also boost the influence of the Crown and strengthen its influence in trade.

Another important event of the year came during this year as the Velaryon's of Seahorse town and the Seahorse Trading company would also announce the rebuilding of the Wendwater port, which had been destroyed by the Ironborn generations ago and was never rebuilt, on the mouth of the Wendwater River. Wendwater port, which would be held by Laenor Velaryon the second son of Lord Aenar Velaryon who married a Wendwater and received the lands as her dowry after much 'persuasion' by the Prince Hand, would quickly become a key trade center on the Blackwater bay, greatly boosting the lumber trade and trade in general with the northern Stormlands. This trade in lumber would become vital in supporting the growing city in coming years, quickly expanding into lumber, coal, and wool from the northern Stormlands soon enough. This was viewed as way to punish Duke Rogar by weakening his hold on his bannermen who would now be tied closer to the Crownlands. House Wendwater along with the increasing trade would also be given lucrative contracts and many offices in recompense for the loss of the lands. The building of the port is generally used to mark the point where the relationship between Lord Daemon Velaryon and his younger brother Lord Aenar Velaryon and their branches of House Velaryon began becoming more openly hostile than merely competitive as the Driftmark Velaryon's accused their cadet line in trying to suffocate their attempts to rebuild their fleet and their House's fortunes via the near monopolisation of the Crownlands trade as exemplified by the Wendwater Port, and also using the Bank of the Dragon and the Office of the Hand of the King as a way to intrude on the old trade relationships of Driftmark, taking away their trade just as they needed it the most to recover from the damage Prince Hand Maegor had inflicted upon them while the Seahorse Town Velaryon considered their senior cousins as jealous and ungrateful, blaming their line for foolishness that was entirely Driftmark's.

Despite these tensions however the year was supposed to be a joyful one as both Queen Alyssa and Queen Alysanne became pregnant near the same time. Meaning the king was expecting both a new half-sibling as well as possible a son and heir.  However while Queen Alysanne was predicted to give birth first word would come from Storms End that the Queen Mother was in pain and something was wrong with the child. By the time the King arrived the Queen Mother had gone into premature labour. There after being told fatal surgery would be required to save the child he would make Duke Rogar choose, and the Duke chose his child, the surgery he ordered ended up killing the Queen Mother and saving her child, Duchess Jocelyn Baratheon.  In the meantime while the King was away the Queen Alysanne would also go into early labour and without her husband by her side would give birth to a son Prince Aemon. The King would again rush to the Red Keep, having once again missed the birth of his child. And so with his mother dead and her body not even cold, and with a living son and heir did the next phase of King Jaehaerys reign begin.

Chapter Text

The decades after the birth of Crown Prince Aemon was a mixed one for the Targaryens and the Realm, filled with joy and sadness, triumph and tragedy. It would see many changes and much turmoil in the realm and Royal Family though overall the Peace of King Jaehaerys and the Great Council of 45 AC would be maintained.

Queen Rhaena the only remaining sibling of King Jaehaerys would have in this decade many tragedies and her family would bring many woes for the Crown. In 54 AC Lady Elissa Farman left Dragonstone, stealing three of the dragon eggs Queen Rhaena held. Once the trail of Lady Elissa had grown cold, Rhaena informed King Jaehaerys in King's Landing. King Jaehaerys and his Hand Prince Maegor were alarmed by the news; If the eggs were to hatch, there could be a Dragonlord in the world that was not a Targaryen by name considering the number of bastard lines they did not even know of, not to mention the possibility of bastard lines of the other Sacred Forty Families of Valyria having enough Dragonrider blood by intermarrying generation after generation. The Prince Hand was so outraged by the theft that he stripped Queen Rhaena of Dragonstone and attained House Farman with House Lannister ordered to seize them and bring them to the Red Keep. Though at the pleading of the Farman's who were found to be innocent in the matter, and the King refusal to punish his sister or the Count for the actions of Lady Elissa, the order of attainment was reversed and Dragonstone remained in Queen Rhaena's possession.

Meanwhile rewards were offered and gold was paid and soon rumours came that the eggs were in the possession of the Sealord of Braavos, the Prince Hand went to Braavos himself were he confirmed their presence even as the Sealord denied the accusation. The Sealord refused to return them even when the Prince grudgingly offered the sum he gave for the eggs, offering gold to the Targaryens instead to settle the matter. When the Prince Hand threatened war the Sealord threatened his assassination and that of his family and offered some other compensation such as lower tariffs. Over the next two weeks the two would periodically meet while the Prince spent his days trying to track down any trace of Elissa Farman in Braavos. Then one night in the Sealord's Palace during a party the Sealord's principal opponent Tormo Fregar vocally denounced him and called for change in leadership for Braavos as city of laws could not have a thief for Sealord, publicly accusing him of stealing the Dragon eggs of House Targaryen and in doing so threatening war with their largest trade partner which was not engaged in slavery, accusing the Sealord of putting his greed above the benefit of Braavos and its values. Prince Maegor then was apparently so outrage by the theft committed by the Sealord that he pulled out his sword, threw aside the First Sword of Braavos and killed the Sealord. During this chaos the Dragon Morgul flew around the gardens and silenced the guests as it roared and sent up a bursts of flames so hot the assembled became drenched in sweat immediately, many claim it was this roar and fire which distracted the First Sword for to acknowledge otherwise would only shame Braavos, then soon enough before a massacre could occur the men of both Keyholder Fregar and Prince Maegor came in with the eggs and servants who could attest to the theft. With the Sealord dead so died his political power for it was not a hereditary office, and faced with the support of the next likely Sealord for the Targaryens, the embarrassment of the theft which was now undeniable and the prospect of either dying then and there in dragonfyre or in a war over a dead mans greed the Braavosi elite punished Prince Maegor for the murder by banishing him from Braavos and thus putting the whole matter behind them. While the eggs were eventually recovered the episode damaged the image and authority of the King as his Lines weakness and his foolishness was once again whispered about. The great effort the King had made of getting out of his uncles shadow was for naught it seemed in the immediate weeks and months after Prince Maegor's triumphant return.

However this was not the only tragedy that came for House Targaryen and Queen Rhaena, for the next year several ladies of Queen Rhaena's Household were murdered via poison on Dragonstone by Androw Farman, Queen Rhaena's husband including Lady Lianna Velaryon the Kings cousin, causing whispers of misplaced judgement similar to that of her mother to ring about the Royal Court. This however would be but a taste of the tragedy to come for one day soon after the poisonings Queen Rhaena would find both Princess Rhaella and Balerion missing.

Ravens were sent to all the nobles of the Seven Kingdoms, to report any sighting of the Princess or Balerion, Meanwhile, Queen Rhaena flew her own dragon, Dreamfyre, across the Seven Kingdoms in search of her daughter, only returning to Dragonstone after six months to look after Princess Aerea. The Princess and Balerion were missing for more than a year, but finally returned to King's Landing on the thirteenth day of the fourth moon of 56 AC, with a severely-ill Rhaella clinging to the dragon's back. She was almost unrecognizable; she was stick thin, and whatever clothes she still wore were nothing more than tatters. Her hair was matted and a tangled mess, and her eyes were bloody. After speaking "I'm sorry", Princess Rhaella collapsed.

While Queen Alysanne flew post haste to Dragonstone to get Queen Rhaena and Princess Aerea, the Grand Maester Benifer treated the Princess in his chambers with Septon Barth, who had been summoned to administer the rites for the dying. Only the two men witnessed the entirety of her last hours; though both the King and Prince Maegor were present for parts of the treatment and saw much of the horrors the Princess was inflicted with. Grand Maester Benifer gave Princess Rhaella milk of the poppy and, to reduce her fever, immersed the princess in a tub of cold salt water, but nothing helped. When Queen Rhaena and Princess Aerea arrived they barged in without hesitations, despite or due to her Princess Rhaella's screams, and soon both started screaming themselves in horror of what they saw. The last words of Princess Rhaella would be 'I'm Sorry' and 'I Love you'. She had arrived at the Red Keep in the morning. Sometime after midnight, just an hour or so after her family arrived she had died. Instead of having her ashes interred on Dragonstone with other Targaryens, Queen Rhaena took them into the sky upon Dreamfyre and scattered them "upon the winds".

After that day Septon Barth began studies that led him to write Dragons, Wyrms, and Wyverns, and believed that the Princess had flown to Valyria. He likely discussed the princess's death and his suspicions regarding the cause with King Jaehaerys, who issued an edict forbidding any ship suspected of having visited the Valyrian islands or sailed the Smoking Sea from landing at any port or harbour in the realm; with any Westerosi who visited Valyria to be executed. Though this would soon be overturned by Prince Maegor who declared that such a rejection of their ancient homeland on the speculation of an Andal septon was folly. 'Many fouls things lived across the known world, and these are the least of it' he is reported to have said.

After her daughter's death, Queen Rhaena did not wish to return to Dragonstone, as it only had bitter memories and ghosts for her. Nor did she wish to go to Tarth, where a "kinder ghost" of her last companion was. King Jaehaerys offered Rhaena a place at court, even a seat on his Small council, but she could only laugh and say he would not care for her advice. She also angrily rejected Queen Alysanne's suggestion of taking another husband, suggesting in her brother in all but blood Aethan Velaryon of Seahorse town, son of Lord Aenar Velaryon and having more children. The Queen Rhaena instead replied that she would rather feed herself to her own dragon and than touch a man that claimed any kinship with Queen Alysanne and had any affection for the man who took her eye.

Queen Rhaena eventually settled for Harrenhal, where she became a guest of House Qoherys. She made her residence in the Lord Quenton's Tower which was inhabited solely by her household, and befriended the Qoherys though she seldom saw them more than once or twice a week, keeping to only the company of a her household composed primarily of herself, her daughter Princess Aerea and her most trusted and oldest servants, and veterans of the Dragonguard as she distrusted outsiders after the poisoning of her companions. In this she had plenty of space for most of Harrenhal was essentially abandoned outside of tournaments and the like . Despite occupying only a fifth of the Great Keep, Queen Rhaena had her own library, kitchens, halls, gardens, Sept, maester, rookery, and all other amenities. The lands within the wall were large enough that Princess Aerea even practised horse riding within them.

While his sister suffered from the losses the King was recovering from the blow made by the Elissa Farman Affair and was once again gaining more power over his court. He would make more and more appointments without his uncle deciding for him and would gain more control over the royal bureaucracy. The King would also take oversight of much of the Royal Works of Kings Landing, making many decisions on the Queen Visenya Aqueduct and much of the works of the City which previously had been the sole domain of the Prince Hand. In a sense the King only truly began to rule on his own when in 55 AC, after the royal couple had welcomed another son, Prince Baelon, and some 20 years after his appointment by King Aegon the Conqueror Prince Maegor resigned, being till date the only Hand of the King to have served 5 separate kings and also the only one to have served 4 kings till their deaths. This allowed the King some more freedom from his uncle's constant supervision and would in the coming years allow him to stamp his own mark on Westeros.

Prince Maegor for his part seemed to rest more easily without the burdens of the Office of the Hand of the King. While still on the Small Council as an advisor and holding significant sway and influence, being almost if not as powerful as the King, without actual tasks he would spend much of his time supervising the Grand Temple of Kings Landing or Prince Maegor' Temple ,which was completed in 57AC. It was the largest Valyrian temple in Westeros and one of the largest built since the Doom of Valyria, measuring 377 ft long and 151 ft wide with 127 columns each 40 feet high and 4 feet thick.  Prince Maegor would not only see to its completion but would spend his wealth establishing it as an important part of the city, Supervising and directing its activities, and also building facilities such as healing centres,  alms centres, houses for greybeards and orphanages; He would also sponsor the creation of monasteries, homes and a seminary for Valyrian priests using the donations of the Crown and part of the profits of the Bank of the Dragon and Seahorse trading company and in doing so play a major role in keeping the Faith of the Gods of Valyria alive in Kings Landing, especially amongst the descendants of those who came from Essos and Dragonstone. The Prince would also travel to visit his children and grandchildren across Westeros with his wife and would both oversee the construction of his mother's and son's memorials as well as plan his own.

At the celebrations to mark the inauguration of the Temple the Prince would also give much gold, the lands he bought in Kings Landing, or had received from his father King Aegon the Conqueror in the Dragonlands, and as well as a small part of the lands he had received in Dragonstone which previously belonged to some of the noble families which resettled in the mainland, into a new charity called the Prince Maegor Trust. Also added to the Trust's endowment was a tenth of the shares and for 10 years half the profits of the Bank of the Dragon. The income from the land and the gold received was to be used to build and operate the four schools, Oros College in the Dragonlands, Harrow College next to the City of Kings Landing, Driftmark and Claw Isle College in Driftmark, and Dragonstone College near the Port of Dragonstone. Each was set up with a dual religious and educational purpose. Each College would educate at least 140 orphans and sons of poor families who earned less than 7 gold dragons a year with firm preference to those who showed Valyrian ancestry. Each college gave the boys 7 years of education before sending them to either the Valyrian priesthood, the Alchemist Guild, Citadels so that they may become Maesters and serve the realm or go study at the Prince Aerion Collegium and forge their own paths in life as healers, merchants, stewards, builders, magistrates, etc. All students were to be educated and raised in the Valyrian faith, taught High Valyrian and the History of Valyria along with other subjects such as the Mathematics, Valyrian Rhetoric, Logic and Philosophy, Royal Andal, geography, astronomy and the history of Westeros, etc. The Prince also decreed a Maester was to be resident along with many scholars and 7 Valyrian priests in each college to ensure the students got an adequate education. And while no longer Hand of the King he would also be able to arrange royal patronage for the Charity and its schools as well.

This influence was also used by Prince Maegor to charter and establish the Middle Temple Inn of Court, affiliated with the Prince Aerion Collegium, named for the Middle Temple area where it was based. The Inn of Court served as a vital hub for legal education and organization and Aspiring lawyers flocked to the Inn which held a much more open admission policy than the Prince Aerion Collegium, welcoming students from all backgrounds equally without discrimination. This allowed it to outcompete the Royal Citadel in many aspects as the smallfolk born and lower ranked lawyers, who were the firm majority of lawyers, studying in the Middle Temple Inn of Court meaning that while the Citadel retained more prestige among the nobility the alumni Middle Temple Inn of Court held more influence in the actual courts and in the practise of the law .

Here the students received comprehensive training in the intricacies of Royal law. The Inn provided a structured learning environment, with experienced members, known as Readers, leading discussions and debates on complex legal topics. These sessions, called Readings, were central to the curriculum, allowing students to deepen their understanding of legal principles and their application. Beyond formal instruction, the Middle Temple fostered a strong sense of community and professional identity among its members who while coming from many lands, but predominantly the Crownlands and Narrow Sea islands, were forged into a new class of Westerosi lawyers who looked at the realm as one entity rather than seven kingdoms bound together. This perspective was vital in overcoming the many objections to the Dragon code building a common law across Westeros, a process in which the lawyers of Middle Temple Inn played no small part, staffing much of the offices under the Master of Laws in coming years making it very prestigious. The Inn served as a platform for lawyers to connect, collaborate, and exchange ideas. This networking aspect was crucial for building professional relationships and establishing a strong foundation within the legal field. The Inn's communal dining hall and social events provided ample opportunities for lawyers to interact, fostering a sense of camaraderie and shared purpose.

The Middle Temple also played a significant role in the development of legal organization. It provided a framework for lawyers to regulate their profession and maintain standards. The Inn established rules and guidelines for its members, ensuring competence and ethical conduct. This self-regulation helped to build trust in its students and members and contributed to the development of a structured Royal legal system.

Also in the year 57 AC after her attempts to have her remaining daughter stay a maiden for life failed, the Queen consented to Lord Teon Qoherys, Heir to Count Valarr Qoherys, attempts to court her daughter Princess Aerea. After a quick courtship the two were married with Princess Aerea becoming the next Countess of Harrenhal, her husband was also made a Grand Knight Commander of the Order of the Red Dragon by the King becoming the first Qoherys to achieve this honour. The Targaryen Household then moved into the Qoherys tower of Harrenhal, the tallest one, with the rest of House Qoherys, and while Princess Aerea quickly integrated with the Qoherys Household and its active social calendar the Queen remained aloof and retained a full floor for herself, away from the bustle of the family floors.

The former Queen would end up living out a quite life in the Keep, never participating in the Royal Court or even being interested in the administration of the realm. She did not pursue many of the tasks expected of noble women, not caring in the managing of her household and leaving it to her steward, disdaining matchmaking for anyone other than her grandchildren and finding no pleasure from attending tourneys, though she cheered her grandsons and even her Goodson when they participated in ones held in Harrenhal.  Queen Rhaena welcomed any visitors who had sought her with courtesy and would spend time with her sibling when he and his family visited, gifting her nephew Prince Aemon with his first mug of whiskey causing him to get drunk to the outrage of the Queen Alysanne and the ill concealed mirth of the King.

She only sought company in her daughter or her grandchildren whom she took upon her dragon to fly frequently around the Gods Eye Lake. The Queen would only leave Harrenhal a few times before her death and would never set foot in Dragonstone for the rest of her life. Returning only when her ashes were interred next to her husband's.

Unfortunately for King Jaehaerys while the previous years had brought joy now would come misfortune, for in 59 AC a harsh winter struck the Westeros. This winter resulted in a famine, followed by the plague known as the Shivers. The disease was devastating, with cities being hit the hardest. King Jaehaerys  lost half of his Small council to the disease, along with two of his Kingsguard knights and the Commander of the City Watch of King's Landing. At the same time, many men of the City Watch fell ill, resulting in King's Landing becoming a lawless place while the price of food shot up as supplies ran dry. After the Master of Coin, his wife's uncle, was murdered by a hungry and partially drunk crowd on the streets who became enraged by the sight of the Count in his finery, a furious King Jaehaerys rode forth himself to claim the body and punish the men responsible for his death.  But the worst was when one day in early 60 AC Princess Visenya complained about having a fever to her grandmother Princess Shaena, after two days despite the bet effort of Maesters and her grandmother the eldest daughter of the King would die, her grandmother perishing not a week later from fever as well.  Joy would not return to the royal family until a few moths later when Princess Alyssa was born.

This year also showed the continue influence Prince Maegor had when the King would appoint Duke Mern, Goodfather of Duke Alyx, son of Prince Maegor, as the new Master of Coin leading many to remark that Mantarys blood seemed to the main qualification for the office of Master of Coin, many of the other empty offices would also have Maegor Loyalist appointed to them, though the king also was able to use this opportunity to bring in his own supporters into offices which they were previously all but barred from giving him much influence.

The King would help rebuild some of the faith in himself and the Crown when in 61 AC he would aid the forces Duke Rogar assembled to defeat the second Vulture King who was believed to be the minor son of a minor house in Dorne. The Fowlers and Martells had sent some small forces to bring him down, but it was not enough, similarly they had less urgency to bring the rebel down for he had not raided any Dornish lands and thus they considered him the responsibility of the Stormlords and Reach lords to deal with, requiring the marcher lords to act with the Dornish only rousing their levies when the King ordered them to do so and join him .

Though they had a point in their lack of urgency as unlike the First Vulture king with thousands of men, the second had only a force of a few hundred brigands and outlaws who shared his taste for robbery and rape, and they made no claim to fight for Dornish Independence meaning the smallfolk had not rallied to them. However these men knew the mountain terrain well and always disappeared when pursued, using cunning ambushes to whittle the number of pursuers meaning they were able to ravage the marches with near impunity. As a second Vulture Hunt was organised the King lent the strength of Vermithor to burn the Vulture King's scattered mountain camps. But the price of the Vulture Hunt would become unexpectedly high when during a battle a stray crossbolt struck and eventually killed Duke Rogar, stepfather to the King.

While the Vulture King would be hunted down and executed the King himself would not witness it as he and his Kingsguards would urgently be called north to Eastwood in the Stormlands, arriving in the aftermath of a failed attempt by Count Borys and the 'Northwestern Alliance' (originally just Houses Buckler-Trant-Penrose but now including House Connington) to steal the regency of the Stormlands from Ser Garon the regent appointed by the late Duke Rogar in his final will, as witnessed by the King. The Northwestern alliance forces were shattered on the walls of the Keep and the town of Eastwood by the 'Northeastern Alliance' (Houses Errol-Tarth-Eastwood). In the Great Hall of Eastwood Castle which had withstood 4 attempts to take the keep over four days an angry King who was incensed at the threat to his half brother and the blatant rebellion of his nobles realised he had to punish the rebels most harshly and yet also justly if he was to distinguish himself from his uncle. As such heavy penalties were imposed including each of the Rebel Houses losing one fifth of their land. This would transform the power balance in the Northern Stormlands. House Eastwood the second Valyrian House of the Stormlands (or third if one counts the Baratheon of Wyl as the second House) would more than double its fief after receiving one fifth of the Lands of Houses Buckler and Penrose, House Errol would become the strongest House of the Northern Stormlands after receiving one eighth of the lands of House Buckler (one fifth of Trant land would be given to House Buckler to recompense it and ensure it only lost roughly one fifth in total). House Tarth would gain a fifth of the southernmost lands of House Connington giving it a foothold on the mainland for the first time in centuries if not millennia, sharing borders with the bay, Houses Connington, Wylde and Mertyns and in doing so cutting these houses and Cape Wrath off from the remaining Connington lands, meaning that House Connington was forced to rely more on its western and northern neighbours for alliances, making permanent its membership in the Northwestern Alliance, especially as the Great Marcher Alliance wanted to do nothing with them.

But what was the greatest change was still to come, for almost as soon as they received the lands House Errol swapped some of its historic lands on Eastwoods borders for half that land received by House Eastwood from House Penrose and in doing so got itself a coastline. On the mouth of what came to be known as the Errol river, Haystack Port would be founded, giving the Errol's the ability to sail the seas and trade freely and in doing so broke the careful balance of power that Storms End had used to keep them, and the Bucklers, in check for till now in order to access the sea trade both these large houses needed either House Penrose or House Baratheon. Haystack port would develop rapidly, growing quickly from a small fishing hamlet into a growing town, aided by being quickly integrated into the trade networks of House Eastwood and Tarth.

The decade after the shivers was an important time in the Reign and Life of King Jaehaerys, he finally had true control of the Realm he had been King of since 43AC, his line was secure with many children, his treasuries coffers were plentiful despite record expenditure in building the Great Dragon Sept, the Royal roads and other Royal works though the Royal offices supervising the works were constantly strained in simply keeping all of them on track due the sheer scale and ambition of them. With peace allowing the realm to recover from its scars and with projects such as the King Aenys Bridge and the Queen Visenya Aqueduct coming to an end after decades of construction the king had the administrative capacity, gold, labour and mental space of mind to set his own path and finally put his own mark on the realm, though for now he concentrated on simply finishing the works handed down while making plans which remained on paper.

The King also continued on the path he had charted in his youth, the path of peace and conciliation. Together with his wife the King would go out into the realm by taking a progress every alternate year so as to know his realm and let it know him, he would also sponsor at least one tournament about the realm on each his progresses, winning favour from all but especially those Houses whose seats he used for they received the prestige and their lands the benefit of hosting Tournaments without it draining their coffers. At the same time these tournaments would attract the nobility allowing the king to meet a variety of his vassals. House Qoherys in particular would be the most frequent host for Royal Tournaments, hosting one every three or four years as the King visited Harrenhal often to meet with his sister Queen Rhaena and her family, and its large size and central location made it an ideal location for Tournaments where nobles from across the realm flocked. 

And while the King held court with his nobles and in the cities the heads of guilds, the Queen continued holding Women's courts which became an important part of every Royal Progress. Only women and girls were allowed to join Queen Alysanne during these courts, regardless of their status of birth. Queen Alysanne encouraged them to speak freely and openly about their fears, concerns, and hopes. It was through this court that the Queen learned about issues affecting women in the realm and set about addressing these. Major changes being the abolition of the Right of First Night, restrictions on how a husband or father could discipline their wives and daughters with giving legal weight to the law of the thumb making it so that a husband or father could not beat his wife with any implement thicker than his thumb, this law would be further tightened later. The most famous of these laws however would be the Widows Law enacted which require heirs to maintain surviving widows in the same conditions they enjoyed before their husband's death. A lord's widow could no longer be driven from his castle, nor deprived of her servants, clothing, and income.

The Royal family expanded in these years with new Princesses and Princes while the realm prospered greatly from peace.  In 63 AC King Jaehaery's eldest son Aemon, at the age of ten, claimed the Dragon Caraxes, called the Blood Worm for its shape and colour. Just next year in 64AC the King would announce the building of the Lannisport and Moontown Citadels on schedule according to the proclamations of the Great Council of 8AC; Though while chartered by the Crown all of their costs of building and initial operations would be paid for by Houses Lannister and Arryn as they existed in their fiefs. Like the Royal citadel while they would churn out full fledged Maesters as fine as any other they were unable to match the Oldtown Citadel, which by number of novices remained the largest and which also for many years still provided a majority of Maesters sworn to the higher noble families of Westeros as it retained the greatest prestige.
But with the establishment of these citadels Maesters could now be found in an increasing number of keeps, aided by the rising prosperity allowing more noble families to afford one, soon enough the one maester per keep rule was formally abolished. But restrictions were still imposed, with the highest of the nobility like the Dukes counting seven maesters in their castles. Meanwhile the Royal Family had as many maesters as they deemed required for whatever purposes they required, a right even the Hightowers and Gardener Kings of old were not formally granted.

By 65 AC the crown was paving about 100 miles of road per year which altogether was a very slow pace considering the sheer scale of ambition the Royal Family had in regards to their roads. The roads being built at this time included:

• The Kingsroad: From Kings landing till The Wall, the single longest road, the first major one begun and the first to be  completely paved aside from the much shorter roads of the Crownlands.
• High Road: From the Kingsroad (Inn at the Crossroads) to Gulltown via the Bloody Gate, Eyrie, Iron Oaks and Runestone.
• River Road: From the Kingsroad (Inn at the Crossroads) to Casterly Rock and Lannisport via Riverrun, the Golden tooth and sarsfield.
• Garden Road: From King's Landing to Oldtown Via Highgarden, a branch would connect Highgarden to Dragonsmouth by crossing the Green hills.
• Ocean Road: From Oldtown to Banefort, running along the Sunset coast, to Honeyholt, Brightwater Keep, Rosenberg, Dragonsmouth, Old Oak, Crakehall, Lannisport, Tarbeck Hall, Castamere, the Crag before ending in the Banefort on the northern end of the Westerlands. A branch would also connect Feastfires via Kayce to the Ocean Road.
• Storms Road: From Kings Landing to Starfall Hall at the mouth of the River Torentine Via Wendwater Bridge, Haystack Hall (a branch would extend to Parchments to the east), Eastwood, Storms End, Summerhall, Nightsong (Where it connected to the Dornish Road) and Blackmont.
• Gold Road: From Kings Landing to Lannisport, it would connect Kings Landing to Norwich, then continuing to Deep Den before reaching Lannisport.
• Dornish Road: From Nightsong to Sunspear via Wyl, Yronwood Town, Queenscrown (Formerly Tor), Godsgrace and Shandystone
• Crownlands Roads: Smaller roads connecting Kings Landing to its vassals and neighbours. These included the Duskendale Road, Maidenpool Road, Rosby Road, Masseys Hook Road, Buckwell Road, Stokeworth Road and more. These roads which were the first to be fully paved due to the relatively short distances some to be completed within a decade each.

Even though maps showed continuous roads, the actual construction of paved sections was often piecemeal in the early years. Paving was prioritized for areas where it would have the greatest impact, such as places that became impassable mud during certain seasons. Sections along rivers, through mountain passes, and other more traversable areas were delayed. However, even unpaved sections of the royal roads were improved. Along the entire length of each road paths were cleared, leveled, and patrolled, making them safer for travelers and merchants. A network of fortified inns, watchtowers, and other strongholds, owned and operated by the Road Wardens under the Master of Roads, further ensured the security of these routes. These roads dramatically changed the realm, improving existing trade routes by more than halving travel times and creating entirely new ones.

Despite the considerable expense, the Crown stood to gain significantly from these road improvements.

The King also announced in 65 AC the creation of the Royal Post Office, a new entity under the Master of Roads. This office was headed by a Lord Postmaster and was responsible for delivering official documents and other items, especially those that were not urgent enough to require ravens or were too large for them to carry. The postal system also aided the Crown as it allowed for more regular and faster communication with the kings sheriffs, courts and other parts of the royal bureaucracy which were able to communicate more easily with this system rather than relying on private messengers or using ravens which were seldom available to them.

The system relied on a network of riders and horses, with designated stops along all Royal Roads such as toll stations, fortified inns, watchtowers and other holdfasts, which served as waypoints. Either patrol teams would carry messages between these stops daily,  or on busier roads such as the Kingsroad workers from the Royal post office would do multiple times a day, passing them along until they reached their destination.

A major impact on the realm as a whole was the establishment of regular routes between major towns and cities as the roads expanded. Importantly, ordinary people were now allowed to send mail, making it accessible to more than just the Crown or nobility. However, the early postal service was expensive and limited to those towns and cities connected by royal roads, paved or unpaved. Despite these limitations, the postal service proved invaluable for merchants. It facilitated communication with suppliers, customers, and agents, enabling them to conduct business more efficiently. This usage by merchants helped cover the costs of operating the network, making it profitable and allowing for its operations to expand without needing funds from the royal treasury. Within a decade, using ships from the royal navy islands such as Dragonstone and Claw Isle were added to the network, further expanding its reach and demand, and by 100 AC the network had expanded to all the Royal Roads and all the major towns and settlements of the realm, including those that were not connected by the Royal Roads, paved or unpaved, with the Royal Post office and the Road Wardens charting and securing the way before the builders arrive, in most cases by many decades. The nobility also benefited, as the postal service allowed for swift and reliable communication with their own officials across many cities and towns, enabling the sending of more messages than ravens could carry but they would mostly continue using ravens or private messengers.

Over time, each town and borough in Westeros had a local Postmaster, all reporting to the Captain Postmaster who was in charge of their respective duchy, who in turn reported to the Lord Postmaster. Even towns and settlements on islands were integrated into the growing postal network. In time, designated personnel hired by the Royal Post Office handled the mail delivery all over the system even in remote areas, rather than relying on the guards and patrol teams.

The final royal institution of note to be founded in 65AC was the Court of Heraldry and the Office of the Royal Keeper of Noble Records. The Court of Heraldry was responsible for adjudicating on any and all disputes regarding Heraldry, as well as being responsible for approving and granting new royally recognised coat of arms, sigil's and most importantly seals. Meaning that unless it was approved by the Court no changes could be made to any heraldry used by the noble families. In order to aid this the office of Royal Keeper of Noble Records was created at the same time. It kept records of all sigil's and coat of arms, and seals; including all personal coat of arms and sigil's, it also held the records of all noble births, titles assumed, knighthoods achieved and who granted it and why, squireships, memberships in any order of chivalry,  baptisms, weddings, conversions to new faiths, fostering's, betrothals, breaking of betrothals, and deaths and with it copies of all noble wills, disinheritances, and changes to internal house successions with all nobility from Landed Knight and Masterly Houses to the Dukes required to send word to the Royal Keeper at such events and documents by law. As such the Noble records would become to future historians an invaluable source in mapping out the major events of the nobility providing light on all it major shifts and alliances.

The following year of 66AC would become known for the foundation of the first Royal Workshops which would become important institutions in Kings landing. The impetus for its creation came from the Royal Family and Court, and in particular the Queen and Princesses who did much to spur growth in the clothing trade both directly and indirectly. The Queen and the Princesses were models to emulate in the types of clothing that became popular, with men's fashion set by the Crown Prince and Prince Baelon for the King and Prince Maegor always preferred the simpler styles. However the King despite his simpler tastes never stopped his court from wearing increasingly expensive clothes, probably because he earned a great deal of tax on them. These high tariffs on imported textiles and luxury goods in turn encouraged more production in Westeros itself, spurring Kings landing in particular to become a growing hub of clothes making. This growth was helped by the Royal court which created an insatiable demand for luxury clothes for the Courtiers, eager to emulate the Royal families style and impress their peers, vied with each other to acquire the most fashionable clothing and goods aided by growing prosperity across the realm.  The increasing demand fueled the growth of the fashion industry, encouraging innovation and pushing artisans to create ever more elaborate and sophisticated designs in Kings Landing itself rather than just importing cloths and designs from Essos which generally became much less popular over time, though certain cities such as Lys continued to have fashion influence.

Indeed soon enough talented designers, weavers and dressmakers flocked to the Royal Capital, seeking to cater to the demand. The trade was further bolstered  as the fashions of the Royal court quickly spread throughout Westeros, with nobles across the continent eagerly sought to emulate the latest Kings Landing styles, creating a larger market for its cloth and goods. This success of the Kings landing clothing trade would lead to the Crown sponsoring workshops to meet demand and to allow them to grow to the scale they needed to compete with Essosi imports for the smaller independent producers were frankly not large enough. A secondary concern for the Crown was that it needed large workshops which were active in the cloth and luxury good trade in order to help the city grow its trade of its own good, rather than being sustained merely by being an entrepôt.

These would include the Kings Landing Royal Tapestry workshop which produced exquisite tapestries and was founded in the year 66AC, being the oldest and quickly becoming renowned for their intricate designs and vibrant colours. That same year the Stokeworth Royal Carpet workshop was also founded, which produced high-quality carpets for the royal seats and was to establish Westeros as a leader in carpet production, receiving all royal orders; The Duskendale Royal Tapestry Workshop ,which was to compete with the Kings Landing Royal Workshop, and produced tapestries known for their more unique colours and innovative designs compared to the more traditional Kings Landing Royal Workshop would also be founded a decade later in 76AC.

Also established in Kings Landing during the reign of King Jaehaerys under the supervision of Queen Alysanne and Princess Alyssa were the Royal Lace Workshop in 70AC,  which aimed to rival the renowned lace production of Braavos, and would become one of the largest of the Royal Workshops with Kings Landing Lace becoming famous across the realm; It would quickly be followed by the following over the coming decade, The Royal Button Workshop, the Royal Silk Weavers, the Royal Velvet Workshop, the Royal Perfumery, the Royal Dye Works (which used dyes exclusively found in the realm and helped develop the new dye trade which challenged Tyrosh for the Westerosi Market) and the Royal Mirror Workshop. Each would contribute greatly to the City's coffers and would collectively make the city the capital of Westerosi clothing and fashion, especially when in later years the Queen began openly favouring those courtiers who wore clothes and cloths made in the Royal Workshops to whom she began giving exclusive patronage despite her own earlier fashions, rejecting Essosi cloth, carpets, mirrors and tapestries leading many others to do the same.

Meanwhile the City of King Landing had recovered from the Shivers and was becoming a larger hub for trade becoming a producer of various goods and marking itself as an important part of the Narrow Sea network. But it would not only be the royal capital which benefited, or became more prosperous, rather the entire realm grew richer and more prosperous for this would be the start of The Golden Reign, a period of history where the realm faced prosperity as never before, even during the reign of King Aegon the conqueror, and in this time every part of Westeros would grow and thrive, with many Houses seeing more gold than in any other time in memory enter their coffers, the number of bandits decreasing and trade increasing on land, river and sea.  But despite the realms rising prosperity and a bevy of new, healthy Princes and Princesses not everything would be golden for the royal family, for in 67 AC Prince Maegor died in his sleep. This would be a huge blow to the Royal family as it lost not just its oldest and strongest pillar whose mere name was enough to compel even proud lords to humble obedience, but it also lost its patriarch and mentor, its father, grandfather and uncle, one who could seemingly solve every problem whether it was a rebellion by the Faith Militant and half the realm or the inability of Princes Aemon and Baelon to solve their sums correctly. However for most people it was a time of celebration for the Prince was hated by many still for his sins and crimes during the Anarchy, in many part of Westeros people distributed free food and alms upon hearing of the Prince's death, with minor riots erupting in Kings Landing as well as clashes in the lands of Houses Rowan, Oakheart, Welsh and Crakehall when those who families had been persecuted by Prince Maegor attacked mourners for whom the Prince was a hero who had brought them to these fiefs and given them lands and new opportunities.

Much has been written about the Prince and his legacy but this quote from the eulogy given by King Jaehaerys said it best when describing his positive qualities and achievements "It is difficult to capture the entirety of his presence with just one title or achievement, for he had many, more than most great men.  What would take lesser men a lifetime to achieve he would do in a year, he lived a life of adventure and achievement from the very start; The Rider of Morgul, youngest Knight in the Realm, the Bane of the Pirate Lord of the infamous Saan family, the Bane of the Dothraki, the Saviour of the Sarnori, Tomori, Lhazareen and the Free City of Mantarys,  He who defeated 500,000 Dothraki blood riders with a force of just 5,000 men, One of the Richest Men in Westeros, certainly the richest man when only considering what one earned by himself, Patron and Builder of the Great Temple of Kings Landing, the Largest Temple to the Valyrian Gods in Westeros, The Destroyer of the First Vulture King's host, Founder of the Bank of the Dragon, Patron and Half Owner of the Seahorse Trading Company, Hand of the King to Five Kings, He who broke the Faith Militant, He who brought down the Starry Sept and humbled the High Septon, the Lord Protector who held the Kingdom and House Targaryen together, Unifier and Reformer of Noble Titles,  Emancipator of the Smallfolk, Founder of the Dragon Code, Founder of the Order of the Red Dragon, He who brought down the Sealord of Braavos, Builder of Monuments and so many more, including titles that the realm did not see including devoted and beloved son, father, uncle, grandfather, husband, mentor, advisor, friend and dearest companion to Uncle Aenar. Today we are here to witness the funeral of Maegor the Dragon, One of the Greatest of House Targaryen ….."

But of course this does not account for the suffering, deaths and tragedy the Prince wrought in order to achieve his greatness, there were few families south of the neck which had not suffered loss due to the commands and actions of the Prince, including the Targaryens themselves. It is known that King Jaehaerys was if anything relieved by his uncle and goodfather passing away telling the Grand Maester that "For once since Aemon's birth I will sleep with both eyes closed", while in Harrenhal Queen Rhaena is supposed to have "Come alive like never before, radiant and joyful,….. dancing into the night until dawn". Many accounts claim that the only reason Queen Rhaena came to Kings Landing after hearing of Prince Maegor's death, the first visit to the city in years, was to take revenge for her eye. These accounts further claim that they heard rumours that it was only the timely intervention of King Jaehaerys on multiple occasions that prevented an attack on Queen Alysanne by Dowager Queen Rhaena, for freed from the fear of Prince Maegor she hungered for revenge once again. Though the full truth of any such possible attacks will remain unverified due to lack of any official account, but judging from by using the near consensus, including on minute details, among all contemporary sources we can be relatively sure of it.

Upon hearing the news Count Hightower would infamously declared "Prince Maegor did great things. Terrible, yes, but great" it has become what passes for the consensus view of the Prince in history. As in life, in death he remained decisive, someone admired and despised in equal measure.

In his will upon his death Prince Maegor had agreed to sell his half his share of the Seahorse Trading Company back to Aenar Velaryon giving him and his descendants majority ownership and complete control of the company which was easily the largest trading company based in Kings Landing if not in Westeros, as such the sale and its payment was to be made over 20 years based on the fortunes and growth of the company. This income, plus the gold he had stored for this exact purpose, was used to build the Prince Maegor's Park and other works.

The Prince Maegor Park and the adjoining Princess Shaena Square was the single greatest of the memorial works that occurred in the wake of Prince Maegor's death. It was designed by architects brought from Essos and who worked on Queen Visenya's memorials and would take years to build, its construction and financing was supervised closely by the Queen Alysanne. Built into a side of the Hill of Rhaenys as well as lands on its foot that till now was a forest, the park is not just a flat field, but rather the field at the bottom of the hill is connected to a series of small cliffs, natural terraces, large and winding step farm styled gardens, viewing decks and benches, watchtowers for visitors, Statues and carvings, caves, ponds, forested slopes, and paved walking paths all connected by grand yet winding steps up and down the hill. The whole complex from is enclosed behind a 30 foot wide wall running till the top of the hill. There are 14 caves in total, many man made and all decorated with intricate carving and mosaic ceilings, one for each of the Valyrian Gods; The Central Hub of the Park is a Hellas style hall, its purpose similar to the one built for Queen Visenya, with the center of the hall boasting a Statue some 20 feet tall of the Prince atop Morgul, who was depicted as the size of a Hathay from Volantis. On the walls and pillars carvings of his life and achievements were depicted.

Also built on either side of the park, at the end of large paved paths decorated with fruit and flower trees are the two Prince's Chapel's. Both are near identical and are dedicated  to Princes Aerion and Gaemon with Prince Aerion's Chapel being in the western end and Prince Gaemon's chapel in the Eastern end. They are renowned for their stunning stained glass windows. The chapels are soaring spaces, approximately 114 feet long, 28 feet wide, and 42 feet high. Their most striking feature are the wall of stained glass that fills nearly every available surface. These Myrish built windows depict scenes from the lives of the Prince the particular chapel was dedicated to as well as scenes form the Valyrian faith and history in vibrant colours, bathing the interior in a kaleidoscope of light. The windows are composed of thousands of individual pieces of glass, held together by delicate lead came.

The chapel's interior is further adorned with intricate stonework. Slender columns, topped with ornate capitals, support the ribbed vaulting of the ceiling. The walls are embellished with delicate and intricate marble carvings while the floor is paved with Valyrian Mosaics.  The overall effect is one of ethereal beauty and spiritual serenity. At the end of each chapel a large gilded bronze statue of each Prince atop their respective dragon is housed, with the dragons being comparatively smaller in scale in order to fit, being about two times lager than a Volantene Hathay. On either side of the chapel's are 14 gilded bronze statues that depict the Valyrian Gods. Both chapels are maintained by the Valyrian priesthood affiliated with the Great Temple and have daily prayers dedicated to the Prince in question.

At the entrance to the park at the base of the hill a Memorial Arch is built, in front of the only entrance to the park, being similar again in size and design to that made for Queen Visenya. Infront of the memorial arch in the square before is the Princess Shaena Memorial, a towering 70-foot structure dominating the Square with the Prince Maegor Memorial Arch providing the background. Its intricate design is a masterpiece of sculptural detail and a celebration of the best of Valyrian art. At its heart sits a 14-foot gilded bronze statue of Princesses Shaena atop a horse gazing serenely outwards. This central figure is encircled by a magnificent canopy, supported by four colossal arches adorned with mosaics depicting scenes from her life. Rising above the arches, the memorial culminates in a spire. The entire structure is meticulously clad in white marble and adorned with elaborate ornamentation. The primary material is white marble, sourced from quarries across the Vale and meticulously carved and polished to achieve a dazzling effect. The intricate mosaics that adorn the arches are arranged to create vibrant and intricate scenes. Gilded bronze is used extensively, particularly for the statue of Princess Shaena and the decorative elements throughout the structure. The techniques employed in the construction of the memorial are equally impressive. The delicate carvings, the intricate mosaic work, and the careful assembly of the colossal structure demonstrate the skill and dedication of the artisans involved, and are a testament to the fact that despite the fall of the Valyrian Freehold its legacy endures.

On three of the corners of the square, the three surviving children of Prince Maegor and Princess Shaena have bronze statues gilded with silver dedicated to them where they are riding dragons as large as Hathays, while on the last corner a 140 foot Valyrian Triumphal statue stands depicting history of the Prince Maegor with his sons Princes Aerion and Gaemon defeating the Faith Militant and preserving the Targaryen Dynasty.

Finally the land surrounding Prince Maegor Square was also bought and developed. On the three sides of the square in front of Prince Maegor Park there are two large palaces and a Valyrian temple. The two palaces would be offices used to administer the Queen Visenya Trust and the Prince Maegor Trust as well as to administer Prince Maegor Park. Finally the Valyrian temple would be dedicated to Prince Maegor, Princess Shaena and Queen Visenya with three gilded bronze statues depicting each of them built into the steps leading into the temple.  After the above works were completed, the third and Fourth set of Valyrian Baths were to be built called the Prince Maegor Baths and the Princess Shaena Baths.

All in all it would take near 28 years for Prince Maegor's Park, and the other various buildings to be fully built. And would be some of the costliest works undertaken to memorialise any members of House Targaryen. Some claim over half a million gold dragons were used to build the entirety of works, and the figure is not unreasonable if overstated by including the costs of some of the other memorial works as well. Many claim that all the memorial works undertaken by Prince Maegor would consume both the revenue he got from selling a quarter of the Seahorse trading company, and also the entirety of the 1.4 million gold dragons taken by Prince Aerion, a claim which is not only plausible but likely considering just how grand and expensive all the works Prince Maegor commissioned over his life would be.

The ownership of the Bank of the Dragon and its still enormous gold reserves which formed the bulk of Prince Maegor's wealth, as well as the remaining shares of the Seahorse Trading company was mostly left to his children. With his son Prince Alyx receiving a fifth of the shares of the Bank, with half the shares and thus control of the Bank left with his daughter Queen Alysanne who in turn was to distribute it to her second sons upon her death so that they may have an inheritance.

Furthermore along with the tenth left to the Prince Maegor Trust, a further fifth of the Bank was left in trust to the Queen Visenya Trust. A charity with the purposes of paying for his families memorials upkeep, with the surplus funds being given to the Prince Maegor's Temple and other affiliated Valyrian temples to be used for charitable works to be done in their name, with the Great Temple's charity to operate in Kings landing, the Crownlands and Dragonstone. The Crown in the form of the Master of Coin, and the Great Temple's Head priest receiving the joint duty of supervision the Queen Visenya Trust.  Finally his manse and city palace was left to Prince Baelon but the contents of these building and his personal letters and papers, and those of his sons, mother, father and wife would be left to Lord Aenar Velaryon who was to give whatever he saw fit to preserve to the Prince Aerion Collegium, with the Lord giving the papers to the Collegium sight unseen it is said, but under the condition that it not be actually be read until he himself was dead. Today these papers and that of Lord Aenar form the Prince Maegor Archive which provides a fascinating view into the early Targaryen period, including the private thoughts and reasonings of some of the most influential people in Westeros.

The Valyrian Steel sword Dragonclaw was left under the supervision of Duke Alyx, until Prince Baelon "Had genuine need of it, or was married with two sons, or proved himself worthy". In a bid to fulfil the last criteria the Prince would claim the dragon Vhagar which belonged to his Great Grandmother Queen Visenya, winning himself the second largest dragon but not yet the sword which remained in Highgarden with Duke Alyx telling his nephew 'Mounting a dragon however large is not proving yourself worthy, it just proves you were not replaced in your crib with some common born Valyrian bastard'. The remaining shares of the Seahorse trading company, which were not to be sold, were divided into five parts with Duchess Valaena and the four bastard sons of Prince Maegor each receiving one part.

Prince Maegor was cremated on Dragonstone and his ashes were divided, half would go to Dragonstone Vaults to be with the ashes of his family and wife, the other half were interred in the Prince Maegor Crypt of Prince Maegor's Temple. When Lord Aenar Velaryon would pass away he was cremated rather than buried at sea like other members of his house and had his ashes stored in Prince Maegor's Crypt alongside the Prince's. Their ashes are interred in a joint Sarcophagus depicting effigies of the Prince and Lord lying in state in their full finery. On the Sarcophagus the phrase 'Companions in Life and Death' was carved in High Valyrian.

Chapter Text

After the death of his uncle the King would be vigilant to any challenge to the Crown but none would come, there would be no repeats of the four rebellions that plagued his father. That year his son Prince Aemon was made Prince of Dragonstone without incident, further it was declared that Dragonstone would henceforth be the seat and fief of the heir to the throne, with the title to be transferred to the Kings new direct heir, provided he was at least 7 years old, preventing a scenario like that which occurred with Prince Aemon who had to wait until his grandfather died to become Prince of Dragonstone. With his reign seemingly secure the King would continue his attention on expanding the Dragon Code, unifying an increasing portion of the laws of his realm, and continue to build the Royal roads in order to bind the lands together and turn Westeros into one Kingdom under one King.

The year 68 AC became known in the annals of Westerosi history as the Year of Bridges. In the first month of that year, the King and Queen jointly directed the Bank of the Dragon to lend half the necessary gold to finance the construction of two crucial bridges. The first was to be a second bridge spanning the Green Fork, a decision that drew the ire of House Frey, as it was intended to stimulate the growth of the town of Willow Wood. The second project was a stone bridge at Fairmarket, the largest town situated on the Blue Fork. Houses Vaelaros and Qhaedar, eager to bolster trade within their territories and, more importantly, to direct that trade through their most prosperous settlements, had sought this financial assistance. They were, however, reluctant to deplete their own treasuries to fund these ambitious projects. In exchange for the loans, the Bank of the Dragon secured the right to half the profits generated by the bridges. The grateful Houses subsequently named the structures the Queen Alysanne Bridge at the Blue Fork and the King Jaehaerys Bridge on the Green Fork, in honor of the royal couple.

The very next month brought news that Duke Mern Gardener, or more accurately, Duke Alyx, the Queen's brother, had embarked on a project many deemed impossible: the construction of a bridge across the Mander, effectively connecting its two banks. This bridge, known as the Mern Bridge or the Highgarden Bridge, would, for centuries to come, be the longest bridge in all of Westeros, nearly twice the length of the King Aenys Bridge. It would also serve as the furthest point upstream on the Mander that even smaller ocean-going vessels could reach.

In the latter half of the year, House Harroway also received a loan from the Bank of the Dragon, under terms similar to those granted to Houses Vaelaros and Qhaedar. This loan enabled them to build a new stone bridge adjacent to their town, facilitating the uninterrupted flow of traffic along the Kingsroad. This new bridge would replace their aging wooden bridge, which would continue to be used for some time. The new structure was initially named the Prince Aemon Bridge.

But despite these important works, in the popular histories and in contemporary records what held the realms attention was the matter of the next Royal Princess. For as the Crown Prince's age of majority approached the realm was awash with rumours on who his bride would be. Many Counts and Dukes ,particularly those with Valyrian heritage and looks, would take their daughters to the Red Keep in hope of enticing the Crown Prince for he had no sister close to his age with the death of Princess Visenya and the King had made it known that the Crown was considering the matter with an open mind. This was as Queen Alysanne had forbid him from forcing a marriage between Prince Aemon and Princess Alyssa, his eldest living daughter, who the Queen knew desired to marry her brother Prince Baelon and did not wish to deprive her of the choice. Soon it would become clear that the Crown Prince favoured Duchess Jocelyn Baratheon of Storm's End, his half aunt. This was met with acceptance by the King, who cared dearly for his half-sister despite her birth leading to the death of his mother Queen Mother Alyssa and felt happy that his son had chosen such a prestigious match. But the Kings joy was miniscule in comparison to the horror felt by the Queen Alysanne who did not want the daughter of Queen Mother Alyssa to match with her son, worrying to her Ladies in Waiting that Duchess Jocelyn was 'her fathers daughter and would happily throw away Westeros and the Iron Throne for praise of nobles and septons who despised her and wanted her dead…..she was someone who wanted to forget her roots and become an Andal……..forgetting who and what had allowed her House to rise in the first pace' and who also would 'only breed her parents weakness and imbecility back into the Royal line'.

These comments were something the King and Queen fought bitterly about when he heard the slight against his mother and also on Duke Rogar who stood with him when other supposedly loyal men cowered at the mere mention of the Queen's father, further the King was not happy about his queen insulting a majority of their vassals. Cruel and harsh were the words exchanged, for the King and Queen spoke not just about Duchess Jocelyn but in the heat of the argument brought out the crimes committed by each ones family against the other.

The King spoke much more than he had ever before about the humiliation he suffered each day knowing he could not prevent Prince Maegor's action during the Great Trial, the shame he felt not just as a King but a man that his mother was beaten in ways that the lowest slave would find shameful, sister was mutilated and would live with her wounds for the rest of her life, and he himself was treated like a lowly servant. And the most humiliating part of all of this was that their assailant, their tormentor, was given a Royal funeral, after a long life of prestige and triumph rather than the gallows, memorialised not as a cautionary tale but with great monuments on the Hill of Rhaenys, taking over a third of his grandmother monument to build his own. The King spoke of the resentment he felt of the Queens family seeking to control the Iron Throne when it belonged to the Line of Rhaenys. Meanwhile the Queen spoke of the resentment she held for the many members of the Line of Rhaenys whose foolishness had led to The Anarchy, which had claimed two of her brothers and broken the third, declaring "King? What kind of King are you but a King Consort? Its because of ME, and only because I wished to be Queen that it is you on the Iron Thone and Alyx on the Oakenseat…..What was the result of the Whore's great plan huh? My father ruled while you reigned, and you were powerless against him till the day he died…….. all that suffering was for nothing, all that death was for nothing, Bluefyre died and so did Little Alyx's laughter, and in the end nothing changed, nothing…. The plan of the whore, the younger whore and the timid to stop my father from gaining power achieved nothing but killing my brothers, dying for the Line of the Weak Queen Rhaenys and her Weaker son "

The King however gave as good as he got, bringing out the full litany of the crimes committed by the Queens family, calling the "Monsters",  before reminding the Queen "Men may to your face call your father Maegor the Dragon and you brothers Aerion and Gaemon the Blessed, but we both know their true titles, The Evil, The Cruel and The Heretic, that his your Line's legacy. You claim your brother would be King? What kind of  Targaryen King does not ride a Dragon? if not for the threat of MY wrath and MY retaliation your brother would have joined the rest of the family in the Seven Hells, there is no shortage of his bannermen who would happily send him there, not very popular or beloved is he?…….You claim to be so superior because you kept to the Gods of Valyria, but Pox on them, how can you forget they stayed silent the one time we needed them, Where were they when the Doom came?, Where were they when their people and children fell? When Valyria fell?......Do not forget wife that it was I who secured Targaryen rule for all that your father won the battles, he would have died as a mad tyrant controlling only the Red Keep if not for the risks I took and the Great Council I called…….We live in MY peace, King Jaehaerys' Peace" .

 Becoming more strident and angry the King declared, to his everlasting regret, that "With a monster of a mother like you I'm not surprised Aegon chose to die than live that bitter night, all your pleading at the altars was as worthless as your family's word and honor". This accusation bringing up the death of their eldest child and using it as a weapon crossed a line that should not have been crossed. The argument ended and the Queen left immediately, the look of hurt on her face draining away all the Kings anger and filling him with only regret. With the Queen ignoring all pleas for her to remain, the Kingsguard who had witnessed the whole incident divided with some attempting to stop the Queen on the Kings command while others drew their blades in a bid to secure her passage and to defend her, bloodshed was only prevented at the Kings command who allowed his wife to leave while he shed tears of regret for sullying his dead sons memory so.

Queen Alysanne left for Dragonstone staying there for many months while her children split their time between Dragonstone and the Red Keep, with even Prince Aemon visiting at times despite the fight between mother and son over his choice of bride. During this time the king travelled through the Riverlands in a what was called a short Royal Progress. But in truth he travelled only to meet his sister Queen Rhaena, not even attempting to travel to Riverrun or the Westerlands as was planned before. Almost immediately news of the Great Quarrel, as it came to be known, and the Queens departure from the Red Keep spread across the realm. Thus many of the lords who came to Harrenhal to meet with the King, and to attend the tourney called there, would place pretty daughters by his side at feasts or when hunting, but King Jaehaerys ignored them. One night during a feast Lord Darry's youngest daughter, Jane the Bold, even attempted to sit in his lap and feed him a grape, but King Jaehaerys brushed her aside, saying that he had a queen and no taste for paramours.  He remained on his 'progress' for nearly four months, over two  and a half of which were spent in Harrenhal itself, and the rest travelling to and from the Keep. After the King returned to King's Landing, a week later the Queen returned from Dragonstone, and afterward they were as close as they had been before.

With the Great Quarrel concluded, the dispute that had ignited it returned to the forefront. It should be noted that for all of Duchess Jocelyn's personal qualities and shortcoming her likely greatest sin in the eyes of the Queen was decided at her birth. She was not born to a Targaryen mother or father and thus would not ride dragons, something which the Queen Alysanne considered vital, not only for symbolic reasons but also as this meant that the dragon riding magical blood would likely be diluted by Duchess Jocelyn. Another factor that the Duchess could not change was the fact that her father and mothers Houses, House Baratheon of Storms End and House Velaryon of Driftmark were the Queen's father's greatest political foes. Having lead the opposition in the Royal Court to the then Prince Hand Maegor. The fact that Duchess Jocelyn's mother Queen Mother Alyssa had been the root cause for the Anarchy and Great Betrayal which killed her brothers Princes Aerion and Gaemon was also something which made it next to impossible for the Queen to accept her sons choice.

We would also be remiss to not discuss the relationship between Count Daemon Velaryon's Line and his younger brother Lord Aenar Velaryon's branch of House Velaryon. The hostilities between them were alive and well at this point and thus Count Daemon Velaryon's family, Cousins to Duchess Jocelyn were firm political opponents of the Queen who was steadfast in her support of her Uncle Aenar and her 'siblings'. This adversarial relationship also applied to economics. The Queen and her family were tied into the networks of the Seahorse Trading company, the main competitor of the Driftmark Velaryon's in the Crownlands meaning that any triumph of Duchess Jocelyn's mothers family generally came at a loss to the Queen's family. Similarly because of the adversarial relationship between Laenor Velaryon, one of the Queen's siblings and Lord of Wendwater port and Duke Boremund Baratheon over the control of trade in the northern Stormlands this trade tension was also present with the Duchess' direct House. Finally we should note the Duchess Jocelyn was also ignorant of the Valyrian History, Faith and its traditions and could not speak High Valyrian, something which the Queen considered to be scandalous considering her lineage as a member of a Cadet Branch of House Targaryen and daughter of a Velaryon who spoke High Valyrian as her first language. The Queen also considered this ignorance automatically disqualifying in the race to be the next Queen of Westeros and future Matriarch of House Targaryen as she felt it the duty of her successors to preserve the Light of Valyria in Westeros. As such the Duchess Jocelyn 'going native'  with a desire to more thoroughly adopt Westerosi customs and learn Westerosi history was something which remained an unsurmountable obstacle in gaining the Queen approval .

Indeed one finds its strange that Prince Aemon selected Duchess Jocelyn in the first place, for more than any other woman she was perhaps the single most unacceptable match in the Queen's eyes. Thus it is likely that Queen Alysanne simply was never able to see past what the Duchess represented to see her as a person. 

Queen Alysanne, determined to prevent her son's marriage to Duchess Jocelyn, championed alternative matches. Her initial choice was Duchess Shaena Gardener, her niece through her brother Alyx. The Queen orchestrated a week-long hunt culminating in Ball held on the night dedicated to  Syrax, the Valyrian god of wine, fruitfulness, parties, and celebrations. The Queen meticulously planned every detail, from strategically placed hunting blinds overlooking game-rich valleys to intimate dinners under the starlight, complete with musicians playing soft melodies on ancient Valyrian lyres. During the hunt itself, she ensured Duchess Shaena was always placed next to Aemon, whispering encouragement in her niece's ear, "Show him your skill with a bow, my dear. A strong woman is what he needs." The Queen even arranged for a "chance" encounter by a secluded waterfall, hoping the natural beauty would inspire romance. She had instructed the huntsmen to steer the group in that direction, leaving Prince Aemon and Duchess Shaena briefly alone. The festivities itself was a spectacle of vibrant colours, exotic foods, and free-flowing wine and whiskey. The Queen ordered elaborate tapestries be brought out of the Red Keep and displayed on wooden stands, depicting scenes from Valyrian history, showcasing powerful dragon riding women and their triumphs. A massive statue of Syrax, wreathed in flowers and ribbons, dominated the grounds. The air was thick with the scent of roasted meats, spiced wines, and exotic fruits. A troupe of mummers entertained the guests with acrobatic feats and comedic skits, while musicians played lively tunes that encouraged dancing. During the Ball, she arranged for them to share dances, she even commissioned a pyromancer creating a display of fires, its many vibrant colours mirroring the flames of a dragon, hoping to create a magical atmosphere. Despite the Queen’s efforts, the Crown Prince remained unmoved, viewing Shaena as nothing more than a cousin.  "Shaena is a delightful girl" he’d allegedly say, "but my heart simply isn't in it. She's family." According to the Court Tales upon hearing this the Queen would retort to her ladies-in-waiting, "He speaks  as if she lacks in anything needed by a future queen! And so what if she is family, that is but an advantage for she can ride a dragon unlike that stupid Jocelyn of his"

Next, the Queen turned her attention to Duchess Joanna Lannister, her niece through her sister Valaena. She organized a trip to Dragonstone for the favoured members of the Royal Court, the Small Council and their families. A grand party was planned for the beach, complete with a temporary dance floor of polished wood, and numerous tents of silk and velvet for the court. The Queen envisioned a romantic setting would work its charm. She had instructed the cooks to prepare a feast of seafood delicacies, and had imported rare wines from across the Narrow Sea. Musicians played soft, romantic tunes as the waves crashed against the shore. She even hired a troupe of fire dancers to perform on the beach at night, their movements mimicking the dance of dragons. However, Prince Baelon, despite his reluctance to defy his mother, took pity on his brother and at Prince Aemon's pleading, distracted his cousin Joanna. He engaged her in a lengthy conversation about the history of Dragonstone, knowing her fascination with such matters, effectively keeping her away from Prince Aemon. This allowed Prince Aemon and Duchess Jocelyn to embark on a long, moonlit walk, accompanied by Ser Ryam Redwyne of the Kingsguard. While Ser Ryam, bound by his duty, reluctantly agreed to chaperone, he privately acknowledged the impropriety of the situation – a young, unmarried couple together without proper supervision. News of this trickery and clandestine meeting soon reached the Queen, much to her fury. "Baelon's betrayal is a viper in my bosom!" she exclaimed. "And that Redwyne… a knight of the Kingsguard, aiding and abetting such scandalous behavior! My dear Joanna, a woman who would make a fine Queen left all alone by my son for that mangy stag! What will the realm say?".

Following these failures, the Queen organized a grand tourney at Harrenhal, inviting the entire Royal Court. Here, she intended to match Prince Aemon with Countess Rhaella, daughter of Princess Aerea for despite being of the Line of Rhaenys the Queen Alysanne believed that the Queens of Westeros should be dragon riders and of Targaryen blood when possible. Again, she meticulously planned the event, hoping the spectacle and excitement of the tourney would ignite a spark between them. She arranged for them to sit together in the royal box, ensured Countess Rhaella was presented with a magnificent gown of shimmering silver, and even commissioned a song to be sung in her honor, its lyrics extolling the virtues of Valyrian blood and dragon-riding prowess. The tourney itself was a grand affair, with knights from all over Westeros competing in feats of strength and skill. The Queen had arranged for special prizes to be awarded to the victors, including a sword from Yi-Ti and a magnificent destrier to attract more crowds. She even organized a parade of the unmarried ladies in front of the crowds, hoping to showcase Countess Rhaella's own equestrian skills. But Prince Aemon remained indifferent. "Cousin Rhaella is a fine horsewoman" he commented dryly, "but I'm not looking for a jousting partner." The Queen, her patience wearing thin, lamented, "A jousting partner? Does he not see the dragon blood in her veins? Is he blind?"

Once the Court returned to Kings Landing the Queen would also make great attempts at matching her son with Lady Rhaena Velaryon, her 'niece' by Lord Aethan Velaryon, and the granddaughter of her Uncle Aenar as a superior alternative to Duchess Jocelyn, holding a great Ball in her honor (after banishing Duchess Jocelyn on King Jaehaerys hunting trip with the half the Court who supported her, officially so that she and the rest may attended to the King) where she hoped Lady Rhaena would be able to enchant Prince Aemon, the Prince instead stuck by his brother Prince Baelon's side like a barnacle on a ship, avoiding the Lady Rhaena. This reluctance caused the Queen to declare there were 'Intruders' in the Red Keep, ending the ball so to lock the would be couple in an antechamber 'for their own safety' with a barrel of the finest Arbor Gold wine, Eastwood Black Label whiskey and a table laden with delicacies which courtesans in Lys used in their leisure barrage to set the mood. The couple stayed there throughout the night but again the Prince rejected her, with the Lady Rhaena retaining her virtue to the Queens regret and anger. Later rumours spread across the Red Keep that the next day the Queen had berated her niece in her private parlour, allegedly telling her "Both your grandmothers, Princess Shaena and Lady Serena, could seduce men who rather be with one another, and do so openly, right before the Royal Court, with nothing more than a suggestive glance or posture. I witnessed this myself, countless times, to my enduring discomfort, as any child would feel witnessing such behavior from their parents. But now here you are, with complete privacy, with all the beauty any maiden can need, all the drinks and delicacies as any Lysene pleasure house could imagine and you cant even despoil and defile my son, a young man in the peak of his youth? I will be talking to my brother regarding this failure and you should hope your father is merciful"

The Queen in desperation and on the assumption that perhaps her son took more after her father than she realised even summoned the most beautiful young men of the realm and added them to her son's retinue in a bid to distract him from Duchess Jocelyn, but only platonic friendships were formed by this. When this 'Brilliant' scheme failed the Queen would attempt to sabotage the match rather directly, going to the point of arranging for Braavosi and Lysene courtesans to catch the Prince's attention, purposely summoning courtesans which held similar features to the Duchess Jocelyn and when that failed she convinced young noblemen to attempt to court Duchess Jocelyn, hoping that if she wavered her son would abandon her.

And so, the saga of Queen Alysanne’s attempts to thwart the union of her son, Prince Aemon, and the Duchess Jocelyn Baratheon, continued. A collection of more… colourful tales circulated throughout the court of King Jaehaerys and Westeros at large, some undoubtedly embellished with time, others perhaps rooted in a kernel of truth. While a sober chronicler must approach such accounts with caution as they strain credulity, they nonetheless offer a fascinating glimpse into the courtly atmosphere and the lengths to which the Queen was rumoured to have gone for they are repeated enough to indicate that at the very east people wanted to believe they were true.

One such tale concerned the Affair of the Addled Apothecary. It was whispered that Queen Alysanne, in her desperation, attempted to subtly influence Duchess Jocelyn’s affections through the use of love potions. She supposedly tasked a somewhat… unreliable apothecary with concocting a brew that would make Duchess Jocelyn fall out of love with Prince Aemon and become enamoured with another, more “suitable” candidate. However, the apothecary owner, known for his fondness for strong drink and his even stronger lack of attention to detail, allegedly mixed up the ingredients, creating a potion that instead caused the drinker to become inexplicably obsessed with… chickens. Duchess Jocelyn, it was said in the tale, spent an entire afternoon cooing over the royal poultry, much to the bewilderment of the court and the Queen’s utter frustration.

Another is regarding the False Prophecy. The Queen allegedly hired a Valyrian fortune telling priest from Volantis to deliver a dire prophecy to Prince Aemon in front of the Royal Court, foretelling doom and destruction should he marry Duchess Jocelyn. The prophecy claimed their union would bring about storms, floods, and even the wrath of the 14 gods. Prince Aemon, however, was more pragmatic than superstitious. He pointed out that storms were common in Westeros, especially in the Stormlands, and that floods were a risk anywhere. As for the gods, he trusted in the Seven to guide him. Duchess Jocelyn, ever quick-witted, suggested the prophecy might be referring to the storms of passion their marriage would unleash, much to the amusement of the court. This tale, which is likely false as it first appeared years after the fact, is interesting for its shows the tensions that still existed between the Line of Maegor and the Faith of the Seven, portraying the Prince to be virtuous and a believer in the power of the Seven in contrast to his mother with her foreign Faith of Valyria.

Then there was the “Incident of the Inconvenient Itch.” This tale, though less dramatic, speaks to Queen Alysanne’s relentless efforts to disrupt the courtship. It was rumored that she, learning of a romantic day to be spent hunting in woods that Prince Aemon and Duchess Jocelyn planned, arranged for a swarm of particularly irritating gnats to be released in the area. The gnats, it was said, were specially bred by a disgruntled beekeeper who had a grudge against the Baratheons. The hunt, predictably, was ruined, with the couple suffering numerous bites. However, this backfired as well, with Prince Aemon and Duchess Jocelyn bonding over their shared misery, further strengthening their connection giving the tale a happy ending.

In fact as the Prince became ever more certain the Queen became harsher, and the tales of the court showed her in an increasingly malicious light, the Court suddenly remembering that the Good Queen was indeed the sister of Aerion The Cruel. These tales must be viewed with a critical eye. While it's likely the Queen harboured deep resentment towards Duchess Jocelyn and might have engaged in some underhanded tactics, the extent of her alleged cruelty is debatable. However, even if exaggerated or false, these stories offer a glimpse into the intense machinations that surrounded the royal court during this period. These more malicious tales include:

The Poisoned Perfume: A scandalous tale circulated throughout the court, claiming the Queen had gifted Duchess Jocelyn a vial of poisoned perfume. The tale depicted Duchess Jocelyn applying the perfume, only to fall violently ill at the evening's feast. While it is fact that Duchess Jocelyn did suffer a brief illness during this period, attributed at the time to a stomach ailment, the Queen's alleged involvement remained unsubstantiated. Many courtiers whispered and wrote in their diaries that the Queen's personal perfumer was suspiciously absent from court shortly after the incident, but there is no proof of the Queen had a personal perfumer in the first place, as no records of such a person exist in the otherwise meticulous records of the Red Keep.

The Lost Letters: A series of love letters, supposedly written by Duchess Jocelyn to a distant Velaryon cousin, mysteriously surfaced in the Red Keep. The letters, filled with passionate prose, spoke of a longing for a love that could never be. The Queen made sure these letters found their way to Prince Aemon while also calling for Duchess Jocelyn to be forced to do penance for seducing and deceiving her son. However, upon closer inspection, the handwriting was deemed suspiciously different from Duchess Jocelyn's.  Many believed the letters to be forgeries, created to damage the  Duchess's reputation, which is the likely truth.

The Midnight Ride: One day, Duchess Jocelyn was returning from a hunt when her horse bolted, nearly throwing her from the saddle. Only the quick intervention of a member of the Royal Court prevented a serious accident. Rumours quickly spread that the Queen had tampered with the horse's tack, hoping to cause Duchess Jocelyn harm. While the incident was indeed dangerous for the Duchess, no concrete proof of the Queen's involvement was ever found.

But outside these unsubstantiated tales there were plenty of more verifiable means the Queen opposed the match. The queen would find and highlight to the Royal Court the many faults in her son's desired wife, declaring that the Duchess Jocelyn was simply unsuitable to become the next queen and not even due to her inability to ride Dragons, and all these allegations were no rumours and were documented in the Royal archives.

The Queen complained that the Princess-to-be did not speak High Valyrian fluently as any educated Lady of Westeros, but especially one of a Valyrian House ought to, calling her uneducated and demanding her brother Duke Boremund send her to Oldtown for a proper education. Further she noted the Duchess did not speak either Winterfell Old Tongue, Dornish Rhoynar or the Iron Tongue at all, much less all three which the other members of the Royal family could roughly understand if not speak fluently due to the King and Queen considering it important that the Targaryens be able to speak to all their subjects not just their Andal ones in their own language, or at least the main language of their duchy and people. 

Though it should be noted almost all nobles from the North, Dorne and Iron Islands learned Royal Andal all the same as it was the main language of the nobility, of the maesters and learning, and was the de facto language of the Royal Court, the High Courts of Justice and along with Narrow Sea trade tongue was the predominant language of Westerosi commerce, this was the main argument the Duchess's supporters made to excuse her shortcoming on such matters. Many other faults of the Duchess were also aired in court in order to discourage the Crown Prince from selecting her, with many rumours and accusations denouncing her being traced back directly to the Queen's Chambers.

But what truly showed the Queen escalating her battle to prevent the union was her actions to punish supporters of the Duchess for their actions, bringing down a hammer upon them. The Gardeners, Lannisters, Bank of the Dragon, Seahorse Trading Company and others would aggressively promote Northern Wool and the wool of Houses who opposed the Baratheon's in the internal politics of the Stormlands over Wool from the Baratheon's fief or that of their allies, including by restricting its use in the growing Royal Workshops or those in most of Westeros. This was a major concern for the Baratheon's for the Wool trade was one of the most important and lucrative Stormland trade goods, meaning the damage was indeed felt by all their allies and vassals directly. Similarly some of Stormlords in Kings Landing who supported the Duchess suddenly found themselves demoted or stripped of office entirely. Other actions included the Queen aiding the creation of marital alliances between Stormlords and Reachmen and Westermen nobles in hopes of weakening the Baratheon's authority, this was also done by increasing trade on the Wendwater by the Seahorse Trading Company to economically further tie in the Northern Stormlands into the Crownlands and away from Storms End. Some whispered that the King had to forbid his Queen from burning down Storms End like her father burned down the Starry Sept, but these are likely just rumours spread by opponents of the Queen as the disputes never escalated to open violence, much less enough violence where dragons would be used.

But this blatant attempt at punishment and intimidation by the Queen would only court opposition. One way this was done was by the rekindling and strengthening of the blood alliance between the Baratheon's and the Driftmark Velaryon's which had faded with the deaths of Count Daemon, Duke Rogar and Queen Mother Alyssa when Duke Boremund was at a young age, as the two houses both sought trading opportunities and pledged to deepen their cooperation in the Royal Court bringing about once again the Storms End-Driftmark Alliance dedicated to opposing the Line of Visenya and Maegor. But as price of regaining this alliance in full strength the Baratheon's would lose the more open support of the Northeastern Alliance (Houses Errol-Tarth-Eastwood) as they sought to maintain good relations with Queens allies in particular Houses Gardener, Grafton and Lannister who were important trade partners for Houses Eastwood and Tarth in the Whiskey trade in particular, being their distributors in the Reach, Vale and Westerlands. This was not just a blow because of the increasing influence and wealth of the Northeastern alliance, but also a deep betrayal as Driftmark Velaryon's had married into House Tarth and House Baratheon had married into House Errol and had fostered the Heir of House Eastwood.

 Despite this however the Storm's End-Driftmark alliance was not alone and would only grow stronger. They first gained support of House Shett the Second House of Gulltown who quickly declared their opposition to the Queen just like they opposed her father and brother Prince Gaemon, soon also supporting them were the Hightowers of Oldtown who disliked the close ties Highgarden held with the Crown. The open support of House Hightower and their joining of the Storm's End-Driftmark alliance opened the floodgates and within the year other Houses such as Tully, Reyne, Farman, Celtigar, Velaryon of Seahorse Hill (in Dorne), Yronwood, Swann, Redwyne, Buckler, Connington, Penrose, Trant, Whitehead, Bracken, Frey, Manderly and others all joined them at the Royal Court and matters of trade in a bid to counter the power and influence of the former Maegor Loyalist Coalition, who were now the Queens Coalition, seeking influence and more importantly shelter in numbers. But the Anti-Maegor Coalition still could not counter the raw power of the Queens Coalition, for even when not including dragons or royal authority it included Dukes of the Reach, Westerlands, North, Vale who also were the Four Great Wardens of Westeros, most of the Valyrian Noble Houses, the Dragon Counts as the four bastard sons of Prince Maegor were known, All the Lords of the Crownlands except the Celtigar's, Bar Emmon's and Velaryon's, as well as many other houses through the Queens Ducal and Countly siblings alliances and vassals such as Houses Stonewolf,  Dayne, Blackwood, Grafton, Royce, Tyrell, Darklyn, Massey, Buckwell, Rosby, Stokeworth . The Bank of the Dragon and Seahorse Trading company could also not be underestimated in terms of influence they granted to the Queen with many a influential merchant or House in her debt, or just wishing to profit from her goodwill which in some matters was more valuable than the King's.

Another way the Queen secured favor was promoting men of Houses which denounced Duchess Jocelyn for Royal offices, a subtle but important gesture which secured the support of many a House. Despite this however the Crown Prince would not relent for he was madly in love, and was betroth to Duchess Jocelyn in 69 AC by the King who nonetheless refused to marry them until the Queen gave her blessing, not wanting to burn the realm down and plunge it into war, for more than anyone in the realm he knew just how much of her fathers daughter the Good Queen was and her dragon Silverwing was as deadly as it was beautiful, just like his wife. He also recognised the validity of certain of the concerns about his half sister, with some of his own trusted advisors, Lord Bywin Strong in particular, having reservations regarding the match, he felt it was better that the Prince Aemon marry Duchess Shaena Gardener, binding the line of Duke Alyx, the only other male line descendant of King Aegon the Conqueror and last son of Prince Maegor into the Royal Line. Similarly Grand Maester Elysar also cautioned against the possible over dilution of Dragonrider blood, suggesting caution where possible for the Baratheon blood of Lord Aerion Targaryen was quite diluted now; And also highlighted the possible tensions that would come if the North, Dorne and Iron Islands felt that their future queen did not respect them enough to learn their languages and thus respect their cultures and traditions, declaring the realm cannot stand united if it slighted three to appease one, even if the one was the largest of them all.

Hand of the King Septon Barth while supporting the match, in fact being the Prince Aemon's highest ranked supporter in the Royal Court, felt it was his duty to warn the King of the symbolism of having a Queen who could not ride dragons was not a good one, declaring they would court the scorn of those who chafed against the Doctrine of Exceptionalism and its sanction of incest for no reward. As he tried deciding the way forward, King Jaehaerys threatened to send Duchess Jocelyn to the silent sisters if they attempted to marry in secret, ordering the young couple to wait. This caused him to be decried by his son and House Baratheon including Duke Boremund, the Kings Half-Brother but the King was supported by entirety of the Small Council and the holders of Royal Offices who were either members of the Queen Coalition who thus followed her in opposing the match, but even the Anti-Maegor coalition, who still feared the Queens Coalition and their power and did not want to plunge the realm into a sea of blood and tears on behalf of Duchess Jocelyn and House Baratheon. This paralysing fear of war breaking out if they married Prince Aemon and Duchess Jocelyn without firm royal support extended even to the Velaryon's of Driftmark, who remembered when Prince Maegor burnt their fleets and harbours, a blow they had taken years to recover from and were in no hurry to see if his daughter would do the same.

After all as the King would tell not just his eldest son when he complained but also his other children who tried to intercede on the Prince Aemon's behalf, he was still haunted by Prince Maegor whose influence continued in death through his children and allies who still held most the realm. The Queen's influence on The City Council and Watch, and the Dragonguard and Dragon Keepers was also important to note; Each held more loyalty to his wife than him though his influence on the last two had grown considerably over the years to the point of reaching a slight majority in his favour, probably, if he was able to convince the main players he had good odds. The truth remained that despite wearing the Crown, sitting on the Iron Throne and wielding Blackfyre The Sword of The King; King Jaehaerys ruled the realm with his wife the Good Queen Alysanne approval and active participation rather than simply having her by his side as a supplicate even after the death of Prince Maegor. This would greatly impact the royal children and open their eyes to the complexity of their fathers reign and the fragile balance of power they had not realised existed before; For they thought the factional politics yesteryear had faded with time after the end of the Anarchy, the latter years of rebuilding and especially the death of their grandfather Prince Maegor, not knowing they were alive and well, merely concealed as most houses had been allied together through the marriage of the King and Queen, their children and the Crowns common objectives and goals; Or had been banished from the court making them non-entities in the Realm's politics. The divisions and factions of yesteryear only now showing themselves in public as the alliances and coalitions shifted, and as open (political) conflict broke out over the marriage of Crown Prince Aemon. As such they had not truly understood till now just how much power the Queen Alysanne had despite holding no formal role on the small council other than being a mere advisor, with only Queen Visenya during the Anarchy exceeding the level of political influence the Good Queen held over the Realm.

In 70 AC, after the Queen was convinced that her son would not change his mind. Giving her permission for the union at the insistence of the King who threatened to marry them regardless of what she wanted. But as she gave her approval the Queen promised that she would ruin their wedding if they went through with it despite her warnings. As such the Prince Aemon and Duchess Jocelyn were wed in a lavish royal ceremony that rivalled the Golden Wedding in splendour, bringing Nobles from across the realm to celebrate the union.  After the High Septon Justice III performed the marriage rites inside the Prince Maegor Arena in front of cheering crowds, the Crown Prince was inducted as a Grand Knight Commander of the Order of the Red Dragon, knighting 7 squires chosen by lot in order to celebrate. This was followed by the finale of the jousting of the Wedding Tournament with Ser James Fossoway winning his match against Ser Ryam Redwyne of the Kingsguard, being made a Knight Commander of the Order of the Red Dragon, along with receiving 7,000 gold dragons, as a reward.  After the finale the wedding party proceeded to the Red Keep while the smallfolk dispersed, many going to the Prince Aerion Circus for the chariot racing and for free food being distributed there.

In the Red Keep the most prestigious attendees feasted in the Hall of the Iron Throne, while lesser but still important nobles and guests gathered in Great Hall,  other least important guests were accommodated the many yards and squares of the Keep. All were merry drinking, feasting, gambling with none of the hidden gloom of the marriage of King Aegon II and Queen Rhaena or the concealed but present wariness during the marriage of King Jaehaerys and Queen Alysanne. But that is not to say it was all well, for after months of keeping an eye out for any sabotage of the Queen before finding none, and after the actual wedding ceremony itself went off without issue, the bride and groom realised what the Queen meant when she promised to ruin their wedding. For no one spoke a word when the doors of the hall opened and the Queen Alysanne was announced, many wondering where the queen had left with her ladies in waiting after the ceremony in the Arena. As she walked into the Throne Hall they realised that she was now in a new outfit, and soon all the nobility grew quiet and stared at the central aisle and the high table with equal parts awe and horror as Queen Alysanne came dressed in white, the traditional bridal colour of the nobility.

She wore to the feast a dress was made of rich Nathi silk, a lustrous and more expensive fabric than Princess Jocelyn's Myrish silk.  Its bright white colour, a deliberate choice which spoke volumes about the Queen disdain for her new good daughter, was a stark contrast to the vibrant hues of every other woman in the hall, where barring the Mother Superiors and First Septa's of the Faith no woman was brave enough to even wear a light cream, much less a bright white which even the Septa's dare not think of. The bodice of the gown was fitted and pointed, and featured a delicate lace trim as well as detailed embroidery of black jet and yellow topaz gemstones, which due to being the Baratheon House colours were also present on princess Jocelyn's wedding dress though she wore a lesser stone in yellow amber. The lace, intricately patterned with floral, stags and draconic motifs, cascaded down the front of the bodice and edged the neckline which was further decorated with a pearl and diamond necklace, adding a touch of elegance. The sleeves were short and puffed and were also trimmed with matching lace, further emphasizing the intricate detailing of the gown. On one hand she wore a bangle of topaz and on the other jet, the Baratheon House colours. These bracelets were just like the ones Princess Jocelyn wore, but much larger. The skirt, full and voluminous, fell in graceful folds just above the floor, and also the hip featured a belt made of pearls with golden amber stags and red amber three headed dragons. But most outrageous and eye catching was the Queen's decision to wear a train to the festivities in the Iron Throne Hall.  The train, though not excessively long, was longer than the brides and featured intricate lace patterns, featuring the same stag and dragons the brides train did though hers was clearly more expensive, furthermore the train had on all its edges a long weave of red roses and yellow buttercup flowers; And finally completing her look was the diamond diadem made for the Queen Mother Alyssa, the mother of the bride, at her own wedding to then Crown Prince Aenys. The Queen is said to have looked no less beautiful than the Maiden of the Seven and some said more beautiful than the bride. She would on her way to her seat deliberately stop before the married couple and congratulate them, telling that she wished them a happy marriage before asking if they appreciated her outfit which was meant to honour House Baratheon and the Union between it and House Targaryen, receiving looks of anger and stilted replies.

Needless to say relations between the two never truly recovered and it took all the efforts of the King Jaehaerys and Crown Prince Aemon to keep the peace between the Queen Alysanne and Princess Jocelyn with a truce worked out between them where they agreed to ignore each others presence. The news of the diamond diadem being in the Queen Alysanne's possession also caused Princess Jocelyn to protest however,  refusing to make peace until she received the Diadem which Queen Alysanne agreed to. Despite this concession the relationship between the two women remained cold and frosty, as the new princess remained incredibly angry not just at the insult paid to her but also that her mother's diamond diadem was with the Queen Alysanne rather than with her for so many years. Despite acknowledging she had not enquired about the diadem Princess Jocelyn maintained it nonetheless should have been given to her, especially when they heard she was to marry, rather than kept by Queen Alysanne.

The King would also make his most well known contribution to the City of Kings Landing this year, at the wedding celebrations he announced that a Valyrian style theatre was to be built in King Landing. Many claim this announcement was only made at the celebration in order to distract the nobility from the tensions between his wife and the new Princess. The theater building was a grand, open-air structure featuring a traditional semicircular seating area that could accommodate thousands of spectators; the orchestra, a semicircular space where the chorus and musicians performed; and a Westerosi inspired scaenae frons, or an elaborately decorated stage backdrop that resembled a palace facade. This provided a versatile backdrop for these diverse performances, and its multiple levels and hidden passages allowed for special effects and dramatic entrances, it was also adorned with columns, statues, and reliefs. Meanwhile the outside while built of brick and stone, had a brilliant exteriors, with mosaics and carved panels decorating the arches and pillars.

The Theatre of Jaehaerys was one of the first Valyrian style theatres in mainland Westeros, with most being built before this on Dragonstone and Driftmark. It was at its time the largest theatre of any kind in the Kingdom able to accommodate some 5,000 spectators, with Valyrian, Braavosi and Westerosi plays and mummery being performed there under what would later become the Royal Theatre company. Like most Valyrian theatres its plays were originally mostly genres of tragedy and drama with limited comedy, however Valyrian theatres and plays in Kings Landing and Westeros would merge with the Westerosi mummery to provide more focus on entertainment and comedy over tragedy and drama, in time becoming its own distinct school in the varied art of plays. The Theater's popularity and fame would lead to many copies being built in cities across Westeros and would have a major impact on Westerosi theater in general which began its long transition away from traditional mummery.

As the Wedding Festivities ended and the Year 71 AC approached House Targaryen would see much more excitement and interesting times in the new decade. For great changes were to come.

Chapter Text

Excerpts from "Remnants of the Dragonlords" by Archmaester Graymont whose ring and rod and mask are bronze.

In Eastern Essos, North and North-East of the Great Hellas Peninsula and South and South-East of the Sarnori Kingdoms are the Kingdoms of the Tomori and the Lhazareen. They are kin and in their own storytelling say that both find their origins in two brothers, one who became the first farmer and the other the first shepherd. And as such these two people are not divided as much as separated, two half's of one whole. The Tomori settle the major river valleys and are mostly farmers, builders of small but functional cities while the Lhazareen settle the wide grasslands and smaller tributaries in-between the major river valleys acting not just as shepherds but also as traders with many eschewing homes in the many villages and towns that dot the great plains and follow the Great Circle as nomadic herders. As a symbol of their kinship, and in order to maintain trade, political and defensive alliances, their nobility and  especially their royalty regularly marry one another; And both have aided one another during times of hardships. With the rise of the Valyrian Freehold, as the Dragon Lords looked to annex all the Lands south of their soon to be Sarnori Allies and Future De Facto Protectorates the many Tomori Kings and Great Chiefs of the Lhazareen submitted to Valyria without fighting. In return for this the Freehold allowed the Tomori and the Lhazareen people to govern themselves as Semi Independent Vassals rather than treat their lands as conquered provinces to be ruled directly from Valyria…….This would allow the Tomori and the Lhazareen to escape providing part of their tribute in slaves, rather they paid what was due only in gold and grain…….

Under the Valyrian's the Tomori and the Lhazareen, always a people who eschewed violence for dialogue when possible , thrived for the Dragon Lords secured their borders and gave them access to the vast markets that was the Valyrian Freehold and Empire. Here the Tomori became well established in the grain and cotton trade, with the city states of the Hellas Peninsula being a principal customer and the Lhazareen were famed across the Known World for their cashmere wool which soon became very popular and in demand despite its expense, though cheaper ordinary wool was the principal good they traded by weight.

Even after the Doom of Valyria and the fall of the Freehold while the rest of Essos was awash with death during the Century of Blood the Kingdoms of the Tomori and the Lhazareen people forged alliances and peace treaties with their neighbors the Sarnori Kingdoms, The Free Cities of Essaria and Mantarys, and the Hellas League………. Continuing on as they had, with the exception of  invasions by the ancient savage plague that is the Dothraki the Kingdoms have been at peace for centuries………

The next year in 71AC when he reached his majority Prince Baelon, rider of the Dragon Vhagar would request permission to go east to Essos, to gain wealth and glory like his grandfather Prince Maegor had for envoys had come with word that after two generations of regrowing their strength the Dothraki had once again begun major incursions on Tomori and Lhazareen Lands and they wished for Dragonriders to aid them so as to wipe the scourge away for decades like they had before. The King tried to refuse, almost preventing Prince Baelon from going for there was much danger involved and Prince Baelon ,unlike his grandfather at the same age much less at the age when Prince Maegor went east, had not proved himself, being as green as grass in matters of war and battle. Indeed despite wishing to follow in his grandfathers footsteps the Prince Baelon was not yet still a knight nor had ever fought outside the training yards, even against something as mundane as bandits for in the Golden Reign they were rare to find, and rarer to persist enough for the Royal Court to hear news of them. 

But fortunately for Prince Baelon the Queen Alysanne supported his endeavour, having her 'brother' Aethan Velaryon, of Seahorse town provide ships and her siblings Duke Alyx, Duchess Valaena and the 4 Dragon Counts,  provide gold and trusted men to guard her son and guide him on his journey as well asking them to send their sons and heirs as a show of support in her sons endeavour. Soon after much pleading with his father , and Queen Alysanne putting her full support behind him, Prince Baelon was on his way with his cousins, being Duke Garth Gardener, Duke Loren Lannister, Count Rhaemond Welsh, Lord Aerion Velaryon, Count Theon Rowan, Count Tomas Crakehall and Count Donald Oakheart, the last two being the youngest ones. His uncle Alyx also decided he had genuine need of a Valyrian steel sword for his campaign making Prince Baelon the wielder of Dragonclaw.

Accompanying this Royal Party were not only many older and much more experienced knights and commanders, the now aging veterans of the Anarchy but also many younger knights and nobles from across the realm for whom this would be their first true taste of battle, all however were equally eager to win the wealth their forefathers had in Prince Maegor's Great Adventure. Prince Baelon's departure was bittersweet for the Royal Family who while wishing him the best were upset to see him go, in particular Princess Alyssa who was his closest companion after his brother Prince Aemon.

In 73 AC the King celebrated 30 years on the Iron Throne. At these celebrations the King would announce the largest expansion of the Kings power over matters of justice since the establishment of the Sheriffs; When the King increased the power and responsibility of the Sheriffs and established the Office of the Coroner. The Sheriff's along with supervising the Courts among other duties were put in charge of the Coroners of their jurisdiction, who were officers of the Crown who were present in each fief, large town and city and were much more numerous. Coroners had many responsibilities including assisting the sheriffs to audit the proceedings of the various courts and to launch investigations, when they deemed it necessary, of unnatural deaths such as homicides, suicides, accidental deaths, and deaths in custody. The coroner's findings were recorded in official documents, which served as crucial evidence in subsequent legal proceedings. The Coroners also took over responsibility of enforcing certain Royal laws such as laws related to the selling of imported luxuries and clothing sumptuary laws. They also received the power to collect fines for violation of said laws as well as other areas.

By helping in investigating deaths and maintaining law and order, coroners directly enforced the authority of the Crown at the local level. They acted as representatives of the King, ensuring that his laws were upheld and that justice was administered according to royal decrees in ways the Sheriffs could not. They also allowed for the King to better monitor his nobles as each coroner from across Westeros now sent regular reports on the number and causes of deaths, even the ones they did not investigate, as well as the incidences of crimes such as murder, banditry, smuggling, arson, riots, assault leading to the loss of limb and more allowing the Crown to realise when law and order were breaking down and where the nobles were being lax in their duties. Their larger numbers also allowed the King to better ensure the rights of the smallfolk were being upheld, with the Coroners allowing for investigations which the sheriffs had no time for, uncovering many cases of Lords and knight either charging unlawful taxes, preventing smallfolk from leaving or other violations such as still practising the right of first night with many lords being heavily fined for the practise.

The coroner's also introduced a degree of standardization to legal procedures across Westeros as they followed the same guidelines the crown established across Westeros rather than more local traditions and conventions. This helped to ensure consistency in the application of the law and further strengthened the Crown's authority by placing its commands over local tradition. The Sheriffs also meanwhile received the responsibility to supervising weights and measures to ensure they were the same across the realm, to report on the state of the realms roads and bridges, both royal and non-royal. Also in the ports the sheriffs began to supervises officers of the Exchequer who collected the Kings taxes and tariffs on luxuries and other imports directly, rather than depending on the local nobility, leading to an expansion of their offices even independent of the powers of the Office of Coroners.

The King also reorganised the Noble and Royal Courts of Justice. Under the Decree of the Tournament of 73AC the existing system of courts, many of which had stood for centuries if not millennia were reformed wholesale with the nobility forbidden from holding any court of justice without the permission and sanction of the Crown. Across Westeros the Court system was standardised and unified into a single judicial system controlled by the Crown.

The High Court of Justice became the highest judicial court of appeal in the land, with only a direct appeal to the Crown above it. It heard appeals from the all the courts such as the Kings Benches, Court of Exchequer and even in some cases where it deemed it necessary the judgement of the Dukes and the Prince of Dorne. Composed of both trusted nobles and senior magistrates recommended to the King by the Master of Laws it was primarily focused on resolving disputes between the Crown and its vassals on matters of law, duty, inheritances, rights and tax; Between various vassals in a dispute of any kind though mostly when these disputes existed between houses in different duchies; And saw to matters of high political significance, especially where the King wished to exercise a veneer of impartiality.

Below this was the Court of King's Bench which held a broad jurisdiction over a wide range of civil and criminal matters. It was generally considered the most powerful law court run only by magistrates, only outranked by the Dukes and the High Court whose could hear appeals of its decisions, it also held the authority to supervise other courts. Realising that Westeros was to large for any singular court to supervise it, a branch of the Court of King's Bench was made present in each of the Duchies of Westeros, in the seat of the Duke or in the case of the Crownlands the King. In a bid to keep the peace with the Great Houses, the judges of the courts were allowed to be nominated by the Dukes from qualified magistrates, but the law made clear this was a nomination, not an appointment with some nominations habitually rejected and the seat filled with the Crown's nominee for this very reason. Similarly the magistrates were rotated between duchies on orders of the Crown, made possible with all cases being in either Royal Andal or High Valyrian, this made it so that the influence each Duke had on the courts was limited.

However so as to not completely undermine their authority the Dukes and the Prince of Dorne were also allowed to declare any case as part of their prerogative and try it personally, taking it out of the hands of the Kings Benches or the lower courts. This was mostly done for disputes between the nobility, were it was felt proper for the dukes to intervene personally rather than hand it over to magistrates.  It was thus very rare for a smallfolk to be tried by a Duke, especially as all cases where the duke declared his prerogative were immediately reported to the Master of Laws gaining the Crowns interest, on the other hand while most cases involving disputes between noble families were resolved by the Duke, in certain matters it was handed to the Magistrates. This mostly was on matters such as long standing family feuds, tax and contracts cases where the dispute was too pointless, entrenched, esoteric or boring for the Duke to resolve. The near endless infighting of the Brackens and Blackwood, and Florents and Tyrells were prime examples of such kinds of disputes with Riverrun and Highgarden only intervening to ensure that open violence did not break out which might cause dragons to come and start burning their duchies, otherwise happy to not have to spend their days having to listen to rich and powerful lords complain about each sheep and each inch of dirt that lay in between their Keeps out of disputes which no outside noble could comprehend, and most of these nobles could comprehend Faith politics.

Most of the supervision done by the Kings Benches was of the many Court of Common Plea's which was a more common type of the royal court, present in all of the larger towns which met the population requirement of 5000 people, or were the center for their designated fief which had no qualifying town nearby, these courts primarily dealt with civil and criminal disputes between the smallfolk. Counts and Lords with Larger fiefs who had had a Court of Common Pleas in their boundaries again had the right to declare matters relating to the nobility to be part of their prerogative and take them out of the hands of the Court of Common Plea's but this was not allowed for most but not all disputes between the smallfolk. Similarly all qualified nobles or nobles advised by qualified magistrates could sit and pass judgement in Court of Common Plea's so long as their fief was a part of the courts jurisdiction.  Though again to be clear they were required to either have done an apprenticeship with a qualified lawyer or to have links from the citadels, the Inns of Court or any recognised school in matters of law. Otherwise they were to sit with a similarly qualified magistrate in order to ensure fairness and adherence to law.

Below the Court of Common Plea's were the Borough courts, who were supervised by both the Kings Benches and the Court of Common Plea's. Established in all towns and boroughs i.e. collection of villages, which were too small to have a Court of Common Plea's. These courts handled local legal matters within their jurisdiction, again both criminal and civil. Towns and cities with more than 10,000 people generally had both a Court of Common Pleas' and borough courts, with cities having many more. For example Oldtown had 25 borough courts supervised by 5 benches of the Oldtown Court of Common Pleas'.  Both types of courts were supposed to have educated Magistrates but especially in early years this was not followed due to lack of qualified barristers and magistrates. Similarly local lords and their heirs often exercised the right to sit on these cases, especially when they were young in order to gain experience with most lords ensuring that even if they had qualifications their heirs first sat in borough courts before allowing them to sit in the Court of Common Pleas even with an advisory magistrate. Most of the travelling circuit courts were also made part of these borough courts, though the amount of villages they could have jurisdiction over and the size of their circuit was cut in half as the King tried to improve access to justice; Again in many cases it was the local lord who travelled across his fief to pass judgement, again requiring his own qualifications, or a qualified companion to advise him.

Finally the lowest courts were Parish or village courts and the manorial courts. The village courts dealt with local disputes and minor offenses within villages and hamlets and were rarely staffed by magistrates, instead it was up to the local knight, Master, or petty lord to pass judgement. Often times it was done by village elders empowered by these petty nobles. Manorial courts were the local court which had jurisdiction over all inhabitants of a small fief, it dealt with a variety of issues, including disputes between tenants, enforcement of customs, and minor criminal offenses. They also played an important role in the administration of the fief, such as recording land transfers and collecting rents.

Along with these courts there were specialised courts. The most important of these was the Court of Exchequer focused on revenue matters and cases involving the Crown's finances such as refusal to pay taxes or tariffs and any criminal matter related to commercial laws such as smuggling, breaking of contracts or commercial disputes between merchants and merchant companies. A bench of the Court of Exchequer would be established in each chartered city, including Kings Landing. Due to the lack of chartered cities in the Iron Islands, Riverlands and Stormlands, as well as the Vale and the Westerlands only having one, special benches would be established in Lordsport, Durrandale, Harlaw Port, Weeping Town, Evenfall Port, Crakehall, Moontown and Old Anchor, Harrentown, Seaguard, and Maidenpool. All these would help merchants disputes greatly as instead of bored nobles and inexperienced magistrates the disputes could be heard by those learned not just in law but in commerce and the expectations as well as norms of trade. In certain matters, such as those related to cheating the Crown of its taxes, no noble even Dukes were allowed to sit in judgement even if the court was situated in their own seat. The King would also declare the formation of the Court of Chancery in Kings landing, having final jurisdiction over all matters of coin, trade and commerce, including trusts, land law, chartered company's, the estates of smallfolk in dispute and all contracts made in Westeros. The Court of Chancery would also act as the court of appeals for all the Courts of the Exchequer.

Excerpt from The King's Justice and the King's Peace; A History of the Targaryen Justice by Maester Vaemon of the Royal Citadel

 For the new High Court of Justice, the Court of the Kings Bench of the Crownlands, and the Court of Chancery a new seat was needed and thus a new grand palace was constructed, situated on the Queen Rhaenys Boulevard connecting the Targaryen square with Rhaenys's Hill.  The Palace of the Royal Courts of Justice, or more commonly known as Jaehaerys's Palace, is a monument to royal authority and the unwavering pursuit of justice. The palace itself was a marvel of Westerosi architecture, its stonework was masterful, the scale breathtaking. Towers pierced the sky, their crenelations sharp against the clouds, while vast courtyards echoed with the footsteps of those seeking justice. The sheer size and imposing nature of Jaehaerys's Palace sent a clear message: the King's power was absolute, his reach extended to every corner of the Seven Kingdoms. Before the main entrance to the courts, two colossal marble statues, twenty feet tall. One was of the King wearing his Crown, in full royal regalia, holding a Quill in one hand and in the other the Dragon's Code, while the legendary sword Blackfyre rested sheathed at his hip, a reminder of the power that enforced that justice. The other depicted the Father of the Faith of the Seven and while he did not wear a crown or royal regalia the statue was clearly another one of King Jaehaerys as anyone could tell by comparing faces, he stood there a symbol of divine justice, holding aloft the scales of justice, .

Within the palace walls was a Grand Hall, adorned with tapestries depicting scenes of wise judgment and righteous rule of the Targaryen with both King Jaehaerys and King Aegon the Conqueror featuring prominently……. At the heart of the palace stood a magnificent sept dedicated to the Father of the Faith of the Seven. This sept, a masterpiece of stained glass and soaring arches, served as a constant reminder that the King's justice was not merely worldly but divinely ordained. Also present in the Palace complex was a small Godswood with a Weirwood tree, a Valyrian Temple dedicated to Arrax, the God of law, order, justice, governance, and strength, a Shrine to the Drowned God and a Shrine to the Lady of the Waves and the Lord of the Skies of the Three Sisters. Here, petitioners could offer prayers for a just outcome, and the justices themselves could seek guidance in their deliberations.

Jaehaerys's Palace, with its imposing architecture and its grand courts, served as a powerful symbol of the King's authority and his commitment to justice. The statue of King Jaehaerys as the Father even subtly implied a divine right to rule underpinned his reign, then a most subversive act when considering his family had been at war with the Faith of the Seven within living memory. It was a place where the fate of nobles and commoners alike was decided, where the laws of the realm were upheld, and where the King's peace was enforced.

Knowing that most regions of Westeros simply did not have enough learned men to be Corners and Magistrates the King declared that otherwise unqualified but experienced lawyers would be acceptable, and that for some time the crown will take a relaxed and forgiving approach to the requirement of qualified magistrates and coroners. But still this would spur the expansion of legal academies and Inns of Court from Winterfell to Sunspear with seemingly every second son and cousin in the realm made to study law, this rush to these schools not seen since the creation of sheriffs.

This would slowly but greatly enhance the authority of the Crown and curb the power of the nobility to its great resentment, however there would be no widespread revolt over this. The nobles realised that rebellion would only mean the destruction of their lines. Furthermore much of the reform was concerning the smallfolk which while encroaching on the traditional rights of lords still was a less important issue as the Dukes and Nobility still retained control over matters most important to them. But needless to say no noble was happy over the reforms, including many who publicly advocated for it in order to receive or continue receiving the Kings favour. In this period many privately considered and called the King  "A Great Deceiver", "The Puppet of the Heiress of Evil", "Possessed by Aerion the Cruel who has returned from the deepest depths Seven Hells to Plague us again" and "A bloody-handed tyrant intent on depriving us of our gods-given rights and liberties just like his uncle."

Despite the celebration however bitterness would come in 73 AC, for just a few months after the 30th Anniversary of the Kings reign the infant Prince Gaemon died of a fever, having not even lived for a year. Joy would only return to the Royal Court in 74 AC when on the seventh day of the seventh moon, the Holy Day of the Seven,  King Jaehaerys became a grandfather for the first time when Princess Jocelyn gave birth to Princess Rhaenys. The realm celebrated the child, born after three years of marriage between the Crown Prince Aemon and Princess Jocelyn. Her birth would help heal some of the distance between Prince Aemon and his mother, leading to eventual reconciliation. However with the birth of the Princess Rhaenys the King and Queen faced increasing concerns about the future and inheritance of their younger children, which were addressed with varying success.

A year later, in 75 AC King Jaehaerys's second son Prince Baelon returned after spending four years fighting against the Dothraki, defeating Khalasar after Khalasar and driving them back deep into the Dothraki sea.

Excerpt from The Dragon's Shadow Over Essos: The Campaigns of Prince Baelon Targaryen By Maester Dawkins

The annals of Westerosi history are replete with tales of valour and conquest, of dragons soaring across the skies and steel clashing on the battlefield. Yet, few stories resonate with the echoes of Prince Baelon Targaryen's Essosi campaigns, a saga of fire and blood that unfolded between the years 71 AC and 75 AC. Prince Baelon, second son of King Jaehaerys , was a man driven by ambition, a yearning for glory that mirrored his grandfather, the formidable Prince Maegor. Unlike his elder brother, Prince Aemon, Prince Baelon was not destined for the Iron Throne. This reality, coupled with a close bond with his brother which prevented treachery like that which has befallen many a prince, as well as a desire to forge his own path, fueled his ambition. He sought not only prestige and renown, but also the wealth necessary to establish himself and provide for his future sons, ensuring his legacy beyond the shadow of his brother's claim. He also sought to see the world beyond Westeros, to experience its wonders and carve his name into its history.

And so, with the echoes of Prince Maegor's Great Adventure ringing in his ears as clearly as his grandfather's warm voice, Prince Baelon turned his gaze eastward, towards the Kingdoms of the Tomori and the Lhazareen. These two peoples, kin in custom and origin, dwelling north of the Hellas Peninsula and south of the Sarnori kingdoms, faced renewed incursions from the ever-present Dothraki threat………….. Nearly fifty years prior, Prince Maegor, Prince Baelon's grandfather, had intervened in Essos, driving back the Dothraki hordes. Now, the call for aid echoed across the Narrow Sea once more, and Baelon the Brave, eager to emulate his grandfather's exploits, answered.

Prince Baelon's expedition, though grudgingly sanctioned by the King, was in truth largely a venture of Queen Alysanne's making and it was her siblings who became its financiers and supporters. He revived the name and banner of the "Sons of the Dragon" the very same free company Prince Maegor had led decades prior, a potent symbol of Prince Baelon's ambition and a call to arms for those seeking fortune and glory like their forefathers had. The ranks swelled with young noblemen from across the Seven Kingdoms, eager to prove their worth, alongside hedge knights seeking coin and adventure. Among them were Baelon's own cousins: Duke Garth Gardener, Duke Loren Lannister, Count Rhaemond Welsh, Lord Aerion Velaryon, Count Theon Rowan, Count Tomas Crakehall, and Count Donald Oakheart. These noblemen unlike their Targaryen cousin did not ride dragons and as such were risking much more, transforming the campaign from a prince's whim into a significant undertaking, one which the Line of Maegor had blessed and staked its own reputation, treasure and blood on…………. Something which became more notable considering the recent Death of Prince Maegor,………… as such this expedition took on a significant political role and symbol. Each message to Westeros which boasted of triumph a boost to the Line of Maegor in the Realm and the Queen's Coalition in the Royal Court.

……..The campaign was characterized by its rapid pace and emphasis on mobility. Through his grandfathers tales Prince Baelon understood the Dothraki's strength lay in their speed and horsemanship, and he sought to match them. Every man rode a horse, or travelled in carts, many of which were seized from the Dothraki themselves, ensuring the Sons of the Dragon could maintain a swift and relentless pursuit. While the Tomori and Lhazareen also contributed forces and fought their own battles, their more peaceful nature and lack of a dragon meant the brunt of the fighting fell to Prince Baelon's company. Vhagar, the magnificent dragon of the Conquest once ridden by Queen Visenya, was Prince Baelon's greatest weapon, a force of nature that could turn the tide of any battle………

The first major clash came to be known as the Battle of the Whispering Grass. A massive Khalasar, outnumbering Prince Baelon's forces eight to one, descended upon them amidst a sea of tall, swaying grass. Prince Baelon, however, was prepared. He positioned his archers and spearmen strategically, using the terrain to his advantage. As the Dothraki charged, Vhagar unleashed a torrent of fire, igniting the dry grass and creating a blazing inferno that engulfed the charging horde. The Dothraki, caught in the flames, were routed, their screams echoing across the plains. The second major engagement, the Battle of the Mud Flats, showcased Prince Baelon's cousins' tactical acumen. While the Prince was away meeting the High King the grandsons of Maegor the Dragon decided to make their own mark. They lured a large overconfident Dothraki force into a treacherous mire, for the Dothraki while confident for now were also desperate to end the forces of Prince Baelon while he was not here, where their horses became bogged down . Archers, hidden in boats amongst the reeds, rained arrows upon the trapped warriors, while spearmen moved in from the rear to deliver the killing blows. The Dothraki, unable to manoeuvre, were slaughtered however compared to the battle of the Whispering Grass it was a much more costly battle…………..

…………….In the early years of the campaign the echoes of Prince Baelon's victories resonated across Essos, bolstering the morale of the Tomori and Lhazareen and striking fear into the hearts of the Dothraki Khals who remembered the tales told of Maegor the Dragon as children to scare them. But the war was far from over. The Dothraki, though defeated in numerous engagements, were a resilient foe, capable of launching new offensives by new Khals as the numbers were in their advantage. Prince Baelon understood that a sustained campaign was necessary to truly break their power and secure the region. He and his allies established a network of fortified camps and supply depots, ensuring his forces could maintain their mobility and sustain their operations throughout the year. He also fostered alliances with local men who had suffered at the hands of the Dothraki, recruiting them into his ranks to replace losses and using their knowledge of the terrain to his advantage. The Kings of the Tomori and Lhazareen, though less inclined towards warfare, provided crucial support, supplying Prince Baelon's forces with gold, food, fodder, and intelligence. Their contributions, while not as overtly martial as the Sons of the Dragon's, were essential to the campaign's success, if only for the massive payments of gold made were crucial to morale….Most of the Gold was like with Prince Maegor's great adventure entrusted to officials of the Iron Bank who helped the men keep it safe and transfer it to their families.

The Battle of the Three Rivers was a complex engagement involving multiple Dothraki Khalasars. Three different Khalasars, each led by a rival Khal, had joined forces and were advancing on the Tomori heartland. Prince Baelon, realizing the danger, decided to confront them before they could reach their target. However realising that each Khalasar had not only taken a different path but had further subdivided themselves to prevent easy interception Prince Baelon knew that he could not be at all places at one and thus divided his forces into many smaller groups, each led by one of his cousins. Prince Baelon himself, guarded only by his cousin Duke Garth,  flew constantly on dragon back without sleep or rest in these days. The battle raged for a week over a frontier of a hundred miles, with each of Baelon's cousins facing a fierce onslaught. The Lannister Host, the one furthest away and thus the last to be aided were nearly overwhelmed, already in the process of a chaotic retreat but the gods had mercy and Vhagar flames turned the tide of the battle in time…….

The final major engagement, the Battle of the Great Salt Lake, was a fitting climax to Prince Baelon's campaign considering his grandfather ended his campaign at the Bleeding Sea. The Dragon Vhagar, soaring above the battlefield, rained fire down upon the Dothraki, causing them to flee in all directions. At the same time The Cousins, mounted on their own steeds, led a daring cavalry charge against a disorganised and collapsing horde in an attack. They smashed through the Dothraki, butchering their forces and riding them down ensuring the Dothraki's rout was complete.

These battles, among many others, cemented Prince Baelon's reputation as a skilled warrior and a cunning commander, a firm contrast to the Greener than grass reputation of before. He had proven himself worthy of the legacy of his grandfather, Prince Maegor, and had earned a place in the annals of Westerosi history……… the Dragon's Shadow had fallen upon Essos, and the Dothraki would not soon forget the name of Baelon Targaryen. The return of Prince Baelon and the Sons of the Dragon to Westeros was met with celebrations across the Seven Kingdoms. Prince Baelon the Brave, the Hero of Essos, was hailed as a second Prince Maegor, his name whispered with awe and admiration as well as apprehension as people remembered another second son who rode a larger dragon than his elder brother, one who was also lauded for his battles against the Dothraki and was once beloved by all for his heroism. King Jaehaerys, initially hesitant about his son's expedition, now beamed with pride, though even he was bothered about the second Prince Maegor moniker. The prestige gained by Baelon and his companions was immeasurable. They had proven their valour and leadership on the battlefield, earning the respect of their peers and the admiration of the common folk. Their exploits became the subject of songs and stories, passed down through generations, solidifying their place in Westerosi legend…….

Prince Baelon had won much glory and wealth, but not nearly as much gold as his grandfather. The reasons for this were many, including the campaign being much smaller with no free cities to liberate and their wealth to take; And the Tomori had also negotiated better terms compared to the then desperate Sarnori and Tomori, gaining a fairer share of the loot, though they had surrendered all the captured Valyrian Steel unlike last time to do so. The now much more established trade routes between the lands of the East like Hellas and Qarth with the ports and markets of Westeros due to the rise of the Seahorse trading company also meant that the value of goods such as exotic spices and silks, while still very high, were not nearly as expensive as during previous era's where the Century of Blood and its aftermath had made trade between Westeros and Essos much rarer and much more heavily taxed. Finally another reason was the generosity of Prince Baelon as the much larger host of Lords, knights and common soldiers, nearly twice as the last time, accompanying him meant that the Prince reduced his own portions of the winnings to ensure the men received a just reward, but even with this generosity the men would earn noticeably but not substantially less than their counterparties in the Great Adventure of decades past. However despite all this the Prince had still gained enormous prestige and a great fortune, similar to that of one of the middle ranked Countly houses, more than he could have otherwise hoped to achieve as a second son…………..

Prince Baelon had won no additional Valyrian Steel for House Targaryen after he traded the blades and daggers he claimed with his Cousins for the complete ownership of what would be called the Dragon Jewels. Thus all the Valyrian steel swords and near a quarter of the daggers were given to The Cousins, and were reforged into the seven equal sized Valyrian steel longswords; These being Steelthorn of House Gardener, Lord Morgul of House Welsh, Riptide of the Seahorse Town Velaryon's, Brightroar of House Lannister, Lady Rowan of House Rowan, Guardian of House Oakheart and Steeltusk of House Crakehall.

The Campaign thus gave House Gardener its second Valyrian Steel Blade while giving the rest their first. Steelthorn, Riptide and Brightroar were named after the lost ancestral blades of Houses Gardener, Velaryon and Lannister, incidentally all lost in naval incidents during the Century of Blood, falling into in the sea fighting the Ironborn and Corsairs from Gogossos for the first two, while Brightroar was lost when an expedition to Old Valyria was launched by an old Lannister King, seeking to claim its treasures after the Doom. The remaining nobles and commanders received no swords but rather daggers which while not holding the same prestige of swords were still incredibly valuable and were the pride and treasure of each House which received them.

The Dragon Jewels, Prince Baelon's most prized possessions, also became a subject of fascination. They were all recovered from the Great Khalasar of Khals Tango who believed they had sacred power which could overcome the Dragon Vhagar and protect him and his host from the flames, thus taking them out of Vaes Dothrak for his battles, and in a way the Khal was half-correct for having been informed beforehand that the Khal rode with these jewels the Prince took all precautions to trap the Khal and the jewels in a ring of fire and setting his army upon him rather than simply destroy him from above. 

The five jewels Prince Baelon had bought for much surrendered gold and Valyrian steel were unique. They include:

• The Tear of Aegarax also called the Heart of the Stallion by the Dothraki and the Great Jewel of Sathar, the largest diamond in the world at about 1,106 carats or half a pound heavy. Originally stored in a great temple in Sathar before the stolen by the Dothraki during the Century of Blood. It was named by Prince Baelon for the Valyrian God who created dragons and all the creatures of the world, and the Patron of Shepards.
• The Eye of Gaelithox is a 115 carat brilliant deep blue diamond in the shape of pigeon egg, stolen again from the Sarnori.
• The Fang of Balerion is the Largest Black Diamond in the world, shaped like a small fang bout a third the size of the Heart of Aegarax, stolen from the Temple of Balerion in Essaria after it was sacked during the Century of Blood.
•  Great Jewel of Essaria also stored in the Free City of its name was a clear colourless 530.2 carats diamond, with a very pale yellow and blue colour, given to the Valyrian's when they established the colony as a symbol of friendship by the High King of the Sarnori.
• And finally the Pearl of Caraxes, a round, one pounds heavy, brilliant white Pearl which was originally stored in the Great Temple of Caraxes in Hellas.

These would become not just a symbol of Targaryen Wealth but of prestige and legitimacy for no other House would have such jewels…………………..

When the Prince returned to Westeros, after the celebrations were over the Dragon Jewels were held in a clear glass cases in the Iron Throne Hall for all the realms nobles to see, and it is said the line to do so stretched out the door on the first day, some even tried declaring them fake for no jewels could be so big. But the King instead of punishing them merely asked them to bring in their own trusted jewellers to attest they were fake. House Reyne actually did take the king on his offer and then when their authenticity was confirmed turned to Prince Baelon and instead of offering the Prince apologies offered him a million gold dragons for the Tear of Aegarax alone, which the Prince refused, taking the disbelief and the subsequent offer as good natured rather than meaning to offend.

Since then most of the jewels are kept in these secure cases in the Iron Throne hall which are sealed with thick iron coverings each evening, and are chained and mortared to the floor. The daily covering and uncovering of the great jewels being used as the proxy for Court being in session, for there are both strict rules as well as many, many locks whose keys are held by different people which prevent the cases from being opened when the Court is not in session, both the iron case covering and especially the glass case, which is only opened in the presence of and on the orders of an adult Prince of the Blood with written and stamped permission of the King.

In 76 AC the Prince Baelon was betroth to the King's eldest living daughter, his sister Princess Alyssa who rode the dragon Meleys. It is said the Princess pursued the Prince after his return like a hunter, determined to have his hand and become his wife, and the Prince Baelon wished to marry her too. And while an occasion for joy the betrothal was a time of great uncertainty and fear for the Royal Family as for the first time since the Great Council of 45AC which ended the Faith Militant Uprising and the Anarchy, the Crown was exercising its right to have an incestuous marriage between brother and sister, something which previously had led to a brutal years long war. But despite fears of people from across the realm in 77AC the two were married in a wedding lavish and grand without any violence or uprising.

On their wedding day the Prince married his sister-wife in the Prince Aerion Circus, both bride and groom arriving on their dragons and circling the complex seven times before landing; the crowds, both noble and smallfolk, would cheer loudly when they kissed, and soon all would be stunned when he would gift his sister wife a necklace which would from that day go on to become a legendary piece of jewellery. It was a dazzling cascade of diamonds, characterized by a continuous line of gemstones. The central focus was a the Eye of Gaelithox, its size, deep colour and flawless clarity unparalleled by any other. This dazzling centrepiece was flanked by two rows of smaller diamonds. The upper row comprised a series of larger, rounder diamonds, each radiating an intense fire, while the lower row showcased a mesmerizing array of smaller, sharper diamonds, their facets capturing and reflecting the light into a cascade of rainbows with dazzling effect. The overall length of the necklace was substantial, designed to create a dramatic and impactful display. The diamonds themselves were of exceptional quality, boasting both clarity and a mesmerizing range of colours, from the icy brilliance of colourless stones to the warm glow of diamonds with a hint of yellow. The Princess Alyssa Necklace was more than just jewellery; it was a symbol of status, a testament to the extraordinary wealth and power of the Targaryen monarchy and was unmatched even by the heights set by Old Valyria.

From that day forth every single woman who saw the necklace would deeply covet it, and quickly it become part of songs, poems and stories, infamous not just among the nobility but also the Westerosi smallfolk and the people across the Narrow sea. With every noblewoman wishing to be Queen seeing herself wear the necklace just as much as her wearing a crown, its allure was unmatched. That day Prince Baelon also unearned the undying enmity of every married nobleman in the seven kingdoms as well, for they knew neither they nor any of their sons would never hear the end of this until they day they died.

At the wedding, before the cheering crowds the Prince would also gift the Great Jewel of Essaria to his father King Jaehaerys and the Crown of a Sarnori Queen to his mother Queen Alysanne as bride price. The King would have the Great Jewel incorporated into the then new Royal Sceptre, a ornamental Weirwood and gold rod held by the monarch at major events such as Royal Weddings, Royal Births, Anniversaries to mark decades of reigns and marriges, Great Councils, Coronations and other major events. Its design was derived from the shepherd's staff and has its symbolic origins to when the Valyrian's were simple Shepards living in the shadows of the Fourteen Flames. The Sceptre is topped with the seven pointed star made of seven coloured gems such as amber, amethyst, emeralds, sapphires, etc. and is 3.5 ft long, decorated with black opals, black spinel and red rubies for the Targaryen colours. The King would rename the Great Jewel of Essaria as the Great Star of Westeros. In time the Royal Sceptre would become inseparable from Royal Authority, for like the Iron Throne it would be passed down unchanged for generations and used in every major Royal event as a symbol of Targaryen prestige and power.

Meanwhile the Sarnori Crown or Crown of Queen Alysanne would also become an established part of the Crown Jewels. The crown is made up of 12 hexagonal rosettes on the base each supporting a gold stem topped by a lily. The stems and lilies alternate in size and height. They are heavily jewelled versions of the lily flower that was popular for all forms of Sarnori crowns. In the middle of the hexagons, which have enamelled white flowers overlaid onto a translucent blue or red background, are very large pale blue oval sapphires. Each point is decorated with alternating rubies and clusters of four pearls that have a small diamond at the centre. In addition to diamonds, pearls, and sapphires, the lilies are also decorated with emeralds.

That same year the realm was blessed with the birth of Prince Valerion Targaryen who was the twelfth born child, fourth surviving son of King Jaehaerys, and his last child for the labour was hard on the Queen and while the child was healthy the Queen was told that it was best she give birth no more especially considering her age. Prince Valerion would be given a golden cradle egg which would hatch into the dragon Sunfyre, who in time would be called the most beautiful dragon in the World.

The Year of 76AC  would also see many decrees including the removal of all sumptuary laws or restrictions on foods and items other than clothing's.  Items such as clear glass windows, glass serving dishes, golden and silver cutlery, silk and Cloth of Gold Tapestries, mother of pearl boxes, pearl jewellery, Hellas mirrors and ironwood furniture, foods such as white sugar and saffron from Essos and other such products which were earlier restricted to the nobility were now allowed to be bought across Westeros by anyone with the means to do so as the King argued "Restricting trade in luxury goods only serves to impoverish merchants and artisans.". The law would lead to much greater spending on both Westerosi and foreign luxuries, leading to overall increased trade as well the amount of tax collected by the Crown. Clothing however was regulated still due to the high level of dissent in the Small Council and the Royal Court as a whole to that part of the decree with Ser John Fortescue Keeper of the Royal Wardrobe proclaiming "if every man were allowed to dress as he pleased, there would be no way of knowing who was who.", but even here certain restrictions were loosened and clothes such as Cloths of Gold, Cloth of Silver, Nathi Silk,  Silk velvet, Furs of ermine, sable, and vair, and other such clothes which were earlier restricted to Royalty and the higher nobility such as the Dukes, Counts and greater lords were allowed to be purchased by any noble including landed knights and Masterly Houses. The reasoning being that "Every nobleman should be free to adorn himself as he sees fit."

This accelerated the growth in expenditure on clothing for simply wearing silk or fine woollen cloth dyed in Tyroshi dye's to court, not just the Royal Court but also the Duke's court, was not enough. Now all clothes needed to be embroidered and made more elaborate, and thanks to Queen Alysanne's choice the most fashionable clothes now required expensive buttons made of precious metals, ivory, and gemstones rather than a simple pin with the Queen and royal family not wearing a single garment requiring pins, nor tying any clothes except garters meaning the Royal Button Workshop saw much demand in its early years without needing to wait to build a market for its wares. All this meant that for many nobles they either needed to spend much more or become unfashionable, a social death sentence. Some of the poorer, overly ambitious and more foolish nobility even used loans for clothes and jewels in a bid to display wealth they did not have to attract marriages and the like. All this not only greatly accelerated the growth of existing Royal workshops but catalysed the growth of new ones, and in the coming decades they would grow skilled enough to compete with Essosi producers in Essos in certain markets, aided by the ever shifting alliances of the Free cities creating brief openings in markets with each tariff and trade war.

In 77AC Aenar Velaryon would die of old age, his death a surprise despite his advanced age due to his excellent health. His death would be a blow to all his children both of his blood and his heart with the Queen holding a full seven week mourning observation at his death, despite him not technically being a member of the Royal Family. His grandchildren were also devastated as were as the young Princes and Princesses for whom he served as an honorary grandfather. Even the King was not unaffected for despite the complications that came in their relationship due to Prince Maegor, the King always appreciated his uncle for coming to his aid during the Great Trial, convinced till his end that his uncle Aenar was the only reason he and his family survived that day. With his death the unspoken taboo of speaking of Prince Maegor's closeness to Lord Aenar was broken in the Royal Court, for many eulogies acknowledged it; not that any of their children or grandchildren ever denied the existence of their companionship what with the Queen openly proclaiming the Velaryon's of Seahorse Town as siblings despite them being related by blood only to her husband. Lord Aenar was cremated rather than buried at sea like other members of House Velaryon and had his ashes stored in Prince Maegor's Crypt in the Great Temple of Kings Landing.

Lord Aethan Velaryon became the head of House Velaryon of Seahorse Town, he would in time rename his house to become House Seawynd of Seahorse Town, marking a definitive break from Driftmark and the mainline of House Velaryon, cementing the rivalry that existed between the two Houses with the Seawynd's showing off their wealth and the Velaryon's showing off their larger holdings and senior status, never forgetting to remind the Seawynd's they were the cadet branch born from a fourth son. They would also never forget to accuse the Seawynd's that Aenar Velaryon had earned his wealth on his back, exploiting the sinful urges of Prince Maegor as well as the burning of the Velaryon Fleets rather than his trading skills, a charge which was always denied and countered with accusations of jealousy and bitterness by a family "who only held worthless and damp rock, while we own a quarter of the Royal Capital, being the Second Family of the City of Kings Landing".

In the years to come much of the Royal Court would soon face itself divided and priming for battle. Only not on the battlefield they expected.

Chapter Text

Also in 74AC the Duke Mern, Duke of the Reach, Goodfather of Duke Alyx and Master of Coin died. With his death Duke Alyx came to rule the Reach in name as much as fact and he would leave an indelible mark on his the Reach.

Excerpt from The Dragon of the Reach: The Life of Duke Alyx Gardener By Maester Luton of the Moontown Citadel.

History remembers Duke Alyx Gardener, Dragon of The Reach, with a mixture of awe, resentment, and grudging respect, similar to his father Maegor the Dragon. His ascension to the Duke and Lord Paramount of the Reach was born of a 'fair' trade during the Anarchy in the aftermath of the Great Trials. Prince Maegor Targaryen, ever mindful of his son’s future, had demanded that the young Prince Alyx be named heir to a powerful and prestigious seat as the price of his acceptance of his nephew Jaehaerys being crowned King after his mother Queen Mother Alyssa caused the death of his son Prince Gaemon.

As such Prince Maegor made a 'fair' trade with the then Archduke of the Reach, Mern Gardener who Prince Maegor had raised during the Anarchy after the defiance and rebellion of his elder brother. Prince Maegor would allow Archduke Mern to remain Lord of Highgarden and the Reach despite his House' treachery, he would not resort to shedding the Mantarys blood the Archduke shared with his wife Princess Shaena in ways which broke every standard of morals or ethics; Eleanor Gardener, the eldest daughter and heir of Duke Mern Gardener would not be sold of to a Lysene whorehouse as a slave but instead would get to marry his son Prince Alyx, a Prince with the Blood of the Dragon, who would take her name and sigil. In return Prince Alyx would become Duke Mern's Heir ruling The Reach after his passing rather than serving as a consort. The trade was readily made once the consequences of failing to do so were clearly laid out and thus House Gardener was not be cast into history as an example of those foolish enough to defy Prince Maegor……It is said Princess Shaena was while happy over her sons future being secured, was still angry over her cousins Mern and especially Eleanor  being threatened so….. and when she berated her husband for his harshness he is said to have lost his temper, grabbing his wife by the throat and raising her off the ground with just and arm, and then replied to her berating that "Your Womb is not that fertile anymore that I can use it, perhaps the lysene pleasure houses can grow something in it, should I make arrangements to check?" only letting her go at the pleading of Prince Alyx who had witnessed part of the argument and while Princess Shaena had a strong marriage it is said at that threat, particularly when the Prince Maegor was so volatile after Prince Gaemon's death, scared her so much that Princess Shaena left for Dragonstone so as to not attract her husbands wrath allegedly saying "Most of what was human died with Gaemon, if there is a man and not just a beast left in that flesh only Alyx, Alysanne and Aenar have hope of finding out….Aerion is unfortunately too gone as well, he would only make my husband worse" …….

After the marriage Prince Alyx, Son of The Dragon, became Duke Alyx Gardener and quickly was acknowledged as de facto ruler of the Reach, a status which was entrenched especially once Duke Mern was called to Kings Landing to serve as Master of Coin…………

The Reach, though subdued and in a state of rebuilding after the Anarchy and the Great Council of 45 AC, still simmered with resentment and dissent. Hidden pockets of Faith Militant sympathizers and holdouts, bandits who had mixed with the remaining warriors sons and poor fellows who did not recognize the peace, and opportunistic nobles sought to exploit the lack of Royal oversight that still existed in parts of the Reach. Duke Alyx, ever the pragmatist and ever his fathers son, recognized the need for decisive action. In 52AC Duke Alyx established the organization known officially as the Highgarden Patrol, but history remembers them by a far more ominous name: the Black Hounds……….Clad in black, their cloaks fastened with a silver hound’s head clasping a broom, the Black Hounds were composed primarily of veterans from the Faith Militant conflict. A significant portion was drawn from the ranks of the Dragonguard, hardened by battle and fiercely loyal to the Prince Maegor, men who had proven their courage and devotion to House Targaryen and the Blood of the Dragon. Their mandate was simple: root out any remaining dissent. They were granted sweeping powers, unleashed on even the high lords who had already bent the knee, but were suspected to continued defiance. However their main target was the lesser and petty nobility, landed knights, defiant septons and septa's, Bandits, hidden pockets of the Faith Militant and even the smallfolk suspected of harbouring rebellious sympathies.

The Black Hounds moved swiftly and ruthlessly, using informants, torture, and intimidation to uncover dissent. They targeted not only those who actively participated in treason but also those who were suspected of harboring sympathies for the traitors. Their tactics were often brutal, rumor's spread of midnight raids, secret interrogations, and summary executions. Many of their enemies were impaled on stakes which was a favoured Targaryen punishment, in a field outside Highgarden City there was a field of some one hundred stakes where there was a constant fresh supply of traitors was found impaled in these years. Morbidly Duke Alyx liked to take long walks in this forest of death when he wished to "clear my head and have some peace". Those petty nobles found guilt of treason of aiding the remnants of the faith militant, or septons preaching against Duke Alyx or House Targaryen were always executed. But often their lands were also confiscated and their families imprisoned or worse despite the rule of punishing three generations having been formally revoked. Much but not all of this land was given to the members of the Black Hounds. In aggregate the land redistributed was not much, with most members becoming large farm owners rather becoming petty lords, but despite not being that much every inch of land was still packed with symbolism and meaning, each farm became a warning and deterrent of its own…….

The Black Hounds’ reputation for cruelty was carefully cultivated, serving as a deterrent to any who might consider challenging Duke Alyx's authority………The Black Hounds' operations extended beyond the rural areas. Their presence in Oldtown, a city with strong ties to the Faith, proved crucial in their greatest victory. Their 'interrogations' of some rouge septons led them to hear whispers of a secret organisation in the city which opposed the Targaryens. In time they would discover the 'Order of the Enlightened Hand' within the Oldtown Citadel. This small but influential group of maesters had been secretly working against House Targaryen, providing information and coordinating among rebellious lords. Their actions had been significant as the Order had played a role in swaying Dukes Rowan and Oakheart to the Faith Militant cause, demonstrating the power of information and influence in the hands of the Maesters. The destruction of the Order, whose members were impaled on stakes lining the paths of the citadel, crippled any remaining organized resistance within the Citadel to House Targaryen with the Duke Alyx declaring the matter settled….…The King Jaehaerys would order some inquiries into the Royal Citadel but would not find any evidence of a larger organisation or conspiracy putting him and the rest of the Court at rest knowing these rouges were deviants from the otherwise loyal Maesters…..

The Black Hounds’ methods were brutal, efficient, and undeniably effective. Yet, their actions came at a cost. Duke Alyx became a figure of fear and loathing throughout the Reach, his name whispered with a mixture of dread and anger. Even his father-in-law, Duke Mern, a pious man in his own right, disapproved of the Black Hounds' tactics, arguing that magnanimity in victory was a far more potent tool than fear. This difference in opinion created a rift between the two men, a tension that lingered until Duke Mern’s death……………..

The Black Hounds' campaign in the Reach was not without its challenges. While they successfully crushed the remaining Faith Militant cells and ensured the nobility were humbled and became more obedient to Highgarden, they also generated widespread resentment. Many, even those who had no sympathy for the Faith Militant, were appalled by their brutal methods. The fear they instilled created an atmosphere of suspicion and distrust, poisoning social relations and hindering trade. In this once again the Duke proved to be his fathers son, for Maegor the Dragon had faced the same issues during the Anarchy…………………….

The Black Hounds’ reign of terror lasted for a decade…………….The widespread resentment they engendered threatened to destabilize the realm as nobles from the Wall till Dorne feared that they too would soon be targeted by such an organisation. It was this rising fear and the distrust that it created which ultimately led King Jaehaerys, during his Royal Progress to the Reach, to disband the organization. This greatly increased the King popularity and helped entrench his reputation as a wise, peace loving and just monarch.

While the Black Hounds were gone, their legacy remained. They had served their purpose, solidifying Duke Alyx’s control over the Reach. But their actions also left a deep scar on the land, a legacy of fear and resentment that would linger for years to come. The Black Hounds became a chilling reminder that Duke Alyx a Dragon just as much as his brothers and father, even if he did not ride one any longer……….He also provided interest free loans to those members of the Black Hounds which wished to own mills, shops, inns, taverns, workshops making them established members of their communities and also as a source for information from across the land, meaning they and their vigilance were never truly gone for all that mothers did not have to fear waking up to their children beheaded in the dead of the night as the infamous story went………

Duke Alyx’s impact on Highgarden extended far beyond the brutal efficiency of the Black Hounds. While fear solidified his initial control, it was his subsequent efforts to revitalize the city and the Reach that defined his long reign. Highgarden, under his direction, underwent a dramatic transformation. The demolition of the old city walls was not merely a symbolic gesture of demonstrating his power and control; it was a practical measure to accommodate the burgeoning population and facilitate trade. The narrow, overcrowded winding streets of the old city were replaced with wider, planned thoroughfares for its main fourteen axis'. The construction of new roads not only improved internal traffic flow but also connected Highgarden more effectively to the surrounding countryside, stimulating trade and the movement of goods.……..

The new river docks significantly increased Highgarden's capacity for handling river traffic, making it a more attractive hub for merchants, especially as the Peace of King Jaehaerys and the new Royal roads boosted both river and overland trade………. The public squares, strategically placed throughout the expanded city, became centers of commerce and social interaction………….. The bustling marketplaces offered a wider variety of goods, attracting merchants from across the Reach and beyond……The new wells and aqueducts provided a reliable source of clean water, a vast improvement over the often-contaminated wells of the old city. This, coupled with the updated sewage system, drastically improved public health and sanitation, reducing the spread of disease and contributing to the city's growing population……..Duke Alyx’s sponsorship of guilds had a profound impact on the quality of goods produced in Highgarden. The guilds, now empowered and regulated, enforced standards of craftsmanship, leading to an increase in the quality and reputation of Highgarden’s products. This, in turn, attracted more merchants and further boosted the city’s economy. The guilds also played a role in training apprentices, ensuring a steady supply of skilled labor for the city’s growing industries……

The Duke also reformed the governance of the city by founding the Court of Aldermen, composed of representatives from the merchant class and the guilds, which proved to be an invaluable instrument of governance. Working in concert with the Lord Mayor, who was appointed directly by Duke Alyx, the Court provided a vital link between House Gardener and the city's commercial interests. The Court of Aldermen facilitated the resolution of disputes between different interest quickly and efficiently; Its input on matters of trade, taxation, and city planning ensured that the city’s policies reflected the needs of its commercial population, making Highgarden a more attractive place to do business. The Court also served as a valuable source of information for the Duke, providing him with insights into the trade flows, internal dynamics and status of the city and the Reach, at times being faster to relay information than his spy network as merchants gossip flew faster than any dragon or raven.

After Duke Mern's death and his formal ascension as Duke, he commissioned the construction of the Circus of Highgarden, The Great Temple of Highgarden, The Baths of Alyx and the Theater of Alyx, adding Valyrian cultural and religious venues despite the decades long opposition from his father-in-law, for he considered them provocative to not just the Faith but the people of the Reach at large. However the chariot racing and Essosi-style plays in Highgarden would become very popular. Similarly the Baths of Alyx would grow so crowded in just two years of their completion that the Baths of Aerion, Shaena and Gaemon would be commissioned in the coming years to handle demand. Even the Great Temple would become a notable landmark for all that Highgarden remained a bastion of the Faith of the Seven. In time the Lannisters, Grafton's, Tyrells,  Celtimon's, and Hightowers would eventually emulate these works, building their own Baths, Circuses and theatres and popularizing chariot racing and Essosi-style bathing and plays in Westeros, though it should be noted that King Landing played a much larger influence in these decisions; the Duke would also later aid his niece in furthering such works and with them Valyrian culture in Westeros ……….Numerous statues of his dragon Bluefyre, who perished protecting him during the Faith Militant uprising, were also erected throughout his lands including in the Square's of the Great Sept of Highgarden, the rebuilt Highgarden Basilica, and Goldenhand Square.

Beyond Highgarden’s walls, Duke Alyx focused on improving the productivity of his direct holdings, the Reach Proper. He invested in works in the villages and small towns under his direct control, improving rural roads, building bridges of stone and wood, and watermills, windmills and irrigation systems. These improvements increased the harvest and facilitated the movement of goods to Highgarden, further enriching the city and the surrounding countryside. He also encouraged the growth of local markets in these smaller settlements by holding trade fairs in the towns of the Reach Proper, stimulating regional trade.…………..

Duke Alyx’s efforts to improve the Reach went beyond infrastructure and economics. He understood the importance of stability and security. While the Black Hounds had instilled fear, he also recognized the need for a more sustainable form of order. He strengthened the local watch in towns and villages in the Reach Proper, improved the training and equipment of his the Highgarden City Watch with many members of the Black Hounds having joined the Watch after their disbandment, and worked to reduce banditry through a combination of patrols and rewards for capturing or killing outlaws though in many cases just his reputation was enough with bandits fleeing areas the Duke was known to be in……….

Duke Alyx's most significant contributions, however, were in the field of education. Inspired by the Honourable Society of Golden Sept Inn in Lannisport and the Middle Temple Inn of Court in Kings Landing, he founded the Honourable Society of Lincoln's Inn, one of the Inns of Court, named for his advisor Magistrate Lincoln who had helped establish and lead the Black Hounds, advising the Duke on matters which as an outsider he and the Dragonguard did not know about or understand, and who became the first head of the Inn of Court. This institution challenged the longstanding mostly duopolistic hold of the Oldtown Citadel and the Faith in legal education south of the Neck, which was particularly strong within the Reach, the Faith's heartland and the seat of the Citadel. But tradition would not be much hindrance for Lincoln's Inn's focused curriculum and large student body allowed it to quickly surpass the Oldtown Citadel and the Faith, becoming the leading source of legal training in the Reach. However ending this duopoly outright was not too easy, for the expansion of Inns of Court system faced resistance from the Maesters and the Faith, with institutions like the Dragonsmouth Inn of Court taking nearly a decade to establish despite House Gardener's support. This would not be the last contribution the Duke made to the realm of education in the city or the Reach however but that came much later.

Despite his accomplishments, Duke Alyx remained an outsider. The shadow of his father and brothers, Aerion and Gaemon, loomed large. He was never fully accepted by his vassals, many of whom harboured deep resentment for his methods to consolidate control. He had no close friends amongst them with his closest ties being with House Mantarys of Tumbleton, his mother’s family. He further alienated his vassals by publicly erecting large bronze statues of his controversial family, including Princes Maegor, Aerion, Gaemon, and Queen Visenya, in what became known as Duke Alyx Square. His dismissive attitude towards his vassals, whom he referred to as "dimwitted bleating sheep" further damaged his reputation……..Duke Alyx Gardener ruled the Reach with an iron fist, restoring order and prosperity to his lands. Yet, he did so at the cost of his own popularity. He was a pragmatic ruler, who understood the necessity of strength and decisive action……However this was not the end of the Duke's accomplishment and works…..

Chapter Text

In the year 77 AC, the peace of the Royal Court began to strain, not because of disputes between Princes Aemon and Baelon, who were as close as brothers could be, having quickly regained their friendship despite their years apart. Nor was it due to friction between the King and his heir, or even between the Queen and Princess Jocelyn, who maintained a fragile truce, slightly less fragile after the birth of Princess Rhaenys. The source of the growing tension was instead the rivalry between the young princes' wives, the Princesses Jocelyn and Alyssa, and a conflict that would soon be known as the Wives' War, dividing the Royal Court into two opposing factions. On the surface, the issues contested initially seemed trivial with minor stakes for the King and Queen maintained a tight grip on the Iron Throne and the Royal Offices, controlling all appointments and legal matters. Yet, the conflict held deeper significance, for it was a battle over the very culture of the Kingdom.

Princess Jocelyn, despite being a Baratheon (a cadet branch of House Targaryen) with a Velaryon mother, was culturally Andal through and through. She favoured the Durrandon colours and looks to such an extent that one would never suspect any Valyrian blood flowed through her veins. She was a sincere follower of the Faith of the Seven, though she lacked the piety required to become a septa. She was most comfortable speaking Royal Andal, followed by Storm's End or Durran's Andal, and barely was able to comprehend High Valyrian despite years of half hearted study. Her ladies-in-waiting were daughters of long-established Andal families who adhered strictly to the Seven. This preference for Andal culture extended to all aspects of her life, from her choice of clothing and food to the music she enjoyed. It was a subtle, yet firm, assertion of her identity, a way of carving out her place in a Royal Family dominated by Valyrian language and traditions which were alien to her.

Princess Alyssa was Jocelyn's opposite. With her characteristic Valyrian silver-gold hair and mismatched eyes (one violet, the other the pale blue of her grandmother, Princess Shaena), she was fiercely proud of her Valyrian and Targaryen heritage. Like her mother, Queen Alysanne, her husband, Prince Baelon, and many of her family, she nominally adhered to the Faith of the Seven to maintain peace within the realm, but her true devotion lay with the Fourteen Flames. She regularly frequented the Temple of the Red Keep and the Prince Maegor Temple in King's Landing, supposedly to admire the art, while rarely attending services in the Sept unless it was a major occasion. She was most comfortable speaking High Valyrian and preferred not to use Royal Andal. Her ladies-in-waiting were either daughters of the Valyrian houses themselves or those from families like the Darklyns, Rosbys, Mootons, and Tyrells, who had married into the Valyrian Houses and had adopted more Valyrian customs; though all the Valyrian noble houses had at least outwardly embraced the Faith of the Seven since the time of Aegon the Conqueror.

Princess Alyssa's embrace of Valyrian culture was not merely a matter of tradition; it was a statement of superiority. Valyria, in her eyes, was inherently better than any Andal realm– its dragons more powerful than any knight, keep or army, its art, architecture, science, law, literature, and overall culture more advanced in every facet. The fact that Princess Jocelyn despite being the next supposed matriarch of House Targaryen did not speak High Valyrian or understand Valyrian customs and traditions was a source of constant disdain for Princess Alyssa. She was particularly perplexed by Princess Jocelyn raising her daughter, Princess Rhaenys, as if she were an Andal, a decision Alyssa saw as a betrayal of their shared Targaryen heritage.

Soon the two princesses would clash patronising different charitable works, different singers, different dance styles, different fashions of clothes, different style of statues and tapestries, of cooking and all such other matters . Soon speaking in High Valyrian and Royal Andal in the women's parlours of the Red Keep was seen by many noblewomen in court to be a political choice, to show allegiance to one faction or another. It would even grow to the point that certain noblewomen would declare their favourite chariot teams based on their allegiance. Those supporting the Princess Jocelyn supporting the Blue Team (after her blue Durrandon and Andal eyes) becoming the Blues and those supporting Princess Alyssa supporting the Orange Team (as it was Prince Baelon's favourite team and Princess Alyssa herself cared not for charioting) becoming the Orangists . Those who were genuinely enthusiastic about chariot racing, a not insignificant number of men at court and the vast majority of Crownland lords who had spent the most time watching the sport, denounced the women on both sides as well as Prince Baelon, for their poor choices as the ones chosen were some of the worst teams, with the best teams being the Greens, Greys, and Blacks. The King after making it clear he would not tolerate any impediment to the administration of the realm ignored it as a trivial women's matter which would resolve itself, he should not have for then it might not have escalated as it had.

The Wives' War soon increasingly felt like a real war for all that it wasn't fought with swords or poison, but with the subtle weapons of culture: song, dance, fashion, and art. Ladies of the court, mirroring the rivalry of their princesses, became foot soldiers in this bloodless battle. A seemingly innocuous choice of gown could be a potent declaration of allegiance. A ballad praising the strength and piety of Andal queens would be sung in one corner of the Red Keep, while in another, a troupe of musicians would perform a Valyrian epic celebrating the ancient glories of their ancestors. Courtly balls became battlegrounds of style, with Princess Jocelyn's supporters emphasizing flowing lines and voluminous dresses, while Princess Alyssa's faction flaunted Valyrian-inspired designs, favoring close-fitting garments and shimmering fabrics. For example, at one grand feast, Lady Ellyn Costayne, a staunch supporter of Princess Jocelyn, arrived wearing a gown of deep blue velvet, embroidered with silver stags, the sigil of House Baratheon. This subtle nod to Jocelyn's lineage was immediately interpreted as a challenge by Princess Alyssa's followers. Lady Alys Vhassar, a woman known for her sharp wit and even sharper tongue, countered by appearing in a gown of shimmering silver velvet, its intricate design reminiscent of dragon scales. This subtle war of fashion extended to hairstyles as well. Princess Jocelyn's ladies favored intricate braids adorned with ribbons, while Princess Alyssa's followers adopted elaborate updos, often incorporating feathers and jewels, echoing the styles of the ancient Valyrian's.

This cultural clash within the court had repercussions for the broader realm. The divisions within the Red Keep mirrored existing tensions throughout the Seven Kingdoms. The Andal nobility, feeling increasingly marginalized by the dominance of Valyrian customs at court and their spread to even in their own lands, saw in Princess Jocelyn a champion of their traditions. They felt a growing unease, a sense of being strangers in their own homeland. The stories of Essos and Valyria, with its larger cities, sophisticated infrastructure, advanced sciences, elaborate cultures, and diverse economies spewing forth endless riches, further fueled this crisis of confidence. Compared to the bustling Free Cities or the scholarly centers of Myr or Hellas or Qarth; Westeros, with its relatively small and less developed cities and town, seemed almost provincial, and none could forget Westeros would have been even more provincial unless it had been Conquered by the Targaryens.  This sense of inadequacy was particularly acute among the prouder and more chauvinistic Andal nobility, such as those who tried to deny the First Men blood in their veins, who felt their cultural contributions were being overshadowed by the romanticized image of Valyria. Princess Jocelyn's supporters sought to counter this sentiment, using culture as a weapon in their struggle against Valyrian dominance. They commissioned songs that celebrated the heroes of Andal history, emphasizing their piety, strength, and resilience. They sponsored tapestries depicting scenes from Andal folklore, reinforcing a sense of shared identity and cultural pride. These cultural initiatives were not merely artistic expressions; they were deliberate attempts to reclaim the narrative, to remind the realm of the rich heritage of the Andals and their crucial role in shaping Westeros.

Princess Alyssa, however, was not one to be outmanoeuvred. She, with the aid of her Mother Queen Alysanne and her Uncle and Aunt Duke Alyx and Duchess Valaena, used her influence to convince nobles in large towns and cities, such as Fairmarket, Tumbleton, Atranta, Willow Wood, Harrentown, Dragonsmouth, Duskendale, and Gulltown, to patronise an expansion of Valyrian culture. This was done by sponsoring chariot races with towns and cities such as Fairmarket, Tumbleton, Gulltown, and Dragonsmouth building stone circuses similar to Kings landing, Highgarden, Oldtown and Lannisport. Also built by all of them were Valyrian-style theatres and public baths. These projects, while ostensibly intended to improve the lives of the common people, also served to showcase the grandeur and sophistication of Valyrian culture. The chariot races, with their echoes of ancient Valyria, became immensely popular, drawing crowds as large as any tournament and becoming famous in all corners of the Realm. The Valyrian theatres staged plays that captivated people both highborn and common in ways that mummery never could. The public baths became symbols of Valyrian refinement and hygiene. Princess Alyssa's strategy was to demonstrate the superiority of Valyrian culture not through abstract arguments or through art that only a few nobles would see, but through tangible examples of its beauty, power, and practicality, that is to say the Valyrian way.

Princess Jocelyn, recognizing the challenge posed by Alyssa's initiatives, sought to counter this cultural offensive by promoting Andal achievements and traditions in the Royal Court. Her efforts were not simply about preserving the past against the onslaught; they were about shaping the future, ensuring that the Andal heritage would continue to play a vital role in the cultural landscape of Westeros.

Matters began to get worse when in 78 AC Princess Alyssa gave birth to Prince Viserys, named after the King Jaehaerys' brother and predecessor. Prince Baelon initially wanted to name him after his grandfather Prince Maegor who he admired and loved greatly,  but was dissuaded by his mother who felt the name still had too much of a weight behind it for a child to bear, and that while her husband the King also admired the Prince Maegor for his many deeds there was too much bad blood between them to take well to the name. With his birth the Royal Court soon became openly divided over the line of succession after years of whispers, and soon the Noblemen of the realm formed two factions where formed based on whether Prince Baelon or Princess Rhaenys should be Prince Aemon's heir. Those who supported Prince Baelon cited the precedents set by King Aegon when he named Prince Maegor heir over then Princess Rhaena, both of King Aegon II's daughter being skipped over when King Viserys was crowned, and that the King himself had decreed Prince Maegor to be his heir over his own daughter Princess Visenya. Meanwhile others countered that the Dragon and Targaryen Inheritance Law which was the main written law regarding Targaryen inheritances was silent on the matter as it had not specified exactly that an uncle came before a daughter always only that Prince Maegor and his son were the heirs before Queen Rhaena or any daughter of King Jaehaerys . Thus long standing precedents should be used meaning the daughter came before the uncle. Inevitably countered by their opponents that the argument was not only splitting hairs to the point of absurdity but also that House Targaryen was Valyrian and the precedents that the supporters of Princess Rhaenys cited were Andal with all the precedents of the Targaryens themselves showing that uncles came before daughters.

Almost from the start these factions would merge with the factions of the Wives war and the dispute over the succession became less about the exact wordings of laws and ancient precedents and more of the future of the Targaryens and the culture of the Royal court and Realm that each successor would bring. Princess Jocelyn received much support for her daughters claim from nobles she knew not, had not courted for support and who otherwise would never openly oppose a Prince of the Blood who rode such a large dragon, for on Princess Rhaenys black haired, andal blue eyed, head rested the hopes of a realm where Andal law, Faith and Culture would once again become resurgent.

The Wives' War within the Royal Court was more than just a clash of aesthetics; it was a battleground for deeper anxieties and resentments. For Princess Jocelyn, the inability to ride a dragon, a symbol of Targaryen power and prestige, was a constant source of inadequacy, making her feel lesser. More importantly, her failure to provide Prince Aemon with a son weighed heavily on her. The whispers were constant: her husband's line could lose the Iron Throne due to her barrenness, having birth only one child in over half a decade of marriage, with the crown potentially passing to Prince Baelon and his descendants. The implications were clear – her daughter would be sidelined, her influence diminished, and her legacy tarnished.

This fear fueled her determination to maintain the throne within her husband's line, making the struggle all the more critical as only Andal law and culture being uncontested would allow her to do so. To allow Valyrian culture to dominate would be a victory for Queen Alysanne and would steal the realm from Princess Rhaenys. Adding to her burden was the constant reminder of the "disgrace and humiliation" suffered by her mother, Queen Mother Alyssa, and her elder half-sister, Queen Rhaena, at the hands of Prince Maegor during the Great Trials by members of the Royal Court. This historical trauma, deeply felt by Princess Jocelyn, further fueled her animosity towards the Queen and Princess Alyssa, making the cultural conflict a personal vendetta as well as a political struggle. Queen Alysanne’s initial opposition to her marriage to Prince Aemon, based on Princess Jocelyn’s perceived lack of familiarity with Valyrian culture, had also created a deep-seated resentment and a sense of being judged by a standard she could never fully meet. This rejection solidified her into a staunch defender of Andal traditions.

Princess Alyssa's opposition to Princess Jocelyn was also rooted in their families' histories. Princess Jocelyn's house, House Baratheon of Storm's End, and her mother's house, House Velaryon of Driftmark, had been staunch political adversaries of Prince Maegor, Princess Alyssa's grandfather, leading the opposition against him in the Royal Court. Furthermore, Queen Mother Alyssa’s role in starting the Anarchy and allowing for the Great Betrayal was also held against her daughter, being deemed guilty for the death of Princes Aerion and Gaemon. The Princess also never forgave or forgot that Queen Mother  main motivation for all this was only to deprive Queen Alysanne, her mother, of her rightful crown. This meant that to Princess Alyssa, Princess Jocelyn was not just a rival, but a symbol of all the injustices and betrayals her family had suffered.

Amidst this growing divide, King Jaehaerys and Prince Aemon attempted to maintain peace and prevent the factions from becoming entrenched. From the start they promoted a more relaxed view of culture, encouraging cultural fusion and exchange. The King would from his earliest days as King host feasts where both Andal and Valyrian dishes were served, and encouraged musicians to blend traditional melodies from both cultures. Prince Aemon, having grown up sharing his father's vision, would often wear clothing that incorporated elements of both Andal and Valyrian styles, demonstrating that it was possible to embrace both heritages without compromising one's identity. He would also make sure to publicly praise good cultural contributions from either side, whether it was a Valyrian style play celebrating an Andal hero or a Valyrian-inspired architecture being used in a sept. The King and the Crown Prince’s approach till date was one of gentle guidance, promoting a vision of a unified Westeros where all were valued. They slowly began to understand that the growing Wives' War was not just a matter of courtly fashion or women being women; it was a political struggle and they were determined to prevent it from tearing the kingdom apart especially after blatantly underestimating its impact before, being unable to prevent it from escalating out of hand due to their negligence of such matters.

King Jaehaerys and Prince Aemon soon recognized that a more decisive hand was needed compared to their exisitng approach which was designed for a different context. The subtle approach, while well-intentioned, had failed to quell the Wives' War from becoming about more than just fashion. The rivalry between Princess Jocelyn and Princess Alyssa, and their respective factions, threatened to destabilize the court thus the King, known for his wisdom and firm rule, decided it was time for more direct action. He understood that the longer this division persisted, the deeper the roots of resentment would grow, potentially leading to more serious consequences. Thus they took action in the waning months of 78AC.

Both King Jaehaerys and Prince Aemon, committed to maintaining peace, refused to definitively take sides in the Wives War or the matter of Succession. They also understood that a forced resolution would only exacerbate the existing divisions, driving the losing faction further into resentment. Instead, the King took a series of calculated steps to curb the more overt displays of rivalry and promote a more harmonious atmosphere. He issued a series of royal decrees regulating courtly fashion, establishing guidelines for acceptable attire and discouraging ostentatious displays of cultural allegiance. Gowns that were too overtly Andal or Valyrian in style were deemed inappropriate for court functions. He also forbade the wearing of specific laces, elements or symbols that had become associated with either faction. This measure, while seemingly trivial, had a significant impact. It removed one of the most visible battlegrounds of the Wives' War, forcing the ladies of the court to express their identities in more subtle ways.

Furthermore, King Jaehaerys demonstrated his resolve by stripping several husbands of their offices and titles due to the disruptive behavior of their wives. He made it clear that he would not tolerate any actions that threatened the peace and stability of the realm, regardless of the perpetrator's House or standing. This decisive move sent a clear message to the court: such rivalries would not be tolerated, and those who persisted in fomenting division would face serious consequences.

Simultaneously, the King actively promoted families known for their conciliatory approach, elevating them to positions of influence within the court. He rewarded those who preached moderation and cultural fusion, demonstrating that cooperation and understanding were valued above zeal. This strategic patronage shifted the balance of power within the court, empowering those who sought to bridge the divide and marginalizing those who sought to widen it. Finally, King Jaehaerys, in a display of his authority, sent several nobles back to their family seats. These individuals, known for their particularly vocal support of either Princess Jocelyn or Princess Alyssa, were deemed to be contributing to the ongoing tensions. Their banishment from court served as a stark reminder of the King's power and his willingness to use it to maintain order.

In 79AC, once the court had been cowed, both Prince Aemon and Prince Baelon, along with their wives, left their children behind with King Jaehaerys and Queen Alysanne and embarked on a year-long royal progress throughout the realm. They visited every region, every Lord Paramount's seat, every major city, every cardinal, and seemingly every significant settlement, from the relatively new Snowfort and Snowtown of House Whitewolf in the North to the Arbor in the South, only returning to King's Landing once for a brief three-week stay. To expedite their journey, the princes and princesses divided their escort party into multiple detachments, sending them ahead to each destination. They themselves flew on their dragons, with Princess Jocelyn riding along her husband, a swift and majestic mode of travel that allowed them to cover vast distances, spending only a night or two at most locations. This strategy enabled them to cover more ground quickly and provided those accompanying them with longer periods of rest between journeys. With the princesses absent from court and the King's open displeasure clearly communicated, tensions fully dissipated.

These measures, taken together, had a profound effect on the court. The overt displays ended and the court began to revert, somewhat, to its previous state, where differences in heritage were acknowledged but not weaponized. The King’s firm hand, combined with his promotion of cultural blending, created a new equilibrium, one where peace was maintained, and the most dangerous excesses of the Wives’ War were curtailed. While the underlying tensions may not have completely disappeared as many of the matters such as that of succession were still unsettled, they were no longer allowed to disrupt the harmony of the court or potentially threaten the stability of the realm. As such the Wives war is dated to have lasted from 77AC to 78AC.

In 79AC, marking 30 Years of his wedding that the King did unveil one of his greatest legacies, for ever since his coronation the King had been wondering how else, other than roads, could he improve the realm through public works outside of Kings Landing, on how to weave his kingdom together. The answer was to build a road for boats, or more commonly known as, a canal. As such it was after nearly a decade of effort by Maesters, Alchemists, surveyors, mapmakers, architects and engineers from both Westeros and Essos did the king reveal plans for the King Jaehaerys Canal to connect the Blackwater rush to the Mander, the scale of the project never seen before in Westeros since the Dawn age when Brandon the Builder built the Wall and the Hightower.

Built on the Lands of House Mantarys and Gaellia, with the backing of Duke Alyx and the Crown the canal was a first of its kind for Westeros, but not the known world for it was inspired by the grand canals of the White Kingdoms and Qarth on the eastern front of Valyria's Empire. Many nobles considered it a waste of money and time, and declared it less a useful venture like the Royal roads, an attempt by the King to write his name in the history books regardless of the merits. But what the nobles did not realise, or refused to realise, was that the canal was never meant to compete with the sea, it was never supposed to be the main facilitator of trade from the east to the west coast of Westeros, but rather it was supposed to connect the Upper Reach and Mander basin to the City of Kings Landing. By using the canal Kings Landing could connect to its market the well established food markets and trade networks of the Reach and in doing so break the monopoly of the lower Riverland's and Blackwater valley and thus hopefully lower food prices in the city. Not only this, but by building the canal Kings Landing could compete with Oldtown in connecting the Upper Reach to the Narrow Sea, even if the canal never became the main artery for East-West travel, by simply connecting the Upper Reach to Braavos, Pentos and the trade networks at the Narrow Sea it would be a worthwhile endeavour for it would allow Kings Landing to break the monopoly of Oldtown which it held since time immemorial and hopefully gain more revenue and riches.

It was because of these reasons rather than a desire to gain royal favour or blood ties did Duke Alyx and House Gardener decided to join in this endeavour which became one their greatest legacies. For the Duke were growing wary of the power of the Hightowers and wished for away to check their growing influence without using sacking Oldtown and putting its people to the sword which the Crown would disapprove of. For the decades of peace had allowed the Hightowers to make themselves even more influential in the Reach recovering swiftly from the devastation of the Anarchy, with word reaching Highgarden that while at feasts many members of House Hightower had boasted of being the strongest and richest House of the Reach.

As such in 80 AC work would begin on the King Jaehaerys canal, with 2/5 of the votes in the company chartered to run it being held by House Gardener and House Targaryen each while the remaining was split between Houses Mantarys and House Gaellia which in turn had to sell half the share each to the Bank of the Dragon which financed one tenth of the company, the  full share available to the minor houses being unaffordable as the commitment was too large for the Counts to afford in its entirety without emptying their coffers and taking on ruinous debt, though that is not to say they did not take loans from  the Bank of the Dragon for the share they did have to pay. The process of building the canal itself would be difficult and very expensive, tens of thousands of labourers would be recruited for the project, and many nobles from the Upper Reach would come to the Royal Court angry that not only was there a shortage of workers, the smallfolk now demanded much higher wages and lower rents, leaving to work on the canal if their demands were not met, but the Crown would care not for these complaints.  Furthermore the Alchemist Guild would use what it called the Fifth Substance to blast away much of the rock which served as an impediment. Though using the new substance was a great risk and more than once over a hundred people died as it could not be controlled, this meant its adoption was not widespread for few projects justified the risks of Wildfyre spreading and destroying all villages, towns, fief's.

King Jaehaerys would live to see the completion of the Canal which was completed in 101 AC, like he promised it changed the trade dynamics of Westeros for centuries to come. Becoming a key artery for trade with the Seahorse Trading company more than doubling its river fleet to compensate for increased activity. The entrances to the canal, Norwich and Tumbleton, would become some of the most important inland trading ports in Westeros while Highgarden would be able to reorient much of its trade away from their rivals.

This Year, 80 AC would also mark the beginning of one of the most important and remarkable decades for the Targaryen Dynasty in the Reign of King Jaehaerys.

Chapter Text

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In 80 AC history was made when King Jaehaerys's third son Prince Vaegon, known as Vaegon the Dragonless for he was the King's only son not to ride a dragon, was sent to study at the Citadel. This on its own was not as unprecedented as Prince Aemon had forged a link in law years ago, but unlike his elder brother Prince Vaegon forged not one or just a few links but the full chain of a Maester, becoming the first Targaryen to do so. Prince Vaegon would eventually become an Archmaester of the Royal Citadel.  But despite this historic first, among the people what is most remembered in the history of the Westeros was that in the waning months of 80AC Prince Baelon began discussing with his father and brother an invasion of the Stepstones. The islands had long been a hub of piracy due to the fact that since the Valyrian freehold controlled the Tyrosh straits and its islands, its own trade was secure and they did not bother with pirates on the rest of the islands invading Westeros. In the meantime in an age of a divided Westeros none of the kingdoms wanted their rivals to control the strategic trade lane meaning no one was willing to take on the cost and burden to clear it if it was going to be invaded by their rivals anyways. Something pirates from Essos had exploited for centuries.

But now with a united Westeros making much of the tension and worry moot and there being no Valyrian Freehold where pirates from Essos could flee to with impunity, for this time it was Westeros which held the Dragons, Prince Baelon felt time was nigh for the Crown to secure the islands, banishing the pirates which had plagued the shores of Westeros for untold generations. Supporting Prince Baelon in the discussions and deliberations of those members of the Royal Court who were privy to the plans were the Seawynd's of Seahorse town and later the Velaryon's who under the leadership of Corlys Velaryon, who was a celebrated mariner despite his young age, were quickly beginning to match their mainland cousins in trade, becoming the main competitors to the Seahorse Trading company in the Crownlands and increasingly become a major trading power in the Narrow Sea.

Both these Houses, and later as news was spread of the discussions in the Small Council and Royal Court, all of the Houses of Westeros dependent on sea trade however wished for safer passage through the Stepstones. Prince Baelon for his part wished to leave behind his children an inheritance, especially when he had another son in Prince Daemon Targaryen in 81AC and unlike in the time of his grandfather's or even Father's youth spare land in either Dragonstone of the Dragonlands was sparce. After nearly a year of discussion in the Small Council agreement was secured and proper planning was begun for the King refused to rush into war and wanted to sort out all the important details for the plan after the war in advance. Over the next three years plans not just for the invasion but the aftermath were made and the support of key houses secured in secret. During this time gold was prepared for the venture for the Crown's coffers ability to finance a war while also paying for all its other priorities were negligible at best. Meaning that the Noble Houses needed to provide almost all the gold required for the venture which required time to prepare, especially as much gold would be needed for the aftermath, more than the war itself. Furthermore the Master of Whispers sent near a hundred missions of spies to map out all the islands, the pirate alliances and settlements as best they could which also took time. As such it was only in 84AC that King Jaehaerys finally gave his blessing to Prince Baelon to announce to the Royal Court and the Realm that he was to invade the Stepstones and drive out the pirates from the islands, once and for all.

The War of Stepstones is one of the most interesting Westerosi Wars for it is the first where the Houses of Westeros from multiple kingdoms fought outside the continent under a single banner, for even one of the Kingdom sending invasion forces beyond the sea was rare, the only other example in recent centuries being the invasion by Argilac the Arrogant of the Disputed Lands during the Century of Blood in order to push back the Volantene, and he had to be bribed with a Valyrian Steel Sword, a priceless ransom, that would eventually be named Godsgrief and became the Ancestral Sword of House Baratheon.

The war brought at least one House from each of the regions of Westeros, with the islands divided and given to Houses which participated. This was meant to not only draw on the largest possible base of support but also to ensure the benefits of the war were evenly felt across Westeros for the King was wary of being seen of backing a war for the benefit of the Crownlands trading networks, or simply to help his son achieve glory. Hence by having at least one House from each Kingdom meant that the Stepstones would be able to form connections across the realm increasing trade everywhere at once instead of concentrating the benefits to just a single port or region.

In 84 AC the Stepstones Alliance composed of Prince Baelon and Houses Redwyne, Seawynd, Lannister, Mooton, Greyjoy, Harlaw,  Stark, Grafton, Tarth and Martell was announced to the Realm. It's composition was a political triumph of the Queens Coalition which selected all the members and their rewards, and who used the membership of the coalition for four purposes. First was the rewarding of Loyal Houses such as House Seawynd, House Lannister, House Mooton and House Stark. The last of which while politically important for the Queen's coalition for they were the Dukes of the North were not a naval House like the others, ideally a House like House Manderly or Stonewolf should have been chosen for the North but political needs overpowered the practicality of the selection showing the priority and emphasis made on rewarding allies.

The second was to cement the loyalty of wavering Houses such as Greyjoy, Harlaw, and Martell who due to many factors were seen as possible defectors from the Queens Coalition, rumours stating that each was either making overtures to the Anti-Maegor Alliance or seeking to become neutral in the politics of the Realm, this was especially true of House Greyjoy whose new lord Quenton Greyjoy had made friendships with Prince Aemon and especially with Princess Jocelyn in the past few years. And while this reward was enough to keep the Greyjoys and Harlaws, and thus the Iron Islands, in the coalition House Martell dropped out of the Queens Coalition even after being rewarded so, much to the anger of Queen Alysanne who had to be counselled out of going and burning the shadow city to the ground and slaughtering its inhabitants, not the first time the Martells were punished so, by her husband the King. This defection occurred when Princess Amaria became ruler of Dorne and placed the ideal of equality of genders in succession over the benefits of siding with the Queens Coalition or adherence to current legal precedent of House Targaryens which put uncles over daughters. 

The third reason was to help gain new alliances or re-establish them. This was true of Houses Redwyne and Tarth. With the Hightowers ending their political neutrality and joining the Anti-Maegor alliance openly the Queen's Coalition and Highgarden sought to renew the Old Accord between the Arbor and Highgarden. For centuries House Redwyne, with its formidable fleet, kept the Hightowers of Oldtown naval power and ambitions in check to the benefit of House Gardener. In return Highgarden aided the Arbor against any potential overreach by the Hightowers whether in the fields of trade or politics. This alliance broke down after the accession of Duke Alyx  whose actions and Black Hounds caused him to be reviled, but as with each time the Old Accord was ended past slights were forgotten and it was now renewed as the Duke Alyx married his daughter to Duke Redwynes heir and helped them secure a place in the Stepstones coalition, believing the benefits of a stronger House Redwyne outweighed the benefits of a cadet line in the Stepstones. In the case of House Tarth the aim was to use the requirement of one Stormland House joining to pull House Tarth and with it the entire Northeastern Alliance into the Queens Coalition and in doing so land a blow against the Baratheon's but both weakening its hold on its vassals and to prevent one of its allies such as House Estermont from being selected. And while House Tarth would make the transition to the Queen's coalition House Errol and Eastwood would continue to walk a fine line, being loyal to their overlord while maintaining enough neutrality to not affect the trade relations they had with other Houses, this would make the Northeastern Alliance more of a neutral trade alliance by reducing the political cooperation of its members. Many accounts claim this was a deliberate split of loyalties in on order to  pull themselves out of the squabbles of Westerosi politics

Finally the fourth reason was to punish Houses which had already defected. This was one of the primary reasons why only House Grafton from the Vale participated despite the Arryns showing great interest and eagerness in the venture, as House Arryn had left the Queens coalition and taken a more neutral stance in the politics of the Realm. Ironically by empowering the Grafton's so much by giving them control of an island in the Stepstone's the Queen coalition would only further cement House Arryn's wariness and shift toward their enemies as one of the reasons they left the alliance was a growing frustration against the increasing influence of the Grafton's. This can also be seen in the absence of House Velaryon and House Celtigar both important trading Houses whose attempts at joining were denied by Prince Baelon at the urging of his mother.

Of course when the composition of the Stepstones coalition was formally announced the remaining Houses did not intend to be passive, many nobles went to the King to complain. Chief among those opposing the Prince Baelon's choice of membership, having found out and complained even before it was formally announced to the Royal Court were Count Corlys Velaryon, who was a distant cousin of the King and Duke Boremund the kings Half-brother. The King Jaehaerys while very sympathetic to their plights did not change the composition of the alliance. This was of two reasons, the more important one was that he had promised his son Prince Baelon the right to chose his allies in the quest and had assured him that he would not let anyone interfere as there were relatively few islands compared to the number of Houses which sought to own one, meaning the King knew from the start there would be houses which complained over the composition of the Stepstones alliance.  The second reason was that the King was worried that interfering now after all the planning was about to be ready and the armies and fleets made preparations to depart would only cause more harm than good to the actual campaign. And while these were the two reasons the King gave to his nobles many suspect there was a third even more important reason, many claim that the King intended to allow the Queen's coalition to claim the stepstones in order to further his grip in the realm by concentrating the Queens coalition's efforts and attention elsewhere while he continued his own plans against them. Thus many claim that in a sense this triumph of the Queen's Coalition was more a form of compensation by the king than a show of strength.

For it was known that while never publicly siding against them and always maintaining scrupulous neutrality in matters of law and justice the King had made much effort to balance the influence of the Queens Coalition in ways which did not upset the stability of the realm and most importantly the harmony of the Royal family. Perhaps he was shaken by the open political fighting over his son Prince Aemon's bride or perhaps he began to realise that the Queens Coalition was stronger than he assumed, but what is known for certain is that the King took measures to Keep the Queens Coalition in check after the Wedding of Prince Aemon to Princess Jocelyn. This could be seen in the rumours that it was the King who advised Duke Arryn to become neutral and to create his own coalition in the Vale to balance the Grafton's, correctly predicting many houses would want to keep Gulltown in check if they could do so in a politically safe manner. Similarly it was said that the King was the one who had organised the network of matches and fostering's between Houses Tully, Frey, Mallister, Vaelaros, Waterclaw and Vhassar creating a strong block of houses in the Riverland's which allowed House Tully to push back against the Queen's Coalition in the politics of the duchy.

The King in the aftermath of the marriage of Prince Aemon and Princess Jocelyn had also provided Driftmark with aid in the form of connections and introductions, helping the Velaryon's build new trade relations to compete with the Seawynd trade networks which in turn allowed the Anti-Maegor Coalition to expand its ranks and build stronger relations as trade ties were used to either create or solidify alliances. However it should be noted that the Seawynd's retained a substantial edge in these matters due to their larger network of trade routes, older and deeper trade ties with Essos, particularly with the Sarnori, and their large river fleet, sending large barges and river ships on regular missions as west as the Stoney Sept and as north as Harrentown, connecting the northern Reach and lower Riverland's grain, wines and other goods with the markets and trade networks of Kings Landing and beyond. However in acknowledgement of this the King worked to lessen the influence the Seawynd's had on the city knowing that he could do nothing regarding their trade networks, balancing the administration of the city by bringing in new Houses from the Crownlands into Royal offices, these Houses in turn kept the Seawynd's in check not out of desire to oppose the Queen for more likely than not they were members of the Queen's coalition, but rather in a bid to secure their own power, weakening the Queens coalition by causing infighting over the spoils and offices of Kings Landing.

Excerpt from The War for the Stepstones by Maester Theron of the Royal Citadel.

The year 85 AC marked the beginning of the end for the pirate haven of the Stepstones.…. Prince Baelon Targaryen, a man of action and ambition, recognized the strategic and economic importance of the Stepstones. He envisioned not only the eradication of the pirate threat but also the establishment of a secure and prosperous trade hub under the royal banner. Furthermore, with the recent birth of his second son, Prince Daemon, Prince Baelon sought to secure a valuable inheritance for his children……

The Stepstones Alliance was a testament to the might of a united Westeros. Prince Baelon, leading the charge, commanded a formidable fleet representing every corner of the realm.….For the duration of the campaign, Prince Baelon commissioned a distinctive war crown. It was a band of red gold, but instead of traditional embellishments, it was adorned with sharp, black iron points. This warlike crown, a clear symbol of his intent, declared his ambition to claim the Stepstones as its King……The pirates of the Stepstones, while fierce warriors in their own right, were ultimately unprepared for the scale and unity of the Westerosi assault. Their disparate bands, often more focused on infighting than cooperation, lacked a unified command structure. While they possessed a certain cunning and knowledge of the local waters, their ships, though swift, were no match for the larger, better-equipped vessels of the royal fleet. Many pirate captains, recognizing the overwhelming odds, proved more inclined to flee than to fight to the death, their ships laden with whatever plunder they could carry, seeking refuge in the Basilisk Isles and other lawless havens further south for pirates make poor administrators and held no loyalty to any land……..

The initial Westerosi strategy focused on seizing key harbours and strategic locations. The allied fleets, working in concert, quickly overwhelmed the scattered pirate defences. The Seawynd fleet, intimately familiar with the waters around the Stepstones as they had led most of the missions commissioned by the Master of Whispers, played a crucial role, heir knowledge of currents and hidden coves proving invaluable. Prince Baelon himself, astride his dragon Vhagar, proved the most decisive force however. The dragon’s fiery breath decimated pirate ships and coastal strongholds, its presence a constant source of fear and disruption for the defenders. The mere sight of Vhagar circling overhead was often enough to send pirate crews scrambling for the shore or their captains hoisting sails in a hasty retreat……..

The local populace, a mixed heritage of pirates and Rhoynish settlers, presented a complex challenge. Due to their heritage they refused to bend the knee to a king, especially any Valyrian king. In some cases, especially after the settlements rebelled or broke parley and guest rights, the Prince ordered the settlement to be wiped out to the last babe, greatly whittling the populace of the islands who like the Dornish in the Wars of Conquest preferred dying over bending the knee. This was not such a loss, for as a condition for being granted lordship of the island each House of the Alliance was to bring in settlers, ones who would not only be able to put to work, but would also hopefully be more loyal to the Crown and their Lords than the current local population which changed allegiances and oaths like noble ladies changed dresses.…….

The Houses were also to appoint a cadet branch to live on the island and lead it for the Crown did not want the Houses to attempt to hold onto the island for their mainline and govern it from their existing seats, weeks away. During this time the Crown also supported the campaign with some gold, to be paid back with the revenue earned on the tax on ships that was to be imposed above and beyond the Crown's regular share……

The capture of key pirate leaders further demoralized the remaining outlaws. One by one, the most notorious captains were hunted down and either killed or captured. Their loss of leadership, coupled with the relentless pressure from the Westerosi forces, eroded even the braver pirates' will to fight………The war also saw its share of challenges. Maintaining supply lines across the Narrow Sea proved a logistical feat, and the Westerosi commanders were constantly vigilant against pirate raids on their supply convoys. The harsh climate and unfamiliar terrain took a toll on the troops, and disease outbreaks were a constant threat. However, the Westerosi forces, driven by the promise of victory and the prospect of claiming new lands, persevered. As the campaign progressed, the focus shifted from combat to consolidation. Garrisons were established on key islands, and fortifications were built to protect against future pirate incursions. The participating houses, eager to establish their new domains, began the process of resettling the islands with loyal subjects from their own lands even as battles still raged. These settlers, promised land and opportunities, brought with them their skills and traditions, gradually transforming the Stepstones from a lawless haven into a productive and prosperous part of the realm. By the spring of 87 AC, barely eighteen months after the initial landings, the War for the Stepstones was effectively over. The pirate menace, which had plagued Westeros for generations, had been decisively crushed. What little organized resistance that existed had collapsed, and the remaining pirates were either fleeing to distant havens or seeking pardon by surrendering. Prince Baelon, having achieved his objectives with remarkable speed and efficiency, declared the campaign concluded. He returned to King’s Landing in triumph, his name now synonymous with great victory and his reputation greatly enhanced even more than the Second Targaryen War Against the Dothraki had. The Crown and Prince Baelon gaining much prestige; And Westeros marked its victory with a Great Tournament, here the Crown of the Stepstones was surrendered to the King who had it added to the Crowns which decorated the steps of the Iron Throne, with the Prince Baelon gaining the title of Prince of the Stepstones in compensation for 'giving up' his 'Kingship' but it should be noted even his own nobles felt no need to call him king, referring to him only as Prince Baelon for the entirety of the war for all knew this was no war to truly establish a new kingdom, merely to expand the existing one.

The victory in the Stepstones had a profound impact on Westeros. It solidified the authority of the Targaryen crown, demonstrating the power of a united realm and the effectiveness of decisive action. It also fostered a sense of unity and shared purpose among the various duchies, as houses from all corners of Westeros had contributed to the victory and all celebrated their contributions and glory with many songs and tales spread among the smallfolk in particular. The economic benefits of the war were substantial, as the Stepstones became a vital link in the Westerosi trade network, facilitating the flow of goods and people between the Seven Kingdoms and the Free Cities. The War for the Stepstones, though relatively short, was a pivotal moment in Westerosi history. It marked the end of an era of piracy and lawlessness in the Narrow Sea and ushered in a new era of peace and prosperity…...

The Stepstones, once a symbol of division and vulnerability, became a testament to the strength and unity of Westeros…….

After the pirates had been driven out and the islands secured, the danger had not passed, and a new war was brewing on the horizon as most of the Free Cities had been wary of Westeros expanding into the Stepstones, even as they cheered the end of the pirates. The ones most worried were Lys and Tyrosh, both of whom considered the islands as part of their territory even though they had not the means nor the will to enforce their rule over the whole of the islands; And so at the start of the conflict envoys had been sent to assure them of the Crowns good intentions, but they were hardly the only ones who were worried and the complaints did not end. As such in 87 AC, once the islands had fallen and Westeros had marked its victory with a Great Tournament, only then would the King call for a Council in Kings Landing composed of Envoys and dignitaries from Braavos, Pentos, Myr, Tyrosh, Lys and Volantis to discuss a peaceful way to recognise Targaryen control of the Stepstones. This is as the King did not want the War to escalate from one between the Iron Throne and Pirates to one between the Iron Throne and the Free Cities but also wanted to make clear he was not asking permission, only recognition of the new reality. Among those that would attend would be a Triarch of Volantis Nyessos Qarthar, the Speaker of the Council of Magisters of Pentos Andros Dalmario, a prominent Magister from Myr Titus Nerio, the Sealord of Braavos Matteo Corozo, the Archon of Tyrosh Lysander Kallos, and the First Magister of Lys Roro Uhoris.

It would take tricky diplomacy and all the skills at forging compromise that the King had but an agreement would be forged as the King and Prince Baelon exploited the disunity between the Free Cities for none wanted the other to have control of the Stepstones either, the same dilemma the Westerosi Kingdoms had faced. Also a matter of consideration was that Lys and Tyrosh's informal state sponsored piracy had become a major irritant to the Free Cities who wanted it to end, even cities such as Myr, Pentos and Braavos who in decades past had tolerated it as a way to prevent the islands fall under Volantene influence as it had over a century ago did not buy those excuses any longer, not after decades of Volantis demonstrating its desire to put the wars of the Century of blood behind them; As such they were unwilling to let go of this opportunity to help secure their routes. Further helping the Crown was the fact that the only cities willing to go to war over maintaining the status quo in the Stepstones were islands which were dependent on their fleets and thus extremely vulnerable to Dragonfyre. Also neither city's magisters, the ones whose wealth was not tied to the pirates at least, wanted war with Westeros, especially if it required going to war alone without the backing of the rest of the Free Cities.

The Iron Throne in the end agreed to many compromises and concessions in order to secure peace, recognising Tyroshi control of Pyr, agreeing to give the easternmost waters around the disputed lands to Tyrosh and Lys to create an alternate path for ships carrying slaves and to ensure the Iron Throne did not have a monopoly on travel between the Narrow and Summer Seas. It also agreed to charge all ships the same tariff regardless of origin with the Essosi and Westerosi paying the same rate, to charge ships only once for each time they crossed the islands and to keep any tax modest with no increase in the tax for the first ten years, and to communicate any tax increases after that at least one year in advance. Other concessions on the rights of Essosi merchants was also secured with some reduction of tariffs on luxury goods also promised. With this the addition of the Stepstones to Westeros won the grudging acquiescence of the Free Cities, leading to the first expansion of the realm since Aegon's Conquest of Dorne.  In celebration of this event a 70 foot tall Valyrian Triumphal pillar was erected in Targaryen Square, and on its plinth, 7 feet tall, were carved the sigil's, names and words of all the Houses which participated, as well as the names of all the Lords and Knights who had fought, both those had survived and those who had fallen. House Targaryen also announced that it would sponsor the construction of a sept on each of the main settlements of the islands to give thanks to the Gods.

Prince Baelon and Princess Alyssa would also announce that in celebration of the victory they had purchased two large and adjacent manses and their gardens in the city of Kings Landing, on what would become known as Prince Baelon's Square using their share of the spoils seized in the fighting, but instead of living in them they would be converted into the first Westerosi museum, The Royal Armoury and Collection of King Landing, with the Prince and Princess providing much gold and artefacts from their own personal purse and collection to aid in its establishment. For till now such institutions (which were not called museums at the time as the term came about much later) were only found in the Free Cities and that too only the larger and wealthier ones such as Braavos, Volantis and Qohor. Most of the Manses bottom two floors would be filled with statues, vases, tapestries, Weaponry, armour, maps from across the Valyrian freehold so that the people of King's Landing would be able to see and appreciate the glories and sophistication of Old Valyria, though it would mostly be locked behind clear Myrish glass cases. The remaining space would be filled with similar objects but from everywhere else in the world, from each of the regions of the Realm itself to some pieces from as far away as the Golden Empire of Yi Ti and the Island of Leng. The last floor of each building as well as its basement was used for offices and strongboxes, to govern, maintain and store the collection.

It would take nearly a decade for the institution to take shape, and would be run by the Prince Aerion Collegium which was entrusted with the collection. In time The Royal Armoury and Collection of King Landing would become one of the most famous Institutions of the city, an in the years to come open to all visitors to the city who made it a point to visit, and for that reason the admission charge to enter was kept relatively nominal so as to be afforded by as many people as possible. The Prince Aerion Collegium sponsored most of the actual cost at the start,  though in time it would become quite profitable. So famous the Royal Collections would become that others would seek to emulate it and gain the same prestige the Crown and Prince Baelon had received, with a similar institution founded in Oldtown with the patronage of House Hightower, and a further one in Lannisport under the patronage of House Lannister. Till this day statues of the Prince and Princess and their two sons stands in the Prince Baelon Square in honour of their contribution and their patronage, without which The Royal Armoury and Collection would not be possible.

The Stepstones were considered part of the Crownlands, but considering the distances involved were put under the overlordship of Prince Baelon as the Prince of the Stepstones, and who in turn acted as a principle Crownland Bannerman of House Targaryen of Kings Landing which maintained a strong control of the islands, this can be seen in the fact that it was the Crown, and not the Prince of the Stepstones who set up the Stepstone Travel Tariff. This was a ship tariff based on size of the vessel, set by the crown and was implemented and run by its officers on the Stepstones isles. Due to the risk of it being financially unsustainable to hold some islands, particularly if trade passed through only a few of the larger isles, the tariffs were collected by the Crown using a centralised system and were redistributed based on a fixed formula where after the Crown took its share, half the remaining revenue was split into even shares, distributed between all Houses but with the Prince Baelon receiving a double share, the other half was distributed according to how much each island earned in ship tariff.

However the tariff was not the only way the Stepstone's houses earned money for the islands now no longer the domain of pirates and the setting for countless battles and lawless societies were quickly utilized in full. While not the Reach or Riverland's they had more fertile land than previously believed, allowing for more agriculture in islands which earlier were too risky to farm reducing and then in some islands eliminating imports of grains. Similarly the islands were quickly filled with orchards of Citrus fruits and grapes; But the most important crop in terms of land devoted and coin brought in was the olive. Olive orchards and attached olive oil presses became common as the trade of Stepstones olive oil grew as quickly as more could be produced. In time both Dragonstone and Sunstone the previous centers of olive oil production in Westeros would quickly be overtaken by the Stepstones. The final major crop was cotton with the Stepstone's breaking to cotton monopoly of Oldtown.

This agriculture and the orchards were greatly boosted by easy to build check dams and small reservoirs allowing for capture of water from the frequent rains and storms, allowing farms and villages to grow across the islands more easily. Fishing also became a bigger industry now that hungry and murderous pirates were not an issue, while the towns and ports quickly began to become hubs of legitimate trade, requiring services such as ship repairs and goods such as food and freshwater supplies. Finally especially after the discoveries of gold mines in Grey Gallows ,which were originally disbelieved merely because people found it hard to imagine that the pirates would not have been able to smell the gold like bloodhounds, it created a mining craze which while not yielding more gold did show many viable mines which could be exploited.

The following would become the Stepstone Houses following the war,

Prince Baelon's branch of House Targaryen would take Bloodstone, now renamed to Oros Island, with his seat being Oros Castle in the Port of Oros which became the capital of the Stepstones. Due to is geographic distance from Kings Landing, a special branch of the Kings Bench was established in Oros, leading to a total of 10 of the Court of King's Bench's. Also in the Port of Oros a Court of the Exchequer would be built, the first of many in the Stepstones as the Crown used its courts and laws as much as its lords and navies to signal to the rest of the world that the Stepstones were now a part of the Realm.  Oros would also become home to the Royal Stepstones Fleet, which till now was the smallest of the three fleets of the Royal Navy. It was relocated from Sunstone and was expanded in the coming years, amounting to some 50 galley and carrack warships by 100AC, on its own one of the larger fleets of Westeros. It would help the Stepstone Lords patrol their waters and would be the deterrence needed against corsairs from Sothoryos and pirates from Essos, particularly as using dragons could cause tensions for certain actions where using fleets does not even if the result was the same. The Royal Post office would also use the Stepstones Fleet and its patrols to quickly extend the postal network to connect the stepstones to each other, with all the principle settlements on each island having a Post Office established within half a decade. From Oros regular ships would depart weekly to Estermont from where the letters were transferred to the mainland. The result of this was the deeper integration of the islands into the realm while making Oros the center of this information and communication network.

Oros had a relatively productive agricultural sector. Fields of wheat and barley rippled in the breeze, providing sustenance for the island's inhabitants and a surplus for trade. Livestock grazed on the verdant pastures mostly for local consumption. Oros also had a large fishing industry and fish was a staple food for the island's inhabitants, its fishermen caught a variety of fish, including tuna, sardines, and anchovies.  Recognizing the importance of preserving fish, they encouraged the development of salting, smoking, and drying facilities, ensuring a steady supply of preserved fish for both local consumption and trade. The island's harbours provided safe anchorage for merchant ships traveling between the East and West, and merchants actively participated in this trade network, trading a variety of goods, including agricultural products, fish, crafts, and other goods.

But more than all of this the island was deeply shaped by the production and trade of wine and olive oil, which were the pillars of the island's prosperity. Wine, particularly the renowned Oros Commandaria Wine, held a place of exceptional importance for the people as it was a symbol of prestige for the island. This sweet, fortified wine gained acclaim across Westeros, becoming a highly sought-after luxury item in the Royal and Noble courts and beyond. Soon despite, or indeed perhaps because, of its relatively high cost it competed with Dornish Reds and Arbour Golds. Its production generated significant wealth, fueling the island's economy and attracting merchants from across the Summer and Narrow Sea. Similarly, olive oil was an essential good produced in the island. Olive groves soon dotted the landscape, providing a reliable source of this valuable resource. Olive oil was used for cooking, lighting, and even medicinal purposes, making it an indispensable part of daily life with its trade being important in helping the island function.

The new House Targaryen of Oros also took Torturers Deep , renamed Dragons Deep, and thanks to its fertile land the island was a major producer of grains and vegetables. However it was some time before it received the investment needed for it to grow olives or fruits at any scale as these were concentrated by Prince Baelon in Oros. Instead the island was used for its rich deposits of copper, which was something the island was famous for decades. Indeed it was known as torturers deep for the bloodshed the pirates committed over the lucrative copper mines. On Dragon's Deep, the Targaryens focused on improving the efficiency of the copper mines. They invested in developing new mining techniques and equipment, increasing the output of the mines and reducing the risks faced by miners. They also supported the development of specialized crafts related to copper working, such as the production of tools, weapons, and decorative objects. Skilled miners and metalworkers from across Westeros were encouraged to settle on Dragon's Deep, bringing with them their expertise and contributing to the island's growing copper industry and soon Dragon Deep copper was exported throughout the Narrow Sea, where it was used to make tools, weapons, and other objects.

Another crop which became popular quickly was cotton, the islands being the first part of Westeros outside the domains of Oldtown to grow the crop and export it, and while it was never able to compete with Oldtown and the Reach by volume it did become a noted source of the cloth with it feeding the cotton workshops of Duskendale in particular. In time mills were developed in Dragons Deep itself to process the raw cotton into textile.

Prince Valerion's branch of House Targaryen was given Grey Gallows which would be renamed to the Glittering Isle when surveyors would find not just copper which they had expected but most surprisingly gold seams in it, making it the most valuable and profitable isles of the Stepstones and one of the richest fiefs in all of Westeros as the gold veins were found to be as rich as those found in the Westerlands. It is said Prince Baelon's screams of outrage and frustration upon hearing his younger brothers fief had rich seams of gold in it lasted through the night, especially as both of his islands which had been surveyed first had nothing of the sort, a lack made worse over the fact that it had been his choice to give the Grey Gallows to his brother and keep Dragons Deep the then more valuable island in his mind, as it had already established mines of copper, was larger and had more fertile soil for crops.

The seat of the Prince would be the castle of Sunfyre's Roost and the main settlement would be Port Valerion, named by its Lord in later years. The mines would lead to many settlers coming from the Westerlands who were experienced in mining and refining both copper and gold, along with goldsmiths, and were the only exception to the otherwise Valyrian only settlement policy that had been implemented on the Island by Ser Maegon Vhassar who served as Castellan and First Steward of the island while the Prince Valerion was still under age.

The Glittering Isle had a thriving agricultural sector, with fertile land allowing for the cultivation of a wide variety of crops. The island was particularly known for its production of olive oil. In time the isle played a crucial role in the Stepstones trading network, serving as a link between the East and West. The island's ports were busy with merchant ships carrying goods such as textiles, spices, timber, and metals but its most distinguishing feature would be its well-developed crafts, with skilled artisans producing textiles including cotton and silk cloths, ceramics,  gold jewellery, copper products and other goods in Port Valerion thanks to the initiative of the Prince who was not content with simply the immense wealth mining gold brought and used his wealth to grow his fief. The Prince Valerion would also invest heavily in the Glittering Isle's shipping and shipbuilding capabilities. Massive harbours and docks, capable of accommodating the largest trading vessels, were constructed with cranes and hoists to speed up the loading and unloading of cargo, along with sprawling storehouses to manage the flow of goods. Dry docks, equipped with the latest technology, allowed for the construction and repair of ships, further boosting the island's maritime capabilities. Prince Valerion even established his own trading company, further solidifying the island's position as a major player in the Narrow Sea trade. These initiatives, coupled with the gold and copper mines, transformed the island into a trading powerhouse, rivalling and even surpassing established centers like Oros and Ryam’s Isle.

In time Port Valerion and the Glittering Isle would gain a Court of Exchequer as well as other institutions.  Strong and efficient offices were established to manage the island’s burgeoning finances, along with other administrative bodies necessary for a thriving commercial center.  These included the Artisans Guild to regulate craft production, ensuring quality control, training apprentices, and setting fair prices for goods. The Port Valerion Weigh House, a designated place to officially weigh goods, ensuring fair trade and preventing fraud. And the Merchants' Guild, a cornerstone of Port Valerion's burgeoning commercial power, which provided a vital framework for organizing and regulating trade. Its establishment offered numerous benefits to both the merchants themselves and the island as a whole. By bringing the merchants together under a common banner, the guild facilitated the exchange of information, ideas, and best practices.  The guild also played a crucial role in regulating trade and maintaining order within the marketplace. It established rules of conduct, resolved disputes among merchants, and enforced ethical business practices. This self-regulation not only prevented internal conflicts but also enhanced the reputation of Port Valerion as a reliable and trustworthy trading hub.

Prince Valerion, fueled by the seemingly endless flow of gold, embarked on an ambitious building program, transforming Port Valerion into a spectacle of architectural grandeur. A magnificent stone circus, where chariot races, sponsored by the Prince himself, entertained the populace, was constructed. Grand Valyrian theatres, showcasing plays and performances, became centers of cultural life. The largest Valyrian temple in the Stepstones, adorned with marble facades and colossal gilded bronze statues, dominated the skyline. A Grand Sept, its stained-glass windows shimmering with light and intricate carvings depicting scenes from the Seven’s scriptures, catered to the faith of Westerosi settlers. A stone arena provided a venue for Westerosi-style melees and jousting tournaments, while multiple Valyrian bathhouses offered respite and relaxation. Grand, tree-lined boulevards, paved with smooth stones, crisscrossed the city, and an intricate network of sewers ensured cleanliness and sanitation. Public fountains, adorned with sculptures and fed by aqueducts, provided fresh water, while Braavosi-style square wells fed by rainwater offered a reliable source of clean water to all. Two large schools for orphans and the poor, modelled after those founded by his grandfather Prince Maegor, were established, one in Port Valerion and the other in the island’s interior. A towering, 140-foot lighthouse guided ships safely into the harbour. Sprawling markets, with well-built stalls, offered a wide array of goods. The first public Godswood in the Stepstones, featuring eleven majestic Weirwood trees, provided a place for contemplation and worship. A sprawling public park offered a green oasis in the heart of the city, and other such amenities made Port Valerion the 'Jewel of the Stepstones'. The Prince would also invest heavily in his fief, taking inspiration from Dragonstone to build a dense network of roads, made of cobblestone, making internal trade and travel easy, he also began carving into the hills step farms and used the resulting rock and stone to build bridges with multiple level of Valyrian arches supporting them, made crossing streams and valleys easy.

House Seawynd of Seahorse Town, whose new cadet branch would take a new name becoming House Selwyn, would receive Redwater, renamed to Seahorse Crescent. Crecent Harbour would be the name of the main settlement of the Island. It would be one of the most strategically placed islands of the Stepstones, and would quickly become wealthy with Crescent harbour becoming home to the first Court of Exchequer outside Oros. The connections of the House Seawynd and their trading company to the island proved crucial to the island's development as a trade hub, as the Seahorse Trading company reorganised their routes to the Summer isles, Sothoryos and Southern Essos to center around the isle, attracting other merchants and traders as well. 

Seahorse Crescent also proved fertile ground for the cultivation of valuable crops. Cotton and olive oil, both highly sought-after commodities in Westeros, thrived on the island. The Seahorse Trading Company, leveraging its extensive network, efficiently connected Seahorse Crescent to markets in the Crownlands and Riverlands, ensuring a ready demand for these prized products.

Recognizing the importance of supporting industries, the Selwyns encouraged the development of specialized crafts related to cotton and olive oil production. Textile workshops sprung up, transforming raw cotton into fine cloths, while olive presses and processing facilities ensured the efficient production of high-quality olive oil. They also attracted skilled artisans, such as weavers, potters, and coopers, who created valuable goods for trade, further diversifying the island's economy. This not only enriched House Selwyn but also contributed significantly to the island's overall prosperity.

The Selwyn's transformed Seahorse Crescent into a vital and prosperous part of the Stepstones, solidifying their own wealth and influence within the region.

House Redwyne, whose new cadet branch would retain the name Redwyne, would receive the Highwatch which would be renamed to Ryam's Isle. This was the second largest island the Iron Throne conquered, and tied with Oros Island and Sunstone in terms of usable land area despite its smaller size and relatively hilly terrain, being the most fertile with even its worst and least fertile lands, the many hills, being perfect for olive and citrus orchards, with its valleys and flatlands being very fertile. House Redwyne won this prize by providing the alliance with the largest fleets and largest sum of gold for the invasion.

Ryam's Isle quickly became the center of the lucrative Stepstones olive oil trade. Its oil, renowned for its quality and flavor, found its way to tables as far north as the Gift and as far west as the Lonely Light, its distribution greatly aided by the Redwynes' extensive existing trade networks. Recognizing the potential for related industries, the Redwynes supported the establishment of olive presses, preserving facilities, and pottery workshops. These businesses not only processed the island's agricultural bounty but also created valuable goods for trade. They also encouraged the development of specialized crafts related to food production and storage, such as barrel making, cooperage, and the production of clay jars. The island also became a major producer and trader of fermented and cured olives, a delicacy that soon graced the tables of nobles and even appeared in higher-end taverns. Citrus orchards, particularly lemons and oranges, thrived on Ryam's Isle, their fruits primarily preserved in clay jars, though some houses, seeking a touch of luxury, commissioned glass jars to be filled and returned.

However, Ryam's Isle's true strategic importance stemmed from its role as the Stepstones' primary food producer and exporter. It was one of only two islands, alongside Oros, capable of readily parting with grain in times of need. This contrasted sharply with the other islands, which were far more reliant on fishing and the grain trade to meet their basic sustenance needs. This capacity to provide food security made Ryam's Isle an invaluable asset to the Stepstones and a key player in regional stability.

Beyond simply cultivating olives, citrus, and grains, the Redwynes actively sought to improve agricultural practices on Ryam's Isle. They encouraged the development of terraced farming on the hillsides, maximizing land use and preventing soil erosion. They also invested in irrigation systems, ensuring a reliable water supply for their crops even during dry periods. Skilled farmers and agricultural experts from the Reach were encouraged to settle on Ryam’s Isle, bringing with them their expertise and contributing to the island's growing agricultural output. The Redwynes also invested in improving the island’s internal transportation network. While the terrain presented challenges, they constructed a network of roads and bridges, facilitating the movement of goods and people across the island. This improved infrastructure further boosted agricultural productivity and facilitated trade within Ryam's Isle.

Through their focus on large-scale agriculture, their development of related industries, and their investment in infrastructure, the Redwynes transformed Ryam's Isle into a vital and prosperous part of the Stepstones, securing their position as key players in the region's economy and ensuring their continued influence.

House Mooton would receive Felstrong and tor, the smallest of the major isles, requiring two of them to be given to the House. The new cadet branch would take the name Felstrong and would make the island their main seat and centred their economy around fishing. But they also made much coin by harvesting sea creatures to make dyes which previously only Tyrosh could provide , however they were not able to truly compete with Tyrosh in terms of scale. Their discoveries of such snails and sea creatures would lead to a close relationship with the Royal Dye Works in Kings Landing which popularised the use of Stepstone dyes in Westeros.

House Lannister would receive Guardian, renamed Lions den, the most eastern Island. Their cadet branch would take the name Lanell and they too would become major players in the dye trade but like the Felstrong's they were not able to truly compete with Tyrosh however in terms of scale, being only able to conquer the Westerosi markets where they were protected by high tariffs.  Undeterred by their inability to compete internationally, the Lanells strategically invested in building their own dye works for silks and other fine cloths. This bold move aimed to concentrate the dye industry within their fief, wresting control and profits from the Royal Dye Works of King's Landing.  To further enhance their dye production, the Lanells sought to attract skilled dyers and artisans from across Westeros and even beyond. They offered generous incentives to those willing to relocate to Lion's Den, establishing a community of expert craftsmen who could create dyes of exceptional quality and variety. These skilled artisans, working in the Lanell dye works, produced a wide array of dyes, catering to the diverse tastes of the Westerosi market. They also encouraged the development of textile production, tailoring, and the creation of luxury goods. These complementary industries further enhanced the value of their dye works, creating a thriving economic ecosystem on Lion's Den.

Its proximity to Tyrosh's trade routes presented both opportunity and challenge. Though these routes teemed with ships, many were engaged in the slave trade, or used slave soldiers practice outlawed in Westeros. The Lanells, therefore, had to be selective in their trading partnerships, seeking out merchants dealing in legitimate goods traded by freemen……..Recognizing the agricultural potential of their island, the Lanells encouraged the cultivation of crops specifically suited for dye production. Woad, madder, and other dye plants were cultivated extensively, providing a steady supply of raw materials for their burgeoning dye works. They also invested in developing advanced agricultural techniques, maximizing yields and ensuring a consistent supply of these crucial crops. Skilled farmers from Westeros were encouraged to settle on Lion's Den, bringing with them their expertise in cultivating dye plants and other valuable crops.

Through their strategic focus on the Westerosi market, their investment in dye plant cultivation and processing, and their attraction of skilled artisans, the Lanells transformed Lion's Den into a prosperous and self-sufficient island, bolstering their own wealth and influence within the Stepstones.

House Grafton would receive the Isle of Serpents, which they renamed to Gull Isle, but they would retain the Grafton name. The island's economy thrived on fishing and agriculture. Small orchards of olive trees and fruit-bearing plants dotted the landscape, adding to the island’s produce. Gull Isle's prosperity, however, was significantly boosted by its strategic position and the shrewd policies of House Grafton, who fostered close ties with their Vale counterparts. Gull Isle became a haven for Vale ships, particularly those aligned with House Grafton. These vessels, welcomed with open arms, enjoyed access to the island’s harbours and services at preferential rates, giving them a distinct advantage in trade. This policy not only enriched the Graftons but also allowed Vale merchants to better compete with rivals, such as the Velaryons of Driftmark, whose ships, while numerous, did not receive the same favorable treatment on Gull Isle or indeed on any other island. This shrewd commercial strategy turned Gull Isle into a vital trading post for Vale merchants, strengthening the Graftons’ influence and bolstering their wealth.

Beyond simply offering favourable rates, the Grafton’s actively encouraged the development of specialized industries that catered to the needs of visiting Vale ships. Shipwrights, skilled in repairing and maintaining vessels, established workshops on the island, providing valuable services to the seafaring merchants. Ropemakers, sailmakers, and other craftsmen who provided essential maritime supplies also found a thriving market on Gull Isle. This focus on maritime-related crafts transformed the island into a key hub for ship provisioning and repair, further enhancing its economic importance.

 House Stark would receive Dustspear, which was somewhat a surprise to all as they had always been though of as a land based power. However just like the Arryn's of the Eyrie in Gulltown, the Starks owned docks in White Harbour, docks which held the few ships owned by the Starks. This lack of a fleet required them to quickly purchase a fleet out of  sell sails and merchant ships. In truth their receiving of Dustspear seemed to be more an attempt by the Queen to retain the support of the North than an objective reward based on the fleets they provided. For even with the sell sails they provided as much support as the Mooton's who were given lesser lands, though they contributed much more gold to the Crown. House Stark renamed to Direwolf's Cay and the cadet branch would take the name of House Saltwolf. Cattle herding formed the backbone of the island’s economy, the rolling hills and verdant pastures providing ample grazing land which was otherwise unsuitable to agriculture with few olive orchards in comparison to Ryam's isle. The island’s hardy cattle, well-suited to the rugged terrain, provided a steady supply of meat and hides, further bolstering the island’s trade.

Compared to its more prosperous neighbors, Direwolf's Cay was less densely populated and its development was more rustic. But they also encouraged the development of specialized crafts related to animal products. Tanneries sprung up, producing high-quality leather goods. These products, prized for their practicality and quality, found ready markets in Westeros and beyond. While Direwolf's Cay might not have achieved the same level of wealth as some of its neighbors, House Saltwolf, through their practical approach and careful management, transformed it into a prosperous and self-sufficient island.

House Tarth would receive Larazor’s Rock and its cadet branch would become House Larazor. Their island is the southern most and stormiest of the major isles and they were confident they could make the best use out of it as they were used to the storms, which were the same ones which battered the Stormlands, travelling from the summer sea up north until it hit the mainland. The were rewarded for this service by the gods for small but still rich seams of silver were found on Larazor's Rock, making the Larazor's wealthy enough nearly overnight, though the vein would not compare to those found in the Westerlands.

The main settlement of their Island the Larazor Harbour also became a major fishing hub, with it becoming a major producer of fish oil and fish pastes in particular, as the island was blessed with the largest fishing waters relative to its size due to its location further away from most of the other major isle's. Skilled fishermen from the Stormlands were encouraged to settle on Larazor's Rock, bringing with them their expertise and contributing to the island's growing fishing fleet. Recognizing the importance of the fishing industry, the Larazor's invested in building sturdy fishing boats, capable of withstanding the harsh sea conditions. They also established facilities for processing and preserving fish, ensuring the quality and longevity of their exports.

Beyond these natural advantages, the Larazors actively sought to improve their island and capitalize on its unique position. Its location also made it the first island that Lysene ships encountered in the Stepstones with many stopping to restock water and food, providing the island some trade opportunity as well.

House Harlaw and House Pyke, sharing the island of Scarwood, agreed to divide it equally between them with the Greyjoys taking the East and the Harlaws the West, keeping its original name after failing to settle on a new one. Both houses established cadet branches, retaining their respective names. The island's economy centered around agriculture and pastoralism, with the cultivation of chestnuts, olives, and grapes, alongside the herding of sheep and goats. However, the peace brought to the Stepstones by Prince Baelon's campaign had an unforeseen consequence for Scarwood.  The island became a haven for Ironborn captains, eager to claim the Iron Price for wealth, but now deprived of their traditional reaving grounds. The Stepstones and the shores of the Disputed Lands, once prime targets for Ironborn raids, were now forbidden to them.Some less prudent captains, ignoring the new reality, attempted to continue their reaving ways within the Stepstones. These ventures, however, were swiftly curtailed. Their targets were no longer disorganized pirates but well-armed and experienced Westerosi nobles, quick to defend their new holdings. The foolish reavers were either executed by beheading or met a fiery end at the claws of Vhagar, Prince Baelon's dragon. It wasn't until Prince Baelon forcibly redirected the Ironborn nobility's attention towards the Basilisk Isles and Sothoryos that Scarwood, and its neighbors, finally found peace. This suppression of reaving within the Stepstones had a ripple effect, significantly decreasing the overall amount of raiding conducted by the Ironborn. Reaving became almost exclusively the domain of the nobility as the cost and distances increased, forcing the Iron Islands to rely more heavily on trade. The Iron Price, when paid at all, was primarily through service as sell sails, with Ironborn warriors fighting for the various Free Cities in their constant trade wars.

On Scarwood, the Harlaws and the Pykes, adapting to this new reality, focused on developing their agricultural and pastoral resources. They encouraged the cultivation of high-value crops, such as olive varieties prized for their oil. They also invested in improving their sheep and goat herds, focusing on breeds that produced high-quality wool and meat. Skilled farmers and shepherds from the Iron Islands were encouraged to settle on Scarwood, bringing with them their expertise. Recognizing the potential for trade, the Harlaws and the Pykes established trading partnerships with merchants from other Stepstones islands and the mainland. They also encouraged the development of local crafts related to their primary economic activities, such as weaving, pottery, and the production of olive oil.

House Martell received the Golden Haven, a small island nestled within the bay of the larger island Guardian(renamed to Lions Den), which protects the isle from the worst of the weather. This meant it was fertile and valuable despite its smaller size, producing wine and olive oil though it would not be a major trade center, selling its produce mostly through the markets of the other larger islands such as Glittering Isle, Ryam's Isle and Oros.

House Sunstone would retain the island of Sunstone. But they would face a blow when the Royal Fleet at Sunstone was shifted to Oros instead. The Island was a vital hub in the stepstone and dornish trade networks and the island's economy thrived on this trade, with merchants exporting goods like cotton, olive oil, wine, and salt. The island's fertile plains supported the cultivation of various crops, including wheat, barley, and meat in the form of goats.  Sunstone wine and Olive Oil, in particular, was highly prized and exported throughout the region, the Island was heavily influenced by its Valyrian origins being composed of settlers from Dragonstone.

All the minor islands and reefs were also divided between the stepstone houses, most however would remain uninhabited and would be so small most maps would not include them.

As such over the years the Stepstones slowly began to resemble civilised lands like anywhere else in the world.

Chapter Text

While in the popular histories much of the 80's were dominated the War for the Stepstones, the preparation, as well as its aftermath, in truth it was a significant decade regardless for House Targaryen for multiple reasons. One reason was that it would see four of its daughters come of age sparking an intense battle across the realm for the hand of the princesses, Princesses who in their own way would have a profound and lasting impact on the Realm.  As well as major reforms to how the realm was governed, reforms which upended the balance of power in each duchy, including those where it was already altering in ways unseen in living memory.

The year 80 AC dawned with a singular, disruptive revelation. Prince Vaegon, the Queen's cherished third son, had declared his intent to join the Royal Citadel as a Maester, shattering her carefully laid plans for Queen Alysanne had envisioned a grand tapestry of Targaryen supremacy untainted by outsider blood, a future where Prince Vaegon and his sister, Princess Maegelle, would unite and have many children to marry off to their cousins. This union, she believed, would solidify the Targaryen bloodline, their new branch minimizing the need for marital alliances with lesser houses while maintaining more options for her grandchildren. Prince Vaegon’s decision, therefore, was a bitter blow, but the Queen, ever pragmatic, turned her attention to finding a suitable husband for Princess Maegelle among the nobility of Westeros.

Word of the Princes decision to become a maester and thus his siter being available to marry quickly spread like wildfire, and soon, the Red Keep was besieged by a veritable army of suitors and their families. Dukes, Counts, Lords and even landed Knights, and their entourages, poured into King’s Landing, creating a spectacle reminiscent of a Great Council. As soon as they arrived the men began competing and displaying their and their House's merits, and not just for the Princess. For the sheer number of marriage eligible noblemen and their sisters had created in the Red Keep a marriage market of unprecedented scale, with marriage alliances, fosterages, trade deals, political alliances and squireships being forged in the shadows of the spectacle of bolder men attempting for a Royal match.

The duels in the courtyard, ostensibly a display of martial prowess, devolved into a spectacle of barely veiled carnality. Abandoning the constraints of full plate armour, the noble suitors, eager to showcase their physiques to the Princess and other watching noblewomen, opted for loose-fitting linen shirts with the buttons half open while they were dressed in overly tight cotton and silk pants which left little to the imagination . "They seek to win her hand, not with steel, but with… other strengths. Neither a novel approach, nor a particularly dignified one, but certainly delightful way to spend an evening" As one Lady visiting court put it. As they clashed, the thin fabric of the shirts clung to their sweat-drenched bodies, which combined with their half open chest made each clash a constant dance of revealing glimpses of muscle and sinew, a deliberate provocation, as for the pants, as one Lady-in-Waiting  of the Queen Lady Donna Meagle put it "if I had an hour alone with Ser Robert, He would forget all about the skinny leg Maegelle I'll tell you that much". King Jaehaerys, witnessing the scene, grumbled to Grand Maester Elysar, "This is supposed to be a competition of skill, not a… a Lysene flesh market!" He gestured with disgust at a particularly egregious display, where Duke Boremund Baratheon, the King's own half brother, had deliberately torn his shirt during a clash, exposing his well-muscled torso to the princess's view, "They're behaving like peacocks in heat!" the King is supposed to have cried out in frustration when such displays continued, though only the Duke was bold enough to get rid of his shirt entirely before the ladies of the court, with the King ultimately sending in the Dragonguard to drag away any noble participating in such debauchery to the disappointment of many a noblewomen, including to the shock of their husbands Princesses Jocelyn and Alyssa, the otherwise divided Princesses agreeing that "there was no harm in just looking at what fresh meat was on offer" as Princess Alyssa put it. The rules around proper duelling while at the Royal Court were strengthened even further after that.

Meanwhile singers earned fortunes as ballads echoed through the halls, each melody a testament to some nobles prowess or lineage for few noblemen had the voice and skill to distinguish themselves compared to the singers of the Red Keep. Hunting trophies, lavish cloaks and furs, were presented to the princess, each pelt a symbol of the hunter’s skill. Wealth and lineage were flaunted with unabashed pride, humility beheaded and thrown into the sea. Princess Maegelle remained unimpressed by the nobility though. She dismissed those who offered only lineage, their boasts hollow echoes of past glories. "My good Ser," she retorted to a Valyrian noble from the Riverlands, "I can't marry your unbroken lineage from Old Valyria, what do you offer as a husband to me as a wife?"

During this time the Queen, determined to find a suitable match, organized a series of grand balls, each held fourteen days apart, here each interested noble could add their name to their Duchies bowl, and then 18 would be suitors would be selected by lot, 2 from each duchy, to dance with the Princess who promised each at least one full song, but no more. At the second ball, the Princess encountered Count Bartimos Celtigar. His intellect and charm captivated her while they danced, and the Queen Alysanne watched with growing concern as Princess Maegelle danced with the count three times in succession, which was more than she had danced with any noble that night or in the previous ball, their conversation animated and engaging unlike the polite conversation of the rest. They discussed the merging of Valyrian and Westerosi arts, the state of the realm, and its politics and trade. The Queen disapproving of the match since House Celtigar, despite its prestige, was part of the Anti-Maegor Coalition the faction opposed to the Queen's influence in the Royal Court. The Queen suggested her daughter continue her rotation among the nobles but Princess Maegelle ignored her, causing the Queen to resort to more direct measures. During a break in the music, she instructed a lady-in-waiting to approach the Count. As the Count turned to speak to the approaching Lady Jaene, she deliberately tripped, sending both of them crashing into a nearby table laden with food. The Count, now covered in gravy and pastries, was humiliated by a laughing court and was forced to retreat early, the Queen hoping the incident would dampen Princess Maegelle's interest and to cause her to find another suitor.

But the Count Bartimos should not have lost heart for Prince Aemon was a staunch supporter of the match, being a close friend of the Count, and saw in this match not just his sister's happiness but also vengeance for the Crown Prince harboured a desire for revenge against his mother for her interference in his own marriage. He and Count Bartimos devised elaborate schemes to bring the would-be couple together, realising the Queen was determined to keep them apart from now on and that despite being the Crown Prince, the Prince Aemon could not override the mothers control of the brides courting, not when the King had refused to interfere so long his daughter was not being forced into a match she did not want by the Queen. One night, they attempted to lower a rope from the royal apartments to sneak Count Bartimos in, but the figure of the Count was spotted by the Dragonguard, who raised the alarm. As the whole Red Keep was roused and every nobleman, half of them drunk, roamed with their swords seeking to skewer the 'intruder' to prove their worth, the poor Count was forced to hide in Prince Aemon's and Prince Jocelyn's used clothes basket for the rest of the night, the incident becoming an infamous tale whispered throughout the Red Keep in the next few days. Another attempt, a rendezvous in the royal baths which were the one part of the Royal Apartments where the Queen did not have a constant rotation of guards who were spying for her just as much as keeping the family safe, nearly ended in disaster when King Jaehaerys himself decided to take a bath. "That fool!" the King roared, upon hearing rumours of the near incident. "If I had caught him, he would have been flogged, quartered and drawn for thinking of my daughter as a whore who was to be met alone in such a place!" and when he ordered for the Count to be questioned by the chief torturer for the truth the Prince Aemon pleaded for clemency in front of the Small Council, who also advocated for mercy so as to not create a blood feud with the Celtigar via torturing the Heir to Claw Isle which the King would later likely regret, for his friend and took the blame, the only thing which prevented the Count from likely being sentenced to exile or the Wall at the very least.

Further scandals plagued the courtship. Lady Janice Buckwell, cousin to Lord Buckwell, a lady of dubious reputation for her abandoning her husband to take up the position of mistress to many a lord, appeared at court, claiming to be Count Bartimos' mistress and carrying his bastard child, a scheme orchestrated by the Queen to break the courtship which almost succeeded for after this it would take a month of pleading for Princess Maegelle to even look at Count Bartimos, it did not help that by coincidence the Lady Janice looked much like the Princess, though part of this was due to the fact that all the Buckwell's held the Valyrian look and colours for generations now, intermarrying with the Valyrian Noble Houses since the time of the century of blood. But not all of the Count's opponents worked for the Queen, many were members of the Anti-Maegor Coalition which splintered during this period as the reward of a Royal match was a reward too great for political loyalty to hold much water. Foremost of these was Duke Boremund Baratheon, the King's half brother who was determined to succeed in obtaining a Royal match for the prestige it offered and the support it would provide his House as he navigated the changing and increasingly stormy politics of the Stormlands, shaped not just by changing alliances and destabilising balance of power but also the machinations of Queen Alysanne who had never forgiven nor forgotten the marriage of Prince Aemon and Princess Jocelyn even if the two royal women enjoyed a personal truce and what passed for a polite and amicable relationship; So long as they were not subjected to one another for too long, nor seated where they were forced to look at each other, nor forced to interreact with one another more than briefly, nor when they were too sober or too drunk, nor when a bad mood struck them, which all told was a noted improvement in their relation from before from before.

The Duke would get to show his prowess when a mock battle was held, eight teams of ten nobles each competed in large melee battles to display their skill; Here Duke Boremund won having led his friends to victory and crowned Princess Maegelle the Queen of Love and Beauty. But while she accepted the crown of flowers as her due she ignored the half-uncle's attempts to secure a royal match not wishing to marry him, much to the relief of Queen Alysanne who it is said had prepared the testimony of three very young man whores from the brothels of King Landing to testify to the Duke arranging for their services to tar him in front of the Royal Court, and his own supporters in particular, for the Queen knew that unlike for the Valyrian's who were more nuanced and ambiguous on the matter such acts were unambiguously greatly taboo for traditional Andal men, such as the men of the Anti-Maegor Coalition. And while they did not make open accusations for that would likely implicate the Queen as she or her allies would have had to introduce them to court, and thus surrender their credibility, she through secret intermediaries did covertly direct many of the Duke's rivals servants and spies to the man whores, using rumours spread in the red keep kitchens and servant quarters and turncloak spies, and all three of them gave their false testimonies about the Duke to all who asked, these testimonies rapidly spread across the Royal court to the Duke's anger and shame. The fact all who had 'discovered' the man whores were part of the Anti-Maegor coalition only made them more widely believed, and hastened infighting in the Anti-Maegor Coalition which eneded up strengthening the Queens hand in the Royal Court.

After this Count Bartimos and Prince Aemon would make other attempts including a secret meeting in the Godswood at night which while successful at the start was interrupted by a patrol of guards causing them to flee, a message delivered by a singing bird which greatly charmed the Princess, and an attempt to deliver a love poem hidden in a pie, but this poem was apparently eaten by a hungry dog it is said, living on only as myth.

Eventually, King Jaehaerys, witnessing his daughter's happiness with the match and recognizing the Count's merits, gave his blessing. It helped that Claw Isle, the seat of House Celtigar, was the beating heart of the Westerosi glass trade. The tripled tariffs on Essosi glass compared to just the doubling on Westerosi Glass, a policy of King Jaehaerys, had not only raised revenue but also significantly boosted the demand for Westerosi glass compared to imports from Essos, leaving only the clear glass market outside Celtigar dominance, with them controlling more than half the coloured glass market. The glass trade brought immense wealth to House Celtigar, filling their coffers and increasing their influence which meant that the future of Princess Maegelle's children was secure. This also was why Queen Alysanne, though initially bitterly opposed, conceded, prioritizing her daughter's happiness and recognizing that Count Bartimos was a much more suitable match than Princess Jocelyn as he and his House maintained the Valyrian Looks, practised Valyrian Culture and traditions, was familiar with the Valyrian faith and spoke High Valyrian as their primary language. Telling her companions "She would have had to bed a pox and flea ridden dog in front of the royal court in order to do worse than Aemon when he chose Jocelyn, or that's too kind… she would have to bed seven of them to do worse…but I suppose he will do"

Princess Daella, the gentlest of the royal daughters, possessed a beauty that mirrored her temperament, it was a gentle and kind beauty, magnificent yet earthly and warm,  well suited for a Princess who was known for her kind heart and nature, and one who was devoid of the haughty air her sisters, in particular her younger sisters Princess Saera and Princess Viserra, were known for. Finding a suitable husband for her proved to be a delicate and frustrating task for the Crown. At King Jaehaerys’ insistence, and much to Queen Alysanne's displeasure which she expressed very, very loudly to the detriment of the King and Small Council's ears and hearing, in 81 AC, a year after Princess Daella came of age and just months after her sister Princess Maegelle's betrothal, the princess was sent to Driftmark to meet Count Corlys Velaryon. The Queen feared a match with the politically ambitious Count Corlys, a man she considered a key opponent in the politics of the Royal Court and in the trade alliances which served a basis of prosperity for her kin. The voyage across Blackwater Bay, however, was a disaster for the King and the Princesses, for the Queen it was Syrax Festival come early; Princess Daella suffered greatly from seasickness, and upon her return, she complained that Count Corlys seemed more enamoured with his ships than with her. This news was a source of great relief to Queen Alysanne who refused to lose another child to the Anti-Maegor Alliance.

But even here the Queen is supposed to have still done harm to her opponent, though compared to the case with Duke Boremund this allegation is less believed and accepted. Many Velaryon's claim it was the Queen who spread the legend of Melanie of Hull, the proof mostly being that only the Queen had the motivation and reach, not to mention courage to do so but of course most disagree with this allegation and it is notable that the Velaryon's were only willing to openly blame the Queen once she was dead compared to Duke Boremund who blamed her for the rumours within the year of his attempted courting of Princess Maegelle.

Excerpt From "Whispers of the Narrow Sea: Legends and Tales of Driftmark" by Maester Elliot of Oldtown.

...The name of Count Corlys Velaryon, the Sea Snake, echoes through the annals of Westerosi history, a name synonymous with daring voyages and unparalleled naval prowess and yet, amidst the tales of his legendary journeys, a darker current whispers, a shadow cast upon his illustrious reputation, a shadow which never leaves him. This shadow, as persistent as the sea itself, is the legend of Melanie of Hull, and the haunting melodies collectively known as "Melanie's Song."

The tale, as it is told in the taverns of Hull and the fishing villages of Driftmark alike, speaks of a young woman named Melanie, possessing hair the colour of sun-bleached rope and eyes like the grey North Sea, though some of the earliest written accounts claim it was "Silver and Amethyst, rich and shiny just like that of a Targaryen princess", she was said to be a daughter of a humble shipwright, her life as unremarkable as the waves that lapped against the harbour. One day, a longship bearing the sigil of House Velaryon arrived according to some versions, though others claim the ship was the infamous Sea Snake itself , its sails billowing like storm clouds for unknown to her she had come to the notice of Ser Corlys, or so the story goes, who had taken a liking to the girl, a dark, covetous liking.

Thus Melanie was forced to watch the slaughter of her entire family in barbaric ways, each crueller than the last, and was taken against her will to High Tide, the seat of House Velaryon built by Count Corlys, there, within the cold, damp stone walls, she was subjected to unspeakable horrors, the details of which are left to the listener's imagination, each version more gruesome than the last and so the tale of Melanie became a symbol, a whispered warning of the supposed barbarity hidden behind the Velaryon's polished façade, though it speaks to the darkness that hides beneath all the rulers and nobles of the realm in truth…..It is likely one of the driving factors behind this claim, along with possible truth in them though no solid proof has ever been put forward, was not just jealousy but a lingering suspicion on why the famous and wealthy Count had never married or even taken a mistress despite famously claiming to have bedded a woman in every port of the world. Similarly there are many records of the Smallfolk of Hull claiming to see the Count around the shipyards all alone, even when there was no inspection.

…….."Melanie's Song," a mournful ballad, emerged from this dark legend, its lyrics a haunting lament for the lost innocence of a young girl. The song, often sung in hushed tones in the early years, speaks of her fate. The following is a common version though there are of course many not even including the related songs which help make up the entire Melanie's of Hull Song Cycle:

"High in the halls of the Tides forever gone,

Melanie would dance with the ghosts,

The friends she had lost and the ones she had found,

Taken by the Seasnake who hurt her the most.

The friends who'd been gone for so very long,

 She couldn't remember their names.

They spun her around on the damp old stone,

 Spun away all her sorrow and pain

And she was never able to leave, Never able to leave,

Never able to leave, Never able to leave

He came through the day and into the night

Through the sun and snow, her tears like rain,

Cries echoed in the Halls, An' deaf nobles brayed,

'Til the walls did crumble and fail

And she was never able to leave, Never able to leave,

Never able to leave, Never able to leave"

The Velaryon's when made aware of the rumours and songs spreading across the Blackwater Bay, of course, vehemently denied any wrongdoing, dismissing the stories as slanderous fabrications concocted by their enemies. Yet, the tales persisted, spreading like wildfire across the Seven Kingdoms. Stories of other girls, taken from various ports and villages, began to surface, each echoing the tragic fate of Melanie. These accounts, whether true or not, fueled the flames of suspicion, casting a long shadow over the Sea Snake's legacy.

The legend of Melanie became a potent weapon for those who opposed the Velaryon's for during conflicts whether political or personal, "Melanie's Song" would be sung as a taunt, a reminder of the supposed dark deeds hidden beneath their noble veneer and that their great mariner was tainted and foul. Even on Driftmark itself, the tales took root, evolving over time for the people, while loyal to their lords, could not ignore the whispers that permeated their lives and soon enough from Driftmark itself new stories emerged, tales of Melanie's spirit haunting the halls of High Tide, seeking vengeance for the injustices she suffered. Some claimed she escaped, becoming a vengeful ghost, her spectral form roaming the shores, seeking the souls of those who wronged her while others spoke of her joining the company of other lost girls, their spirits forever bound to the sea, waiting for the day when justice would be served.

The figure of Melanie, and the other lost girls, became an integral part of Driftmark's folklore passed down through the generations, told to even the Velaryon children themselves in the years to come, long after Count Corlys and his immediate decedents deaths. They were the cautionary tales whispered to children at night to teach them to behave, the sombre melodies sung by fishermen on long nights at sea. They represented the hidden darkness that could lurk beneath the surface of even the most celebrated heroes and whether fact or fiction, the legend of Melanie of Hull, and "Melanie's Song" in all its versions, served as a stark reminder that even the most powerful houses could not escape the judgment of the common folk, and that the whispers of the sea could carry tales that time could not erase.

After returning from Driftmark and during her time at the Red Keep, Princess Daella was courted by several promising young Knights of a similar age whose fathers served in the Royal Offices: Ser Denys Swann, Ser Simon Reyne, Ser Gerold Templeton, and Ser Ellard Crane. These young men, under pressure from their families to secure a royal match, engaged in increasingly improper behavior in an attempt to win the princess’s favor. Ser Simon attempted to ply her with wine in a bid to get closer to her, a scandalous act for a young lady which almost saw him flogged by the Queen for his forwardness, while Ser Ellard, in a moment of reckless boldness, kissed the Princess on the lips which caused the princess to slap him multiple times in retaliation. By the end of the year, Princess Daella held them all and their families in utter disdain and the King and Queen were none to impressed either, many of their noble fathers sending their sons away out of fear of retaliation, mostly from the Queen.

Queen Alysanne, recognizing her daughter’s aversion to boisterous gatherings, organized a series of smaller, more intimate balls in Princess Daella’s honor. These events, unlike the grand spectacles held for Princess Maegelle, were intended to be less overwhelming. However, even these scaled-down affairs proved too much for the princess. After attending only two, she refused to participate further, forcing the queen to send away numerous disappointed suitors, primarily those from the Crownlands who had been invited first.

Following these disappointments, King Jaehaerys and Queen Alysanne decided to take Princess Daella with them on a Royal Progress. Their journey included a stop at Harrenhal, where the king sponsored a grand tournament which attracted numerous noble suitors, including Duke Boremund Baratheon, Duke of the Stormlands, Ser Tymond Lannister, heir to Casterly Rock and the Westerlands and the Queens favourite suitor, and Duke Rodrik Arryn, heir to the Vale. Despite their titles and prestige, Princess Daella rejected them and the rest, calling them too crude, or too old, or too boisterous and energetic, or too unromantic, too andal, too stupid and a hundred other reasons.

The royal party continued their progress, eventually arriving at Raventree Hall. It was here that Ser Royce Blackwood, the eldest son and heir to Count Blackwood, paid court to Princess Daella. Ser Royce was a stark contrast to the bawdy suitors she had encountered at the Red Keep and Harrenhal. He was graceful, courteous, and possessed a gentle demeanour that immediately appealed to her. Moreover, his lands were firmly rooted in the Riverlands, ensuring the princess would never have to endure the torment of seasickness. Ser Royce was not only a skilled warrior, proficient with bow and sword, but also a talented singer and songwriter. His ballads, filled with romantic verses and stirring melodies, enchanted Princess Daella. The Queen, recognizing the suitability of the match and remembering the Blackwood's loyalty which stretched back to not just the Anarchy when they were some of the key allies to her father Prince Maegor but also before when they accompanied him to Essos in the First Targaryen War Against the Dothraki during the Great Adventure, gave her approval. King Jaehaerys, seeing his daughter’s happiness, readily agreed. The marriage was set, and in 82 AC, Princess Daella Targaryen became Princess Daella Blackwood, Countess of the Blackwood Vale and Lady of Raventree Hall, bringing a period of peace to the princess after a year of turmoil over her future.

The decade was also significant because of the many projects that King Jaehaerys revealed and put into motion in these years. In 83 AC 40 years since he was became King and 35 Years since he came of age, King Jaehaerys held a Tournament in Kings Landing to celebrate his reign, attended by knights and nobles from across Westeros. It was here that King Jaehaerys revealed many of the plans that had been in the works for years.

At the Tournament the King granted City Charters to many settlements across the realm and in doing so the King was both acknowledging these rapidly growing towns and also giving them the tools needed to become proper cities and centres of commerce and trade. In the Riverland's which was the most favoured, charters were given to Seaguard, Maidenpool, Harroway Town, Saltpans and Fairmarket, something which had been denied to the Lords of the Riverland's for centuries. In the rest of Westeros City Charters were given to Stoneden, seat of House Stonewolf in the North, Ryamsport in the Arbor, Yronwood Port and Sunspear in Dorne, Duskendale in the Crownlands, and Rosenberg, seat of House Tyrell, in the Reach.  These charters gave the cities more autonomy in terms of setting their own policies though the relief in royal taxes was strictly limited, mostly confined to a few niche areas.

In the Stormlands, Westerlands, North, Vale and Iron Islands the King would also announce the granting of certain tax and trade privileges, as well as the removal of many ancient restrictions to the towns of Stonehelm, Evenfall Port, and Weeping town in the Stormlands; Crakehall, Kayce, Castamere and Banefort in the Westerlands; Ramsgate, Deepwood Motte, the Weeping Town, Flints Finger, in the North; Old Anchor, Bronze Cove, Hearts Home, Wickenden in the Vale; Lordsport and Harlaw Port in the Iron Islands.  All these settlements were at some point or another hobbled from growing by their ancient kings and overlords for a variety of reasons, from those with some justification, such as not wanting a city just a stone throws away from the Iron Islands and its reavers, to less justifiable reasons such as wanting to hobble the power of the House Royce and other First Men Houses in the Vale so that they may not challenge House Arryn or other overlords not wanting their vassals to grow too strong.  Now the king wanted to remove them so that these settlements may one day grow large enough to become cities. These privileges included the City walls, castles and barracks being exempted from crenelation taxes, as well as other building rights, as well as trade privileges which mostly affected trade with the Crownlands, rights to set their own tax policies so long as royal and ducal taxes were paid, more direct control over the administration of the towns independent of even their respective Dukes etc.

These privileges were extended to Haystack Port, Eastwood and the Stormtower in the Stormlands; Saltport and Snowtown in the North; Wembley Town and Norwich in the Reach, all of whom were newer but quickly growing towns. The foundation of these towns expansions was being laid by the long peace which had swelled the numbers of all of Westeros, even with these privileges expiring in just a few decades, the boost provided as well as the removal of ancient restrictions would nonetheless greatly contribute to the growth of larger towns and cities in Westeros, as the existence of new trade hubs spurred the development of others, most rapidly seen by the rise of Durrandale the main settlement next to Storms End which would finally grow beyond its centuries old size, spurred by the growing trade in the Stormlands.  This would also greatly expand the influence of the King in matters of trade as each town aided received a Court of Exchequer, even if for some it as merely a bench of three judges, as well as a court of Common Pleas even if they did not have the numbers to justify it. This would expand the influence of the Kings Courts further and more deeply integrate its laws and precedents into the fabric and trade networks of Westeros.

The Crown would also proclaim jointly with House Stark a new Royal and Ducal Progress between Winterfell and House Targaryen, represented by Prince Aemon, would go to Skagos to bring them deeper into the realm, removing the ancient restriction on their navy and trade. It was clear from the look on Duke Ellard's face on just whose idea this had been. But in leading to deeper integration of Skagos and the realm it was successful for freed from their restrictions the Skagosi quickly began leaving their islands to fish and trade in ever greater numbers, the increased contact helping reduce some of the worst of the rumours though they never fully ended.  Winterfell also kept a close eye on the Island knowing that even if the Crown aided them it would be much time before they were able to send a Dragonrider to Winterfell and the North. As part of this integration many sheriffs were sent to Skagos and much of what we know if the island in those days comes from their journals and writings. The Royal Post office would also extend its network to Skagos with regular service.

But in no Kingdom did the King announce more change than the Iron islands, for more than any removal of restriction the King decreed a wholesale reform of how the Iron islands functioned. The many exemptions in the matter of Royal Laws which the Iron Born had been granted since the days of Aegon the Conqueror were removed, as shown by the Decree which formally outlawed Thraldom and the taking of Saltwives as slavery, forbidding the practise which had continued through continued Ironborn reaving of the Stepstones, Disputed Lands and Basilisk Isles. The Crown sending its own men to investigate and ensure the laws were being followed, with the Iron islands having 4 times the number of sheriffs it otherwise would have had in order to aid in this enforcement which was a very difficult and bloody task. This was shown by the fact that more than half the sheriffs in Westeros who died in this period did so while serving in the Iron Islands, this not only frustrated the Crown but also led to new enmities between the mainland nobility and the Ironborn over the death of their brothers and sons.

All the Ironborn nobility were henceforth also required to have Maesters rather than merely having the option to have them as was the case previously. These Maesters would serve the nobility and their households as healers to the sick and tutors to the young and in doing so hopefully provide them with examples of the value of more deeply engaging with Westerosi institutions; but more importantly for the King with them came their ravens, whose black wings would tie the isles to the rest of the Realm tighter than ever before. In a further bid to integrate the Iron islands in the town of Harlaw Port on the island of Harlaw, the largest of the Ironborn settlements, the new Royal Iron Island Postal Fleet was founded. Its role was not only to extend the postal network to connect the Iron Islands to each other, but also to the mainland with ships bringing mail for the mainland to Harlaw Port from where it departed, bound for Stoneden, Seaguard, Lannisport and Dragonsmouth each week, the ships also acting as trade vessels in these runs to recoup costs. The result of this was the deeper integration of the Iron islands into the trading networks of the realm.

 All this would greatly impact the way the Iron Islands functioned, fundamentally reforming the way they mined, farmed, traded and changed the structure of their families and households permanently. In the coming years many Ironborn including both nobles and smallfolk captains would be executed for their defiance and failure of following the new way, and while the threat of Dragons would make most of the men comply overall it led to great resentment against the Crown, resentment which only festered in the hearts of the more bloodthirsty of their kind even as others adapted.

Also proclaimed was the foundation of the King Aegon the Conqueror's Hospital. Jointly funded by the Crown and the Great Temple of Kings Landing(Prince Maegor's Temple) and operated by the Prince Maegor's Temple and the Prince Aerion Collegium it would become one of the most prominent hospitals in the city, becoming most famous for being the first Teaching hospital not affiliated with one of the Citadels. It is also the oldest hospital in Westeros to still operate continuously on its original location, with more modernised facilities of course. The King Aegon Hospital would also set a precedent or institutions such as colleges running proper teaching hospitals which had a staff separate from students and their mentors, with the students education being secondary to the needs of patients.  The Citadels would in the future would also operate such facilities, as shown when in 85AC when the King formally amend the charters of the Moontown and Lannisport Citadels to also charter hospitals affiliated with them. The Queen Rhaenys Hospital was also chartered to be operated by the Royal Citadel in latter years as Kings Landing grew. The King would also announced the building of a bridge in Laketown,  bridging the Gods Eye River, with part of the funding coming from the Crown in the form of loans.

But the biggest project which came from this celebration was the most controversial. For the King had decided to raise the proportion of tax the crown received on lands and its produce such as crops, pasture lands, orchards and mining output. This was the first time these had been increased in decades and would directly impact the coffers of each and every Noble House. The taxes on almost all exports to Essos were also increased, meaning that even with the rising prosperity of the realm, and new taxes on the smallfolk compensating for some of the increase the average noble was now a bit worse off, in some ways having lost all the gains of the past decade.  The King decreed that the taxes would be raised slowly over five years in a bid to further soften the blow and allow the rising prosperity to compensate for the higher taxes.

The King announced the gold raised would be spent on many new roads before the existing ones were even completed halfway, doubling both its overall size as well as greatly growing the amount of paved roads built each year and as with the previously announced roads the paved roads were not built contiguously.  The reason for this expansion was that the pace of connecting the realm was too slow and the cost of accelerating their growth too high on existing revenue, as such the taxes were raised so that by 88AC the Crown was paving 250miles per year.  The new roads would include-

• The Queensroad: Stretching from the Kingsroad near the southern end of the Causeway to the Marches and the Reach, the Queensroad is the second longest road in the realm after the Kingsroad.
• It departs from the Kingsroad at the end of the Causeway on the borders of the neck where the market village of causeway town would form, heading southwest it crossed the Twins. A shorter branch leads to Seaguard from here.
• The main road continues south from the twins through the Blue Mountains to Oldstones, then follows the Blue Fork to Fairmarket. Here, it crosses the river, heading to the Vale of Blackwood and the keep of Raventree Hall and the town of Ravenden.
• Continuing south, it crosses the Red Fork. King Jaehaerys announced here the construction of the Bridge of Reconciliation, funded and maintained equally by Houses Blackwood and Bracken, fostering trade and peace.
• Near Stone Hedge, it intersects with the River Road. A minor branch southeast connects Stone Hedge to Harrenhal and Harrentown via Lychester, then continues to Butterwell Castle, previously linked to the Kingsroad by paved roads by House Butterwell.
• The main road proceeds south from Stone Hedge, connecting to Atranta, Wayfarer's Rest (intersecting with the Hand's Road/Maiden's Road), and the Stoney Sept.
• It enters the Reach at Norwich, where House Gaellia pledged to build a stone bridge. Here, it also connects to the Gold Road, before traveling south to Goldengrove via Coldmoat.
• Splitting into three branches at Goldengrove:
• Branch 1: West to Red Lake and terminating at Old Oak, meeting the Ocean Road.
• Branch 2: South along the Dragons river to Wembley Halls, Highgarden, across the river and then southeast to Horn Hill, connecting to the Marcher Road.
• Branch 3: East to Bitterbridge, connecting to the Garden Road, then to the Grassy Vale.
• Splitting further at the Grassy Vale:
• Fork 1: East to Gallowsgrey (connecting to the Cape Road), then southeast, bisecting the land between the Storm Road and the Princes Road. It reaches the intersection of the Princes Road and the Storm Road in the Stormlands, where King Jaehaerys orders the construction of Summerhall, a fortified palace.
• Fork 2: South from the Grassy Vale, connecting to the Princes Road, then Ashford, finishing at Nightsong, connecting to the Marcher Road.
  
  
• The Marcher Road: From the Weeping town to Oldtown, Via Fawnton, Stonehelm, Blackhaven (connecting to the Storms road), Harvest Hall, Nightsong (where it connected to the Queensroad), Starpike, Horn Hill and Castle Aerion (Formerly Uplands) before finishing at Oldtown.
• A branch from Castle Aerion also extends down south to Sunhouse, the southernmost notable seat of the Reach.
• The Cape Road: From the Weeping town to Gallowsgrey via Mistwood, to Rain house, to Griffins Roost, to Storms End (Connecting to the Storm Road),  to Bronzegate, to Fellwood to Gallowsgrey (connecting to the Queensroad).
• The Prince's Road: From the Weeping Town to Dragonsmouth. The Princes Road would Start at the Weeping town before connecting to fawton along the same path as the Marcher road, and from there to Crow's Nest to Kings Mountain and beyond, intersecting with the Storms Road and Queens Road at Summerhall before crossing into the Reach and travelling between the Cockswhent and Blueburn rivers, to Cider Hall, crossing the river to meet with the Garden Road at Appleton and crossing the Dragons river (Connecting to the Queensroad) before going south, crossing the northern green hills before reaching the port of Dragonsmouth, seat of House Celtimon and second largest port on the Sunset sea, connecting to the Ocean Road.
  
  
• The Lions Road (Also called the Hill Road): From Crakehall to Banefort via the hills. The road would start in Crakehall, before continuing east through the ancient Boar Road through the forest, connecting to Cornfield, continuing east to Silverhill,  from here it would turn north to Deep Den, connecting with the Gold Road,  before continuing to Hornvale and then to the Golden Tooth where it connected to the River Road, travelling west to Ashemark and then to Nunn's Deep from where it would travel through the Prince Aerion's hills to reach Banefort and connect with the Ocean Road.
• A branch would connect Ashemark to Castamere

• The Lower Direwolf Road: From Widows Watch to Stoneport. Connecting the Lower North, east to west. It would start in Widows Watch, move east to Ramsgate and continue until it connected White Harbour to the Kingsroad, Kingsroad to Barrowtown, Barrowtown to the Rills (where it connected to the Upper Direwolf Road) and then to the Stoneport.
• The Upper Direwolf Road: From Last Hearth to Karhold to the Rills. It would start in Last Heart before continuing South East to Karhold before turning southwest and continuing to the Dreadfort across the Last River, from the Dreadfort it went across the White Knife to Winterfell where it would cross the Wolfs knife to Castle Cerwyn, across the Cerwyn river, continuing to Torrhen's Square before ending in the Rills where it connected to the Lower Direwolf Road .

• The Falcons Road: From Wickenden to Coldwater Burns. Connecting the Vale, North to South. From Wickenden to Redfort, to the Eyrie, to Hearts home, to Snake wood to Coldwater burns.
• It would have a separate branch continuing northwest to Sweetsong from Hearts Home.
• The Moon Road: Connecting the Eyrie to Longbow Hall, via Ironoaks and Old Anchor.

• The Hand of the King Road(also known as the Hands Road or the Maidens Road): From Maidenpool to Pinkmaiden. Connecting the Lower Riverlands East to West. It would start in Maidenpool, connecting it to the Kings road, it would cross the Gods Eye River at the Laketown at the point where the Gods Eye river flows forth from the lake, continuing to Acorn Hall and then to Wayfarers Rest, where it would connect to the Queens Road, finishing at Pinkmaiden.

• The Sand Road: From Spottswood to Saltshore and Vaith. From Spottswood on the broken arm shore of Dorne to Seahorse Hill to Godsgrace (connecting to the Dornish Road) The main road would continue to Vaith
• A branch would head south from Godsgrace and connect to saltshore.
• The Princess Road (Also called the Summer road): From Yronwood to Brightwater Keep. The road would start in Yronwood, connecting to Skyreach and then Starfall, connecting to the Storms Road. From Starfall the road would continue along the coast to sunhouse (connecting to the Marcher Road), and from there to three towers before going around the whispering sound to Blackcrown via oldtown (connecting to the Garden Road). The Princess  Road would then connect to Bandallon before continuing inland to Brightwater Keep (connecting to the ocean road).

These newly announced roads would significantly impact the realm, accelerating travel across both paved and unpaved sections. The construction spurred a boom in road building during the latter years of King Jaehaerys's reign, exceeding the combined road construction of all previous years. However, the king who initiated these ambitious projects would not live to see their completion, as full paving would take decades, if not centuries. King Jaehaerys also announced the reform of the Road Wardens into the Royal Mounted Guard. These revamped guards would not only patrol the roads and prevent theft, but also gain the authority to pursue criminals far from the roads and conduct investigations. This effectively addressed the issue of mounted criminals and bandits escaping into the countryside beyond the Road Wardens' jurisdiction.

Finally Summerhall would also become an important seat for House Targaryen. The king purchased the surrounding lands to create a new royal fief, generating substantial revenue from trade along the new roads and taxes from the burgeoning trade town of Summerhall. These funds would be used over the decades to expand the palace and support a court renowned for its hunts and revelries. Many younger sons of House Targaryen would style themselves Princes of Summerhall. In addition to Summerhall, the king purchased the ruined castle of the Whispers from House Crabb and rebuilt it as a hunting lodge. This lodge, however, was not intended for the royal family, but as a perk of the Office of Hand of the King, to be used by the Hand's family and friends.

Chapter Text

In 84 AC soon after the declaration of the War for the Stepstones had been made to the Realm, a scandal was uncovered. Two men of the City Watch of King's Landing rescued the Court Fool Tom Turnip, the favourite jester of the King, from the whores at the Blue Pearl, where Ser Jonah Mooton and Ser Roy Connington and Ser Braxton "the Stinger" Beesbury were amongst the drunken patrons laughing at the fool who had been tied against his will to a post, screaming out for mercy and someone to aid him as whores used whips on his nether regions among other parts, with his behind and back bleeding and needing a maester to attend to it. When Count Mooton admitted the 'joke' had been Princess Saera's idea, the three lordlings were brought before Ser Robert Redwyne, who brought them to King Jaehaerys, seated on the Iron Throne. When none of the three men dared to say a word about Princess Saera, they were thrown in the black cells and when Lord John Connington protested at his sons treatment he was whipped 7 times in front of the entire Royal Court and thrown in the Black cells as well by the King as penance for his temerity, an act which more than any rumour signalled to the Court and the Realm that the King was livid beyond measure, livid in a way they had frankly not seen since the Great Trials, the number of issues brought to his attention would fall considerably with even the Crown Prince Aemon and Prince Baelon trying to hide away from their father. Subsequently, Queen Alysanne called Princess Saera's two friends, Lady Perianne Moore and Lady Alys Turnberry, to her to be questioned. Threatened with imprisonment in the black cells where the Queen promised to "Instruct the guards to not respond to any scream you make while you share cells with 'alleged' rapists who would love to add noble ladies to their records considering they are to die anyway", the two girls quickly revealed that the three girls had practiced at kissing, dressed at first, naked later on. When the girls dared each other to kiss a real boy, Princess Saera had proclaimed she would kiss a man, which is where her three male favourites came in. According to Lady Perianne "it was the stinger who did the training for all of them." When asked where the servants had been during all they had done, the two girls informed the queen that they had simply been ordered to stay outside, and that the few who had known something, had been forced to keep quiet by Ser Beesbury.

King Jaehaerys was subsequently informed, and had squires, grooms and maids questioned on the matter. Only then, King Jaehaerys called Princess Saera to him in the throne room. King Jaehaerys scolded her for the 'joke' regarding the fool Tom and the Blue Pearl, after which Queen Alysanne informed her they were aware that Lady Alys Turnberry was pregnant. When informed of the imprisonment of her three favourite lordlings, Princess Saera began to speak and within the span of an hour "went from denial to dismissal to quibbling to contrition to accusation to justification to defiance", according to Septon Barth. When Princess Saera finally fell silent, King Jaehaerys asked her whether she had given her maidenhead to any of the three men, and Princess Saera proclaimed that they all three believed they had been the first, saying that boys were such "silly fools". Princess Saera declared she would be married, but that she could not decide which one of the three would be the best choice.

The King confined to her bedchambers after she suggested she could wed all three of them, comparing herself to King Aegon and his two wives and denouncing the Faith's restriction on the number of people in a marriage before going on a long winded rant on the Faith of the Seven and how it was evil and wrong and sought to suppress her desires, declaring she was a Granddaughter of Maegor who had broken the Faith and if he could have multiple lovers why was she any different?. Furious King Jaehaerys, after the princess was dragged out of the chambers, is said to have stated that "until she learns humility she is no longer my daughter, she is not even worthy to speak the Conquerors name with how she has behaved, even if one seeks to sin and befoul a marriage, and take a lover, there is a way to do so and this is not it". The King while furious over his daughters actions was also worried that the relations between the Crown and Faith, which were already strained due to the Royal House marrying Princess Daella to a First Men, Old God worshiping House rather than an Andal, Seven Worshipping House would only worsen if the denunciations Princess Saera made of the Seven would become common knowledge. 

Queen Alysanne attempted to get them to reconcile over the following week for while she agreed her daughter was in the wrong in both torturing the fool and in her wantonness in the way she went by taking lover, felt that things could still be resolved, some public penance would sooth over the rumours of her denunciations of the Faith of the Seven no matter how accurate they were. But this attempt failed after Princess Saera fled to the Dragonpit and attempted to steal a dragon to prove her Targaryen Blood, an even more furious King Jaehaerys then confined her to a secure suite as punishment with only the Seven Pointed Star, a septa for company and only two course meals as punishment, for he declared that regardless of blood Princess Saera was uniquely unsuitable to be given the power received by riding a dragon, and the Queen despite the pleading of her daughter was forced to agree with the punishment for even Targaryen's claiming a dragon without the permission of the King was treason as written into the law by he own father Prince Maegor. It was rumoured that Princess Saera, after failing to tame any of the free dragons who came and went by the pit, mostly Ambertail, Maiden and Grey Ghost who came for frequent stays to feed on the beef the Dragon Keepers put out each day to each dragon, had even attempted to tame Vermithor, the Bronze Fury and her father's dragon, believing his might would bend to her will. The dragon's fiery roar, however, supposedly sent her fleeing, leaving a lingering scent of burnt hair and singed pride, and with it also gaining the King eternal wrath at this blatant disrespect to him according to the tale.

The three knights in question were called in front of the Royal Court and were accused of dishonouring a Princess of the Blood, a serious crime while the two ladies were accused of abetting them. When Lady Perianne, Lady Alys, Ser Jonah Mooton and Ser Roy Connington confessed to the acts and crime, and got on their knees to beg for mercy, they were shown leniency and were simply banished from the Crownlands henceforth for life. However Ser Braxton Beesbury, nephew of the Master of Coin Lyman Beesbury, was defiant and unashamed, refusing to apologise for the act and declaring that he and the Princess were in love and were destined to get married. When the Princess agreed to the claims of love and insulted her other lovers for abandoning her so quickly the King decreed that Princess Saera was to marry her lover which the Princess was apparently less than happy about for she preferred the idea of being married to actually being married. They would marry the next year in 85 AC in a grand ceremony in the Red Keep, being the unofficial celebration of the launch of the Stepstones War and were then banished to Honeyholt. In just under a year the Princess Saera would grow so dissatisfied with her life as the wife of a household knight that in 86AC she would leave Honeyholt and go to Dragonstone to again attempt to take a dragon, but all the ones she deemed worthy of herself rejected her and she was soon caught and sent to the Red Keep.  Here she was told that she was not allowed to inherit a dragon by her parents who also summoned her husband to the Red Keep to keep her company, in these months being surrounded by the luxuries, celebrations and festivities she was accustomed to the Princess seemed to calm down but there were still constant scandals surrounding the Princess in these months, with her taking many lovers even after her husband came to the Red Keep. When a great tournament was held to celebrate the Victory in the Stepstones she could be seen on the arms of a different Lord of the Realm, and each day of the week she left a different room in the morning, to much scandal, and no amount of chastisement would make her amend her behaviour. She would in particular gravitate around the Sea Snake Count Corlys Velaryon one of the richest men in the Realm who was also single, but he would reject her advances knowing to do so would bring the wrath of the King upon him and that she offered him no marriage . 

Soon Princess Saera would ask for an annulment which was rejected by the King who instead encouraged her to find happiness with her husband, arguing she had never given being happy in the marriage a chance. The argument between them so heated that Queen Alysanne intervened seeking to defuse the tensions, but the Princess would call her mother Queen Alysanne an "Andal and Seven loving traitor" and then the Princess bashed her goblet on her mothers forehead cutting it and caused the king to punch her in punishment, leaving a deep bruise around the black eye, declaring he would cut it out if she ever hurt her mother again. Neither of the three would speak of that day again. That same year a Council was held to negotiate the recognition of the conquest of the Stepstones by the Crown and here just like in the Tournament the Princess could be seen with many men, her husband uncaring of his wife's promiscuity. It would not be until the delegates had left that it was realised that Princess Saera was missing, it would take a week and Princes Aemon and Baelon having to fly ahead to Oros for them to find out that Princess Saera had willingly run off with the Triarch of Volantis who wished for a Princess with the Blood of the Dragon for a wife, or at least for one of his wives. To the shame of House Targaryen Princess Saera wanted to live out her life as one of the Triarch's now five wives. However her dreams were cut short for when facing the wrath of Caraxes and Vhagar, and realising that Volantis would not push the matter too much if he died due to his personal desires and actions now that the Stepstones were firmly out of the hands of Tyrosh and Lys, the Triarch gave up his new wife who was taken back to the Red Keep under strict guard.

Realising that there was no way to keep the events a secret the Crown had the Faith annul the marriage, her husband Ser Braxton would receive much gold from the Crown as a way of apologies, even making him a Grand Knight Commander of the Order of the Red Dragon, but the man would be uncaring of his abandonment, saying 'a whore has no loyalty but to coin and pleasure, I never believed otherwise' to the Kings face in front of the assembled Royal Court, and the King so humiliated by the actions of his daughter would be able to say no reply. Princess Saera was quickly married once again, not to the Sea snake for he would not have such a wife, telling his friends "I have no desire for a snake as a wife as much as I love my moniker…..I'm meant to sail the seas not the storms of such a marriage". Instead she was quickly married off to Boremund Baratheon who had recently become a widower once again and had no children of is own despite his age of 37 and lacking brothers, nephews or male cousins in the Storms End Baratheon line, to carry on the Baratheon name. But it was not for a lack of trying for Duke Boremund had lost one wife to disease, one betroth to a riding accident while she was on her way to Storms End for the marriage and another wife to childbirth with the child being a stillborn. Similarly three of the women he had shown an interest in also died in unexpected deaths no less than a week before a formal betrothal could be announced causing many to believe him cursed and made it so that no woman wanted his attention even if they could become Duchess of the Stormlands. Once in Storms End Princess Saera was told she would not leave the keep, even to go riding, by the order of the King until she gave birth to a child, doing so in 89AC when Duke Rogar Baratheon, named after his grandfather, was born. 

The forced marriage to Duke Boremund Baratheon was a bitter pill for Princess Saera to swallow for not only was it not by her choice, she, who had glowed in the attention of the Realm and the thrill of the Royal Court, was now confined within the walls of Storm's End, a stark and windswept fortress far removed from the glittering life or luxuries she craved. Duke Boremund, a man marked by tragedy and whispered to be cursed, was an unlikely partner for the Princess and it was clear that their marriage was a political arrangement, a means for the king to control his wayward daughter and secure the Baratheon line, rather than a union of affection and love like it was for the rest of the Princes and Princesses.

The initial years were fraught with tension and resentment. Princess Saera, accustomed to luxury and the choices that came living in King Landing, the second largest city in Westeros, found the austere environment of Storm's End stifling, for while the Castle was large and the seat of the Duke it was no Red Keep, or Highgarden or Casterly Rock. Those seats offered a dizzying array of pleasures and diversions with courtly intrigue, lavish feasts, elaborate tournaments, constant gossip, chariot racing, large theatres showing a variety of plays, an endless options of shops selling an endless variety of goods and a large court showcasing a sheer vibrancy of life.

Storm's End, by contrast, presented a starkly different reality, a place of stone and wind, its austere architecture reflecting the rugged nature of the Stormlands. The constant roar of the sea and the howling gales that swept across the coast created an environment that Princess Saera found bleak and oppressive. Beyond the physical surroundings life at Storm's End was filled by Stormlands lords and their adherence to ancient customs, which was a far cry from the sophisticated courtiers of King's Landing. There was only bawdiness of the crudest form here, no true wit according to the Princess, there was only the Seven here not the magnificent temples of the Gods of Valyria that the Princess could attend to. Similarly the problem of language was a large one for few spoke High Valyrian here, fewer spoke it fluently enough for a Targaryen.  The absence of the luxuries and comforts she had taken for granted further exacerbated her sense of isolation for while Storm's End was a wealthy seat in comparison to most, it lacked the refined elegance of the Red Keep or the other seats of Targaryen Great Cadet branches such as Casterly Rock or Highgarden, with the furnishings more practical than ornate, the food was hearty but simple, and the entertainment was limited meaning the Princess who had grown accustomed to gilded furniture, the most exquisite cuisine with expensive herbs and spices from the East, and the most elaborate amusements, felt deprived and resentful.

The lack of the constant festivities was a major issue as well for in King's Landing, there was always something happening: a royal progress returning or departing, tournaments, balls, scandals, chariot racing, intrigue, visits by envoys, a constant rotation of new nobles from across the realm coming to pay homage, new plays being written and performed, the Seawynd's and Velaryon's competing with each other to bring luxuries and curiosities from across the Known world, from as far away as near mythical Yi-Ti, to the Royal Court and more. In Storm's End, life was more predictable and routine for the days were filled with the mundane tasks of running a household, overseeing the garrison, and attending to the affairs of the duchy and Princess Saera, accustomed to a life of constant excitement, found this routine to be utterly unbearable and this created a deep sense of resentment which fueled her bitterness and contributed to her strained relationships with her husband, her children, and her vassals.

Duke Boremund, wary of his wife's reputation and perhaps resigned to a loveless marriage, kept a watchful eye on her, enforcing the king's decree of confinement until she bore an heir and while the birth of Rogar Baratheon in 89 AC, this provided the necessary heir and allowed the Princess more freedom but it did little to bridge the chasm between husband and wife as their relationship remained cold and distant. Duke Boremund, despite fulfilling his duty as a husband, never truly trusted Princess Saera for he saw her as a source of potential scandal, and a reminder of his own misfortune, meanwhile Princess Saera, in turn, viewed him with disdain, a symbol of her forced exile and lost freedom, harbouring a deep resentment for the man who represented her imprisonment and who could not provide the life she desired. The children born of this loveless union suffered the consequences of their parents' strained relationship for they grew up in a household devoid of warmth and affection, witnessing the constant tension between their parents. Princess Saera, consumed by her own bitterness, struggled to connect with her children as she saw them as reminders of her lost youth and the life she could have had, perceiving them as chains binding her to a life she despised. Duke Rogar, her eldest and Duke Boremund's heir, in particular, bore the brunt of his mother's indifference and he thus grew into a stern and dutiful lord, his stoicism a complete opposite of his fathers boisterous personality, feeling the sting of his mother's neglect and growing up with a sense of abandonment and a deep-seated resentment towards her.

Princess Saera's relationship with her vassals was equally fraught with tension and her presence ended up backfiring on House Baratheon weakening it instead of strengthening its hold on the Stormlands. This was through her open disdain for the Stormlands and its people, the Princess made no effort to integrate herself into the Stormlands nobility, refusing to participate in local customs and traditions. However this issue while a problem in any era was a particularly major issue at this time, for Princess Saera's arrival in the Stormlands coincided with a period of significant internal upheaval and the lack of unity in House Baratheon only hurt their control for the Stormlands were going through a slow and not so hidden political upheaval which would define its politics for years to come.

The Lands surrounding Storm's End, the bulk of the middle shore of Shipbreakers Bay, make up the heart of the Stormlands and are the setting of most of the infamous storms which define it. As expected the ancient Durrandon's fief is the largest in the Land, giving Storms End the most people to call up to fight. However, it should be noted that unlike the Reach with the Mander, of the North with the White Knife or Dorne with the Greenblood, the Stormlands are not geographically united, even by a large part, by a major river system nor does it share a consistent terrain or plain, this lack of major unifier means that outside of this heart, it is best to think of the Duchy as four distinct parts, a state of affairs going back millennia, and which explained the original dynamics of the Kingdom of the Stormlands.

The Marches of the south and west were the first part, bordering the Dornish and Reach Borders, they are a unique region, both in terms of their rugged yet fertile terrain but also their ancient focus on conflicts with the mountain lords of Dorne and the Reach. These lands were constantly fighting for most of their history and formed not just a major part of the Kingdom of the Stormlands but also a stabilising part for knowing that when war came they would need aid, they helped the Durrandon's keep order in the land.

This was most commonly seen with the marcher lords helping the Durrandon's project power on the Houses of Cape Wrath. Cape Wrath, the second part, is distinguished both by its Rainwood but also by its superior harbours that ensure that much of the region’s trade passes through the Weeping Town, Stonehelm and other ports as opposed to Storm’s End because of the harsh weather of Shipbreaker Bay. The houses of the southern Cape Wrath needed to be corralled as their natural instinct was to look east, not west, while the northern lands, mostly belonging to House Connington had always looked to take the position of Storms's End. Thus a quid pro quo was formed where the marcher lords accepted Durrandon Kingship and aided them to hold Cape Wrath and keep its lords in line, and in turn Storm's End ensured aid would come to them when war inevitably came.

The islands, Estermont and more importantly Tarth meanwhile formed their own part. They were separate from the mainland, not holding loyalty to anyone but the Durrandon's who blessed them with trade privileges. In turn the islands with their fleets acted as a hammer with which the Durrandon's not only defended their shores but could also use to strike at rebelling vassals, as was often done for Houses of Massey's Hook. 

The fourth and final part was the northern Stormlands. It borders were constantly shifting at times containing the Kingswood, and Massey’s Hook, and lands as far as Maidenpool at many points in history. Here the Durrandon's having no marcher lords nearby used three internal mechanisms to hold power. First they kept parity between Houses Buckler and Errol, using one to keep the other in check for these two were the strongest Houses by far. The second was their use of Houses Tarth, Massey (when they were not rebelling), Wendwater and Penrose, among other minor Houses, to keep a check on important trade routes and  ports to prevent either of the two northern houses from growing too rich and powerful to challenge it. The third was to use constant warring with the Riverlords as a way to ensuring no Northern Vassal would feel safe to break away as they knew war would come for them, while also using the cycles of conquests to extract tribute and treasure from the newly conquered which could be distributed to purchase loyalty.

This balance of power had helped keep the Stormlands stable and secure, preventing it from falling into anarchy like the Riverland's despite not having the raw might of the reach nor the geographic protections of the Vale, Westerlands, Dorne and North, and it allowed Storm's End ensure all rebellious Vassals were dealt with quickly. The system was not perfect by any means but generally barring a particularly terrible King when the nobles would unite to push back, the system endured and worked as it should. However with the coming of House Targaryen and the rise of House Baratheon the system began to slowly crumble and by the reigns of King Jaehaerys and Duke Boremund it was collapsing, it was in this context did Princess Saera join House Baratheon, and while the Duke must have hoped a royal match would aid him in preventing this collapse its unclear if any wife could have. For the collapse was based on factors beyond any Duke or Princesses power.

The Reasons for the collapse of the ancient balance of power in the Stormlands can be down to many major factors. First is the end of the Dornish and Reacher threat to the Marches. This was not just due to the King's Peace, but more importantly the establishment of House Baratheon of Wyl and the replacement of the Wyl smallfolk with smallfolk from the Stormlands. Till now , for millennia, the Dornish had always continued to fight in every war no matter the cost until Wyl was secured, or considering the last House Wyl was founded by a Wyl Cadet line of the 18th mainline of the name Wyl to be fully wiped out and destroyed, always fought another war the moment they were able to take back the land the moment the Stormlands were distracted, rallying the smallfolk to make holding the lands impossible, similar to the situation faced by King Aegon during the Conquest of Dorne. For control of Wyl ensured the Dornish, first under the Yronwoods and then under the Martells always controlled the path to and from the Stormlands. For while it is possible to sneak through small parties through to raid the Stormlands from the Prince's Pass, as seen by the Second Vulture Hunt when a couple of raids by about two dozen or so men of the second vulture king did this, to invade the Stormlands proper without invading the Reach first requires control of Wyl. Now however Wyl was part of the Stormlands for good as all those rebellious Dornish were dead and after all these decades the new communities were well established in a way previous ones were never able to become, with them being expelled within the decade previously most of the time, if the were established in the first place at all . This meant that the amount of men needed to defend the Stormlands from Dornish invasion had dropped precipitously. Similarly it meant that the number of men available at any time to defend the marches from the Reach had gone up considerably, this meant even without the King's Peace and the power of the Dragons the security situation of the Marches had transformed.

All this and the Peace of Jaehaerys meant that the Marcher lords no longer had need for aid from Storm's End, and would not likely need it not just for years, but for generations. As such the Marcher Lords while not raising their banners in rebellion were no longer willing to prioritise the stability of the politics of the Stormlands, where once they might have argued once with the stags, now they argued many times, demanding more rights, more honours and fewer ducal taxes. This did not just weaken the control and influence of the now Baratheon's of Storms End on the Stormland Marches it also had cascading effects. For without the Marcher lords to keep them in check the houses of Cape Wrath reorientated themselves, concentrating more on their own politics and wealth. Again this did not mean House Mertyns or Whitehead were deciding which knife they would slit Duke Boremund's throat with. But it did mean that they felt more comfortable to push back on Storm's End on matters with much more frequency and stubbornness, and it should be noted even during the Durrandon Era when the system was well functioning and strong the Stormlords were already the most stubborn, easy to anger and quarrelsome nobles in Westeros.

Unfortunately for Duke Boremund while Storm's End saw its southern vassals demand more autonomy and independence, in the north and on the islands the situation was not much better. And again the reasons of this were varied, some more recent but others taking effect from the moment the Stormlands were annexed into the Targaryen Kingdom.

Tarth, and to lesser extent Estermont, had under the Durrandon's enjoyed many important trade privileges with many monopolies and rights, privileges which when combined with their natural harbours, which were safe from the storms of Shipbreaker bay, was used to provide safe anchorage to trading vessels from Essos and the rest of Westeros, connecting them to the Stormlands. This was supplemented by the House Wendwater, using their control of the river, and House Penrose ,controlling the shores of the narrow sea in the Northern Stormlands, to give these Houses control of the trade of the Northern Stormlands with the blessing of Storms End. With the conquest however all these trade privileges were revoked as Aegon implemented a right to trade, abolishing the kinds of monopolies House Tarth,Estermont, Wendwater and others enjoyed. Similarly House Wendwater was made a part of the Crownlands. Together this meant that the Baratheon's of Storms End unlike the Durrandon's could not use trade to keep Houses in check. However the decline of Tarth's fortunes, after losing their privileged position and gaining fierce new competition in the form of Houses Velaryon, Celtigar, Grafton and more, as well as the continued rivalry between House Errol and Buckler, which while rarely reaching the level of that between Blackwood and Bracken was still ever present,  meant the Northern Stormlands were still in check. This combined with the Marcher lords not immediately realising their own changed circumstance kept the old systems working.

This lasted all the way until the reign of King Jaehaerys by which time the Marcher lords were demanding more and more autonomy, and its demise was greatly accelerated by the rise of the Eastwoods, the Eastwood Tarth Trading company and the Borys' Rebellion in 61 AC when the Count with the aid of the Northwestern Alliance of Houses Buckler, Trant, Penrose and Connington attempted to steal the regency of the Stormlands from Ser Garon, the regent appointed by the late Duke Rogar in his final will, as witnessed by the King.

The aftermath of the rebellion saw many changes which broke the system apart. First it solidified in blood and oath the Northeastern Alliance of Houses Errol, Tarth and Eastwood. An alliance which was empowered greatly when each of the Rebel Houses lost one fifth of their land transform the power balance in the Northern Stormlands. This can most clearly be seen in the fact that after the Rebellion House Errol could call upon a House Penrose more of soldiers than House Buckler, breaking the ancient balance of power in the Northern Stormlands between the two Houses. Similarly House Errol swapped some of its historic lands on Eastwoods borders for half that land received by House Eastwood from House Penrose and in doing so got itself a coastline, breaking the other lever that Storm's end used to keep them in check. Haystack Port giving the Errol's the ability to sail the seas and trade freely. The Tarths using the Eastwood Tarth company and the Whiskey trade as a foundation would also grow back their fortunes, but unlike before when it depended upon the decree of Storm's End now it was dependent most on the fief's of Houses Eastwood and Errol, with the two busiest shipping lanes from Tarth being to Haystack Port and Stormtower (in the Eastwood Fief). This meant that Tarth, till now acting more neutrally was pulled in firmly into the politics of the Stormlands on a particular side,  aided by the fact that House Tarth gained a fifth of the southernmost lands of House Connington giving it a foothold on the mainland and also made it anxious about maintaining the Northeastern Alliance to ensure it would always be able to defend its lands. Finally the rise of House Eastwood, first with its Whiskey trade and then with its cloth trade, meant that there was a new player in the politics of the Stormlands, one whose wealth and trade links made them the perfect players of this new land without regular war; Also important to note that with their ties to the Grafton's, Gardeners and Lannisters through the Whiskey trade they if anything weakened their liege lord for their increasing wealth only let the Queens coalition have an increasing influence on the Stormlands and Stormlords as they opened more of the traditional Stormlords to trade. All this meant that while oaths remained in force (the Northeastern Alliance of Houses Errol, Tarth and Eastwood had proven loyalty without doubt to the Baratheon's) and the Baratheon's remained the acknowledged overlords, the influence of Storm's End on its vassals only fell more and more. In a way because of the stubbornness of the Stormlords and the fall of this system for a time the Baratheon's acted more like the Tully's, nominal dukes unable to rally or corral their bannermen without falling back on Royal authority. And this was not even the end of it.

The reason for this was the fact that the Baratheon's were not facing their vassals gaining more autonomy in a vacuum. During these years they represented one of the main pillars of the Anti-Maegor Coalition, for from the days of Duke Rogar, the only man not afraid of Prince Maegor, they had led the opposition to him in the Royal Court as part of the Baratheon-Velaryon Alliance. They would take up this role in earnest again after the renewed outbreak of political violence during the Betrothal War, when the Baratheon's attempted to secure the match between then Duchess Jocelyn and Crown Prince Aemon and in doing so leading the fight against the former Maegor Coalition, now the Queen's coalition. As such as the realm and Royal Court began realising the politics of the Stormlands were realigning in a way never seen before in living memory and the Baratheon vassals were all simultaneously demanding more autonomy, the Queens coalition struck, and struck hard. House Tarth joined the Queen's coalition outright after the Stepstones war while Houses Errol and Eastwood assumed neutrality, a neutrality which ended up harming the Baratheon's as this meant they were unable to utilize the growing Stormlands trade networks of these houses to boost their influence at Court. All the while they also made many overtures to the Marcher lords with the heavy Reach presence in the Queens coalition becoming one of the key factors preventing Marcher neutrality from becoming Marcher membership in the Queens coalition, something which showed the limited influence of Storm's End in these years as they stubbornly tried to somehow revert the Stormlands to how it was before. Indeed even those who opposed the Queen's Coalition joined the Hightower Coalition after the decline of the Baratheon led  Anti-Maegor Coalition.

All this was not helped by the new Duchess of the Stormlands. The arrival of Princess Saera in the Stormlands, a forced marriage which the Crown and House Baratheon tried to portray as Royal support and favour, instead in some ways significantly worsened House Baratheon's standing. Her open disdain for the Stormlands people, public criticisms of Stormlands customs and traditions, favouritism towards Valyrian culture, showing open contempt for the Stormlands lords, using her royal status to demand special treatment above and beyond what even a Duchess could demand from nobles, spreading rumours or gossip that angered powerful nobles, and openly longing for King's Landing and Volantis breed deep resentment, especially damaging during a period of rising regional autonomy. Moreover, her neglecting her duties as a duchess and inability or unwillingness to engage with the political realities of the Stormlands weakened House Baratheon's ability to navigate the complex power dynamics of the duchy for the role of Lady of Storm's End and her influence via the noblewomen of the Duchy remained unfulfilled.

Despite many attempts at reconciliation in later years Princess Saera never forgave her parents for her forced marriage to Duke Boremund or her years long confinement in Storms End,  declaring till the end that she would have rather been a Triarch's fifth wife than the Duchess of the Stormlands. Something that did not help her marriage, or relations with her children, or endear her to her vassals. It is said that Princess Saera, in her later years, penned a series of memoirs, detailing her life and her grievances against her family as well as revealing all the secrets and rumours she knew. These writings, however, were never found, lost to time or perhaps deliberately suppressed by the Crown and her family.

Chapter Text

In the year 88 AC, in the aftermath of the Stepstones war the King would give permission to the grand Rogare Bank of Lys to establish a formal branch in Westeros and they would so in 90 AC when they set up a branch in both Kings landing and Driftmark. A key ally in this were the Velaryon's of Driftmark who wanted their own banking ally to compete with the Seawynd's and its supporter the Bank of the Dragon. As such they allied with the Rogare Bank, becoming one of its major depositors whose patronage and support of the bank allowed it to quickly develop a clientele. In this they were aided by several major factors, the first was that the Rogare Bank unlike the Bank of the Dragon was an actual bank which allowed a wide range of depositors compared to the Bank of the Dragon which remained essentially a money lending company, not a deposit taking bank. This meant that many would provide their patronage to this bank where they could deposit money and earn interest;

Second was that the Rogare Bank was also happy to lend against gold deposited in clients accounts meaning the actual interest rate of loans for those who deposited gold was functionally lower as interest paid was offset by interest earned, this meant people were willing to take on much larger loans as they could finish projects using borrowed sums to be paid back over time rather than draining their coffers which could be used in a more productive manner by earning interest in the Bank, prudent lords found out that the cost of paying back Rogare banks was cheaper and easier than loans from the Bank of the Dragon due to this, as it helped make annual payments more manageable while providing more flexibility in case they faced a sudden need for coin;

Third was the fact that the Rogare bank was able to provide a much larger range of services than simple lending. These included:

Money Exchange where it facilitated the exchange of currencies, cutting the transaction fee for this by more than half in Kings Landing, with few money changers being able to compete with the Rogare's as their large number of banking branches and clients from across the narrow sea allowed them to exchange money at some of the cheapest rates, meaning that even with this low exchange rates driving others out of business the Rogare's exchange business were still very profitable. It also issued Bills of Exchange, enabling the transfer of funds between branches without the need to transport physical gold or silver, this combined with the large network of branches allowed the Rogare's to quickly develop a dedicated clientele of not just merchants but also nobles who increasingly preferred the safety and convivence of using Bills of Exchange for transactions with the free cities and with each other rather than sending physical gold if their seat were far away. Young noblemen travelling to the free cities in particular used this option greatly. The Rogare bank was also willing to become a partner, not just a lender, in commercial ventures, and did so on much more favourable terms than the Bank of the Dragon. With the aid of the Velaryon's of Driftmark and their trading fleet,  Driftmark quickly became a prominent wool trading hub, with large parts of the wool trade falling into Rogare influence, even if it was not ownership.

Finally it was also a major issuer of Marine insurance which was in innovation it introduced to Westeros for all intents and purposes. With  marine insurance the perils of sea voyages including storms, shipwrecks, piracy, and theft, all of which could lead to devastating financial losses was greatly reduced even taking into account the cost of the insurance. Thus the Rogare bank and its insurance became a vital tool for managing maritime trade risks, enabling more trade and the expansion of trade networks as further away and thus risker journey's were enabled for an increasing number of merchants, no longer limited to the trade orientated noble houses.

It only aided the Rogare's that it would take decades for competitors from Westeros, such as the Lannisters and Bank of the Dragon to provide a similar service as it was not simple to provide, furthermore Lys was the only competitor to Braavos in its Marine insurance market, due to the city's strategic location, its long-standing maritime traditions, and its sophisticated commercial infrastructure, with the Rogare bank dominating the market still showing just how experienced they were compared to their would be competitors. However it should be noted in these earlier years the Marine insurance offered by the Rogare's was very crude and much more expensive than in comparison to Lys. For in Lys the Rogare Bank along with city's robust network of notaries, bankers, and merchants facilitated the creation and enforcement of these contracts, something which was absent from Kings Landing. Despite this however the demand would be high and so would the profits.

Of course these services did not mean it did not issue plenty of loans. It provided them to merchants, especially those engaged in trade in the narrow sea. These merchants were major borrowers, utilizing loans to finance their ventures and were also quickly integrated into the networks of merchants already using the banks services, many preferring to conduct all their trade via the banks payment methods to prevent risks related to theft and non payment as the Bank acted as a guarantor for a modest fee which would be further discounted for loyal customers. This not only gave the Rogare's great profit but also aided these Velaryon's as the Rogare Bank pushed Westerosi merchants to conduct their trade via Driftmark, increasing the prominence and importance of Spicetown in comparison to Seahorse Town and Kings Landing. Similarly the bank became a way for the Velaryon's to receive new trade as the bank connected traders, merchants and nobles with the Velaryon's to purchase much of what they needed, with the Rogare bank for example refusing to loan money to those Westerosi merchants wishing to trade spices, silk and sugar if they did not intend to purchase it from Spicetown.

But the Rogare's also lent heavily to the nobility of Westeros. Counts, Lords, Knights, many would take loans to improve their castles, build hunting lodges which were just palaces with more modest names, and build all manner of works from water wheels for their villages to paved roads and canals of water and sewage for their growing towns. Many would also borrow sums to buy luxuries whose expense could be paid off over time, and to support their courts as the rising prosperity was countered by rising expenses as nobles wished for more jewels, decoration, art and magnificent buildings. The Targaryens decades long building spree had upped the requirements for having a beautiful city, or even town. Now one needed not just fountains, but beautiful fountains with statues and pillars, septs needed to be grander with flying buttresses to support greater heights and enormous windows, larger than the tallest man decorated with large sums of coloured glass. Similarly many wanted to transform their dirt tracks into paved roads and connect them to the Royal roads in order to take advantage of trade opportunities. As such despite the expense of the interest many borrowed sums from the bank to undertake these works for it was easier to pay of a loan than to first save the full amount. 

Driftmark would also benefit from this as if a noble for example took a loan to buy glass and marble for his sept, he often, certainly not always and frankly not even most of the time, but often, found himself also taking a Driftmark contract to purchase and transport that glass from Claw isle and marble from the Vale. 

All this had an impact on Westeros, spurring trade and bringing wealth to the Velaryon's and Rogare's. The Velaryon's in particular would finally be able to properly compete with their Seahorse Town cousins, coming close to matching their wealth in the decade or two after the establishment of the Rogare Bank in Westeros even if they never truly surpassed it.  However in truth the entire realm flourished due to the presence of the Rogare Bank and its services, with trade with Lys in particular tripling in the coming years as the Rogare's increasingly brought with themselves more Lysene merchants and as their prominence rose so did the  demand for goods from Lys.

The Rogare Bank also forced the Bank of the Dragon to expand and adapt in order to survive, it would also start offering interest bearing accounts to certain trusted merchants, as well as Bills of Exchange and would start building ties with other Banks such as the Bank of East Myr and the Iron Bank to offer lower and competitive exchange rates. The Bank of the Dragon would also spur a growth in its network of branches and in the coming decades to open branches or have alliances with other banks in Gulltown, Braavos, White Harbour, Highgarden, Myr, Norwich, Tumbleton, Pentos, Weeping town, Tyrosh, Oros, Ryam's Isle, Yronwood Port and Harrentown, this would in the end only benefit the realm as the competing banks drove down the cost of services and interest rates.

As the decade came to a close, while the Targaryen Dynasty was basking on reaching ever more glory and prosperity as the Realm was expanded to the Stepstones, its trade routes secured, two more citadels being built, its coffers made full by the long peace and rising tax revenues, and the marriages of the two elder princesses Maegelle and Daella bearing fruits did tragedy strike. In 88AC Queen Rhaena Targaryen died in her sleep, having if not moved on, then healed from the tragedies that defined her youth. Later in 89 AC Princess Alyssa became pregnant for the third time, but she lost the child when she went into premature labour just seven months into the pregnancy, birthing a stillborn son. While the Royal Court entered a state of grieving word was spread around the Red Keep, where she was staying with her sons as her husband was supervising the building of their Keep on Oros, that the Princess Jocelyn had declared, while drunk on whiskey, that the gods were cruel to teach Prince Baelon and his wife humility this way, but it might be the only way they would learn. Whether or not the Princess actually said the words, we know that there was a massive quarrel between the wives of the two Princes over the alleged words and soon the Wives War erupted in full force again. Something which gave it much force was the fact that Princess Rhaenys the only child of Prince Aemon was reaching marriageable age. Soon questions over the succession were asked once again openly as the precedent of the past was discussed openly, quickly dividing the court. Many sought the hand of Princess Rhaenys for this reason, believing that through her they would become King of Westeros even if they had to take on the Targaryen name.

But the King refused to answer questions on the line of succession after Prince Aemon, taking his eldest grandchildren with him on the Short Progress of 90AC, with Princess Rhaenys on the Dragon Meraxes while her cousin Prince Viserys flew on his dragon Quicksilver. Many not wishing the realm to divide sought to marry the Princess and her cousin, so as to bind together their claims for the Iron Throne. But Princess Rhaenys had no inclination to marry her cousin, she had her eyes firmly set on Count Corlys Velaryon, who had come to the Red Keep in order to seek the hand of Princess Viserra. As such the Royal Court was soon shown the spectacle of Count Corlys being courted by the Princess Rhaenys while he was supposed to be courting her Aunt Princess Viserra.

However while flattered by the notions of becoming Countess of Driftmark and marrying one of the greatest mariners and richer men of the realm, Princess Viserra aimed higher, she wished to become a Queen and had her eye set on her married brother Crown Prince Aemon who was married to her aunt Princess Jocelyn. Knowing that his wife had failed in providing him a son and Aegon the Conqueror had two wives as well Princess Viserra saw no reason as to why she could not be wed to her older brother as Queen Rhaenys had, and that a son of their union could not be King.

With subtle precision, Princess Viserra began to weave herself into Prince Aemon's life. She started by offering him a sympathetic ear, listening to his frustrations in his marriage and his despair over his lack of an heir and most importantly  she validated his feelings, subtly reinforcing his sense of being undervalued and misunderstood by his wife, brother, father and mother. Unlike his wife the Princess Jocelyn, Princess Viserra never criticized his desire for glory, nor did she attempt to dissuade him from his dreams rather she would encourage the Prince telling him he was worthy of it. Over the months, Princess Viserra orchestrated more frequent and intimate encounters, always lingering, offering him small comforts, positioning herself next to him during family gatherings, finding excuses to visit his chambers. The Princess  would bring him small gifts, a rare book, a finely crafted dagger, or a beautifully embroidered scarf, each gesture a subtle reminder of her affection, whats more when he was alone in his solar, she would bring him wine or a small snack, and sit with him while he ate, talking to him of matters of the realm, and her own thoughts while showing interest in his interests.

The Princess Viserra began to arrange private walks in the royal gardens, ensuring they were alone and undisturbed. During these walks, she would subtly touch his arm, brush against him as they walked, or offer him a gentle hand to hold as they navigated the winding paths. She would speak of her admiration for his wisdom, his kindness, and his strength, subtly planting the seeds of desire in his heart. The Princess would also begin to arrange for them to spend time together in the library, or the Godswood, where they could be alone without raising suspicion. She would suggest they read together, or discuss matters of state, or simply enjoy each other's company in silence. During these times, she would subtly increase the physical intimacy, leaning closer to him, allowing their hands to touch, or resting her head on his shoulder. The Princess would also begin to subtly criticize Princess Jocelyn, pointing out her flaws and shortcomings, and comparing them to her own virtues, painting herself as the perfect wife, the perfect queen, the perfect mother, subtly reinforcing the idea that Prince Aemon deserved better as she and the rest of the Keep knew the Prince was having a very difficult marriage as Princess Jocelyn slipped further into zealotry and madness. Through these carefully orchestrated encounters, Princess Viserra slowly but surely wove a web of intimacy and desire around her brother, all while maintaining an air of innocent affection, no one suspected her true intentions, believing her actions to be merely those of a loving sister.

It was after months of this that one night, she snuck into his chambers and, while the Crown Prince was vulnerable after an earlier fight with his wife, seduced him and after Prince Aemon promised to make her his Queen, the Princess bedded him seven times through the night. The next morning the Princess Viserra was proudly seen walking in her elder brother's clothes, thoroughly debauched. The Princess would tell all her companions to spread the word that she was to be the new second wife of Prince Aemon and most of the assembled nobles rushed to with the news while the Princess gleefully recounted her night with her brother to those who remained. But despite his infidelity, his word to make her Queen, and the subsequent taking his sister's maidenhead the Crown Prince did not set aside his wife nor take Princess Viserra as a second one to her outrage, instead he bore the brunt of the storm his actions had caused with a stoic calm telling his brother Archmaester Vaegon "I sought solace in her words, a fool's comfort for all she wanted was a crown, and now I reap the whirlwind."

And what a storm it was, the Princess Jocelyn showed all the Targaryen fire and Baratheon fury requiring two of the Kingsguard to wrestle her to the floor in order to prevent her from harming Princess Viserra, meanwhile the Faith in the form of Septon Edwin who was the Envoy of the High Septon to the Royal Court made it clear that while it was no longer backed by the Faith Militant they would not accept such a union for a marriage with two wives was out of bounds even by the standards of the Doctrine of Exceptionalism, they also made it clear they did not wish to provide an annulment for the Faith were firm supporters of Princess Jocelyn, increasingly one of the few firm supporters of the princess as the Anti-Maegor coalition she led and was the figurehead of fell apart and did not want to see her fall from her position, much less in favour of the Crown Prince's sister. The day after the incident Princess Viserra was sent to Dragonstone to keep her and the Princess Jocelyn apart but then within the week news came which shocked the Realm, while out with Princess Alyssa they had been spotted by Dreamfyre the dragon of Queen Rhaena who had taken Princess Viserra as a rider. This meant for the first time in many years House Targaryen had a new female Dragon rider. This made making a match much more difficult for the only remaining brother she had was Prince Valerion, who was 6 years younger than her, the same age as her nephew Prince Viserys. Many accounts claim that this chance encounter was lie told by Princess Alyssa who had hoped to use the fact that Princess Viserra claimed a dragon to force her elder brothers hand and set Princess Jocelyn aside.

Very quickly the realm divided along the established lines, the Queen's coalition called for the Prince to set aside his wife Princess Jocelyn and take Princess Viserra as his new wife who could give him more children including sons, with the Queen telling her son "My son, I have seen the fire in Viserra's eyes when she looks at you. That is a flame worth kindling, not extinguishing."; while what few houses remained in the now fallen Anti-Maegor Coalition and more importantly the Houses of the now rising Hightower Coalition which had risen to take the place of the Anti-Maegor Coalition as the main political opponents of the Queen, defended the Princess Jocelyn and called for the Princess to be punished for her actions.

However neither action was taken as the King refused to punish his daughter and Crown prince Aemon was unable to set aside his wife due to faith refusing the King. In the meantime in regards to the marriage of Princess Viserra the King was reluctant on a Targaryen match as in case Princess Viserra did not grow out of her hunger for the Crown she could possibly destabilise the succession, especially now with a dragon and having a husband much younger than her who may fall under her control and who as a man had a much greater claim, even if it was not the rightful one. Furthermore the relation between Prince Valerion and Princess Viserra while warm and loving was still not close enough to blossom into love reliably  like it had been between Prince Baelon and Princess Alyssa, meaning the Queen in particular did not want to chain her son to a betrothal where he would have no say, wanting him to have a choice like the rest of her children had. Similarly a match between Princess Viserra and Prince Baelon's children were rejected for the same reason with Prince Baelon not wanting his sons to be denied the chance to marry for love like he had or to be forced to raise a bastard for their aunt and uncles mistake. Thus the King and Queen considered using a match between Princess Viserra and a vassal House, this would remove her and her children from inheriting the Iron Throne but it would have its own risks as it would give a Dragonrider to another family, but as no dragons or dragon eggs would be given to Princesses children and grandchildren the risk was minimal. For even with Dreamfyre House Targaryen had enough dragons of its own to destroy any house which violated the Dragon inheritance law and coveted its heritage.

Therefore the King and Queen were forced to act and they scoured the records of Westeros for a match for their daughter. Despite Count Corlys earlier attempts at courting her, he was rejected by the Queen, similarly the King ruled out the Great Houses due to Princess Viserra's ambition and as such the Crown looked at the Counts of Westeros and their families for they wanted to give their daughter a good match. For one reason or another soon all would be rejected, for they were either the wrong age, not the heir(no princess could be married to a second son after the disaster that was the first marriage of Princess Saera) , or too grasping at power, or were of ill repute. Many who were at court who were approached did not wish to marry a Princess who lusted for her brother and thus was seen as sinful in the eyes of the Seven  (the actual reason was generally unsaid during their rejection of the match due to the risk of giving offense to the Crown, though it knew why), others were considered were too powerful for the Crowns comfort (Houses Reyne, Redwyne, Tarly, Hightower, Maegyar) or already had a royal match in recent memory or rather were a cadet branch of the Royal line (Houses Rowan, Crakehall, Oakheart, Welsh, Celtigar and Qoherys) and thus posed dangers of their own. A major contender came to be in Desmond Manderly heir to White Harbour who along with his grandfather, a close fried of the Crown, was present in King Landing, but after a week of supervised courtship both the young nobleman and the Princess rejected the match due to their differing values which made a match untenable for Count Desmond desired a pious Seven worshipping wife and Princess Viserra was not.

While the King and Queen searched the Grand Maester found out that Princess Viserra was pregnant and there was only one possible father. This along with introducing new headaches also meant the Crown had more time to search and plan. It is said that when news was sent to Princess Jocelyn 5 guards were sent to keep her from attacking any member of the Royal family in her fury. Crown Prince Aemon was also publicly stoic about the reactions but it known he was affected greatly by the rifts that had appeared in his Household as well as the fact that he was to be a father again after so many years. With a bastard child on its way the Crown determined any match proposed to a Count would be an insult as well as a threat to the Peace as they did not want to give a Countly house the influence that came with having custody of the future Kings bastard child. Similarly many of the more neutral Countly houses with whom the King preferred a match to expressed concerns of getting into a feud with House Baratheon which was raging against the Crown Prince, meaning the price of accepting a marriage with the Princess Viserra was higher now.

 And so the Royal House was forced to look for a Lordly House which would accept Princess Viserra and her bastard, be loyal enough or not have the prestige to ensure that they would not seek Dragons, the Throne or even other ranks such as Dukedom which were not theirs to covet, as most Counts were want to do. Similarly by being a Lordly House, and thus lowest rank of Noble Lord , it was hoped that House Baratheon's temper could also be assuaged for the King wanted to heal the bonds of his House with his half-siblings, with the low rank being a punishment both the Crown and Storm's End could accept. Yet this House also had to be wealthy and prestigious enough to marry a Princess of the Royal Blood,  for the King and Queen had learnt their lesson with Princess Saera, they would not make the mistake of having Princess Viserra married too low. As part of the requirements her husband would have to be able to provide for her not just basic comfort the likes of which a richer landed knight could, but luxury befitting a richer Countess or Duchess, and would have to have enough of his own wealth to leave a good inheritance to her eldest son, roles and wealth for seconds sons if not some lands, and provide good dowries for her daughters without the aid of the Crown.

As such the Crown began combing through the records. In the end the one of the best contenders was House Eastwood of Eastwood, which had an appropriately aged grandson in Lord Daegon Eastwood. They were a new house, founded just a few decades ago by its still current Head, Lord Aelon who was the bastard of a bastard of Gargon the Guest meaning that even a Royal match would not destabilise the politics of the Stormlands. Despite this they had rich lands and were one of the richer Noble Houses of Westeros, the bulk of their wealth coming from their trades with Eastwood being the heart of the lucrative Whiskey Trade, while also deriving heavy incomes from the rapidly growing Eastwood cloth trade along with other goods such as  soaps, creams, food, metal products and increasingly amber, regular coal and coked coal.  The House also had blood links to Houses Tarth, Qoherys, Velaryon and Mantarys, the House of the Queen's Mother, as Lord Daegon's mother was the second daughter of a cousin of Count Mantarys. The King and Queen had also come to know Lord Aelon over the years due to his good mother being a companion of Queen Rhaena, his son being fostered with their half brother Duke Boremund, as well as his Houses reputation in the Whiskey trade, with the Red Keep being one of his most lucrative customers.

But most importantly Lord Daegon was the son of Lord Edwell Eastwood, foster brother and close friend of Duke Boremund Baratheon, and thanks to House Eastwood providing shelter unhesitatingly to the Baratheon's during Count Borys' and the Northwest Alliance's rebellion despite facing perilous odds and the possibility that their loyalty would be paid for with their lines destruction, they had the absolute trust of and plenty of goodwill from Storms End. Thus the Eastwoods were summoned to Kings Landing while Princess Viserra was heavily pressured into accepting the marriage with Lord Daegon, and just before the Eastwoods arrived she gave her assent when faced with some of the alternate selections.  After initial meetings did not lead to disaster between the proposed couple negotiations began. And House Targaryen was able to drive a fair bargain for while the Princess's scandal had already become infamous across Westeros and the Narrow sea any royal match brought with it immense prestige, particularly the first match of a Dragonrider to a non Targaryen in decades, ironically also with a rider of Dreamfyre. After much discussion was done a decision was made that the betrothal would be announced 3 months after the child was born, with the marriage to take place 6 months after that.

Despite coming into the marriage with a bastard House Eastwood was happy to have the prestige of a Royal match, Lord Aelon telling a gathering of Stormlords "Prestige is earned, not demanded. But when it is offered by the Crown, a wise man accepts."; with the future Lord Eastwood being the cousin of the next ruler of Westeros and Lords Aelon and Daegon inducted into the Order of the Red Dragon as Grand Knight Commanders. Also much appreciated were the many tariff concessions and the heavy dowry provided; An added benefit being the match would also tie them with their liege lords of House Baratheon due to Duke Boremund's marriage with Princess Saera. This match was also greatly supported by House Baratheon for it pulled not just House Eastwood but the entire Northeastern Alliance towards Storm's End and while they maintained their trade links they increasingly joined their voice to Storm's End in the internal politics of the Stormlands as with the fall from grace of the Anti-Maegor coalition and its replacement with the Hightower Coalition which did not include the Baratheon's, the Queens Coalition, supposedly under firm pressure of the King, took a much more magnanimous approach especially in regards to the internal politics of the Stormlands. Though even without the interference of the Queen's coalition it would still take years for the new political equilibrium in the Stormlands to settle.

House Targaryen was also happy, for while of low rank their daughter would be Lady of Eastwood, gaining all the gold from the ever growing whiskey and Eastwood cloth trade and would thus would be living a luxurious life; And would further have a very prosperous fief to had down to her children. And yet because of the low rank of her House her ambitions would be severely curtailed, reducing the risk she could have posed if married to one of the Great Houses, their Principle Bannermen or most importantly a Targaryen Prince.

By the time of a marriage the Princess Viserra seemed to have given up her dreams of being queen, and was determined to find happiness with her new husband despite his low rank. Her wedding was opulent and luxurious, and to her liking. A tournament was held in her honour, and she was crowned the queen of love and beauty by Ser Harrold Westerling of the Kingsguard. To history her marriage was interesting for not only was it the first true marriage between a dragon riding princess and a Westerosi house, for most agreed that the wedding of the Queen Rhaena was an unconsummated sham meant to prevent her from being married off against her will, but also it was at this wedding that the Realm was introduced to Gin, an alcoholic beverage which would become very popular among the nobility and the richer merchants of not only Westeros but the known world. Whereas in the ages past the nobility considered Arbor Gold and Dornish Red wines to be mandatory purchases now whiskey and gin from Eastwood had joined the list, with only the poor, cheap or unfashionable not stocking them and not serving them on major occasions and celebrations. Unlike whiskey which was produced in the town of Eastwood, gin was produced in a town deeper in the fief of Eastwood, called Hendricks. The name was chosen by Lord Eastwood himself and till today the town uses its clear mountain spring water to produce a gin which is sold across the world.

Chapter Text

Princess Rhaenys Targaryen, the only child of the Crown Prince Aemon, basked in the golden light of her lineage, a life meticulously crafted for a Princess of the Royal Blood. Her days unfolded within the imposing walls of the Red Keep, a labyrinth of privilege and power. Silks from Myr, Lys and Braavos, dyed in hues of gold and sunset, draped her small frame, the price of each garment a testament to her royal blood. Her meals were as expected feasts fit for kings, delicacies from across the Seven Kingdoms and beyond arriving daily: Dornish oranges, honeyed quail using the largest birds from the Rainwood in the Stormlands, and spiced lamprey pies using fish from Dragonstone among countless other delicacies . Entertainment and parties for her were lavish spectacles, from travelling mummers weaving tales of heroes and dragons to skilled musicians playing haunting melodies on harps and lutes, to performances in the Theater of Jaehaerys.

Her quarters, far from being a mere room, was a grand set of apartments. Tapestries depicting the glorious conquests of her ancestors both Targaryen and Baratheon adorned the walls, and the sunlight streamed through stained-glass windows, casting rainbows upon the polished marble floors. Her bed, a masterpiece of carved wood and silken cushions, promised restful slumber and whispered dreams of dragons soaring above the clouds.

But Princess Rhaenys's life was not merely a gilded cage. Crown Prince Aemon, a man of quiet strength and scholarly pursuits, doted upon his daughter, instilling in her a love for knowledge and a sense of duty. Her mother, Princess Jocelyn, provided her with a warmth and affection. Her grandfather King Jaehaerys, held her upon his knee, regaling her with stories of his long reign and the glory of Old Valyria, while Good Queen Alysanne showered her with wise counsel. Her uncle Baelon and Aunt Alyssa also took her dragon riding many times, soaring above the city she called home.

Beyond the royal family, Princess Rhaenys was surrounded by a carefully selected circle of childhood companions, selected by her mother. These were not merely playmates, but the sons and daughters of noble houses, future lords and ladies. They learned together, rode together, and shared secrets whispered in the hidden corners of the Red Keep. Some were boisterous and playful, others studious and reserved, but all were bound by the shared strength and prestige of their families.

And yet despite all this Princess Rhaenys lost some of her innocence early. Using the letters written by her granddaughter based on conversations she had with the Princess as well as the records of Court tales and incidents, we know that the reason for this was two fold. First was that as she aged she became aware of the Wives war and the tension between her mother and aunt, making her aware that her family and trusted adults were hiding matters from her and things were not as amicable as they seemed, and she was somehow at the center of these tensions. Second was due to her (Younger in age) uncle Prince Valerion, a child of pure Targaryen and Valyrian lineage, who possessed the striking silver hair and violet eyes of Old Valyria, as well as the inhuman grace and beauty that marked him as a true Dragonlord. He one day asked her, with the blunt yet innocent cruelty only children could muster, why did she think she could ride dragons when she was an andal? after all she had neither Valyrian features nor colours taking after her mother completely, nor kept the Valyrian Gods, Nor preferred Valyrian fashions or dances, nor even spoke High Valyrian as her first language which was Royal Andal, having to learn High Valyrian and its literature in classes with Prince Valerion despite him being three years younger than her.

These questions were not mere childish taunts; they were a brutal challenge to Princess Rhaenys's sense of belonging. The blood of the dragon, she had always been told by her father, flowed through her veins. But Prince Valerion's words cast doubt on that fundamental truth, forcing her to confront the reality of her mixed heritage. The stark contrast between her appearance and that of her relatives, the subtle differences in their customs and beliefs, suddenly loomed large, creating a chasm of uncertainty in her soul. These questions took a hammer to Princess Rhaenys sense of self and her place in the world. As she would later confide to her granddaughter, "It was as if the very ground beneath me shifted, and I found myself standing on unfamiliar soil."

Together they would help her map out that there were many in court who thought her more Andal than the Valyrian princess she thought herself to be. And worst for her, her mother was among them it seemed, for the Princess Jocelyn put much emphasis on the young princesses andal heritage with the aim of making her a part of the andal nobility in many senses, for the Princess Jocelyn did not want her daughter to see herself something apart from the native Westerosi the way many Targaryens such as Princess Alyssa and Queen Alysanne did, no she wanted her daughter to view herself as a Westerosi and as someone who had roots in the land going back thousands of years; To Princess Jocelyn the young princesses Storm King blood was just as important as the Blood of the Dragon for all that it gave her the ability to ride Dragons "The blood of the Storm Kings flows in our veins as strongly if not more than that of the dragons," she would proclaim, a constant refrain intended to instil pride in her daughter's non-Valyrian lineage.

The Princess Jocelyn and her companions also wished to inculcate into the new generation of the Royal Family a sincere belief in the Faith of the Seven, rather than the feigned piety of previous generations, with Princess Rhaenys being the only success till now. And the only one they could realistically get to for rest of the Royal family was firmly out of bounds. This was made painfully clear when on Princess Jocelyn's instruction Septa Janey forced the Prince Valerion to memorise passages from the Seven Pointer Star by heart, using a wooden yard stick as encouragement as is done for all highborn children across the realm. Upon hearing of this the Princess Alyssa was so enraged at her brother being disciplined this way that she rallied the Dragonguard. The alarm across the castle was raised, all the septons and septa's were seized and thrown into the Black Cells, along with any noble foolish enough to attempt to defend them, meanwhile the Princess led a contingent of guards and burst into the Royal Sept of the Red Keep, there on the Princess' order the Septa Janey, the Septon William, head of the Royal Sept, and her Goodsister Princess Jocelyn who was also present there at the time were sized.  All were taken to the Throne Hall where before the Royal Court Princess Alyssa ordered the Septa and Septon to be stripped naked and whipped 77 times, the Septa for her crimes and the Septon for Princess Jocelyn's crime, and that after this they were to make a walk of Penance. Only the timely intervention of the Hand, Septon Barth and Crown Prince Aemon prevented the punishment from being carried out. But many noted that Meleys, Princess Alyssa's dragon was present nearby, circling the sky above the square outside the Throne Hall making many wonder what would have happened if the Crown Prince was not there.

The incident within the Red Keep's Sept and in the Throne Hall, the clash between devout intention and draconic fury, ripped through the Royal Court like a wildfire, leaving behind a smouldering landscape of tension and fractured loyalties. Princess Jocelyn's ambition to instil piety for the Seven who are One in the royal children, a noble endeavour in her eyes and that of much of the Royal Court, had ignited a conflagration that threatened to consume the Royal Court and the realm. The sheer audacity of Princess Alyssa's actions sent shockwaves through many of the castle's inhabitants, for she had not just raised the alarm, or seized septons and septa's or even nobles, but because she has seized even her own goodsister, Princess Jocelyn who technically outranked her. This was an act of defiance which shook the foundations of House Targaryen as it was a statement that the Princess Alyssa held herself above the future Queen of Westeros.  By dragging them before the Iron Throne, the ultimate symbol of royal authority, she publicly challenged Princess Jocelyn's influence and asserted her own dominance as granted to her by her dragon.

The timely intervention of the Hand, Septon Barth, and Crown Prince Aemon prevented the execution of Princess Alyssa's sentence, but even their combined authority could not fully quell the storm she had unleashed, neither could the King. In fact the King who when he came to the Throne Room and learnt what had happened made things much worse. To be fair he did not intend to, instead he acted correctly by chastising his daughter in front of the Royal Court for her actions, even if they were made to obtain justice for Prince Valerion. However the King made the mistake of asking rhetorically "Who do you think you are?".  This allowed the Princess Alyssa to loudly proclaim, defiant and burning with self-righteous fury  "I am the Rider of Meleys, I am the Princess of House Targaryen" she declared, her voice ringing out through the hall. "I am the Blood of Old Valyria, the Greatest Realm of Man. I am the Blood of Aegon the Conqueror and Visenya the Great who conquered the Seven Kingdoms in Seven Years, I am the granddaughter of Maegor the Dragon, who broke the Faith Militant and Humbled the Faith of the Seven Themselves, I am the niece of Aerion the Golden, who took Casterly Rock, a keep that has not fallen in 8000 years in a single days and who broke a hundred hosts from atop his dragon, I am the niece of Gaemon who liberated the Three Sisters from the bonds of the Faith of the Seven and who humbled the vain knights of the Vale and who broke the defiance of the Kingswood. I am the Daughter of Queen Alysanne, and I will not stand idly by while our traditions are trampled upon, and the Blood of the Dragon is subjected to the whims of those who seek to dilute our heritage!" She paused, her eyes sweeping across the assembled court which was shocked to silence, her gaze sharp and challenging. "You ask who I think I am? I am the protector of my brother, the guardian of our bloodline. I saw my brother, a child of our house, subjected to the indignity of a common beating, Did you see the look on his face fathers? Tears! Tears on the face of your sons, on a Targaryen! In the Red Keep, your Keep no less! This is not the way of our ancestors! We do not cower before wooden sticks! We Conquer! We command! We rule! And we destroy anyone or any faith that defies us! We are the Blood of Dragons, and we will not be treated as common men! The Septa and Septon should have minded their place. They overstepped because they thought the power of a non-dragonrider would allow them to harm the Blood of the Dragon, they were gravely wrong and should have paid the price for it, what I did was the least of what should have been done. Death should have been the proper paid for carrying out such a vile order. My actions were not those of a rogue, but those of a true Targaryen. I acted to protect my brother, to uphold and defend the Blood of the Dragon, the very essence of our house. I will not apologize. If that makes me a villain in the eyes of some, then so be it. I would rather be a dragon than a cowed lamb." She finished her speech with a hard stare at her father, then at Princess Jocelyn. The court was silent, the air thick with tension. To the nobility Princess Alyssa's words had struck a chord, reminding them of the raw power and untamed might of the Targaryens and the destruction even a single dragon could cause as well as the gap that remained still between House Targaryen and the majority of its Vassals, as well with the Faith of the Seven.

The King realising that there was nothing he could say or do to make the situation better banished his daughter to Dragonstone for a year, but otherwise ignoring the entire incident as if it never happened, though he would soon rescind the banishment. And while Prince Baelon would stay in the Red Keep throughout this period, the Queen Alysanne was so outraged over not just the punishment that Princess Alyssa endured but also that Princess Jocelyn would not be punished for ordering the beating of a Prince of the Blood that she also left to be with Princess Alyssa in Dragonstone, only returning when she did. The incident exposed the deep fissures within the royal family, highlighting not just the stark contrast between Princess Jocelyn's desire for a more Andal-aligned dynasty and Princess Alyssa's unwavering adherence to Targaryen and Valyrian tradition but also that the fragile healing and reconciliation between the women of House Targaryen was over. This renewed hostility would set the stage for future tensions as neither the Queen nor Princess Alyssa would forgive or forget Princess Jocelyn for their humiliation.

The incident also had a profound impact on Princess Rhaenys who had witnessed firsthand the raw power of her dragon riding aunt, the brutal reality of court politics, and the fragility of peace within her own family. The incident reinforced the doubts and uncertainties sown by Prince Valerion's questions, further complicating her understanding of her place within the dynasty. She was now more aware than ever of the conflicting forces pulling her in different directions, the tension between her mother's desire for her to embrace her Andal heritage and the expectations placed upon her as a Targaryen princess.

The Princess Rhaenys in this time attempted to make herself more Valyrian as a profound sense of alienation gripped her, the feeling that she was somehow failing her father, Crown Prince Aemon, and the legacy he represented. She felt a deep, gnawing fear that she was not worthy of her Targaryen blood, that she was a pale imitation of the Dragonlords of old. The Princess adopting the dresses as worn by her aunt and the other Valyrian noble ladies, and speaking the language more,  studying ancient Valyrian texts and practicing the elegant, almost ritualistic, movements of Valyrian dances, for she was devastated by the revelation that her mother and many of her childhood companions did not see her as Valyrian, or at the very least mostly as Valyrian, for to her it meant that they did not see her as her father's daughter. This was confirmed due to the backlash she received from her mother and friends over the changes, with a Lady-in-Waiting of Princess Jocelyn telling her "These foreign gowns and strange phrases—they make you a stranger in your own home and land. Is this how you honor your heritage, by pretending to be something you are not?", all this forcing her to revert. Later she would ask her father to go to Dragonstone claiming she missed the island. And would about a week after she arrived,  leave the riding path one day and seek out the dragon Meraxes which Queen Rhaenys rode, claiming it and riding her around the island, Landing in the center of the Port of Dragonstone to cheering crowds to prove to herself and her subjects that she indeed was a Valyrian, the Daughter of the Crown Prince and Blood of the Dragon. The Princess Jocelyn also celebrated the news by ordering celebrations to honour the Smith for his blessing on her daughter, something even her husband was angered by considering the relentless preaching by the faith against the dragons.

As the years passed and the Princess Rhaenys grew older she became more aware of the wives war and the tensions over the succession and how contrary to what her mother had told her she was not destined for the Iron Throne. She was trapped between two worlds she most likely felt, wishing to be acknowledged as her fathers heir and thus to inherit the Iron Throne and Westeros after him, but also as a true Valyrian, not an Andal using Andal law to seize the Iron Throne in defiance of her House's laws and traditions.

This was made worse as her cousin Prince Daemon grew up. Prince Daemon was like her uncle Valerion, who possessed the striking silver hair, violet eyes and beauty of House Targaryen. Unlike his elder brother Prince Viserys he was also much prouder and loud, unwilling to let others take the lead. And soon, like their mothers the two began clashing, with Prince Viserys trying helplessly to keep the peace. Never in screaming matches or physical fights, at least not publicly, both would be heavily punished if it came to that by both their fathers and grandparents. But soon the young nobles and heirs of the Royal Court began picking sides and competing on who was better in the yard, who was better in their studies, in their singing, in riding. After much taunting by his cousin Prince Daemon, who called her Andal Rhaenys, would claim Morgul the dragon of Prince Maegor at the age of seven becoming the youngest Dragonrider in generations, and soon dragon racing between the Prince and Princess became all the rage, and watching those races a popular activity among the highborn and servants of the Red Keep alike, for from the upper balconies they could see the whole course set out and help referee using Myrish far eye glasses. Though when it came down to it none could ever beat Prince Viserys on Quicksilver, the dragon living up to its name.

And while the rivalry among the cousins remain childish many in the Royal Court and the realm feared that just one generation after the Lines of Rhaenys and Visenya had come together in union, the Lines of Jocelyn and Alyssa had once again divided the House of the Dragon, with many making ominous prophecies of a war of succession. But the war was still far on the Horizon as Princes Aemon and Baelon maintained their close bond and tried to keep the peace.

During these years, in the background of the Stepstones War and its aftermath, the marriage of Crown Prince Aemon and Princess Jocelyn, once a love story that shone its light across Westeros as symbol of love overcoming all bounds had devolved from a sweet wine into a bitter vinegar, marked by fundamental discord and festering resentment. Years of fighting had eroded any semblance of warmth, leaving only a chilling emptiness. At the heart of their conflict lay Princess Jocelyn's increasingly fervent religious zealotry and unwavering promotion of Andal culture, which directly clashed with the Valyrian traditions of the Targaryen dynasty with Princess Jocelyn's public denunciations of Valyrian customs, language, and faith were particularly damaging. She now went beyond mere preference as had occurred during the first Wives War, actively campaigning for the eradication of Valyrian influence, demanding the banning of High Valyrian and the suppression of Valyrian traditions in the Royal Court. "Her prayers, once a declaration of identity, now echoed through the halls like a declaration of war against the very traditions that had built this dynasty and realm" said Count Bartimos Celtigar who broke with the Anti-Maegor coalition over the new direction taken by Princess Jocelyn. And he was hardly the only one as the Anti-Maegor coalition would soon weaken and fall apart as this stance alienated a significant portion of the court, especially those of Valyrian descent, who perceived her actions as a direct assault on their heritage. Even those who did not adhere to the Valyrian Gods recognized the importance of maintaining their Valyrian connection as a symbol of prestige and authority, Princess Jocelyn's attacks were thus seen as attacks on their status. This would lead to the rise of the Hightower Coalition, with included the majority of the membership of the former Anti-Maegor Coalition, but differing as unlike the previous one this coalitions base was the might and strength of Oldtown rather than the Velaryon-Baratheon Alliance.

Another reason for the splitting apart of the Anti-Maegor coalition was that many Andal and First Men nobles refused to be associated and known for such radical demands which would only bring down the wrath of the Crown and King upon them. The grand Maester wrote that "Whispers of 'treason' and 'madness' followed her through the halls of the Red Keep and not all that whispered it had silver hair" during this time.  And the whispers were with a valid basis, for a royal princess, particularly the wife of the heir apparent, to openly condemn the dynasty's foundations was indeed foolish, deeply disrespectful and even indeed treasonous. "The very stones of the Red Keep, the very blood of House Targaryen whisper of Valyria," King Jaehaerys once lamented to the Small Council, "and my own sister would silence them for the praise of fools." . As such the more moderate and less treasonous Hightower coalition appealed to them.

Summarised Extract from The Queens and Princesses of Westeros in the Early Targaryen Era by Professor Eddard Winterfell, Professor of History at Prince Aerion Collegium.

There are likely complex motivations behind Princess Jocelyn's fervent devotion to Andal culture,  for the same historical record which speak of her as a figure of Zealous Andal piety, a staunch opponent of Valyrian traditions within the Targaryen court also tell us that she was at one time not like that, she was someone who was proud of her Velaryon Blood, and who once truly fell in love with a Valyrian Prince, a man as Valyrian as they came. But what drove this seemingly radical transformation? Could it have been more than mere political calculation? "The heart knows its own reasons" the Septon Barth wrote of the princess, "reasons the mind often fails to grasp.". Most Historians and Maesters who study history speculate that the surface of her piety masked a turbulent sea of personal and political anxieties, a struggle to reconcile her blood with her beliefs.

The First factor to note was the sheer hostility she faced in the early years of the courtship with and marriage to Prince Aemon. Queen Alysanne made no ambiguous statements in her disdain,  and to all who believe this was hardly enough for the Princess to simply turn her back on her own and her husbands culture and heritage one should note who the Queen was to Princess Jocelyn. She was the daughter of Prince Maegor the Dragon who had committed great brutality on Princess Jocelyn's mother Queen Mother Alyssa. The brutal assault on Queen Mother Alyssa and Queen Rhaena who also lost an Eye and their subsequent walk of shame, while not witnessed by Princess Jocelyn who was unborn at the time still likely imprinted a deep-seated fear and revulsion towards the Valyrian power that permitted such cruelty for Prince Maegor was the embodiment of Valyria in Westeros, not just its power, sophistication and glory but its violence and cruelty.  This event which she would have heard about all her life wasn't merely a political event; it was a visceral violation of her family, a trauma that echoed through generations through those who did not witness it but felt the sorrow in the eyes of their elders. "A shadow falls across every child born of Queen Alyssa" writes Grand Maester Elysar in the time when Princess Jocelyn first came to the Red Keep and met the Prince Maegor for the first time "a shadow cast by the belt of Maegor." supporting the idea that she had inherited this trauma which could partly explain her subconscious rejection of her Valyrian heritage. For there is no reason than a stubbornness on her part for the Baratheon's to not teach her the High Valyrian Language and Valyrian culture considering her brother Duke Boremund was indeed educated on such matters………

It is also known that Princess Jocelyn's inability to ride a dragon, a symbol of Targaryen power, was a constant source of perceived inadequacy, not only would she be the first Targaryen Queen not to do so, this inability to have the symbol of Royalty would also be noted to make her more insecure about her looks, which were devoid of any Valyrian features. Meaning the Queen Alysanne rallying against her for this likely made some impact on the Princess……….

Combined with the relentless pressure to produce a male heir, the emotional burden must have been immense, this burden to secure her husband line brought its own challenges. For we know that there was a string of miscarries five years in a row, and that during this time a busy husband who grieved privately could have caused her to feel isolated…….. It is also likely that she would likely contrast herself with her nemesis the Queen Alysanne who had many children even into her later years……

It also could not have helped that almost as soon as she made a truce with the Queen the Wives' War began, for while ostensibly a clash of styles, it was also a battleground for her likely anxieties as one of its basic premises was that Princess Jocelyn and her only child Princess Rhaenys were not Valyrian and thus not good enough to belong to the Royal Family. Princess Jocelyn's fervent embrace of Andal culture thus can be seen as a desperate attempt to carve out a place for herself and her daughter in a court that seemed determined to reject them. The constant pressure of leading a political faction, the fear of losing influence, and the emotional toll of personal losses likely contributed to her increasing zealotry……..The vow of the King, made in the aftermath of Rhaenys birth, to not name Prince Baelon heir while Princess Jocelyn lived, was a temporary reprieve, but it did not alleviate her underlying anxieties…….. Her actions, though divisive, were a testament to her resilience and her determination to secure her daughter's future which she likely felt was threatened by the dominance of Valyrian Culture in the Royal Family and Court.

In this time the Faith of the Seven, with its unwavering scripture and promise of divine redemption, likely offered a refuge from the chaos and uncertainty of her life. In embracing the Faith, Jocelyn wasn't merely adopting a religion; she was seeking a sense of belonging, a way to cope with her grief, and a means to secure her daughter's future for Princess Jocelyn's growing zealotry only began to manifest as her daughter reached maturity and the fear of her husband's line losing the throne grew most real. The threat to her daughter's inheritance under Valyrian traditions, could have driven her to champion Andal laws with increasing fervour. "A desperate woman grasps at any straw" a quote from a noble at court alludes to Jocelyn’s increasing desperation for any and all allies……….

Speculation, of course, can only take us so far. But the whispers of history and the records suggest that Princess Jocelyn's rejection of her Valyrian heritage was a complex and deeply personal journey. It was a journey driven by inherited trauma, personal loss, and a desperate yearning for belonging. It was a journey of a soul seeking solace in the comforting embrace of the Seven, a journey that ultimately shaped the political landscape of Westeros in this era.

Prince Aemon saw how her actions damaged their marriage and his political standing for despite being the Crown Prince he had become isolated from all the political coalitions, and this was a true isolation rather than the previous semi-neutral-but-Anti-Maegor-coalition-member-in-essence-to-balance-the-Queen-Alysanne of before. But more than any of this, for Prince Aemon did not need any coalition to project his authority, he resented her attempts to control his life and her refusal to compromise, and increasingly felt trapped in a marriage that had become a battleground for religious and cultural ideologies. The chasm between them widened with each year and soon they lived separate lives within the Red Keep, their interactions limited to formal occasions and strained exchanges. The deep affection that once existed was replaced by cold indifference as their marriage became a hollow shell, a political arrangement devoid of love or respect.

These tensions came to a head as the year 90 AC approached, the year Princess Rhaenys came of age, and as such the speculation over the succession and her husband reached a fever pitch. Fighting in the Royal Court also grew brazen and open, no longer confined to the shadows, even the Kings disapproval not being enough to prevent the nobility from dividing as with the Anti-Maegor coalition falling apart those who were firmly against the Queen's coalition and Prince Baelon, while not willing to join the more moderate and in their eyes more craven Hightower coalition, made their last stand before they were unable to do so with the authority they currently had, but this outspokenness only accelerated their decline and the rise of the Hightower coalition. And unfortunately for the Princess Rhaenys fighting between her parents became blatant and constant, the two unwilling or unable to hide it from their only child. The Crown Prince's marriage was burning down, for not only did he dislike Princess Jocelyn for continuing her disputes with Princess Alyssa over matters he felt she should ignore and move on from as they happened years ago, but also as she had become more strident and religious over promoting Andal culture and the Faith of the Seven so much so that she had begun to fight with her husband about these matters as well, for while the Crown Prince took to Andal culture and the Faith of the Seven more than his siblings in a bid to better connect with his future subjects he lacked the increasing zealotry of his wife.

Prince Aemon also blamed her for his growing bitterness over the accomplishments of Prince Baelon.

Few knew at the time that Crown Prince Aemon, despite the outward appearance of a dutiful administrator, harboured a deep yearning for the glory and adventure that his younger brother, Prince Baelon the Brave, seemed to effortlessly attain. A burning desire for renown gnawed at him, a desire he kept carefully concealed beneath the veneer of his responsibilities. In his youth during the Second Targaryen War Against the Dothraki Prince Aemon had dreamed of the clash of steel, the roar of battle, the adulation of a grateful exotic Kingdoms and he had longed to venture to Essos, to test his mettle against the fierce Dothraki hordes, to carve his name into the annals of history alongside the now legendary warriors of Westeros.  Fewer knew his brother, a Prince of the Blood and a Dragonrider, had gotten down on his knees to beg him to come as the two dreamed of an adventure to surpass their grandfather's already legendary one.  But his wife had persuaded him out of it citing among other things the dangers to the Crown Prince, the turmoil caused by an insecure succession and unclear chain of command if both the Kings elders sons left and most importantly that she did not want to face the hostility of the Royal Court, the Queen all alone for years on end, especially not without both Princes to moderate for there was only so much the King could do on his own. Allegedly telling her husband "Aemon, your duty lies here, with your family, with your realm, and not on some foreign land. The Queen already believes I am unfit, do not give her more reason to have me replaced by claiming you left to escape me."

This occurred again when the Stepstones, that ancient haven for pirates, was to be conquered and integrated. Prince Aemon envisioned himself leading a fleet, clearing the seas, and securing the trade routes, earning the wealth and prestige that accompanied such feats. Once again Prince Baelon begged his brother to come as they envisioned themselves as heroes, forging a legacy that would forever be etched in the hearts of the realm. Prince Baelon allegedly telling his brother "Aemon, you were meant for more than ledgers and councils. The realm needs your strength, not just your wisdom. Let us ride together, brother, and etch our names into legend."  But once again the Crown Prince deferred, staying in Kings Landing to protect his wife from Princess Alyssa and to run the realm after Princess Jocelyn begged him to stay. "I will not abandon my brother," Prince Baelon once said to a friend, "but I fear his wife has already abandoned him to a life of regret."

And now that the chances of glory seemingly gone, and him being increasingly unable to recognise the woman he loved, Prince Aemon was faced with the fact that the realm cared not over his firm administration of Westeros, his progresses to solve issues and maintains peace, his deft stewardship of the Royal Court and offices, they viewed his own accomplishments as the work of his father and thus only praised his brothers accomplishments and achievements, attributing no glory to him, with most nobles thinking of the Crown Prince as timid in the battlefield and unaccomplished overall. His lack of a son and heir also only exacerbated the subtle disdain the nobility held him in and the tension between the Crown prince and his wife grew only stronger over the years since the Stepstone war. For as the Crown Prince knew and as Princess Rhaenys found out through her parents screaming that the King had not formally declared Prince Baelon the next king after Prince Aemon not just because of a vow he made to Princess Jocelyn but also over hopes Prince Aemon would, even at this age, set Princess Jocelyn aside and take a new wife who could give him a son. Not wishing to give up on the hope for a grandson from their eldest son's line.

In the end what ended the marriage was the Princess Jocelyn's anti Valyrian bigotry, a grave betrayal for the Crown prince who considered himself a fool for sacrificing his two chances of eternal glory for her "I traded glory for a gilded cage," Prince Aemon once lamented to his sister Viserra, "and the bars are made of her zealotry and my foolishness."

After coming of age, hoping to prove herself as a worthy heir, someone who could one day sit the Iron Throne despite the current precedent barring her from doing so, the Princess Rhaenys began searching for the best husband she could find, a man who her father could be proud about having inherit the Targaryen name and be part of his legacy, she chose Count Corlys Velaryon, one of the most famous mariners of the age who had gone to as far as Asshai, he had distant Targaryen blood and was the Count of Driftmark, and so she began to court him despite how improper it was. In this she was supported by her mother Princess Jocelyn who was happy about reviving and strengthening the ties between Houses Targaryen, Baratheon and Velaryon once again.

The growing distance between her parents would be worsened when her father bedded her aunt Viserra with both the King and Queen encouraging him to set aside Princess Jocelyn marry Princess Viserra so as to have the possibility of an heir, something the Crown Prince would reject at the time out of guilt and the knowledge that while most of the nobility was abandoning her the Faith remained fully behind Princess Jocelyn, and that they would never accept her being set aside. But the Crown Prince would still regret his faithfulness, and the gap between him and his wife turned into a chasm when it was announced she was with child already, taking a night where Princess Jocelyn had taken three years to get with child. When in the second month of 91 AC Princess Viserra gave birth to a healthy son she named Aemond Waters, after spending just one night with her father, Princess Rhaenys' parents marriage died for all intents and purposes.

But even before this birth, in the aftermath of the infidelity, both the Princess and her father also felt the strain as she blamed him in deeming her inadequate, for deeming her mastery of Meraxes not enough, she blamed her father for the realm viewing her as lesser for being a woman, telling her father "A ruler needs a good head and a true heart. A cock is not essential. If you truly believes that women lack the wit to rule, plainly you have no love for me." and in doing so the Household of the Crown Prince fell apart as father and daughter soon began fighting. Their disputes went beyond mere disagreements, delving into the core of their identities and their perceptions of justice for Princess Rhaenys felt deeply betrayed by her father's perceived lack of support. She viewed his inability to shield her mother from the court's hostility as a profound failure for in her eyes, a true protector would have stood unwavering against any slight, real or imagined, against his wife. She held him accountable for Princess Jocelyn's isolation and the constant barrage of subtle and not so subtle insults that came her way. "You allow them to whisper, Father," she accused allegedly . "You allow them to undermine her, to question her faith, her heritage. Where is your strength? Where is your protection? Why must you let your wife be tormented for her looks and faith which most nobles share? Why must you take your sister to bed when you have a wife? What is so wrong with being an Andal and worshiping the Seven?"

Her father's attempts to explain the delicate balance of court politics, the need for measured responses, and that her mother was hardly blameless over the years and especially now fell on deaf ears. She saw only weakness, a lack of the decisive action she believed was necessary. "Why is it that you respect Grandmothers strength but not mine, why can she rule and not me?" she asked and thus the question revealed that at the end the issue of the succession was as the core issue and that it fueled their conflict. Princess Rhaenys, acutely aware of the prejudices against female rulers, felt that her father should have been her most ardent champion openly calling for a change to the laws so that she could inherit. Instead, she believed he harboured a lingering hope for a male heir, a son who would more readily fit the traditional ideal of a Westerosi ruler.  Their arguments became increasingly heated, fueled by years of pent-up resentment and frustration. They clashed over every issue, from court politics to personal matters, their words sharp and cutting. The once-close bond between father and daughter frayed, replaced by a coldness that mirrored the chill in her parents' marriage.

The birth of Aemond Waters, Prince Aemon's bastard son, was the final blow. It was a stark reminder of her father's infidelity and a tangible symbol of the perceived inadequacy of her own claim. She saw it as a personal betrayal, a validation of the court's whispers that she was somehow lacking. "He has a son now," she told her companions "A true Targaryen son, untainted by Andal blood. Perhaps now he will have the heir he truly desires and be happy."

As the year 91AC continued the Realm witnessed the marriage of Lord Daegon and Princess Viserra, the first Dragonrider to be married into a Westerosi Family in decades. Though the oaths where he offered the lives of himself and his line should any of his children seek to claim dragons or to even retain Dreamfyre after Princess Viserra's death, prevented the nobles from wondering if there would be in the longer run a second Dragon riding family. But what was really the most interesting matter of the court was the matter of succession which now had three main claimants, Prince Baelon the Crown Prince's brother,  Princess Rhaenys the Crown Princes' daughter and Lord Aemond the Crown Prince's bastard son who while being illegitimate was as Targaryen as they came. After all to what is bastardy when the Realm can accept brother marrying sister, even the Valyrian Houses made no claim to such practises even when the freehold existed, it was always the preserve of the Dragonlords who were a law unto themselves.

Overall though the odds still favoured the crown prince's younger brother, for his bastard was still a bastard and his daughter was a woman who according to the laws and precedents established could not inherit the throne before her uncle, though many Andal lords begged to differ. Furthermore the young Princess had no allies, or rather she had many allies instead what she lacked was allies with power and influence, as most of her supporters were those whose Houses had supported the Faith militant and thus were out of favour of the Royal Court and had few if any Royal Offices even now. All the Valyrian Noble Houses, most of the Dukes and the vast majority of the Counts and greater lords supported Prince Baelon, out of pragmatism if nothing else. The few that didn’t refusing support due to his marriage to his own sister, though they never openly claimed that was the reason.

The only Great Houses where the Princess Rhaenys drew any open support from were House Baratheon and House Martell, also known as some of the weakest and least stable Great Houses. After all none in Westeros had forgotten how as a child the Duke Boremund had to flee his own castle from a usurping uncle while his Household was slaughtered, and that it was only the intervention of the Northeastern alliance that kept him alive, and the might of the Iron Throne which kept him in power. Similarly many considered the Duke to be cursed by the gods for the actions of his uncle for he had lost two wives and one betroth, with many of also knowing of the three other ladies he had shown interest in also meeting tragic fates before a formal betrothal, the gods showing their wrath by leaving his line hanging on the edge until his marriage to Princess Saera who brought both children and scandal into the Baratheon Household. This was compounded by the relative lack of wealth held by House Baratheon compared to the other Ducal Houses, as well as not having a large town in their immediate domains nor a city in their duchy. And finally the weakening Baratheon influence on the Stormlands due to the disruptions caused to the balance of power due to the rise of the Northeastern Alliance and the Peace of Jaehaerys also meant that they were unable to rally the entirety of the Stormlands to her side.

House Martell on the other hand was the only Great House to seriously resist the Targaryen Conquest of Westeros, and later during the Anarchy in a desperate, and in hindsight very foolish, attempt to declare independence rebelled against the Iron Throne. This meant that it had been punished the most harshly of the Great Houses even after the reconciliation effected by Prince Omar Martell, so harshly that many considered the Princes of Dorne even weaker than the Tully's in excising their authority in their Duchy, even though half the Counts of the Riverland's had greater and richer fiefs than House Tully. For unlike the Tully's whose authority, laws, decrees and taxes were recognised by all the Riverlords, however begrudgingly, the Martells did not levy taxes on half of Dorne, including lords not a days ride from Sunspear, making them a power on the same level as the Greyjoys despite ruling a land much richer. Similarly the greatest supporters of House Martell since the coming of Nymeria had been driven into extinction during the Wars of Conquest, replaced by new Valyrian Nobility and new Stormland and Reach settler smallfolk who they had been unable to displace during the Anarchy. Meaning they had to build new alliances to govern Dorne for these new Houses rather than supporting Sunspear were allied to House Yronwood, House Martells greatest rival. As such in order to pass laws and decrees which would be obeyed they needed the support of Houses such as House Dayne, Fowler and Uller, support which was costly as they required concessions and thus the weakening of the Martell's authority among their own allies, especially as these houses were unhappy that they had to pay taxes their neighbours and even many of their newly ennobled vassals did not.

Unlike the above two Houses the Princess also received certain hidden support from House Tully. This was not in the open as Riverrun had chosen to remain officially neutral in the matter, proclaiming to "respect the wisdom of the King" but in truth House Tully had been angered by the Crown using Valyrian law to determine inheritance, believing that Andal law, as the most common law of the land (and in their eyes the most righteous because of the Truth of the Faith of the Seven) should have been used. However House Tully was constrained from open support due to pragmatism and realising political realities. Thus there were three factors which prevented open support of the Princess. First was the fact that the Riverland's had many major Valyrian and First Men Houses who supported the Prince Baelon, many of which held richer and larger fiefs than the Tully's hence to go against them on such a fundamental matter would only cause major problems for Riverrun. Second the pronouncement of the Tully's were not worth much when considering the power dynamics of the realm, Prince Baelon, his wife and sons rode four adult dragons, and the King was unlikely to let the matter remain undecided for so long as to allow Princess Rhaenys to birth three children or more and raise them to adulthood, meaning that the matter of Succession would have to be settled soon, especially as the nobility became increasingly vocal on the manner. Third was the fact that the Tully's realised a truth both Princess Jocelyn and Princess Rhaenys blinded themselves to. Just because the majority of lords were Andal did not mean they supported Andal laws, there were many who beyond any pragmatic alliance or political consideration did not want to see a Queen Regnant. And thus Princess Rhaenys support base was even smaller than she thought as many men, freed from the laws set down on them when choosing on their own accord, chose the male line.

The last point was especially relevant for the Vale for House Arryn despite being in some was the most prestigious and honoured of the Andal lines of Westeros, ones who should have been the strongest voice for Andal law and customs in the Royal Court and Realm, had no intention of supporting the Princess Rhaenys, not out of loyalty to the Queen's coalition or due to the pragmatism caused by Prince Baelon being the likely victor, but simply because Duke Rodrik and his sons did not believe that women should rule, or be heard, or seen when the men did not want to, or to be unfaithful, but also wanted them to be unfaithful when the right man wanted them to, and not to 'nag' nor 'be shrill', they were not fans of women outside lovemaking, for hoisting away child rearing duties, and general debauchery it is easier to say.

Thus with allies and supporters like these the Princess did not need enemies for defeat.

Princess Rhaenys' plan on marrying the Count of Driftmark also fell apart when he kindly but firmly informed her that he had no intention of giving up his own inheritances, titles and family name, that he had worked too long and too hard to re-establish House Velaryon of Driftmark to wealth and prestige to give it all up to become consort for history would not remember his Velaryon name if he did.

During this time there were many who advised the young Princess to consider marrying her cousin Prince Viserys so as to unite the two bloodlines and the two claims to the Iron Throne together. However the problem was that the Princess was determined not to marry her cousin, for not only for despite his peaceful nature they still clashed, but also because she knew that even if he married her as a consort in the end she would be the one who would end up losing all power and he would be the one who would end up ruling Westeros, thus to marry him would not secure her own claim to the Iron Throne but instead relinquish it to her cousin.

In the end after her father and herself were no longer on speaking terms due to constant infighting the Princess acknowledged that she had lost. Thus Princess Rhaenys, daughter and only child of the Crown Prince of Westeros, decided to give up her claim on the Iron Throne; For she was no Kinslayer, nor would she condemn the realm to a rebellion which was bound to fail, even if her father supported her in revolting against her grandfather they would have two dragons at best to her uncle's four not even counting her Aunt Viserra or Uncle Valerion or her grandparents, the former who would gladly see her fall. As such she negotiated a marriage contract with Count Corlys Velaryon who had become a close friend despite his rejection of becoming her consort and who she had fallen in love with and soon received the blessing of her father and grandfather, giving up her name and claim to the Iron Throne to become Princess Rhaenys Velaryon, Countess of Driftmark.  They were married in 92AC, after in front of the Royal Court the Princess and her husband to be pledged to obey the Dragon and Targaryen inheritance law. The ceremony was held in High Tide, the Velaryon seat built by Count Corlys and the Princess insisted on arriving at the wedding on the back of Meraxes. In 93 AC, Rhaenys learned that she was pregnant with her first child, giving birth to a daughter Laena Velaryon that same year. Two years later, she give birth to a son, Laenor Velaryon. Although Princess Jocelyn and many of her supporters, Houses Baratheon and Martell among them, insisted that Laenor Velaryon had the better claim to the throne, Prince Baelon remained Prince Aemon's heir according to Targaryen law and precedent.

During these years father and daughter would reconcile, perhaps realising that in the end not only was there nothing that the other could do about the past but also that they still loved each other. It of course helped the young Princess was content with her life and was optimistic about the future of her children despite them not being Dragonriders. This love and reconciliation would not appear between the Crown Prince and his wife, they would only drift further and further away, until it became well known throughout the realm that's their marriage existed only by law and that there was no longer any affection between them. It is recorded in the court tales that the Queen would frequently weep over the fact that her eldest son the Crown Prince had wasted his life married to Princess Jocelyn. This was something the Crown Prince did not appreciate for despite his marriage burning down he did not regret the decades of love nor the birth of his only child, both of which would not have been possible without his marriage to Princess Jocelyn, not to mention the fact that he greatly blamed his own mother for the failure of his marriage, claiming her interference in it and infighting with his wife was cause of much of the misery that his wife faced and that she took out on him.

Despite the marriage between the young Princess and House Velaryon ending much of the tensions regarding the succession dispute between the Crown Prince's daughter and the Crown Prince's brother it created a host of new problems. Most importantly those of the Faith of the Seven and the more Pious Nobles who were worried over the fact that Prince Baelon and Princess Alyssa did not sincerely believe in the Faith, keeping in truth to the Gods of Old Valyria. Similarly others worried that the Prince would seek to disrupt the delicate balance between the two sides of The Anarchy. To their credit the Prince and Princess of the Stepstones would work hard to dismiss such concerns, they would attend weekly sermons in the Sept, patronise charities of the Faith of the Seven more heavily, and expand their circles to include more nobles without Valyrian heritage. The year of his niece's wedding the Prince Baelon and Princess Alyssa would depart of a 10 month long progress in order to meet with the nobility to calm any fear and quell any rumour.

And so with the succession settled the year 93 AC approached and with it the Late Reign of King Jaehaerys.

Chapter Text

The Late Reign of King Jaehaerys was also known as the Shadow Regency because the King would withdraw from the governance of the realm more and more in these years, leaving them to the Crown Prince Aemon. That is not to say he was uninvolved, but certainly he was not as active as was used to in handling the Royal Court and the Royal offices, leaving more power and authority in the hands of his sons with Prince Aemon acting as shadow regent and Prince Baelon as shadow hand. In these years he became known as the Old King.

The year used to mark the start of the late reign of the King is 93AC, the year a great festival was held in King's Landing to celebrate King Jaehaerys's fiftieth year on the Iron Throne, this was the Golden Jubilee Festival and its splendour was legendary, echoing through the ages, being another standard that Jaehaerys set that his descendants tried - and generally failed- to match. The city was transformed into a shimmering spectacle, a testament to the glory and power of the Targaryen dynasty, for the Festival for which preparations had been in the works for years. Present for the festival along with all of King Jaehaerys's living children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren and their families, also present were all the Dukes, Princes of Dorne, Counts, endless numbers of lords and knights, their retinues a kaleidoscope of colours and sigil's, creating a living tapestry of Westerosi nobility. But it was not just the nobility, all the Bishops, all the Cardinals, all members of the Most Devout and the High Septon of the Faith of the Seven were present, creating a gathering not seen since the Councils of Duskendale, holding great prayers in Ancient Andal to bless the King, the Royal Family and Westeros as a whole , with the High Septon calling the Targaryens the heirs to Hugor of the Hills for their unification of the Land and the Faith of the Seven, and they were not the only ones represented. For there were Drowned Priests from each of the Iron Islands and fief, singing and chanting as they invoked the blessings of the Drowned God in salt water of Blackwater Bay and the shrine to the drowned god; Priests from all the major Valyrian Temples of Westeros were also there, holding great bonfires where they invoked the fourteen flames, singing ancient songs of glory from the days of Old Valyria; the Priests of the Faith of the Three Sisters also blessed the land despite their gods being confined to their islands, their celebrations were held in Prince Gaemon Square, and in the Godswood of Kings Landing the High Green Men of the North held great dances and prayers. Also held were some prominent joint prayers (decided via some not so subtle threats of dragon fire for those who tried to refuse to participate, as the faiths of Westeros never truly got along even in this era) to help unite the realm and show amity and goodwill .

Also in attendance were delegations of Archmaesters of all four Citadels, the Chancellor of the Prince Aerion College, heads of all the major guilds and trading companies from all across the land, most if not all of the Sheriffs and many other officials including delegations of village elders from Dragonstone and the Dragonlands, all the mayors of the major towns and cities of the Crownlands such as Wendwater Port and Duskendale, envoys from all the Free Cities and polities as far as the Kingdoms of the Sarnori, Tomori and Lhazareen, the last three in particular seeking to maintain ties with the Dragonlords who had been so valuable in the battle against the Dothraki, and many more with even some merchants from Yi-Ti who had been mistaken for delegates from the Court of the Emperor of that then semi-mythical land, similarly there were princes from the White Kingdoms which bordered the Lands of the Grand Moraq and the Qartheen. Also present were men of stature from the also then semi-mythical Kingdoms of Ind, with half the Westerosi crediting them to Essos and the other half to Ulthos to show just how distant they were from what the rest of the known world called the Sunset Kingdoms, but the last of these were adventurers and travellers rather than ambassadors, come to see the dragons of House Targaryen, and who were lucky to arrive during the festivities. Over 2500 official attendees and their entourages came to the celebrations with the city's harbour thus teeming with ships from across the known world, their masts a forest of timber against the azure sky,  while great expansions and works had been held in the city itself to accommodate the crowds with new inns, warehouses and granaries built, not to mention the preparations held by merchants and the like. All of them came bearing gifts and many of the gifts they gave, especially those from dignitaries from far-flung lands, would be displayed in the Royal Collection and Armoury of Kings Landing.

The Golden Jubilee Festival had many aspects to it for it combined aspects of festivities, a tournament, a pageants and a Valyrian Triumph, lasting officially for 14 Days though the actual festivities continued for months as people trickled in and out of the city, causing it to burst through its boundaries as it filled up and overflowed. Indeed even the Red Keep, the second largest castle was not able to hold them all with spaces in even the rickety and shabby inns at a premium and beyond scarce, so much so that it was not unusual for three to four merchant families to move into one house so that they could rent out their own to the visiting delegates, splitting the earnings.

But not all stayed in the Red Keep itself even when they could have, for some preferred staying in the great fields of tents created in the Royal Parks which were preserved for the more honoured visitors while some 2,800 tents were erected for less distinguished visitors in the fields outside the city proper, inhabited by guards and the like. But of the former the most prominent of the parks used for such purposes was Prince Gaemon Park, the largest royal park in the city, which housed some of the Great Houses and their greatest vassals for the nobility of Westeros were not going to let a silly, frankly irrelevant little fact such as the celebration being about the King and his reign to prevent them from attempting to take center stage, not when the stage was the kind never seen before and likely not to be seen again until their great grandchildren's time. As such while the rest of the Great Houses and their greatest vassals stayed in the Red Keep to show their closeness to the Crown and Royal Family,  in the Prince Gaemon Park the most elaborate arrangements were made for the accommodation of  House Hightower and its entourage for they were determined to use this gathering to cement their place as one of the leading houses of the realm, one which had broken free from the constraints of the past and now led its own alliance, the Hightower Coalition, separate and independent from the Baratheon-Velaryon Alliance which had been one of the leading voices in the realm till now; As such to show their wealth and power a temporary palace were erected in the Park. The Hightower palace, covering an area of nearly 12,000 square yards, the maximum space allotted the House was in four blocks with a central courtyard; each side was 328 feet long. The only solid part was the brick base about 8 feet high which would be ripped out after the Golden Jubilee Festival at great coast, given to the poor areas of the city to pave their streets as alms. Above the brickwork, the 30-foot-high walls were made of cloth or canvas on timber frames, painted to look like stone or brick. The slanting roof was made of oiled cloth painted to give the colour of lead and the illusion of slates. Also used was a significant amount of clear Myrish glass, which made visitors feel they were in the open air. All the decorations, carved and painted had classical andal iconography and were very expensive with great and mighty masonry and a Tower on every side of the palace, richly decorated not just on the inside but also the outside so as to further show off the wealth of House Hightower. Wines from the fief of oldtown flowed from the two fountains outside and the chapel was served by 35 priests. Inside the chapel also assembled was one of the finest choirs in Westeros, and contemporary accounts indicated that they "delighted their hearers to such a decree that even the King felt compelled to invite them to the Red Keep to perform in front of the Iron Throne, a great honour."

The Gardener's on the other hand showing the closeness of their ties to the Targaryen Family had made arrangements in the years prior, via the Queen Alysanne, to receive a perpetual lease on lands in the Prince Gaemon Park where they built the Alyx Manse which was unveiled in the tournament.  Nestled within the verdant embrace of Prince Gaemon's Park's Inner Circle, 'coincidently' just a stone throws away from the Hightower palace showing the King did love his japes and was entirely too comfortable with the prospect of significant bloodshed for him to receive the title of peacemaker, the Alyx Manse presents itself as a testament to the refined architectural sensibilities of the Gardener Family, heavily influenced by Valyrian and Hellas Architecture. The allure of the Alyx Manse is inextricably linked to its setting within Prince Gaemon's Park with the property occupying approximately seven acres of prime land, offering a remarkable degree of privacy and seclusion within the heart of King's Landing . The imposing Ionic portico, a hallmark of the building's facade, projects an air of stately grandeur, welcoming visitors into its expansive interior. This entrance is further enhanced by the presence of meticulously crafted roofing, adding to the architectural harmony of the structure. A truly distinctive element of the Alyx Manse is the bow or rotunda, a circular extension adorned with a colonnade of Ionic columns. This rotunda, surmounted by two floors and an attic level, serves as a focal point, contributing significantly to the building's visual appeal and its overall sense of architectural sophistication. Spanning approximately 40,000 square feet, much larger than the "trumped up tent of the Hightowers" as Duke Alyx himself put it, the interior of the Alyx Manse provides a generous canvas for its diverse array of rooms. The grand dining room, a space designed for formal gatherings and elaborate meals, reflects the property's capacity for hosting large-scale events which would soon be used to great affect both during the Golden Jubilee festivities and in the decades and centuries to come. It also contained a library, a repository of knowledge and a haven for quiet contemplation and more importantly a way to show their collection and wealth. The manse also contained studies, 2 parlours, a multitude of bedrooms, 40 in total, half individual rooms and half suite apartments, which underscores the property's function as a substantial residence, one which was built to accommodate heavy usage by more than just the immediate family. The basements with their many functions also speak to the property's multifaceted nature, reflecting its capacity to serve both residential and administrative purposes. The sheer scale of the rooms allows for the accommodation of significant numbers of people, yet the precise capacity for formal events is not consistently documented, though it is clearly a very substantial number. Outside the main building, and the attached servant quarters, small yet stout store houses, large stables and garages for carriages, there exists a relatively small but well decorated garden, featuring meticulously manicured hedges, and a diverse array of plantings, creating a serene and secluded atmosphere. Architectural elements, such as a pergola, statues, and urns, enhance the garden's aesthetic appeal, adding a touch of classical Valyrian elegance. The gardens are designed to be a place of quiet reflection, offering a peaceful retreat from the hustle and bustle of the city and providing a serene contrast to the wider expanse of Prince Gaemon's Park. It would quickly be followed by a dozen other great Manses which lined the Prince Gaemon Park with Houses such as Lannister, Reyne, Grafton, Crakehall, Rowan, Vaelaros and even Hightower being inspired to build their own grand manses in the city so as to compete.

But the Gardener's and Hightowers were not the only ones who wished to have a moment of glory in the Golden Jubilee Festival itself, all Noble Houses, Priests, Ambassadors and attendees had been preparing for the festivities for years ever since the King had made it clear just how large the festivities would be and just how many and who all would be attending. As such this celebration was a carefully staged, multi-faceted exhibition of affluence, a deliberate attempt to dazzle and overawe. While they did not have a grand Manse or a tent masquerading as a palace both the Velaryon's and Seawynd's had purchased large pleasure barges from Lys and Braavos respectively, parking them in the Princess Shaena Docks, turning them to an extension of the Red Keep where they held their own celebrations, providing a unique, waterborne stage for opulence and competition. These were not mere vessels; they were floating palaces, meticulously crafted to reflect the prestige and maritime dominance of their owners.

The remaining nobility also showed their own wealth in a variety of ways, giving gifts, sponsoring charities and handing out alms, but the most important way was through what they wore, the clothing, far from being mere garments, served as potent symbols of status and wealth even more than usual. Each servant and guard was a walking advertisement for their employers' resources, and hence they were dressed in wardrobes fit for well to do merchants or in armour fit for knights, while ensuring one could easily tell their masters House. And of course each noble had to be in their best, as such the textiles weren't merely luxurious but beyond what was seen before even in the Royal Court, everyone who could afford to came with a new wardrobe consisting of shimmering, heavy cloth of gold and silver, deep, saturated hues of imported silks, the intricate embroidery painstakingly crafted with gold thread and precious stones and more. Every movement created a cascade of light and colour, a visual symphony of opulence, even before considering the sheer amount of jewellery that decorated the nobility. Similarly many nobles and guest, most notably the Gardeners, Velaryon's, Seawynd's, Lannisters, Arryns, Grafton's, Stark's, Manderly's and Hightowers sponsored feasts and parties separate from the main festivities. All these featured vast quantities of food and drink with exotic spices such as saffron, cinnamon, and cloves; Rare meats such as peacock, swan and even in one party held by House Velaryon's, Lions, were roasted whole and presented with elaborate garnishes; Heavy pastries stuffed with the purest white sugar and sweet spices were served in abundance, alongside delicate fruit tarts. And all of this was on the tables laden with silver and gold plate, the goblets overflowing with red wine, white wine, hippocras, whiskey, gin, brandy  and the air was filled with the sounds of music and laughter. Speaking of music, seemingly every famous bard in the realm was present, with many travelling from every part of the realm, every single ballad and song from every fief of Westeros was sung in the city during this time.

This display of wealth also had a more practical aim as the sheer number of dignitaries and marriage eligible noblemen and their sisters had created in the Red Keep a marriage and alliance market of unprecedented scale, even greater than that during the chaos that was the courting of Princess Maegelle, with marriage alliances, fosterages, trade deals, political alliances and squireships being forged in the shadows of the festivities. Here the Hightowers, Velaryon's, Lannisters and Gardeners, in particular, but not at all exclusively, tried to establish themselves as the Second House of the realm. As part of these manoeuvre's the Queen Alysanne would announce Prince Viserys the eldest son of Prince Baelon was betroth to Betha Blackwood the daughter of Princess Daella, and the eldest daughter of a Targaryen Princess, for Princess Maegelle' had no daughters. Though she was not even ten years at the time, with the marriage was planned to be performed in the year 102AC as House Blackwood refused any sooner date,  with Prince Viserys being married at the age of 25. Other marriages were also forged with the last day of the festivities having a feast dedicated to all new betrothals, but to the surprise of the nobility there was no betrothal announced for Prince Valerion, the youngest son and only unmarried (Other than Maester Vaegon) child of the King.  

The Nobles also wore their honours and glories, carrying their Valyrian steel swords and daggers, with the members of the Order of the Red Dragon wearing their cloak, badges and collars with pride, as did the members of the Orders of the Golden Lion and of the Green Hand. With the members of the Queen's coalition generally badged of all three. Members of the Royal offices also sported their badges with pride and more importantly as an easy show of influence.

But the Golden Jubilee Festivities were not solely a spectacle of royal and noble extravagance; it also served as a vital stage for the display of mercantile prowess and the influence of powerful guilds. While the monarch and the nobles provided the grand backdrop, the merchants and guilds were the artisans and providers who made the spectacle possible, and they seized the opportunity to showcase their skills and wares. They were not mere spectators; Guilds, representing skilled craftsmen and merchants, played a crucial role in supplying the vast quantities of goods and services required for the event. The various weavers' guilds, for instance, were responsible for producing the magnificent textiles that adorned the nobility. Their finest work, including the coveted cloth of gold, was on full display, each thread a testament to their mastery. The goldsmiths' guilds, particularly from the Westerlands, but also from the other duchies who wished to display their own prowess, showcased their exquisite craftsmanship in the form of jewellery, plate, and other precious objects, their creations glittering under the summer sun. The blacksmiths guilds, their skills honed in the production of weapons and armour, provided the gleaming accoutrements for the tournaments and jousts.

Beyond the guilds supplying the nobility merchants from across Westeros and the Known World set up temporary stalls and shops, offering a dazzling array of goods, from fine fabrics and jewellery to exotic spices and rare delicacies, making the markets of Kings landing gleam like never before, and that is not to speak of the brisk business done by the established workshop and shops of Kings Landing. The event also served as a place to network, and to create business relationships that would last long after the event itself had ended, with trade partnerships being forged like never before. Guilds and prominent merchants also sponsored their own parties and gave out alms to grow their own prestige.

However none of this was allowed to overshadow the King and Royal Family who used the opportunity to the fullest. The  Golden Jubilee Festival was formally two weeks long, culminating with the anniversary of King Jaehaery's accession. As such to set the tone and to ensure no one forgot who was in charge the formal start was marked with the Triumph of King Jaehaerys, a hybrid mix of a formal Valyrian Triumph and a Westerosi Pageant.  On the day of his triumph the King wore a gold-embroidered dress of Black and Red Nathi silks, and jewellery and regalia looking according to the accounts near-divine on Vermithor. In some accounts, his face was painted red, though most accounts claim this was just some make up to highlight his features. The king first flew on Vermithor with Queen Alysanne on Silverwing by his side, circling and crossing the city seven times, before landing on the outskirts. Here he was met with a giant procession of Dukes, Princes, King, Nobles and Knights and contingent of Dragonguard, and more with the King and Queen mounting white horses and leading the procession through the streets of Kings Landing.

Following the King and Queen were their children and their spouses, and their non dragon riding grandchildren and their families, and the Kingsguard while their dragon riding grandchildren flew across the skies performing tricks and summersaults across the skies above the cities. Behind this Royal party were the members of the Small Council and their families, the Dukes and select High Nobles, and  behind them a procession of knights who had qualified to fight in the Royal Tournament to be held, each clad in gleaming, custom-made armour bearing the sigil's of their respective houses, their horses adorned with silks and ribbons in the royal colours of red and black. They were followed by a series of floats, each a miniature stage depicting scenes from Jaehaerys’s reign from the Great Council of 45AC and the Peace, the construction of the Royal Roads, the establishment of the royal judicial system, the emancipation of the smallfolk's, the conquest of the stepstones and more. The Faith of the Seven was also prominently featured, with floats showing scenes from the Seven Pointed Star as well as a procession of septons and septas chanting hymns of praise for the king's piety and wisdom, the other faiths of Westeros were also represented but in a much smaller capacity.

The procession took a rather circuitous route across the city, taking many hours, but they were not worried or tired by this for everywhere they went they found cheering crowds of smallfolk, the entire city had come out to see the procession. Indeed for this reason the procession passed through the Prince Aerion Circus and Prince Maegor Arena, to allow tens of thousands to see them at once and then as the sun began to set the procession culminated at the Red Keep where they were cheered by the assembled guests and nobility. That evening culminated in a grand feast in the Red Keep's Great Hall among others where the tables groaned under the weight of roasted meats, spiced wines, and exotic fruits. Bards sang ballads of the king's deeds, their voices echoing through the hall's vaulted ceilings. Fire dancers twirled and leapt, their movements casting flickering shadows across the walls, and actors and fools, dressed in elaborate costumes, portrayed key figures from Jaehaerys's reign and recounted tales of his wisdom, his justice, and his unwavering commitment to peace. The air was thick with a sense of celebration, and this was just a start.

Following that day all the days were filled with festivities, the Prince Aerion Circus roared with cheers as races were held not just by the old teams of the cities but guests from across Westeros, with the best teams from each circus and city competing among themselves in the first week, with the victors competing with each other the next. In the finale by a cats whisper the Highgarden Reds defeated the King Landing Blue, in a spectacular race which had even the king on his feet in excitement, with the teams honoured by a parade. Led by the Highgarden Reds all the Chariots and their teams were ridden through the city to cheering crowds before culminating in the Red Keep where a feast was dedicated to them.

In the meantime also held in a temporary Arena in Aegon's square next to the Queen Visenya Godswood was a melee tournament, a chaotic yet thrilling clash of steel, with the victor receiving, along with gold and honor, a special prize from the Queen herself, a cloak she embroidered with her own hand, won ultimately by Ser Aegon of House Corbay, the wielder of Lady Forlorn, something House Corbay would spend centuries bragging about. Also held was an archery contest and an axe-throwing contest; A horse race was held on the outskirts of the city; While mock naval battles and a longboat race was held in the Blackwater bay; In the King Jaehaerys Theater was held a tourney of singers in the nights, and in the days plays of all kinds, with at least two, and at times three plays being performed, each to a standing ovation.

In the background of all this, in the Prince Maegor Arena the premier arena of Westeros, a grand jousting tournament, a spectacle of martial prowess, was held. Knights and warriors of Westeros participated and were clad in gleaming armour, with their horses adorned with equally elaborate trappings with the jousts, the displays of horsemanship, all serving as pageants as much as competitions. They competed fiercely, putting all their effort into it, more than regular tournaments for they competed not just for king's favor, not just the favour of the watching noble ladies, not just the respect of their peers, but to write their names in a tournament that would be recorded in songs and legends, not just the tomes of maesters. As such beneath the bright sun their lances splintering against shields emblazoned with their house sigil's in a showcase of glory unseen before. In fact knowing such numbers would wish to compete in the Joust the King had paid for each region in the realm to host a tourney before the tourney in Kings Landing, with the one for the Crownlands held in Duskendale, with only those performing well enough in these preliminary tourneys being allowed to participate in the Great Tournament, even those who didn't win were thus honoured and lauded as shown by their participation in the Royal Procession. In the final tilt, Ser Ryam Redwyne and Ser Clement Crabb broke thirty five lances against each other before King Jaehaerys proclaimed them co-champions, in what is often called the finest display of jousting in Westerosi history, a pillar memorialising their joust was erected on the grounds of the Prince Maegor Arena, and for centuries the jousters of Westeros would visit before their own jousts for luck and inspiration.

But it was not just the nobility which celebrated but also the Smallfolk, for in the name of the King across the city deep trenchers of bread were given out with meat soup, one could also get cheese wedges, as big as a young child's head.  Some Sept's would give out sausages, both cooked and if you were lucky uncooked, which could be kept for later. Though for the best beef sausages the smallfolk found out they had to go to the Godswood's for the Green Men gave out thick northern sausages and they were a treat. Especially the ones which had been spiced with Neck chili powder. In the septs dedicated to the Mother and the Maiden those with young children could get during the Festival, along with cuts of many types of meat, fresh eggs and milk, but one had to be early for it always ran out quick. And if you were lucky the septa's would give out small sacks of fresh fruits and jars of preserves and jams from the Reach as well. In the Sept's dedicated to the Smith free clothes, firewood and metal cookware were given out. In the meantime pouches of salt were given out by the drowned priests; Meanwhile the Great Temple of Maegor and other Valyrian temple also gave out free food, in particular thick cuts of roast beef spiced and with brown gravy, sponsored by the Queen Alysanne, something that most smallfolk could only dream about before, with many members of the City Watch deployed for the massive crowds, desperate to get their share nearly lead to a riot.

All in all the Golden Jubilee Festival became legendary almost immediately, having a tight grip on the imaginations of the Westerosi,  with songs, stories and poems spreading across the land, greatly enhancing the prestige of the Targaryens. The King would also order a series of great and intricate tapestries to commemorate the events which would hang in the Red Keep for centuries. The Festival also became infamous for its costs with Count Vhassar famously remarking "The true trick performed in the Festival was that they made the wealth of the Westerosi nobility disappear, and it is yet to appear back"

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That same year King Jaehaerys' fourth surviving son Prince Valerion also came of age.  After reaching his majority Prince Valerion would end up splitting his time between the Glittering Isle, his fief in the Stepstones, and Kings Landing; And would become known as the Golden Prince due to his golden Dragon Sunfyre, his personal sigil which replaced the red Targaryen dragon for a gold one and due to his fief which was becoming a large producer of gold and copper, the profits of which were used to expand and improve his lands, which in time would become the most prosperous in the Stepstones. Due to this gold the Castle of Sunfyre's Roost would be the largest and grandest of the Stepstones, being thrice the size of Oros Castle, while the Glittering Isle would become the most developed fief, featuring paved roads crisscrossing the island, more canals and reservoirs than even Oros or Ryam's Isle. Port Valerion itself would feature paved roads in even the poorest parts, the Largest Valyrian Temple and the Largest Sept in the Stepstones, a grand 140 foot tall lighthouse, as well as growing population of shipwrights, merchants, artisans and traders as the prince not content on his income from his mines invested his incomes to build his own trading company and to also encourage more activities to increase trade , from building olive oil plantations to take a share of the increasingly lucrative product to attracting artisans to transform the copper into a variety of forms before trading it, importing both raw coal and coked coal from the Stormlands to preserve what little forests they had.

He would also build his own Manse in Kings Landing called the Bridgewater Manse, built in the Braavosi Style. The facade, constructed from the warm, honey-toned Sunglass stone, projects an aura of stately grandeur, its robust structure conveying a sense of enduring strength and refined elegance. The central porch, a prominent feature of the facade, is articulated by coupled columns, adding a touch of classical refinement and serving as a focal point for the entrance. A defining feature of Bridgewater Manse is its magnificent two-story, top-lit central hall, a space of breathtaking grandeur that serves as the heart of the building. This expansive hall, lined with richly veined marble, is reminiscent of the grand interiors of the palaces of the Dragonlords in Lys, creating an atmosphere of opulence and sophistication. The arcades that line both levels of the hall further enhance the sense of spaciousness and architectural drama, creating a dynamic interplay of light and shadow. The sheer scale of the central hall, coupled with the generous proportions of the other rooms within the Manse, being larger than the Alyx Manse, allows for the accommodation of very large gatherings, making it an ideal venue for social and cultural events as the building can comfortably host significant numbers of people.

The location of Bridgewater Manse, adjacent to the Prince Gaemon Park provides a prestigious and verdant setting, as the mature trees and open spaces provide a tranquil backdrop to the building, enhancing its sense of serenity and refinement. The combination of architectural grandeur, historical significance, and prime location makes Bridgewater Manse a truly exceptional landmark in the heart of Kings Landing.

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With this ended the year 93 AC, one whose influence endures in the minds of the Westerosi. For it represents wealth and glamour of a kind the people could only dream of.

Chapter Text

The years after the Golden Jubilee represented an important era of reform for Westeros.

In the year 94 AC, a shadow fell upon Dragonstone as Balerion the Black Dread, the last of the dragons to have seen Old Valyria, breathed his last. The cause was attributed to old age for at the time the Dragon was the oldest living being in the world whose birth date could be verified, older than all the great turtles of the Rhoyne held sacred by the Rhoynar till this day. His death was not just a loss for House Targaryen, but a sombre moment for all of Westeros, marking the end of an era. For not only did Balerion represent the era of Valyria he also represented the Conquest of Westeros itself being the dragon of King Aegon and later represented raw power through his conquest of Casterly Rock. And in a sense his passing also marked the process of transforming the Conquest of an era of living memory transmitted from grandparents to grandchildren to one which became legend and myth as  much as history as not only did the people whole lived through the conquest died but those who had known them first hand, unmooring the stories of the past.

The dragon, whose shadow had once stretched across battlefields and kingdoms, was mourned by not just by the Royal Family, but also dragon keepers and particularly the Valyrian descended commoners of alike for whom the Black Dread represented victory, justice and protection. A living representation of their claim to the land and their rights in Aegon's Realm where they had been promised safety, prosperity and glory after the Doom of  Valyria and the loss of their ancient homeland. Though this mourning was muted among the remaining Westerosi and the Nobility (including the Valyrian Nobility) who were respectful but generally neutral in the manner for to them Balerion represented more than anything the precariousness of their own situation, just how quickly all they had could be lost if the Targaryens deemed it so.

To honor Balerion's legacy, King Jaehaerys ordered the construction of a grand obelisk in Targaryen Square, a monument reminiscent of those raised in Old Valyria to commemorate particularly famous dragons. This was usually done using Qartheen Obelisks in Old Valyria due to tradition and as a symbol of conquest and power, but the Targaryens commissioned one to built in Dorne and then transported to Kings landing. This new obelisk, standing seventy-seven feet tall  (with it base included), was a testament to the dragon's might and the Targaryen's enduring connection to their Valyrian heritage. Carved into it were portraits of the Black Dread, accompanied by his life story and eulogies in Royal Andal, Rhoynish, the Old Tongue, High Valyrian, and the Winterfell Old Tongue, ensuring that the tale of Balerion would be remembered for generations to come. And till today the obelisk stands in Targaryen Square, the first of many.

In 95 AC the King announced the single largest change to the tax accounting of Westeros as the Offices of the Crown would be transitioning into double entry accounting or Qohori Accounting for its own books. This was a process decades in the making, the system being developed in the Century of Blood in Qohor and spreading since then, being used more and more, especially by banks, moneylenders and major trading companies. It made its way into Westeros via the Bank of the Dragon, which learnt it from the Braavosi and Pentoshi, during the early reign of King Jaehaerys when the bank began adopting it and also shared it with the Maesters and others. In the years since it was adopted by the Seahorse Trading Company Among many others as well as refined and improved by the Maesters and the professors of Prince Aerion College who began teaching it to their students and who introduced it to more and more Noble houses where it was praised for brining more clarity and rooting out theft and incompetence.

Now the King adopted it for the Crown and transitioned all its account to it. As part of its transition the king also mandated for the purposes of any and all tax collection all the Houses and the Faith also maintain accounts in the same system, from the lowest landed knight to the highest Duke, from the local parish to the Archdiocese of Lannisport and Casterly Rock, the current seat of the High Septon. To ensure the system if being followed correctly the Chancellor of the Exchequer, a office under the Master of Coin, was also granted the right to inspect the books of each noble house and of the Faith. This was heavily unpopular with the nobles, even when the King extended the amount of time to implement the system from 10 to 15 years.

To undertake such a demanding task much of the administration under the Chancellor was expanded with the creation of offices such as Auditor of Fiefs being founded.  In this work the genius of Lord Lyman Beesbury was shown as he not only managed to undertake the transition he did so with no disruption to the offices of the Crown or the collection of taxes. Under lord Lyman the Crown improved its hold on its accounts and expenditures, finding and eliminating malfeasance and greatly improving the ability of the crown to levy and collect taxes. In time for his achievements the Lord of Honeyholt would become known as the Lord of Honey and Gold by supporters and the Greedy Bee by detractors.

Excerpts From The Weirwood Vale and the Andals by Maester Dane of Oldtown.

The Weirwood Vale, nestled deep within the southern half of the Mountains of the Moon, remains one of the most enigmatic and isolated regions of Westeros. Unlike the surrounding lands controlled by the Kings and later Dukes of House Arryn who took command of the Great Vale, or the Vale of Arryn, this much smaller valley has long been a bastion of the Old Gods, untouched by the Andal invasions that reshaped the rest of the Vale and southern Westeros. Sheltered by near-impassable peaks, narrow easily defendable passages with gates and fortification less famous but equally as impenetrable as the Bloody Gate, the Weirwood Vale’s geography has made conquest all but impossible, forcing even the mighty Kings of Mountain and Vale to negotiate rather than subjugate its people, particularly after the devastation faced by the Andals during the Battle of 77 Charges where singers claim each charge ended the line of an Andal House. The Nobility of the Vale therefore learned long ago that attempting to force the Weirwood Vale into submission only led to years of fruitless warfare, with entire armies shattering in the passes, their supply lines cut by hidden foes. Instead, the ruling Arryns forged an uneasy peace, allowing the Weirwood Vale to remain self-governing in exchange for a quiet acknowledgement of their rule.

Thus for centuries, the Weirwood Vale has functioned as a semi-autonomous enclave, ruled by noble families and inhabited by peoples who retained their First Men heritage and their devotion to the Old Gods. These houses, while technically sworn to the Arryns, have always maintained a distant relationship with the Eyrie……… Unlike the rebellious and raiding mountain clans, they are not seen as enemies nor are they completely isolated with some taxes paid and a small stream of trade continuing with the rest of the Vale, but neither are they considered true vassals, never truly welcome in the Eyrie, in festivities or involved in the affairs of the realm…………

The region is governed by its major houses, led by the Lord of High Hearth, the largest and wealthiest seat in the Weirwood Vale. But unlike the lords of the Vale lowlands and most of Westeros, the rulers of the Weirwood Vale adhere to a system of governance that blends hereditary rule of the nobles with Communal Assemblies which exist in each locality of the Weirwood Vale. Unlike the village and town councils of the rest of the land the Communal Assemblies of the Weirwood Vale are truly powerful, where all men of the community would gather to make decisions on local matters which in other lands would be under the control of the local lords, such as land use, dispute resolution, and managing resources like pastures, forests, and water……………….

Thus the influence and power of the nobility was much more limited, restricted in many ways to the towns and larger villages of the Weirwood Vale, but even here the local assemblies kept their power and authority under check with a strong and equal balance of authority. This unusual situation is mostly due to the need for collective action in defending against the Arryns and the Faith Militant. Furthermore the terrain itself made it difficult for the nobility to enforce their laws on common people if they did not provide their consent to them……….The governance of the Weirwood Vale was characterized by a blend of communal self-governance and the influence of local nobles………. The Communal Assemblies provided a forum for common people to participate in decision-making, while influential families held hereditary positions of leadership which were never absolute in nature. The balance of power was fluid and ever changing, and the need for collective action often fostered cooperation…..

Despite their geographic isolation, the people of the Weirwood Vale maintained clandestine ties to the Mountain Clans who they kept connected through passageways through the Mountains of the Moon only they knew about; Whom they view as distant kin rather than outlaws and more importantly as an important distraction to ensure the eyes of the Eyrie are not on them………. While they did not openly support the raiding and pillaging, it is well known that the Weirwood Vale provides relief and sanctuary to the clans……….. The bonds of blood and faith between these two groups have long frustrated the Lords of the Vale, who suspect—rightly—that many of their failed campaigns against the mountain clans faltered due to provisions and aid provided by the Weirwood Vale Houses……..

In the spring months of 96 AC, Crown Prince Aemon and his brother Prince Baelon, supported by Prince Daemon son of Prince Baelon, led a royal host against the Mountain Clans of the Vale. The force was composed of Crownlands levies and the sworn banners of House Arryn, the famed Knights of the Vale, rallying to repel the renewed raiding of their ancient foes. In past generations, the narrow mountain passes had negated the advantage of heavy cavalry, allowing the clans to strike and fade into the heights without the Knights being able to give chase and thus denying them the satisfaction of final battle. But dragons changed the nature of Westerosi war, and this was equally true in the Vale. The very terrain that once safeguarded the clans now became their downfall, as the tight passes funnelled dragonfyre with devastating effect. While the clans could once outclimb and outrun their foes, they could not escape the fire breathing winged predators above which no mortal man could hope to combat.

The Targaryens, wielding the might of their dragons, achieved swift and brutal victories, scattering raiding bands and reducing fortified settlements to smouldering ruin. Yet, after a few skirmishes and decisive victories, the campaign took an unexpected turn and the dragons would land. Instead of driving the clans to annihilation as more than one Vale lord demanded, the Iron Throne adopted a different approach. As the dragons roosted and the knights held their advance, the Crown sent emissaries from the Weirwood Vale in the form of the Green Men of the Faith of the Old Gods with carts of grain, furs, whiskey and mead as a gift. They would travel under the banner of parley into the mountain passes, to request for negotiations to bring the Mountain Clans under the control of the Iron Throne.

The initial responses were refusals. Proud and defiant, the clans saw no reason to trust the Crown who were allies of the Arryns, which for generations had offered only suffering and swords, not mercy. In response, the dragons flew again, striking deeper into their domains, torching watchtowers and raiding parties, forcing the clans from their strongest redoubts. And yet, after each demonstration of power, the envoys returned with more offerings, pressing for negotiation. This strategy continued for over a year, allowing the Vale’s forces to push farther into the Mountains of the Moon than ever before. To the astonishment of the Valemen, they discovered not scattered barbarian camps, but thriving hidden settlements, some holding a thousand souls, deep in the high valleys, with extensive farmlands that had long defied the reach of the Eyrie’s rule. As the conflict dragged on, resistance shifted. The remaining clan chieftains abandoned direct battle, retreating into the highest reaches of the mountains where dragons struggled to strike them effectively for they could not easily find them here. With victory in sight but no clear path to final conquest, the Green Men carried word that the surviving heads of the great clans had finally agreed to negotiations. The parley was mediated by the Green Men and representatives of the Weirwood Vale. The Crown’s demands were firm, the clans would cease their raiding and bend the knee to the Iron Throne. Yet, unlike past demands from the Eyrie, the Crown's offer was not simply a pardon. The clans were promised that they would not only keep their mountain holdings, but also receive lands in the foothills, long left empty due to raiding and wars between Valemen and clansmen. More provocatively, their chieftains would be formally recognized as lords in their own right.

This offer enraged the Vale nobility. None more so than Ser Elias Arryn, the newly established Lord Protector and Regent of the Vale, ruling in place of his young cousin Duke Denys Arryn. To the Vale lords, the clans were ancient enemies, not equals. Another factor of note was that by awarding these lands to the clans, the Crown had inadvertently resolved the long-standing border disputes between the Vale and the Riverlands in the Vale’s favor, disregarding centuries-old claims made by the Riverlords. "These lands are ours by right and by blood!" came the outcry from many a noble hall.

The Crown, however, cared little for old feuds. The Targaryens, as newcomers to the conflict, had no interest in preserving the grievances of the Vale or the Riverlands. To the Crown, the clans were simply another unruly vassal to be tamed. Surprisingly, the mountain clans proved willing negotiators. Having witnessed the power of dragons firsthand, they knew their resistance was futile. More importantly, unlike the Arryns, the Crown had no history of broken promises with them. The prospect of lands in the foothills, offered in sincerity rather than as a false promise contingent on surrender, was too tempting to refuse. Furthermore, the Crown shrewdly played the clans against each other, making it clear that those who delayed negotiations would receive no new lands at all. In the end, the last holdouts bent the knee, fearing that defiance meant extinction.

The final agreement established a new royal domain, the Vale Crownlands. The mountain clans would swear fealty not to the Eyrie, but directly to the Iron Throne. The clans were granted broad autonomy, allowed to continue their traditions and elect their chieftains in a freeholder-style government rather than adopt the feudal structures of Westeros. "Let them keep their ways, so long as they keep the King’s Peace" decreed King Jaehaerys. In return, the clans would accept royal justice, establish their own courts under the Crown’s oversight, and end their ancient practices of raiding. To further ensure stability, the Crown pledged that in times of famine, the clans would receive aid like any other vassal of the realm. Additionally, royal sheriffs would be stationed in the lands, ostensibly to keep order, but also to monitor the actions of both the clans and the Vale nobility.

To placate the furious Arryns, the Crown offered them temporary tax reductions and granted the office of High Steward of the Vale Crownlands to the Arryn line. Yet, these concessions were not enough to erase the sting of humiliation. Though the lords of the Vale toasted the peace in the great feasts that followed, the bitterness of lost lands remained. "The memory of injustice lingers longer than the flavours of any feast" one lord was heard to say. The resentment over this peace would simmer beneath the surface for generations to come.

In 97 AC Aemond waters, bastard son of the King was called to the Red Keep and fostered by his father. While it is said the boy was initially wary and angry of his father for not being in his life till now, the two quickly grew very close with many calling Lord Aemond the Crown Prince's little shadow for he went with his father everywhere. Quickly being appointed his cupbearer. Lord Aemond was also adored by his grandparents and extended family, taught horse riding by his uncle Baelon, Valyrian classics by his aunt Alyssa and taken on frequent flights by his cousin Prince Viserys and less frequently Prince Daemon. And while Princess Jocelyn was wroth at his very existence, Princess Rhaenys was cordial enough with her half-brother, though hardly warm. Despite his young age and bastard origins he quickly became a very eligible bachelor, as any daughter of his would have a good chance of becoming a future Queen, though in particular the Dornish Houses and those Andal Houses which were likely to be led by women vied for his hand, with many whispering that there was talks to marry him to a Martell Princess.

Also in 97 AC 600 representatives of the all the clans of the mountains of the moon would come to Kings landing and bend the knee and swear their fealty to the King Jaehaerys and House Targaryen, ending the millennia long conflict between the Vale and the Clans, and while the Vale lords would grumble and fester in hate, the realm as a whole would praise the King and his sons for bringing peace to the Vale. At this ceremony most knights of the Vale and crownlands who participated in the battles were also invited to join the Order of the Red Dragon, and in doing so its membership expanded in a wave unseen since Prince Baelon returned from Essos as nearly two thousand knights were inducted.

However later in 98 AC tragedy struck when King Jaehaerys's close friend and Hand of the King, Septon Barth, died in his sleep. Septon Barth's influence on Westeros was profound. In a political landscape which for centuries had and would be dominated by ancient noble families his rise from a common-born septon to a trusted advisor and Hand of the King is a testament to his exceptional intellect and political acumen while the rarity of his example also demonstrates the relatively stratified nature of Westerosi politics despite the rise of the merchant class and the minor and more mercantile Houses which began in the Early Targaryen Era.

Septon Barth’s relationship with King Jaehaerys was the cornerstone of both his political power and its impact, a partnership that transcended the typical dynamic between monarch and advisor. Their bond, built on mutual respect and intellectual kinship, allowed Barth to exert a profound influence on the king’s decisions, shaping the political landscape of Westeros in significant ways; Their connection was not merely one of professional collaboration; It was a deep friendship, forged in shared intellectual curiosity and a common desire to improve the realm. This can be seen in Septon Barth’s counsel in the formulation of King Jaehaerys’s legal reforms. His contributions to the Dragon Code reflected his commitment to justice and fairness, principles that resonated with the king’s own vision for a unified and prosperous realm one where the Crown acted as the font of justice for all and not just the powerful nobles. Their shared belief in the rule of law and the importance of equitable governance laid the foundation for a period of unprecedented stability and prosperity.

He was also a shrewd political operator helping the King keep a balance of power in the realm. In this his origins greatly helped for he held no prior loyalties in the realm, nor inclined to favour one house or coalition over the other. Furthermore the symbolism of having a septon as Hand of the King was undeniably beneficial as a symbol of reconciliation between he Crown and Faith after the Faith Militant uprising during the Anarchy.

A large bronze statue of the septon holding the Seven Pointed Star was erected in Prince Gaemon's Square, while another where he was riding his donkey was erected in the Kings Square in front of the Red Keep, becoming the first common born man to be honoured in such a way. King Jaehaerys replaced him as Hand with his son Prince Aemon, the Crown Prince to the anger of many noble houses who desired than honour.

The year 99 AC brought a shadow of grief across the realm. Queen Alysanne, the Good Queen, succumbed to a summer fever, her passing a sudden and profound shock. The swiftness of her decline left many in disbelief for the Queen had been, as always, a symbol of vitality in old age, having more energy and strength than women decades younger than her. One moment she was present, guiding the realm, offering counsel to the King and aiding the people of Kings Landing and Westeros, radiating her characteristic warmth, and the next, she was gone. Maesters and Healers worked tirelessly, employing every known remedy, but the fever proved relentless. Her deathbed in the Red Keep became a focal point of sorrow, with members of the Royal Family, courtiers particularly those of her coalition, and even common folk in the form of the Castle's servants gathering outside, desperate for any news. A Letter from a Lady-in-Waiting stated that in this period "The Queen's chambers are now silent but with tears and sobs of sorrow despite her drawing breath. Her laughter, her wise counsel – all gone. It is as if the very heart of the castle has stopped beating at the mere thought of the Queen's Passing approaching, it helps not that no one was had a good nights sleep as Silverwing roars in sorrow all day and night from Balerion's Garden"

In the city Maegor's temple came alight with 1400 candles burned day and night as continuous prayers were held with countless Valyrian descended smallfolk visiting daily for as a King's Landing merchant and informant put it according to the Seawynd Archives "The Line of Visenya and the Good Queen always cared for the smallfolk, particularly us Valyrian's who the King see's no different from the rest despite our common heritage….. She helped us through hard times and made the good time better….Her charity and patronage was not just limited to what Maegor the Dragon, the Greatest King who Never Crowned set up, but more, much more…….. The city feels haunted already.". At the command of Duke Alyx who was alerted to the matter, in the Highgarden Basilica a great blessing of the Seven was invoked in an ancient ceremony which was traditionally reserved for the members of House Gardener and the Highest members of the Faith to much controversy.

But the prayers and remedies would not do much, and soon Queen's final moments arrived. They were marked by a quiet dignity, surrounded by her children and grandchildren, closest friends and companions, with King Jaehaerys holding her hand, she offered to them all words of love and guidance. Her last recorded words officially were a whispered reassurance to the King, "It has been a good life, Jaehaerys. A long and good life, don’t cry". With her passing the entire realm was plunged into mourning. In the courts of nobles from the Ducal Courts to the household councils of Landed Knights, the offices of the King, and in Royal Courts of Justice the Highborn adopted mourning wear and attended great feast celebrating the Queen's life while also sponsoring Chariot Races to mark her passing, which were begun with prayers and eulogies for the Queen. But even during this time the games of power and influence continued unabated, for as a member of the Hightower Coalition stated "With the Queen gone, the balance of power has shifted. The time is ripe for us to assert our influence.". But the Hightower Coalition was not the only one who saw the changes to the politics of the realm as Queen Alysanne's death marked the beginning of a period of political instability and infighting as the Queen was a powerful political force in her own right, and her death left a void that no one could truly fill.

Across the land Septons, Septa's, Valyrian Priests, Green Men, Drowned Men, Sky Fathers and Sea Mothers across Westeros led their congregations and followers in prayers for the Queen's soul with the most elaborate ceremonies held in the Valyrian temples.

But the biggest display of the mourning was seen in the capital. The bells of King's Landing tolled for a fortnight, their sombre echoes carrying throughout the city and in the streets, people wept openly, recalling her acts of charity, her wisdom, and her unwavering dedication to the realm. Gathering in Targaryen Square in great numbers the Valyrian's of the City chanted and sung great songs of mourning, punctuated by loud shouts of "Hail Visenya the Great", " Hail Maegor the Dragon" and "Hail Queen Alysanne", "Hail to the Line of Visenya and Maegor" as an affirmation of loyalty and more importantly identity for the Queen through her tireless promotion of Valyrian Culture was a symbol that the Valyrian's of Westeros were Valyrian's in Westeros, a new form of Westerosi, as distinct and as rightful a people of the land as the Andals, the First Men, the Ironborn and the Rhoynar.

These same chants followed the Royal Processions in the city for the Weeks to come.

The King Jaehaerys during this time was so devastated he withdrew from Royal Court for a year, retreating to Dragonstone, leaving his sons to run the realm. "The love and light of my life has been extinguished" he is reported to have said. For a year, he retreated to Dragonstone, seeking solace in the familiar surroundings of his youth, leaving the governance of the realm to his sons. This withdrawal, while understandable, created a period of uncertainty and allowed simmering political tensions to rise to the surface.

During this time the Queen's will was also read and according to her last wishes her sword Dark Sister, given to her by Queen Visenya, was passed on to her daughter Princess Alyssa, not Princess Jocelyn the next Queen of Westeros, something everyone noted with interest and something which Princess Jocelyn raged about telling the Royal Court "It should have been me. Dark Sister is my right to hold as the next Queen!". But the Princess who once held the loyalty of half the Royal Court found few sympathisers, for ever since she had lost the favour of her husband, and her daughter Princess Rhaenyes had given up her claim to the Iron Throne, few bothered with the Princess Jocelyn. Even most of her early allies abandoned her with the fall of the Anti-Maegor coalition and the rise of the Hightower Coalition. The fact that her husbands bastard was paraded in the Red Keep also was a constant blow to her authority and a reminder of her failure to secure her husband's line. It helped not that Duke Boremund had decided to make public amends with the Queens Coalition to strengthen his hold on the Stormlands, negotiating a mutual cessations of hostilities with, and an end to, the Queens coalition interfering in his duchy, now that his great enemy the Good Queen Alysanne herself was dead and her ashes buried, and her political heir Prince Baelon carrying not her visceral hatred of House Baratheon meaning he was also amenable to striking a deal when pushed by his father the King and brother Prince Aemon, however his price was House Baratheon's neutrality in the 'Higher' coalition politics of the wider realm and hence a cessation of support for Princess Jocelyn's Anti-Maegor Alliance as well as non-membership in other alliances such as the Hightower Coalition. This as such also market the end of the old Baratheon-Velaryon Alliance which had been one of the most important pillars of the previous political order; greatly weaking his sister's hand in the politics of the realm and the Red Keep, something she considered an unthinkable betrayal.

This truce would be one of the most important political consequence of the Queens death. However as the Queens Coalition had remained intact under the leadership of Prince Baelon the immediate impact of her death was limited. Indeed instead of a major realignment in the near aftermath of her death it instead solidified existing trends such as the rise of the Hightower Coalition, which while retaining most but not all of the Houses of the older Anti-Maegor coalition had notably banished Houses Baratheon and Velaryon from their ranks. The latter of which under the leadership of the Sea Snake, Count Corlys Velaryon, had began expanding its own political alliances that came to be known as the Driftmark Faction, disrupting the duopoly of the past and showing that the old paradigm established in time of Prince Maegor the Dragon was dead for once and all. With the death of the Queen Alysanne it is also important to note that the lack of a major figure to rally for or against in the politics of the Realm, for the Prince Baelon's influence and stature, while great on the battlefield, in the realm of politics simply did not compare to the Queen Alysanne. Indeed as noted by both contemporaries and future historians, Queen Alysanne, whether loved or hated was acknowledged as the most influential political operator by all, with many calling her more powerful than the King Jaehaerys. As all knew then and now, no major political move or action undertaken that was not either her work or with her approval; or designed in order to respond to her and certainly none by her opponents which was built without carefully considering her reaction in mind. It was simply impossible for Prince Baelon to even begin filling her role in the politics of the realm, being more of a figure head of the Queen's Coalition rather than its leader. Something proved by the fact that while the Coalition had already transitioned from the Maegor Loyalist Coalition to the Queens Coalition, no one ever referred to it as the Prince Baelon Coalition.

In the coming years the Queen's coalition would be racked with tremendous amount of infighting for stature and influence, infighting which the Prince Baelon could not suppress, showing once again the son was not the mother, with even Princess Alyssa's efforts turning to be for not. The coalition which once marched perfectly to one heartbeat began to fracture as members jockeyed for influence. "The Blood of Maegor battles for supremacy now that the Dragoness is gone" observed the Grand Maester, showing that even the blood ties between the Lannisters and Gardeners were unable to supress all the infighting. And while it would not collapse, not least due to the still existing and acknowledged blood ties and bonds brought forth by the Line of Visenya and the Children of Maegor, it would weaken, its upper hand in the Royal Court and its offices preserved through not just inertia but also the fierce infighting between the Hightower Coalition and the Driftmark Faction who while recognising the weakness of the Queen's coalition and the benefits of uniting were never actually able to do so , not helped by the pride and ego of each house, as they recognised that they were competing to lead the same group of noble Houses and that ones influence would thus come at the expense of the other, making their interests in this matter diametrically opposed.

On a more personal front the Queen's death had major impacts on the Royal Family itself. Princess Alyssa took up many of the Queen's duties and charitable works, with the Princess Jocelyn happy to turn those over to her good sister. Her sons were also devastated, even Prince Aemon, but especially Prince Valerion who were closer to the Queen in her later years as Prince Baelon had his own immediate family which diverted and split his attention. Prince Valerion would, from his own funds which were abundant due to the gold mines, build a series of monuments to his mother, ordering a new Valyrian Bath to be built in Kings Landing and in Port Valerion to be named after the Queen, along with statues each of the Queen Alysanne Baths held enormous mosaics and fresco's of the Queen's life, statues, mosaics and frescos which can still be seen today. The Prince Valerion would also name a school in the center of the island after the Queen Alysanne, as well as sponsor statues of the Queen across the realm, in all the chartered cities. The Queen Alysanne Pillar, a 70 foot stone pillar with a seven foot tall statue was also erected in Port Valerion in the coming years as monument.

In this these monuments were joining the company of others with a mountain in the Westerlands, North and Reach, and the Red Mountains of Dorne being named for the Queen. Her daughter Princess Daella would commission a statue of the Queen to decorate the Prince Aerion Temple in Ravenden while Princess Maegelle would commission a large stained glass window in the Great Temple of Claw Isle. For Kings Landing, statues and memorials of the Queen would also be commissioned by Prince Baelon and Princess Alyssa, standing in the Theater of King Jaehaerys, in the Prince Aerion Arena Complex, in the Prince Gaemon Gardens as well in the gardens of the Royal Collection and Armoury of Kings Landing. A major monument was also erected in Prince Maegor Park where lands had been set aside for the monuments of the then still living children of Prince Maegor, in later years joined by monuments to Duke Alyx and Duchess Valaena and her bastard siblings the four Dragon Counts. Her half-brothers along with commissioning statues and tapestries for their own keeps and major towns would also fund the creation of large bronze statue which could stand in the main façade of the headquarters of Bank of the Dragon. The Queen's grand children were similarly devastated with her death, but in particular Prince Daemon who was closest to the Queen who saw in him her brother Aerion, something which generally filled the rest of the realm with dread for a second Aerion the Cruel was something they very much wanted to avoid, an impression not helped when Daemon whipped some knights after hearing of them celebrate the Queens Death. Princes Viserys and Daemon also used the gold left to them by the Queen to build monuments to her in their future fiefs of Oros and Dragon's Deep in the forms of the Queen Alysanne Baths, and in the case of the Prince Daemon the Queen Alysanne Temple, or the Great Temple of Dragon's Deep, the latter not helping gaining favour among the more Pious Andal nobility.

But still the worst affected was the King Jaehaerys. "She was his most trusted counsellor and his right hand despite their constant clashes" as the Hand of the King Septon Barth once put it and without her the King quickly became very lonely for he had already outlived all his most trusted friends and administrators on his small council who had each served him for roughly four decades each, these included Septon Barth, Grand Maester Elysar, and Manfryd and Ryam Redwyne, and so he increasingly had little true company, the court filled increasingly by those who held the King in too much awe or jealousy to truly understand him. One can see the impact of her death that he decided to leave the court even with the resulting chaos, and we can see his need for companionship when he summoned Duke Alyx, his good brother, cousin and one of the few people from his youth still alive, to Dragonstone where he would live for the next year so as to feel less alone.

The Queens death also created the Bank Crisis, for when Duke Alyx came to Kings Landing he was surprised to find out that the Crown still retained half of the Bank of the Dragon and he was quick to remind the King that under the Will of his father Prince Maegor, Queen Alysanne's second sons and his nephews, Princes Baelon, Vaegon and Valerion, were to receive the bank shares that his father Prince Maegor had left for them, which till now were held in trust by Queen Alysanne but were never owned outright by her that the King might claim them for the Royal Line. This created a very awkward situation for the Iron Throne, for on one hand they could not let the impression stand that any wills but specially royal wills could be ignored, nor Princes of the Blood be deprived of their inheritances, on the other hand to turn over the bank shares to the second sons of the Queen would mean that the crown would lose control of the Bank of the dragon. This while a very harsh blow on the royal coffers, would create a bigger issue for royal authority for the Bank of the Dragon was a well used instrument of exercising royal control and influence in a way which did not lead to too much resentment the way threats of burning down castles or feeding the nobility to dragons did, its influence wide and deep even with the rapid growth and rise of the Rogare Bank in Westeros.

As such after much thought it was decided that the shares given to Prince Baelon were to be purchased back by the Crown by giving his wife the sword Dark Sister, for the sword was entailed into the Royal Line and could not be given away by anyone even the Queen, however purchasing the sword was legal hence the crown gained 1/6 of the shares. Similarly it was declared that the shares left for Prince Vaegon was taken by the Crown for he renounced his inheritance by becoming a maester, this gave the crown one third of the shares. This made the situation better as the Crown had a substantial stake in the bank, and while this was not a majority stake, due to the stakes held by the trusts set up by the Prince Regent Maegor decades ago the Crown exercised effective control as the trusts were heavily influenced by the Crown. As purchasing the remaining sixth of shares would be very pricey, and the crowns finances were already strained, it was agreed that for now the crown let them remain with Prince Valerion. Meaning that while the crown did face a blow it was a mitigated one rather than an outright disaster.

In 100 AC the Targaryens marked 100 years since the conquest. The celebrations for this were held across the realm, with each Duke hosting a tournament on their own lands. The celebrations with occurred in the Crownlands however were also a celebration for Prince Valerion who would undertake his own great adventure, aiming to become the first Targaryen to travel to Yi Ti and Asshai, a journey which would take him years. In terms of physical works to mark the celebration the King would order the building of large and permanent banner poles, with each individual group being 27 in number. These banner pole groups would be built in Targaryen square,  the Kings Square, the grounds of Prince Maegor's stadium, the sides of King Aenys Bridge, the Prince Aerion Circus, the Prince Gaemon Square, the Prince Aerion Square, the grounds of the Royal Citadel, and along sea road which marked the harbour of Kings Landing, and the square in front of the Great Dragon Sept. Within each group there would be a subgroup of three banner poles which would have the Royal banner in the center, on the right would be the Royal Duchy Banner and on the left would be the banner of the Great Houses, with the royal banner repeated for the crownlands. The banners displayed would also be large, square in shape with sides 21 feet long. They would become permanent fixtures in the City, staying long after the celebrations were over, maintained by the City Council.

The most lasting legacy of these celebration however would be the Great Reforms of 100AC. There would be to the Judicial system, the governance of the Crownlands, the militias and the navies. The most important ones was the King formally abolishing all town and city militias, which were to be gradually phased away in seven years, for there was no need to prepare for war as peace had become entrenched in the past 55 years. Similarly the king declared all duties related to upholding law and order, preventing riots and harm to property were to be resolved with professional guards in towns and cities henceforth, with towns and cities being defined as any settlement with a permanent population of more than 1000. The nobility was also expected to where possible use landed knights and rural guards to help guard and govern the villages of their fiefs instead of depending upon militias. And in a bid to enforce this any militias raised were to be done so with the permission of the Crown which would only grant it for 5 year increments, refusing militias from being raised if it felt there were adequate number of knights and guards and the resources to pay for them. The King also mandated that all hedge knights if offered a job in these town or city watch, or in the still expanding Royal Mounted Guard or other offices of the Crown, they were required to accept or prove they had another permanent job. In doing so the King weakened the nobility's ability to quickly rally a host, for even though they had town guards, household knights and others to depend upon, by numbers the militias were their greatest source of strength. Similarly whittling down the number of free hedge knights would also improve stability. Furthermore in the interest of that whittling the King would institute the rule of three with the blessing of the High Septon. Henceforth in order to be made a Knight you needed two knights to nominate you and then a separate knight to knight you with all knighting's to be now reported to the Crown and the Faith of the Seven for it to be deemed valid, who were required to maintain records. This would make becoming a knight more difficult for the lowborn reducing the number of hedge knights.

Similarly the Crown passed the Great Royal Naval Decree, reforming the way the Westerosi navies operated. All warships and fleets to patrol waters and escort trade caravans were now to be chartered with the permission of the Crown who gave itself the right to set the number of ships their vassals could hold and dictate how there were to operate them. In particular were to act as a unified structure with the Crown forcing more cooperation and coordination between fleets which traditionally acted independently, forcing them to adopt a unified structure both in terms of personnel and ranks but also in terms of organising fleets. Due to the Decree in time all the fleets of Westeros would be integrated into their respective Royal Ducal Fleet so as to combine the naval power of their respective duchies, combining these to make Grand Fleet of Westeros. Both the Royal Ducal Fleets and the Grand Fleet of Westeros, outside of war, existed only in name but once assembled were as formidable as any Free City Fleet. In order to facilitate this the Crown would create the Royal Naval Council headed by the Master of Ships. Each noble house which had a chartered war fleet would get a seat with votes equal to the number of warships (subject to different values for different kinds of ships), even House Targaryen would get three Clerks of the Royal Fleets of Dragonstone, Kings Landing and Oros to sit on the Council with votes equal to the size of the respective Royal Fleet. The Council would help coordinate patrols across the Kingdom, aid in dealing with pirates which the local nobility was unable to resolve, and facilitate joint caravans and trade fleet as Houses were encouraged to lend out escorts to others who needed them. In a bid to improve their own standing in naval matters the King would also decree the Two Fleet Standard where in the Royal Navy was to have as many ships as the next two largest fleets in Westeros combined. This would be expensive and thus take a long time to fulfil but in the coming centuries the Royal Navy of Westeros and Grand Fleet of Westeros would become the single largest permanent fleets West of the Bone Mountains, surpassing even the Braavosi and Volantene in terms of Naval dominance.  

In terms of the Judiciary the King greatly restricted the Right of Pit and Gallows of the lower nobility and implemented a presumption of innocence in criminal cases while restricting capital punishment in many ways, forbidding it for young children for example. After a twenty year period of transition nobles not literate and studied in law were forbidden from serving on any royal court of justice it was announced, including those that fell in their lands. The manorial and parish courts were also reformed, now needing to obey the Royal Standards in terms of records, with the records audited by the Sheriffs. Furthermore the jury of tenants which was till now an optional aspect of manorial courts were made mandatory, though the local lord still had the right to decide if the steward of the court (the judge) could override them on their own accord or had to appeal to the lord for the decision to be set aside.

Another major reform was that in the Crownlands the King announced the creation of the Crownlands Council which was supposed to govern the duchy, till now this had broadly fell under the Hand of the King. It was headed by the new Chancellor of the Crownlands who was given a seat on the Small Council and included the new office of Lord Treasurer of the Crownlands. His role was very important as part of the reforms the King declared that the taxes levied in the Crownlands, all taxes, would henceforth be collected directly by the Crown. While the noble Houses still collected their own rents and profits from their enterprises, and thus the bulk of their incomes, they would henceforth receive their tax revenue on matter such as trade in their markets from the Lord Treasurer of the Crownlands rather than the other way around. This concentration of power was unheard of in Westeros and would have many consequences such as the Crownland Houses, King Jaehaerys strongest and, due to their location and influence on the Royal offices, most dangerous political enemies finally being humbled (most agree that had Queen Alysanne lived she would have burned the Red Keep down in outrage, with the king still inside, had she heard her allies being treated so) to the Crownland Houses focusing even more into mercantile pursuits in order to regain control over more of their own incomes, this would have many important consequences.

Other offices of the Crownlands Council included;

• The Crownland Overseer of the Roads, Waterways and Canals. 
• The Sheriff of the Kingswood, who regulated the Kingswood in terms of non-noble hunting, logging, firewood collection and other such activities. 
• The Lord Justice of the Crownlands who oversaw the Courts of Justice outside Kings landing.
• The Captain Postmaster of the Crownlands
• The Lord Commander of the Royal Counted Guard of the Crownlands
• The Bailiff of the Dragon lands, who oversaw the personal holdings of House Targaryen in the Crownlands, other than Dragonstone, including the many villages and towns.

Finally the King declared himself the Duke of the Crownlands and Warden of the Narrow Sea, titles to be passed down to future kings.

In the year 101 AC King Jaehaerys inaugurated the Great Dragon Sept, the largest sept of the Seven Kingdoms and what would become the seat of the High Septon of Westeros, which was elevated into a basilica meaning the sept became known as the Great Dragon Basilica. The plaza of white marble which surrounds the sept features statues of all the Targaryen Kings and High Septons of Westeros until then, including one of King Jaehaerys standing tall and serene upon a plinth, his face a study of benevolence. Between the statues are the 27 banners poles. Large gardens, capable of holding hundreds of people, surround the sept and marble steps lead up to the building.

The Great Dragon Basilica itself was an impressive marble structure with a great dome and seven slender crystal towers, the dome is made of leaded glass, gold, and crystal making it shine. Before the doors leading into the building is a raised marble pulpit from which a septon can address a gathering crowd, and it became traditional for the High Septon to do so each major festival. The pulpit is also decorated by carved wooden panels, supposedly made from the wood of the sunken cog which was the first sept in Kings Landing. Past the towering outer doors is the Hall of Lamps, with its suspended globes of coloured leaded glass forged in Claw Isle. Past the entrance hall, through inner doors, is the cavernous sept proper, with seven broad aisles meeting beneath the dome, and dominated by seven large statues of the gods. The interior contains benches for worshippers and a stepped marble bier upon which bodies can be placed for funerals. The building has high windows, and light is reflected into rainbows by hanging crystals and the glass dome, along with seven transepts, various crypts and chapels, and a rainbow pool.

As promised by the Final Verdict of the Great Council of 45AC the King would order work on Saint Aegon's Basilica, the first sept in Westeros to be built in what is now called the Gothic style which was a merger between Westerosi and Valyrian architecture. Unlike the regular seven sided septs it was built rather as a very large chapel.

The opening of the Great Dragon Basilica would also accelerate of the building and development of Holy Square, a four square mile plot of land which been turned over to the Faith of the seven back in 45 AC at what at that time was land outside Kings Landing. In the decades since along with the Great Dragon Sept by built many structures and businesses in order to support the faith. These included Septs, Septry's, Septonry, manses for senior officials of the Faith, gardens, seminaries,  homes for ordinary workers and regular priests, monasteries, abbeys, buildings representing each and every one of the various orders of the Faith from the North to Dorne, offices to house the faiths own bureaucracy, as well as many guest houses and lodges. And in recent years work had begun on palaces, manses and villas for members of the most devout and the High Septon who had been preparing for the shift for years.

And yet the opening of the Great Dragon Basilica was just the start and in the coming decades the Faith would continuously build up the Holy Square. This can be seen most clearly when at the celebrations for the opening of the Grand Dragon Basilica the High Septon announced the faith would pay for the construction of a Basilica dedicated to Saint Helga, the First Septa, in the city. Along with the Basilica's the most notable building would be the Palace of the High Septon or the Lateran Palace, named after the Hill on which it was built, which itself was named for a Valyrian knight who died in service of King Aegon the Conqueror. Along with the Lateran Palace, 6 other Great Cardinal Palaces would also be built for each of the Cardinals, and one smaller Archbishops Palace for the Archbishop of White Harbour and the North. All this plus the large roads and grand boulevards would make the Holy square a sight to see, impressing pilgrims from all over Westeros.

The year 101AC would also see the completion of the Prince Aemon Bridge at Harroway town which would in the future be renamed to the King Aemon Bridge. But the most important work to be completed would be the King Jaehaerys Canal, connecting the Mander and the Backwater Rush, becoming one of the most important and lucrative waterways in Westeros.

The canal dramatically reduced the time and cost of transporting goods between the Reach and Kings landing and the Narrow Sea. Previously, merchants faced a long and expensive journey down the Mander, through Oldtown and around Dorne, encountering tariffs, staple ports and sometimes pirates. The canal provided a secure and efficient inland waterway, slashing transportation times and costs. This facilitated the movement of goods such as wine, grain, fruits, cloth, timber, and craft products, stimulating trade within Westeros and with Essos.  This surge in trade enriched farmers in the Upper Reach, who could now efficiently transport their produce to lucrative markets such as Kings landing and Duskendale, while also providing craftsman in the Crownlands with access to new markets, Kings Landing also benefitted from cheaper food.  The canal also allowed Kings Landing to emerge as the dominant trade hub for Westeros, its port, previously overshadowed by Oldtown, experienced  growth, becoming a major gateway for trade, particularly trade from the Narrow and Shivering sea such as Braavos, Pentos, Lorath, Myr and the Sarnori.

The development of markets along the canal route was another crucial consequence. The canal spurred the growth of towns and cities, such as Norwich and Tumbleton , which emerged as major ports and trade hub. These burgeoning centres attracted merchants and artisans. The canal created more stable markets, better able to respond to evolving needs and thus stabilised the prices of food which swung less. The canal's impact on the Crown's finances was mixed but ultimately positive. While construction costs were substantial and drained away the last of the crowns excess reserves, the canal ultimately generated significant revenue through tolls levied on vessels using the waterway. This new source of income augmented the Crown's coffers and contributed to the funding of other royal projects. The canal also indirectly benefited the Crown by increasing tax revenues from a more prosperous realm.

Beyond its economic impact, the Canal had broader cultural and political consequences. It fostered more communication and exchange between different regions of Westeros, In particular the Reach, Crownlands and Riverland's, breaking down regional barriers and promoting a sense of unity and fostered a more common Westerosi identity. While at the same time it allowed House Gardener to check the power of Oldtown, which while in no way now poor, lost some of the benefits and profits of its monopoly being broken, humbling House Hightower.

 The canal also became a symbol of Targaryen ingenuity and royal power, showcasing the grandeur of Iron Throne. It was helped in this endeavour when the King inaugurated that same year the Royal River Fleet, including the large and richly decorated Royal Barge, sailing with his family and closest councillors up and down the canal. Since that day the Royal River Fleet which is composed of Galleys, barges and other boats saw regular use either by the King or his officials, spurring many lords to do the same, building or expanding their own river fleets with House Gardener travelling to Kings Landing in a fleet of 40 boats including a large 3 storey barge with luxuries such as clear glass windows and silk curtains.

In the year 102, in the last years of his reign, Duke Alyx founded the Highgarden Collegium, inspired by the Prince Aerion Collegium. This institution directly challenged the Citadel's dominance within the Reach, further disrupting the balance of power between Highgarden and Oldtown which had already been shaken by the Canal. Duke Alyx viewed the Hightower controlled Citadel as a threat and used the Collegium as a strategic tool to counter its influence, striking while the Hightowers needed to deal with the impact to trade the canal brought. While initially small, the Collegium would steadily grow, incrementally undermining the Citadel's authority with each graduating student. Like the Prince Aerion Collegium and similar institutions in Myr, Volantis, and Lys, the Highgarden Collegium emphasized practical skills, offering instruction in fields like healing, accounting, architecture, history, and mathematics. Unlike maesters, who swore oaths to serve the realm, graduates of the Collegium became skilled professionals in various fields, but not oathbound to give up lands and families.

But the Collegium's most significant challenge to the Citadel lay not in what it taught or what oaths it did or did not make its students swear, for one could learn all this in the Citadels, any of them including the Oldtown Citadel, without becoming a maester. The challenge the Highgarden Collegium posed was in its open admission policy, recruiting any willing student, unlike the Valyrian-centric focus of the Prince Aerion Collegium. This made it the first institution in Westeros to genuinely compete with the Order of Maesters for students, a feat that even the alchemists order never achieved due to their specialized focus. In time the Collegium's graduates populated the Reach with skilled individuals who were not educated by maesters, filling roles as healers, accountants, builders, and stewards within long-standing Westerosi families and in doing so demonstrated one did not need the Maesters truly.  While maesters remained prevalent and present in all keeps and noble courts worthy of the name, particularly due to the royal decree privileging their control over ravenry among certain other matters, the reliance on them for matters of higher education was no longer absolute within the Reach, and especially not among the Valyrian Houses and those more closely aligned with Highgarden. Outside the Reach, however, the Citadel and the Order of Maester remained the primary higher education option for non-Valyrian's, including to the great anger of the Gardeners in the Westerlands.

Also in the 102 AC the Prince Viserys married his cousin Countess Betha who claimed the dragon Grey Ghost. Theirs would be a fruitful enough marriage for in early 104 AC the new Princess Betha gave birth to Princess Rhaenyra. Meanwhile in 103AC Prince Daemon was married to Countess Rhea Royce the heir to Runestone, in a bid so that he may leave his eldest son Runestone while his second would gain the title of Lord of Dragon's Deep for Prince Baelon wanted to merge the title of Prince of the Stepstones with the Crown meaning he had to work harder to secure a good inheritance for his second son. But the marriage would sour immediately as the Prince disliked both his wife and the Vale of Arryn while also raging against the fact his eldest would not gain a dragon at all while his second son would only be allowed to do so as an adult after his elder brother had heirs of his own line. As such the Prince quickly came to hate his wife, calling her "Bronze Andal Bitch", "the Dark Omen" among others, and refused to stay in the Vale or anywhere in her presence.

That same year in 103 AC the Diamond Tourney to celebrate the King's sixty year reign was held. As before tourneys were held across the Realm, with great celebrations taking place in Kings Landing. But among the Royal Family itself it was more subdued than the Golden Tourney of 93 AC as the King cared not for these celebrations with his wife and old friends not with him. Meanwhile the disastrous marriage of Prince Daemon other factors, as well as strained royal finances also played a major role in keeping it so the celebrations were much smaller and subdued than the Golden Jubilee Festival. It helped that the Westerosi nobility had also learnt their lesson and were more restrained in their spending compared to last time.

Despite the triumphs and joyous occasions, King Jaehaerys' health began to decline, and he appeared in public less and less. In 104 AC, Prince Valerion returned to Westeros, providence allowing him to arrive just as King Jaehaerys was on his deathbed. Prince Valerion was able to meet with his father before his end, informing him of his marriage to Princess Suki of Leng, who was believed to be pregnant. The King Jaehaerys was overjoyed to see his youngest son again and to learn of his marriage and impending fatherhood. It's said that he rose from his bed and embraced them both, marking the last time he left his bed unaided. Prince Valerion would also be the last person the King inducted into the Order of the Red Dragon, making him a Grand Knight Commander.

Prince Valerion's wealth from his travels, along with being the first Targaryen to journey so far east, significantly increased his already great prestige. His wife had also arrived with her own household and dowry—a fleet of 16 ships filled with treasures, along with numerous servants, artists, architects, and even a Lengii priest and priestess. All of this made him popular at court, and he spent much time in these days recounting tales of his adventures. Eventually, Prince Valerion became the most frequent envoy to the Free Cities, particularly Lys, Tyrosh, and Volantis, which were relatively close to the Glittering Isle.

The Prince and Princess of the Glittering Isle had two sons: Prince Zuko (named after a hero from Leng) who would ride the dragon Durk, also known as the Ruby Dragon for his mesmerizing scales; and Prince Aang (a Lengii adaptation of the name Aegon) who would ride the dragon Appa, a brilliant white dragon with a single blue stripe running from head to tail. To honor their birth, Prince Valerion built a grand Lengii temple on the Glittering Isle, the first in Westeros and the Narrow Sea.

Princess Suki never learned Royal Andal, speaking exclusively in High Valyrian during her time at court. This fluency in High Valyrian, a language known in the Far East of Essos due to long-standing trade ties with the west since the Valyrian Freehold, is what brought her close to Prince Valerion and ultimately led to their love. She and her sons often accompanied Prince Valerion on his travels to the Free Cities.

In 104 AC, at the age of seventy two, King Jaehaerys died in his sleep. His body was cremated in the Balerion's Garden and his ashes were interred with Queen Alysanne's ashes on Dragonstone. His realm mourned, and even reportedly much of Essos. Jaehaerys had ruled for 61 years, longer than the combined reigns of the first four Kings, and had reigned over an unprecedented era of peace and prosperity for Westeros. On the plinths holding the statues of the Old King that stands at the Citadels, the college, as well as all the cities and major towns of Westeros of the time the following is inscribed, "He bound the land together, and made of seven kingdoms, one." and it is a legacy which the Old king was proud to leave behind.

Chapter Text

One of the many, many reasons The Anarchy and the Great Council of 45AC is such an important part of Westerosi history is because of the changes it made to the purpose of Westerosi politics on a continental level as well as the structure of the internal politics of its duchies. While technically only a few houses had been ended in the fighting, and fewer names of note had been extinguished for good, most memorably Houses Mullendore and Vypren; In truth the political landscape of Westeros was rebuilt in a way that even the rise of the Valyrian nobility in the aftermath of the Conquest had not managed with two of the most powerful families in the realm, the Gardeners and Lannisters, becoming cadet branches of House Targaryen. And this was not the only change for continuations of names and sigil's, and in most cases the bloodlines of Houses such as Oakheart, Rowan, Crakehall hid the changes underneath, with all these important Houses also becoming Cadet branches of House Targaryen; And when compounded with the effects of the Peace of Jaehaerys and the changes made to Westeros since the Conquest, the politics of the realm changed almost beyond recognition.

One of the prime reasons for this change is due to the fact that the Cadet Branches of House Targaryen held the Stormlands, Westerlands and Reach outright, and when this is combined with the fact that the Riverland's  were held by the Tully's only by the grace of House Targaryen; 45AC becomes the most common date most, but certainly not all, Maesters and historians use to mark the end of the millennia long 'Great Game' which had defined the politics of Westeros for countless generations, for most historians and Maesters believe that it was the Anarchy, not the Targaryen Conquest of Aegon which represented the final war which defined the Long Era of the Great Game, for it signalled to the Westerosi that the Targaryens were truly here to stay and the old way and order was forever gone, and ended any hope of independence and the restoration of the past as Westeros was used to a side 'winning' the great game only to fall from grace. But now with all the traditional players humbled and in the case of the Stormlands, Reach and Westerlands replaced with branches of House Targaryen the victory was absolute in a way never seen before.

Summarized Excerpts from The Great Game before The Targaryen Conquest by John Scott Williams, Master Historian of the Highgarden Citadel

The Great Game encompassed the era between the Andal Invasion and 45AC, or depending upon your preferred Maester or Historian the Targaryen conquest. It was a period of relentless conflict, particularly focused on the strategically vital Riverland's which became a perpetual battleground, a prize sought by the ambitious kings of the Reach, the Rock, the Stormlands, and even for some of the more overambitious and frankly insane members of the Martell, Stark and Arryn families, Dorne, The North and The Vale. The central underlying ambition fuelling this conflict, by the main players, was the pursuit of dominance over southern Westeros, the desire to become a continental hegemon, a power that could command or subdue all other realms. However, this goal remained elusive, as the very nature of the Great Game fostered a balance of power through shifting alliances and rivalries. Whenever one kingdom seemed poised to achieve supremacy, its neighbours would unite against it, preventing any single power from consolidating control…..The Ironborn, too, recognized the strategic importance of the Riverlands, eventually seizing control and attempting to become players in the core struggle itself rather than continue with their old ways of attacking the Reach and Westerlands for they realised they could not conquer or pillage unchallenged any of the Kingdoms on their own strength, with the Ironborn conquest of the Riverland's tacitly supported at the start by the rest of Westeros as they sought to weaken the Stormlands which had conquered them previously…… This constant flux of power and territory meant that the Riverlands were perpetually contested, serving as a focal point for the ambitions and conflicts that defined the Great Game…….This along with many other internal factors explain the regular collapse of order in the Riverland's and why they were never able to consolidate into a lasting political entity……

The Great Game in Westeros wasn't solely confined to the Riverlands, though that region certainly served as its most frequent and volatile theater. While the Riverlands' strategic importance made it a constant point of contention, the underlying dynamics of the Great Game extended across the entire southern continent, shaping the relationships and conflicts between all the major kingdoms. The ambition to achieve dominance, to become the preeminent power in the south, drove kings from the Reach, the Rock, the Stormlands, and Dorne to engage in a perpetual cycle of warfare and shifting alliances……Even when the focus was not on the Riverlands, the principles of the Great Game remained consistent. When the Reach looked close to overwhelming the Stormlands, the King of the Rock descended upon the Reach, forcing a change in focus, when the Dornish made too much of an incursion into the Stormlands the Reach invaded the Red Mountains. These actions illustrates the core mechanism of the Great Game: the prevention of any single power from achieving hegemony, which also explains how it lasted so long…….The moment one kingdom appeared to be gaining an insurmountable advantage, others would unite to thwart its ambitions, maintaining a precarious balance of power. This pattern repeated itself throughout the eras, with kingdoms forming and dissolving alliances, engaging in wars, and shifting their allegiances in pursuit of their own interests. The Great Game was a complex and dynamic struggle for power, shaping the political landscape of southern Westeros and leaving a legacy of conflict and instability…….

……To further elaborate on the roles of the Vale and the North during the era of the Great Game, it's crucial to understand the nuances of their respective positions…… While they largely remained outside the central conflicts, their presence still exerted an indirect influence on the broader political landscape……And at times they too took a more central and direct role….

The Vale's possessed the Bloody Gate which protected the Vale from attack. So strong a defence it was that any attempt to conquer or subdue it would and did shatter without the Vale needing call forth its full strength. But this also limited it, forever attacking only from one narrow and easily defended way meaning that the Bloody Gate during the periods of a strong Riverland's authority, such as during the Era of Arland III or Harren the Black, was often a door which either side could effectively shut. The Arryn kings, perched in the Eyrie, thus possessed a unique vantage point for they could observe the ebb and flow of power in the south, assessing the strengths and weaknesses of the various kingdoms without committing their own forces but also becoming geopolitically trapped behind the Bloody Gate during times of peace, as breaking out of the Vale required them to pay a bloody cost compared to say, the Westerlands where the many passes allowed them to intervene more easily, their frontier less secure but also too large to effectively defend by their armies. The Vale, therefore, served as a kind of silent arbiter, its potential intervention a factor that the southern kings had to consider for while not actively engaging in warfare, the Vale's presence contributed to the delicate balance of power that characterized the Great Game as if one side was close to victory the Vale could and did overwhelm the strong yet inferior defences set against them and marched their armies west.

The North's detachment was even more profound, rooted in its unique characteristics. The vastness of the North, its harsher climate, its different faith and ethnicity, and the constant threat from the wildlings beyond the Wall fostered a sense of separation and independence which was deeper than the same feelings in say a Stormlander compared to a Riverlanders who at least shared an ethnicity and faith, even if in this era they would consider each other heretics due to the Faith of the Seven not being unified yet…….. The Kings in the North prioritized the defense of their borders and the maintenance of internal order, viewing the southern conflicts as distractions from their primary responsibilities.………However, the North's isolation was not absolute. Trade and diplomacy still connected them to the south, albeit on a limited scale. The North's resources, such as wool, timber and furs, were valuable commodities, and trade routes connected them to the southern markets as far as Oldtown. Furthermore, the Kings of the North were not entirely oblivious to the political developments in the south. They maintained a network of spies and informants, gathering intelligence and assessing potential threats. While they might not have actively participated in the Great Game for the most part, they were aware of its dynamics and prepared to defend their interests if necessary…….

In essence, the Vale and the North played crucial, albeit indirect, roles in the Great Game. Both regions, in their own ways, contributed to the complex and dynamic political landscape of Westeros, even as the southern kingdoms engaged in their relentless struggle for dominance…………….

But now that all of the core lands of Westeros were ruled by the Targaryens and their cadet branches this dream of countless Kings had finally been achieved and House Targaryen had won permanently, having taken on all sides and still come out decisively victorious . This victory, and the universal acknowledgement by the wider nobility of such was a profound catalyst in the creation of a new political structure and political reality in Westeros which completed the transitions begun during the Dragons Peace of Aegon I from the old rivalries and an era of wars to a new one where power was dependent on holding influence in the Royal Court, defined by the offices on held as well as the wealth one had to influence those who held offices. This emphasis of wealth only grew as the importance of military might greatly declined as due to the Kings Peace liege lords of all ranks lost the ability to use violence to gain more lands, power or even to use force to keep their vassals in check while the presence of the Royal Court and its offices meant there was a brand new way to gain power, wealth and influence outside of the old Ducal structures which allowed Lords vassal's to outmanoeuvre and gain more power than the nobles they owed fealty to with the strict feudal hierarchy of the previous era's breaking down both formally and informally.

Another important change was that the creation of one realm greatly opened up the scope of alliances with the politics of each part of the realm intermixing like never before, something which greatly expanded in the aftermath of The Anarchy. Now the Houses of each duchy could call upon a multitude of allies from outside their immediate or close neighbours expanding, rebuilding, reforming and tying up old alliance structures with the rise of the Maegor Loyalist/Queens Coalition, the Anti-Maegor Coalition, the Driftmark Faction and the Hightower Coalition in the Royal Court and many more outside it. For just because the politics of the Realm had changed as the Great Game over the Riverland's had been won, it did not mean that the games of the nobility were over. For as the nobility, particularly the new Cadet branches of House Targaryen soon found out, there were new games to play; And while not as bloody for the smallfolk or even the nobility itself they still held the same aims, with nobles either winning or died trying, there being no middle ground on their pursuit of power.

On the surface not much had changed in the Westerlands during the Anarchy and thus in the reign of King Jaehaerys the lands were continued to be ruled from Casterly Rock by a House who held the name of Lannister. But Duchess Valaena of the Westerlands was not a Lannister for all that she had a Lannister consort and adopted the name. As no one in the Westerlands forgot, the Fall of Casterly Rock and the downfall of the Old Lannister Mainline was an epochal event which was told to the Westermen for generations as both a way to warn them against antagonising dragons and as a covert means of defiance, a way to both undermine the legitimacy of the current Lannister Mainline and to in turn portray their quest for power as a more righteous crusade fueled by justice and law rather than greed and avarice.

The Duchess herself was at heart a Valyrian and a Targaryen, the daughter of Maegor the Dragon, and someone who was determined to make her own mark on her duchy and fief to ensure her legacy and blood would endure. Indeed one notes in the records a profound desperation to ensure her descendants would not revert to becoming the Andal Lannisters of before. Her children while given andal names at her husbands insistence, were taught High Valyrian as their first language and while made to attend the sept, again at her husbands insistence, had no septons and septa's guide them like many other noble children, raised in truth to worship the Fourteen flames even if they had been baptised in the Seven Oils of the Faith of the Seven. Their father supposedly had to teach them history of the Andals and of the Faith of the Seven himself as the Maester was forbidden to do so on the pain of death, as their mother was worried about them 'Going Native' if they got too fascinated by them.

Under Duchess Valaena the Westerlands were transformed in many ways, both big and small. For example in the Lannister Court, Valyrian inspired dress was expected which was a major change with its focus on figures and lighter fabrics compared to voluminous and thick fabric clothes of before angering many traditionalists. Similarly jewellery and hairstyles for both men and women was also reformed and made to align more with Valyrian designs which emphasised detailed craftmanship of complex figurines and motifs over the complex geometrical patterns which were in fashion before this. In feasts and even in regular means more Valyrian inspired and origin dishes were served, something which had  profound impact on the diets of not just Casterly Rock but the Westerlands as a whole.  For example pesto, a Valyrian sauce or gravy made primarily from nuts, cheese and basil while introduced to the Westerlands with the Conquest quickly became a staple of the court with pesto pasta becoming a fixture at all meals, soon spreading to the other nobility and then later the Merchants and in centuries to come even the smallfolk. Similarly olive oil went from being one of the substitutes for fat to becoming one of the key cooking ingredient and many Valyrian inspired foods made in or with olive oil became staples of Casterly Rock. The presence of the Valyrian Houses and settlers further helped entrench this new cuisine with many hybrid dishes being developed in this time.

Duchess Valaena also sponsored and patronised songs, stories and books of Valyrian origin having them sung in her halls, enacted at her feasts and stored in her library. And yet despite this firm promotion and despite the fact that all officers of the Lannisters were now to learn to read, write and speak High Valyrian, with the language becoming one of they key languages of the Ducal Court, the Duchess was unable to banish Lannisport Andal entirely. In a bid to do so the Duchess also commissioned many translations of books from the Westerlands into the language with Casterly Rock soon holding the largest High Valyrian Library in the Duchy.

But when this failed to eradicate the language the Duchess took a different track, paying maesters, poets and bards much gold to translate all the greatest of the Valyrian Classic song cycles, histories and tales into not just Lannisport Andal but also most of the major languages of the Westerlands and in these translations she entrenched much High Valyrian. Then she sponsored dozens of travelling bards to be sent across the duchy spreading these songs and stories to communities who were hungry for something new. And we know there were adopted easily and widely for we find much folklore in the Westerlands which is quite clearly Valyrian inspired if not a simple Westerland retelling of Valyrian stories spread by the Duchess' men.  This along with the presence of Valyrian settler communities in the Pelennor Fields and in the fiefs across the land helped create a more hybrid language as High Valyrian was incorporated more into the existing languages of the Westerlands, most noticeably in Lannisport Andal. Though to the Duchess' probable disappointment even in the decades to come the Westerlands never made the transition to from this more hybridised language to pure High Valyrian as was the hope. Rather these new languages endured for many generations.

This entrenchment of Valyria went beyond merely culture and language, just as the changes made and their effects went beyond the Lannister Family and the Ducal Court itself. For during the reign of Duchess Valaena the Westerlands saw one of their largest building spree's. The foundation of this had already been established with the Memorial Decree which was signed by the King before his marriage, which authorised many great works already including;  The Prince Aerion Statue on the side of Casterly Rock facing the city of Lannisport, standing 140 feet tall; The Pillar of Prince Aerion, a 70 foot triumphal column built in Lions Square, the main square of Lannisport; The Great Temple of Lannisport or Prince Aerion Temple, dedicated to the Fourteen Flames, and supporting the Great Temple and other smaller temples was the Prince Aerion trust,  helping the temples to build and fund facilities such as healing centres,  alms centres, houses for greybeards and orphanages, monasteries, homes and a seminary for Valyrian priests, and later schools for the sons of poor families and orphans who showed Valyrian features or adopted the Valyrian Faith; The Prince Aerion Square, was to be built along with a giant square to House the Great Temple where a memorial arch was also built. All these works required artisans with the Duchess becoming the patron of the Valyrian Artisans Guild of the Westerlands, providing it with a charter and legal recognition. Through her support it would expand as it inducted more Westermen into the Valyrian way of making statues, buildings, Tapestry's, Mosaics, decoration, art and architecture. In the years to come the Valyrian Artisans guild, like its Kings Landing Counterpart, would become so large it would split into multiple specialised successors such as the Valyrian Mosaics Guild and the Valyrian Statue Guild.

And these workers were required for to the Duchess all these works were not enough. As such the Duchess planned and build many other great works transforming the fief. The most prominent of these were the Duke Loren Arena, a stone arena built to commemorate the heroics of Duke Loren, Eldest son and heir to the Duchess in Essos during the Second Targaryen War Against the Dothraki; The Lannisport Circus, which held monthly Chariot racing which the Duchess sponsored, becoming a popular venue and soon the Valyrian sport began competing with tournaments and jousting in the imagination of the smallfolk, regardless of origin. It helped that Chariot reaching was much more accessible and regular, with entire gambling dens being formed just to bet on the races. Other major contributions to the city made by the Duchess, to both increase her prestige and inculcate a more Valyrian Culture in the land include The Valaena Theater, which was more opulent than the Theater of Jaehaerys in Kings Landing. And the Valaena, Shaena, Visenya, Maegor Baths, which like all Valyrian Public Baths, were was far more than just places to wash. They were centers for culture, leisure and entertainment with open fields, gardens, and even shops so that people could engage in sports, read, relax, and enjoy the company of others. This helped entrench Valyrian culture among the smallfolk. Other major projects include the Valaena Arch (commemorating the Duchess' accession and 25 years of her reign), as well as sewers, city wells fed by rainwater, and Grand Valyrian style fountains, aqueducts, new bridges across the river, and other such works which were admired and praised by all.

As such Lannisport was a city transformed, becoming even more grand and beautiful. And yet all these works did not change nor hide the fact that the politics of the Westerlands were tricky to navigate at this time for Duchess Valaena, and as they would be for any head of House Lannister in this period.

The Westerlands are centred on the core that is the Lannister ancestral lands and direct fief, also known as the Pelennor Fields. The most prominent location in the Fields, also called the Golden Lion Fields is of course the opulent seat of Casterly Rock and the grand city of Lannisport, but by size the extensive lands surrounding the Rock is the greatest portion with the countryside giving the Lannisters the single largest fief by size, and more importantly much flatland. This flatland was very important for it was unlike the lands to the south, north and West.

Unlike the holdings of the Houses of the Southern Westerlands the Pelennor Fields were still very rich in gold and silver among other metals which made the Lannisters richer than their southern Principle Bannermen. At the same time being mostly flat lands the fief was also able to serve as a important breadbasket and easily navigable terrain compared to the fiefs of the North and East which while matching the Lannisters in terms of mines were also very hilly and as such could support fewer people, and this meant they had fewer soldiers and provided smaller markets meaning they were always weaker compared to the Lions, not to mention generally more vulnerable to invasion over land. Another very important feature of the Pelennor Fields was the fact that it was the home to the Lions river. This river was not the largest by length in the Westerlands, this being the Dragons River or the Tumblestone depending on where you counted from, nor was it particularly deep and was confined to the single fief was still extremely important. For it allowed for easier trade within the Pelennor fields, allowing small ships and barges from Lannisport to travel upriver relatively far and deep inland. This navigability was its greatest strength and which gave the Lannisters, and Lannisport, much benefit and helped consolidate their own lands. The Pelennor Fields is also at the heart of the Westerlands, this is not just due to its position but also, just as if not more importantly, the position of the passes. All the major passes of the Westerlands lead to the Pelennor Fields meaning that travel and trade in the Duchy is naturally funnelled to Lannisport.

The Pelennor Fields are thus defined by two factors. First is their wealth, primarily derived from the trade brought forth by the gold and silver mines that permeate the region with Lannisport being the single most important entrepôt in the Westerlands. Therefore despite being situated on the western coast and not having easy access to the Markets of the East, Lannisport is still an important trading center, facilitating maritime trade from the Westerlands to the Lands of Essos, and along the coasts of Westeros.   However the city is more than just a marketplace, it is also a hub for industry as the fief and later the Westerlands channelled its trade into the city; It thus boasts a thriving community of goldsmiths, silversmiths, jewellers, and other artisans who craft luxury goods attracting merchants from far and wide. Other important roles the city plays is being the premier location for cloth weaving in the Westerlands, as well as other the production of other goods from weaponry to leatherworks. The city is also famed for Shipbuilding in the Duchy, supporting both the merchant fleet and the Lannister fleet, along with the many industries needed to build the components of the ships from nails to rope to sails.

The Second factor is its martial strength and strategic advantage. It is large enough to provide sizable armies while also being isolated from immediate invasion by other Great Houses with even the Iron Born needing to first deal with Fair Isle and Feastfires in order to properly invade the Pelennor Fields. Similarly the strategic position at the mouth of the many passes means the Lannisters were and are able to isolate different parts of the Westerlands from each other relatively simply, meaning they can divide opposition and meet them one on one, their enemies unable to meet up forces easily.

All this helps explain the rise of House Lannister and why they were the ones to unite the Westerlands. And this unification was a much more difficult achievement indeed for unlike the North, Riverland's, Dorne and Reach the Westerlands lacks a unifying terrain and river system with the Lions River as mentioned is confined to the Pelennor Fields itself.  As such instead of dominating a single river valley which made power projection easier the Lannisters of Casterly Rock embarked on a centuries-long campaign to consolidate their power through a combination of calculated aggression, strategic alliances, and shrewd economic policies slowly conquering and expanding borders. Compared to the Stormlands the Westerlands were much more stable due to their geographic defences such as forests and fills, but this stability also made it easier for bannermen to make trouble with no equivalent to the Marcher Lords, who were completely vulnerable geographically, helping Casterly Rock keep order. As such the Lannisters' approach to governance was characterized by a pragmatic and often ruthless pursuit of stability and order in order to create the strength required to defend themselves. Indeed compared to the other realms the history of the Westerlands can best be described as one long quest to protect themselves from all those who coveted their riches.

Theirs is thus a history where the petty Kings of the Westerlands kept getting absorbed by the Lannisters who promised them not just protection, but protection at an acceptable cost, for supported by their own gold and silver mines they did not covet the wealth of their vassals like the other Great Houses did. Hence in its geopolitics and balance of power it is similar to the Stormlands where the needs of defending the borders gave the Core the ability to project power over its vassals who accepted Lannister overlordship. In this the Fleet at Lannisport would take an even more important role, fighting off the Iron Born was one of the reasons of the Westerlands existing, something which gave unity to the Westerlands the same way fighting the Dornish gave unity to the Marcher Lords of the Reach and Stormlands.

But this level of wealth independent of their liege and lack of power projection that a major river brings also meant that post the Conquest the Lannister ability to corral their bannermen began to wane, for freed from the Ironborn and greedy would be conquerors the Houses of the Westerlands felt freer to act. This trend of vassals acting up can frankly be seen in all of Westeros, but in the Westerlands this defiance was particularly strong due to the wealth of the Houses in question which allowed them more options, thus in some ways the Lannisters were facing trials second only to the trials the Baratheon's faced, though compared to Storm's End the Lannisters control of Lannisport and their wealth help keep their authority much more easily compared to Storm's End. Not to mention the Lannisters unlike the Baratheon's had perfected over the centuries tools to keep wayward Houses in line without the well organised and self perpetuating system of the Stormlands. Something the Baratheon's were just learning.

This defiance of Casterly Rock in the Westerlands and in the politics of the realm manifested itself in many ways, but it can most clearly be seen through the Reyne-Banefort Alliance which arose to challenge the Duchess.  This alliance was not just as a way to keep their liege lord in check, but also a manifestation of the changing circumstances of the Westerlands in the politics of the era. House Banefort had traditionally been a staunch Lannister ally for it was the most vulnerable of the Major Houses of the Westerlands to the Ironborn.  But now it turned against the Lannisters, this was not just due to the marriage alliance between them and the Reyne's but also due to the act that they, like many of the Houses of the Westerlands, were still healing from the wounds inflicted upon them during the Anarchy and had retained their resentment of the suffering they had faced not just on the hands of Prince Aerion but also the Ironborn. Resentment that was exploited in full by House Reyne of Castamere which as the second richest House of the Westerlands took it upon itself to oppose the new Line of House Lannister, like they had the previous ones.

Even when the immediate resentments subsided and the wounds healed the Lannisters faced new challenges coming from structural developments as much as the current personal politics. For example House Banefort and House Reyne's alliance not only continued but also grew stronger as economically the Peace of Jaehaerys was devastating for the Lannisters. This was not due to plague, famine or any such factor, rather it was due to the fact the Duchess and House Lannister found it difficult to prevent Houses from developing their own ports and centers of trade which reduced the need for Lannisport.  This was especially true after the reforms of King Jaehaerys in the 80's with the Towns of Castamere and Banefort growing rapidly in this era, becoming not just competing entrepôts but also competing centers of industry with textiles, leather and other goods workshops being established during this time in these settlement. Indeed during this period this increasing decentralisation of trade can be seen across the Westerlands as freed from the threat of the Ironborn and the constraints of laws which promoted Lannisport over others, all Houses sought their own trading ports, each of which reduced Lannister influence over the Westerland  trade for all that Lannisport remained the largest and most important cog in the Westerland trade network; Even Duchess Valaena's own half brother developed and greatly expanded Crake Port which quickly became a primary port and town for the southern Westerlands which in turn greatly grew the power of House Crakehall as they were able to redirect much trade away from Lannisport into their own fief.

This autonomy in terms of trade and safety from external threats also impacted the ability of Casterly Rock to directly project power over its more inland vassals as they now had more options for trade. Similarly without needing aid from the core to defend the borders they were able to further express their autonomy in political matters even as they maintained strong trade relationships with the Lannisters and Lannisport. As such in these years the Westerlands saw a complex dance of Casterly Rock and its vassals as a new balance of power was decided, and it should be noted it was not all bad news for the Duchess. Now other than the Lannisters themselves there were 3 other Valyrian Houses; House Maegyar, House Crakehall and House Tagaros who all were closely aligned with Casterly Rock and who quickly developed string trade relations and alliances which brought more Houses back under Casterly Rock from either neutrality or from the influence of the Reyne-Banefort Alliance. The Duchess also spent her life arranging for many marriages between the lower Valyrian nobility such as the landed knights into petty lords and in some cases higher lords which helped form alliances while also entrenching Valyrian culture deeply into the nobility and through them into the merchants and even smallfolk.

Similarly while many of Casterly Rocks vassals joined the Anti-Maegor Coalition, the Driftmark Faction and the Hightower Coalitions over the years where in each they found themselves with prominent, but never the most prominent voice. the Lannisters through their membership in the Maegor Loyalist Coalition, later the Queens Coalition, allowed them a strong voice in the politics of the realm, developing strong trade and political alliances which helped them maintain influence over their vassals. This was done through a variety of ways including the offering of royal offices via the Queen to Loyal Houses, as well as using marriages with Houses across the land to further bind vassal Houses to Casterly Rock and its politics. Similarly the Lannisters were also were quickly integrated into the trading networks of the Seahorse Trading Company which connected them to the trade networks of Essos deeply like never before in recent times, and later managed to receive an island in the Stepstones. Both of these helped them exert more influence over their vassals  as it gave them a stronger hand in trade even with the decentralisation that occurred.

But what helped ensure that the Lannisters retained primacy, not just legal but in terms of the duchies politics, was the fact that when the new battle lines were drawn, despite the best efforts of the Reyne-Banefort Alliance, the battle was not simply Valyrian's vs. the rest divide but rather a series of interlocking and contradictory interests. Such as the coastal lords and inland lords fighting over trade routes between each other and among themselves, new alliances through marriage's and fosterages clashing on all sorts of matters, and more. This was important since not only did they form the majority of the nobility, the Andal and First Men Houses collectively held more troops and land for all that the four Valyrian Houses for all that they were some of the Strongest in the Westerlands, easily holding four of the seven top ranks despite disputes of the exact order after the Lannisters.

As such the Duchess was able to retain actual political power and influence in matters of trade, politics and culture for if the Westerlands had divided on a  Valyrian's vs. the rest basis the Duchess, due to a lack of a dragon and the Kings Peace, could never have forced them to obey by overpowering them on the battlefield or in the markets.

As such the Dance of Westerlander politics continued unabated.

But if the Westerlands under Duchess Valaena saw an intricate dance her brother Duke Alyx was navigating much simpler but brutal politics.

Chapter Text

The Duchy of the Reach, historically the Kingdom of the Reach is the second-largest duchy of the Kingdom of Westeros behind the North and is considered the most fertile and heavily-populated part of the Realm with the Reach hosting more than people than the next two Duchies combined. It is not just a land of fertile fields but also has numerous and well-populated towns and cities, with the Kingdom being considered the most urbanized polity in the land until the rise of the Crownlands.

The Reach is watered by the immense river Mander and its tributaries, including the Dragons River (called in the past the Silver river or the Lesser Mander), the Blueburn, the Honeywine and the Cockleswhent with the Reach centred around the Mander and its tributaries which flow into the Summer Sea at Oldtown which is located at the mouth of the Mander . The region also includes several islands, including the Shield Islands in Garths Bay and the Arbor, south of the Whispering Sound and the Redwyne Straits.

The Reach can be broken down into four parts. The First is the Western or Sunset Coast Reach; As defined by the actual coast itself, but also including Shield Islands, the Garth's Bay and the rivers flowing into it with the Greenhands River flowing from the Green Hills to the east, the Foxes river connects the bay with the south, allowing ships from Rosenburg to reach House Florent's seat of Brightwater keep in the foothills of the Blue Mountains, and the Oakheart river which flows from the Oak Hills connecting parts of the northwestern Reach to Garth's Bay. Together this makes the bay, the heart of the Western Reach, an important hub for trade. And yet this region has always remained less important in the Realm for it covers a much smaller portion of the lands of the Reach and has historically been vulnerable to the Iron Born invading, meaning generally they have needed aid from the armies to the east rather than projecting power in that direction. Not to mention the mountains and hills reduce the ability to trade with the rest of the realm overland meaning that historically its wealth while great is still not able to match the more inland fiefs for all the benefits fishing and easier access to the ocean brings. These differences also means that they have always had a more distinct identity to the rest of the Reach Proper, with the people having not just a more sea steading culture but also a much greater admixture of blood with much Ironborn Blood flowing in their veins.

But if the Garth's Bay and the Sunset Coast had a distinct identity so did the second part. These are the Reach Marches, bordering the treacherous Red Mountains and the arid expanse of Dorne, they hold a position of vital, if often fraught, importance. They represent a critical buffer zone, a contested and often bloody frontier that shapes the political and military landscape of both the Reach and Dorne. The Marches' strategic significance lies in their role as the first line of defense against Dornish incursions from the Red Mountains. These while formidable, are not impenetrable, and the Houses of the Reach Marches, most prominently House Tarly who are considered across Westeros as some of the finest warriors and generals in the land, serve as a vital deterrent, in the past bearing the brunt of Dornish raids and skirmishes as the snakes attempted to rape and pillage their way through the land, acting little better than spear wielding and landbound Ironborn. The Marches are also therefore less prosperous than the fertile heartlands of the Reach for the constant threat of conflict disrupts trade and agriculture even without taking into account the terrain means that they do not have the same fertile soil as the rest of the land. Though this is partially made up for by the fact that the Red Mountains are littered with mines for various metals such as iron and copper.

The third part is the Arbor, the verdant island located off the southwestern coast of the Reach which was claimed by Gilbert of the Vines, a son of the legendary Garth Greenhand, who brewed the first Vine and was thus made King by the inhabitants of the island. It is thus fitting that his lands and descendants, House Redwyne, oversee unparalleled production of wine with the Arbor being essentially the wine cellar of the Seven Kingdoms, renowned for its exquisite vintages that are coveted throughout the realm and beyond. The island's climate and fertile soil create ideal conditions for grape cultivation, allowing for the production of a diverse range of wines, from rich reds to crisp whites. This abundance of high-quality wine makes the Arbor a crucial economic hub, generating immense wealth for House Redwyne and the island's inhabitants.

The Arbor wine trade also grants influence for it permeates every level of society, from the noble courts of King's Landing to the humblest taverns in the Seven Kingdoms, for they produce not just expensive Arbour Gold and Redwyne Reds but also cheaper vintages such as Arbor Whites and Ryamsport Reds, competing on every level of the market with the just as old but less storied vintages of the Riverland's, The Westerlands and the rest of the Reach. The demand for Arbor wines, as well as their many other goods such as chilli's and other spices and herbs such as basil, Thyme, Rosemary, sumac, coriander for whom they were the only significant alternative outside of Dorne, ensures a constant flow of commerce, fuelling the growth of maritime trade and contributing to the prosperity of coastal cities. This prosperity means that House Redwyne, as the rulers of the Arbor, wield significant influence in the Reach and the wider realm. Their wealth and control over the wine trade allowed them to maintain a powerful fleet and exert considerable sway for the Redwyne Fleet acts as an important deterrence to the Ironborn and other naval powers.

But what truly unites the above three parts together is that for all their wealth, for all their importance, and for all their power they are fundamentally situated outside the core of the Reach. This core land is the Mander basin which is the fourth and most important part. For as history has shown, he who controls the Mander basin controls the Reach. The Mander, flowing from the Prince Gaemon Hills, and its various tributaries, are the most important waterways of the Reach, and explains in large part why the Reach is the most fertile and populous region of Westeros, as well as its size and its borders. Its significance extends beyond mere geography, permeating the economic, political, and social fabric of the Duchy. The Mander river system serves as the lifeblood of the Reach, a veritable artery that nourishes its vast agricultural lands. The rich, alluvial soil deposited by the river and its tributaries creates an ideal environment for cultivating crops, ensuring a consistent and abundant food supply. This abundance, in turn, fuels the Reach's prosperity and its capacity to support a large population.  The river's role as a major trade route further amplifies its economic importance. Cargoes of grain, cloth, wine, timber, and other goods are transported along the Mander, connecting the inland regions with the ports of Oldtown and thus cheaply and easily facilitating trade with other kingdoms. This trade network fosters economic growth, generates wealth, and strengthens the Reach's position as a vital economic hub, and thanks not just to the major tributaries but their own smaller ones, all parts of the land are enriched by this.

The core of the Mander basin itself is the Reach Proper, the ancestral fief of House Gardener of Highgarden. The Reach Proper does not have natural geographic boundaries, nor does it have a unique feature such as Hot Springs, but rather the land is wide open and has a similar climate to its neighbours. It strength therefore comes not from hills or mountains but from its people and wealth they bring for these are some of the most fertile and populated lands of Westeros. As such the Gardeners have always been able to outnumber and out equip their competitors in the Mander Basin with the armies of the Green Hand expanding in all directions using both strength of arms and diplomacy on the battlefield which allowed both sides to prevent bloodshed which would have in any case ended in Gardener Victory in the long term.  Helping in this expansion was the ancestral home of House Gardener and the settlement that surrounds it in times of peace and war, Highgarden.

The Keep of Highgarden sits on a hill overlooking the Mander just south of where the Dragon River (Also known as the Lesser Mander or the Silver River) meets it. Its design incorporates multiple layers of defences, including thick walls, strategically placed towers, and a complex network of inner courtyards. This layered approach ensures that even if an attacker breaches the outer defences, they face a protracted and costly struggle to capture the inner keep. Moreover, the presence of ample granaries and wells within the castle walls allows for extended periods of self-sufficiency during sieges. As such it has been difficult if not impossible to take by force, providing a solid foundation from which to conduct campaigns from. Similarly during times of peace the settlement and later city of Highgarden form an important center for trade on the Mander which allows for the efficient transport of bulk goods, such as grain and timber. The Port of Highgarden connecting the Reach Proper to the rest of the Mander Basin and to other major settlements within the Reach which allowed House Gardener and their subjects to grow wealthy and influential. Vitally the Gardeners are able to control the access the Upper Reach has to the coastal port of Oldtown and its trade networks providing it with much leverage on either side of the divide.

Over its long history House Gardener had used war and diplomacy in a patient campaign to unite the Reach. Using each generations victory to provide the foundation for the next. Once House Hightower joined their Kingdom it gained absolute control over the Mander basin and its peripheries. And as such so long as House Gardener has been able to control the Mander it has been able to control the Reach with its millennia long history of warfare best described as an attempt to expand their domains to extend the periphery to lands which were further out and which could be more easily defended only to be halted from doing so. The Reach has as such remained stable in its borders with the first three regions protecting the Mander core which used its strength to aid them when needed. In fact one could argue that the reason the Reach was unable to win the Great game for Millenia despite its wealth and strength was the limitations this dependence of the Mander brought with the rest of Westeros too far away for Highgarden to project power.

As such for millennia after the Reach's unification the Gardener Kings controlled the Reach using the Mander water system.

The Reach after the Anarchy was a land transformed in many ways. The most obvious way its politics had changed was that with the new Houses Welsh, and the new lines of House Rowan and Oakheart, the Valyrian Noble Houses now held in slight majority the balance of power on land and wealth if not on the sea, the Reach now hosting more Valyrian Counts than Andal and First Men ones who commanded more lands and men. This transformed the balance of power in the Land even before any of the reforms to the Reach could even be made. And there were many reforms for the Reach was ruled, first in fact then in name, by Duke Alyx Gardener, last son of Maegor the Dragon, who was a transformative leader, on par with Garth Goldenhand or one of the Sage Kings.

During the beginning of his reign Duke Alyx consolidated his power with the ruthless Black Hounds, eliminating dissent and establishing fear-based control.  It helped of course that the political situation in the land was more favourably tilted towards Highgarden due to the aforementioned Valyrian Countly Houses. However fear was not the only legacy of Duke Alyx who also proved to be a capable administrator, implementing significant economic, social, and cultural reforms that transformed Highgarden and concentrated more power and control of its lands in the hands of the Duke. Power the Duke would need for compared to the intricate dances of the Westerlands with a hundred dancers where even the Lannisters and Reyne's spent more time building coalitions than openly fighting, the Reach would be defined by the struggle between its two premier Houses,  Houses Gardener and Hightower.

This struggle between the two Houses has its roots in ancient times with House Hightower being  without a doubt the greatest threat to Highgarden for only they have the strength to even attempt to take control of the Mander basin away from Highgarden, with the rest of the Principle bannermen either too weak or isolated on the periphery outside the core.

In fact one could argue that this opposition was rooted from each House's conception for House Gardener claims to be founded from Garth the Gardener was the firstborn of Garth Greenhand from whom most of the major Houses of the Reach are founded including House Oakheart, House Redwyne, House Florent, House Ball, House Peake, Houses Fossoway's , House Oakenshield, House Tarly, House Bulwer of Blackcrown, House Crane, House Beesbury, House Rowan and more. This meant that House Gardener held over all these Houses a form of ideological hegemony through the simple principle of primogeniture. For as Garth the Gardener was the firstborn of Garth Greenhand, he was the rightful heir of their common father and his younger half-siblings and their decendants owed him a natural obligation of fealty, for more than any declaration of Kingship or any man made law proclaiming independence there are deeper, older and more sacred laws; the younger brother bows before the elder, no one can deny.  The only major exception to this (other than the Valyrian Houses for the Andal Houses of the Reach were much weaker in comparison to the those of the First Men when compared with say the Andal Houses of the Westerlands or Vale) was House Hightower which claims an independent patriarch in Uthor of the High Tower who according to legend married Maris the Maid, a daughter of Garth Greenhand. Thus it is fitting that the Hightowers were the main opponents to the Gardeners, almost fated. But mythical origins is not the only reason these two Houses clashed there is also the reasons of politics, power, geography and trade.

The Mander after The Conquest lost its military importance, as with most of the old ways, its requirements for warfare began ending, slowly decaying over the years as Westeros realised its changed circumstances. For freed from the threat of the Ironborn or invasion of the other realms the periphery, the first three regions no longer required the core to aid them, to their growing realisation and resulting independence, indeed one can argue that the War between the Tyrell-Celtimon Alliance and the Florent's during the Anarchy was a manifestation of this independence. However compared to the Lannisters, Baratheon's or even the Arryns the impact of this and the changes made could be limited by the Mander and House Gardener's control over its core which could have allowed them to dictate trade and project power in a way these other houses could not.

But this was not to be, for Highgarden immediately faced an issue with this new landscape. As just as it could project its power on the Mander, so could others. And now when Westeros was at peace House Hightower of Oldtown could use their control of their seat, arguably most important city in the Reach due to its port despite Highgarden being the Ducal capital, to easily project its power upriver which they did post haste. In fact one could argue that the single biggest blow that House Gardener faced was not the loss of the Crown, in light of Aegon's conquest, but rather its loss in the traditional balance of power between Highgarden and Hightower, with one holding primacy in political and military matters while acting as a check in matters of trade and the other holding primacy in trade while acting as a check in political or military terms to prevent tyranny; Or as Grand Duke Jeremy Hightower once put it in the aftermath of the Kingdom of Lower Reach joining the Gardener Kingdom put it, "Highgarden….. now defends our backs ... so we are free to gaze outward, to the sea and the fantastical markets and treasures of lands beyond our now joint garden."

But now with the Gardener military advantage nullified the Hightowers possessed the wealth and influence to challenge the Gardeners' for control of the Mander basin and thus the Reach. This meant that after centuries and millennia House Gardener suddenly had to reinvent itself as a more mercantile and trade based power, one which could not just compete with but defeat House Hightower in these fields despite the centuries and millennia long head start they had on the matter and in this they were blessed that Duke Alyx led Highgarden for he was dynamic and bold, tackling the challenge head on. This boldness was also a necessity for House Hightower sensing this historic opportunity was not willing to sit back and simply watch House Gardener reassert itself.  As such the reign of King Jaehaerys saw a politically active and volatile Reach with the Gardeners and Hightowers clashing, the echo's heard across the realm.

Another major change, and motivation for the clash, in this era was that the longstanding balance of power between House Gardener and House Hightower has begun to become much more important to Westeros itself. For centuries it had maintained stability in the Reach's heartlands, which in turn maintain stability in the Kingdom of the Reach. But despite the Reach's importance to Westeros this balance was till the conquest a fundamentally local concern. Even in the reign of King Aegon this remained true even if less so each year. But under King Jaehaerys the Wise the struggle took on a new, sharper dimension. No longer was this a mere contest of influence within the bounds of Reach politics, it had now transformed into a contest for the Westeros itself. For while the Gardener-Hightower rivalry had always shaped the internal affairs of the Reach, the growing power and influence of both houses on the wider realm meant that the consequences of this struggle would be felt far beyond with each House having its eye on greater prizes.

This was due to the emergence of the coalition politics in Westeros in the form of the Maegor Loyalist/Queens Coalition and its opponents the Anti-Maegor Coalition. This was a major shift from not just from before the conquest but also from the reign of King Aegon the Conqueror during whose time the politics of the realm was still based mostly on the internal dynamics of the Duchies with the true access the nobility had to power in the Royal Court and its offices either because of their Valyrian origin or because of the Great Houses making it so, making the former Kings and new Dukes absolutely instrumental to the politics of the realm. But due to the changes made in the aftermath of The Anarchy and the Great Council this had changed forevermore, no longer did the Great Houses maintain their lofty positions as intermediaries of power with both the Prince Maegor and the King deciding to break down boundaries and hierarchies in their own way by inviting Houses to partake in the politics of the Royal Court Independently . No longer did the crown allow Dukes a soft veto over appointments, nor allocate them and their supporters offices by default, Afterall the Targaryens had proven their strength and defeated all in Westeros who opposed them in an uprising the likes of which was unseen before and felt no concessions needed to be made with much of the caution for not changing the internal balance of power and dynamics of the Duchies that existed in the reign of Aegon the Conqueror being discarded. Within a very short period of time, with these changes, the politics of the Realm become more important than even Ducal Politics for the Noble Houses of Westeros.

Something which would only become more true when all the Great Houses of Westeros were united behind Prince Maegor for a time requiring those opposing him to seek alliances from across the land rather than their liege lords, something which was also covertly encouraged by the King who also took actions to undermine the power of the Great Houses to weaken his uncle.

It was in this context where the battles between House Gardener and House Hightower took place. Both Houses played a critical role for House Gardener was arguably the second most influential House in the Maegor Loyalist/Queens Coalition after the Targaryens themselves with even Duchess Valaena and House Lannister forced to bow to Duke Alyx, Son of Maegor the Dragon. Similarly House Hightower quickly emerged as a key leader in the Anti-Maegor Coalition, quickly establishing within in an independent pole of power separate from the Storm's End-Driftmark Alliance. This entry into the coalitions politics of the realm by the Hightowers even after the loses they had faced by courting the wrath of Prince Maegor had many reasons; They foremost recognised that they could now gain significant political power through the King and the Crown, power which would be vital to reduce the influence of Prince Maegor and protect themselves from his son, for influence in the Royal Court and offices would allow them to bypass the Ducal structures of the Reach which would only constrain them, controlled as they were by House Gardener. Quickly after the end of the regency House Hightower would parlay their trade influence and alliances with other houses in the Reach to create a framework to secure their own interests.

They thus expanded their influence through strategic marriages, alliances, and a strong presence in the Royal Court, making them a nexus in the Anti-Maegor Coalition, building themselves as the third leader after Houses Baratheon and Velaryon. In fact they would grow so successful that they would challenge the Baratheon-Velaryon alliance for overall leadership as they were able to draw in many disaffected nobles from across Westeros who had grown wary of the ever-tightening grip of Prince Maegor and Queen Alysanne over the realm’s politics but who also distrusted the Baratheon-Velaryon alliance due to their Valyrian heritage and close connection to the Crown. The Hightowers thus walked a carful line of keeping the Anti-Maegor Coalition together while carefully aligning themselves with other noble houses that felt threatened by the increasing centralization of power in Highgarden and King’s Landing, presenting themselves as the defenders of the traditional Andal and First Men nobility against Valyrian overreach while doing everything to signal to the King that they were not Anti-Valyrian and were ever loyal to the Targaryens and the Crown. For after being bankrupted and humbled twice they had no intention of courting the wrath of the Targaryens again.

Their and the Anti-Maegor Alliance's success in drawing allies from the Reach, Westerlands, Stormlands, Narrow Sea Islands, Riverlands, and beyond meant that even as Highgarden’s power grew with its increasing prosperity and close ties to the Crown, it and the Maegor Loyalist/Queen's coalition faced a growing opposition which halted its attempts to gain absolute control of Westerosi politics. The courtly battles between these factions became as defining to the realm’s politics as any battlefield campaign, with the Gardener-Hightower rivalry now shaping the fate of Westeros itself.

Duke Alyx's consolidation of power after the Anarchy had given House Gardener a firm grip over its own lands, this control combined with his reforms quickly began expanding House Gardener's influence on trade. The City of Highgarden had always been an important commercial and cultural hub, perhaps second only to Oldtown in importance, if in competition for Dragonsmouth for the title, but now it became even more influential. The introduction of the Court of Aldermen attracted new traders while striking a new balance between noble and merchant power, ensuring that while Highgarden remained firmly aligned with the interests of House Gardener it also did not neglect its merchant class as before. The expansion of infrastructure, including roads, river docks, and marketplaces also allowed Highgarden to siphon wealth away from Oldtown, drawing more and more of the Reach's commerce towards its growing markets; Even the cultural transformations initiated by Duke Alyx, such as the introduction of Essosi-style theater's, public baths, and the flourishing of education through royal patronage of scholars, served to reinforce Highgarden’s position as the true center of Reach civilization, making it a city that not only ruled but also defined the region.

But it was not enough and it seemed for some decades that the Hightowers would emerge triumphant in the years to come as the trade advantage of Oldtown was too great to overcome. This was especially true after the death of Prince Maegor the Dragon as it showed that the Maegor-Loyalist Coalition was bound too much to its leaders. Furthermore the centralising decrees of the King which reduced the power of the nobles had only swelled the ranks of the Anti-Maegor Coalition. Indeed it seemed that for all of House Gardener's strengths the Hightowers would become the pre-eminent power of the Reach in the coming years due to their greater wealth and importance to trade with the Gardeners not able to compete with the Port of Oldtown and their advantage in court bound to expire as new generations came to power.

But this all changed when the King announced the building of a canal between the Mander and the Blackwater. Indeed one of the main reasons that caused Duke Alyx to provide his patronage of the King Jaehaerys Canal was this seemingly undefeatable power over trade the Hightowers held. By building the canal the King hoped to increase the wealth and power of his domains but to Duke Alyx it was, at its heart, a strategic move meant to permanently weaken House Hightower’s grip over trade, any benefits to his own lands and profits a distant secondary concern. By creating a direct link between the Upper Reach and King’s Landing, he intended to provide an alternative to the centuries-old reliance on Oldtown as the primary trade hub of the Reach. And while the canal did not render Oldtown irrelevant, it was a powerful counterbalance, allowing Highgarden to dictate trade terms to its rival in ways that had never before been possible. The Hightowers, whose wealth and influence had always stemmed from the necessity of their port, now found themselves facing a direct challenge to that monopoly. The completion of the canal also encouraged inland trade to flourish in ways unseen before, strengthening Highgarden’s ties with other powerful cities and towns in the Riverland's and Crownlands, and making it increasingly independent of Oldtown’s maritime network though of course Oldtown remained a major trade partner, if not the most important one. A further blow came with the founding of the Highgarden Collegium which challenged Oldtown's view of itself as the intellectual capital of the Reach.

In response to the building of the Canal and Collegium, House Hightower sought new ways to reaffirm its own status, leveraging its immense wealth and deep ties to the rest of the realm. They patronised and used the Faith of the Seven as a way of creating alliances with Houses across the land; They also worked to solidify their naval trade supremacy, ensuring that even when trade routes shifted, Oldtown remained the preeminent port and market of the Reach with trade ships departing Oldtown to every port of note. They also sought to counter the cultural appeal of Highgarden with grand public baths, Theatres and a Circus with regular chariot racing in the city itself, meeting the challenge of Duke Alyx head on.  Yet, for all their efforts and successes in matters of trade and politics, the canal and Duke Alyx’s reforms and institutions ensured that Highgarden could never again be threatened with relegation to the shadow of Oldtown as some had predicted in the aftermath of Prince Maegor's death.

But this is not to say war was won by House Gardener, but it was no longer a forgone conclusion as it once seemed decades ago in the aftermath of Prince Maegor's death with a brutal dance between the two houses continuing, from the wharf of Essos, to the Classrooms of the Reach, to the Hall of the Iron Throne in the Red Keep itself.

Chapter Text

With the death of King Jaehaerys his eldest surviving son Crown Prince Aemon ascended the Iron Throne as King Aemon, First of his Name, Head of House Targaryen, King of Westeros, King of the Andals, the First Men, the Ironborn and the Rhoynar, Defender of the Faith, Duke of the Crownlands, Warden of the Narrow Sea, Lord of the Seven Kingdoms and Lord Protector of the Realm. He wore his fathers crown and after ruling the realm for many years in all but name, was a stabilizing force as the realm moved on from the monumental reign of his father. He had inherited a secure throne, wise councillors, well functioning offices and four main challenges.

The first challenge was due to the Faith being extremely weary of his younger brother and successor the new Crown Prince Baelon, who was also the new Hand of the King, as he held more to the faith of Old Valyria than the Seven in truth, a secret that everyone knew.

The second was that the nobility was angry at the reforms made in the last decade, which increased the power of the Crown to the detriment of their own. Most of the nobility was unhappy with the Crown giving itself more power and ability to inspect and audit the tax records, and the Vale Lords were livid to see the Mountain clans under the Kings Peace, trading and integrating with the realm, rather than being wiped out using the might of the Dragons.

The third challenge facing the new King was of money, for House Targaryen had used up all the 7 million gold dragons it had won from the Field of Fire, the 2 million gold dragons it had seized from House Hightower, the 700,000 it took from the Lannisters, on its great works and roads, with the remaining million it had seized from the rest of the realm during The Anarchy used to fund the war effort and as awards and compensation in the immediate aftermath of the uprising. Thus they only had revenue that the Crownlands and the realm was providing them, but this was both a very high figure and frankly inadequate, for while the Crown was not broke, nor was it was in danger of running out of reserves just yet, it could no longer undertake new projects like the vast building programmes and Royal Works that it had in the century past. With all the gold and future taxes being already pledged to the running of the realm and Royal Court, the building of Royal Roads, the building of Saint Aegon's Basilica and other existing Royal Works so much so that even a major celebration would end up reducing their reserves for the immediate future. This was similarly true of the funds of the Bank of the Dragon, both it reserves and its coming profits were already loaned out or pledged in one way or another, further while the Crown held the single largest block of the shares they did not own the bank outright and the other shareholders led by House Gardener and the Glittering Isle Targaryens were becoming more vocal in the bank prioritising profits over projects which did not bring in revenue till much later, opposing more loans for bridges and canals despite the long term profit they bring, for they wanted the Bank to use the next decade to increase its profits and build higher reserves especially as the bank faced stiff new competition from the Rogare Bank which had battered the Banks influence and earnings especially in the last 5 years or so.

Finally it was his wife now Queen Jocelyn. The accession of King Aemon to the Iron Throne had marked not a new beginning, but a deepening of the chasm that had long divided him and his wife, Queen Jocelyn. Though she now held the title and trappings of a queen, her influence remained as hollow as their marriage. King Aemon, having endured years of her zealous pronouncements and attempts to control his life, had retreated into a cold indifference. "Her piety has become a prison, and I will not be its prisoner" he once confided to his brother Prince Vaegon. 

"Now, the Seven shall truly guide the realm," she had declared upon her coronation and she believed that as queen, she could finally impose her vision of a unified Westeros, purged of Valyrian influences and firmly rooted in the Faith of the Seven. King Aemon, while not publicly contradicting her, simply ignored her pronouncements, ordering his officers, councillors and advisors to do so as well at pain of losing their offices. This quiet defiance and indifference was more damaging than any open confrontation. It exposed the hollowness of her queenly authority, revealing to the Court and the realm that her husband gave her no heed. "She may wear the crown" a disgruntled lord observed, "but she holds less power over the king than a half-forgotten mistress has over a young lord in his prime ploughing every field with his seed."

The third problem was thus the main challenge facing the new king for the rest he could manage using the power of Dragons or by simple commands, but the lack of funds was something which was much more delicate and difficult to solve. But it was a challenge he was determined to face for like his forefathers the King Aemon wanted to leave a grand legacy in stone.

As such the King Aemon worked patiently to prepare for the future.

In 105 AC, Princess Betha gave birth to Prince Aegon, the son of Prince Viserys. It was also in this year that along with statues across the realm, a monument to the Old Wise King was announced on Rhaenys's hill. On the other side of the hill compared to Prince Maegor's Park and Square, parts of the remaining forest was cut down to form a path into a clearing. On both sides of the path not only were flowering and fruit trees planted, but also neat hedges of different flowers, including both summer and winter roses. Here at the end of this path a shrine to King Jaehaerys and Queen Alysanne was built. Inspired by the Prince Aerion and Prince Gaemon chapels, its was a structure dominated by its windows, supported by seven large flying buttresses the 70 foot tall building is best described as seven pillars holding up windows. The windows themselves, all coloured glass and extremely details, made using a mix of Claw isle coloured glass as well as clear Myrish glass, depict scenes from the King and Queens life, as well as scenes from the Seven Pointed Star and from the History of House Targaryen and Old Valyria, in total 777 scenes are depicted. In the center of a shrine is an empty but symbolic and ornately carved sarcophagus, and on top of which is an extremely detailed and intricate decorated tomb effigy of the King and Queen lying in state with all their finery and crowns, with the Queen holding Dark Sister, and the King Blackfyre and the Royal Sceptre. In the corners of the sept six gilded bronze statues of the seven are present, from their pedestals looking down on the depictions of the King and Queen. The last remaining statue, that of the stranger is carved from deep black marble.  As this was meant to be a memorial, unlike what is usually done in septs the statue just opposite the only entrance is not the father or mother but the Stranger, though the light gives the chapel an airy and light feel. Services would take place daily to honor the King and Queen and many would come to pay their respects and see the beauty of the chapel which is considered one of the finest in the realm.

Other monuments were also announced including the naming of the King Jaehaerys School in Port Valerion, where the King Jaehaerys Pillar, another 70 foot stone pillar with a seven foot tall statue was also erected. Like its counterpart it was built in the main square of Port Valerion but unlike the Queen Alysanne Pillar which was decorated with Red stone, this was decorated with black, giving it a further contrast and highlighting the royal colours. The King Aemon also decreed the naming 0f 9 mountains and hills for the King, one in each duchy. And using the royal coffer the building of two memorial arches, each 61 feet tall in Kings Landing, in Targaryen Square, and in the Port of Dragonstone.

Also in 105 AC the King called for a Great Council of Westeros. Attended by Dukes, Counts, Lords and the highest figures of the Royally Recognised Faiths. Here in front of the Realm the King declared the legitimization of his son Aemond Waters who became Prince Aemond Targaryen and declared him his heir, making all faiths recognise his legitimacy which while most did so willingly, though like the Faith of the Seven, but not to the exact same extent they did very grudgingly, and had all nobles swear their fealty to him. With this the line of succession was changed. The King also announced the future marriage of now Crown Prince Aemond to Princess Rhaenyra, daughter of Prince Viserys, joining together the lines of Baelon and Aemon. Prince Aemond would claim the dragon Ambertail, the dragon of King Viserys, elder brother and predecessor to King Jaehaerys, and this act more than any other confirmed his legitimacy to rule.

Thus the year 105 AC witnessed a seismic shift in the established order of Westeros, a moment etched in the annals of history.  For Queen Jocelyn, this act was not met with quiet acceptance despite the hollowness of her marriage, but with a burning indignation as accounts reveals a woman deeply offended by the King's decision. Queen Jocelyn, far from being a passive observer, saw this as a blatant disregard for established law and a personal insult to her, for the elevation of a bastard over the rightful line of her daughter (not Prince Baelon who by the laws of the Crown was next in line) was in her view a grave injustice, a betrayal of the very principles upon which the realm was built.  Her displeasure was not merely private; she voiced her concern, within the court going as far as to denounce the marriage of Princess Rhaenyra as a immoral act that sacrificed the young princess's happiness for the sake of power, pleading for Prince Viserys to rescind his permission, Prince Viserys ignored her calling her a "Mad Harlot whose only act of note was to ruin my uncle's life". 

But the elevation of a bastard, a mere Waters, over her bloodline was more than just a personal insult, it was a public declaration of her diminished value and she and the entire realm saw it as a deliberate act, a calculated dismissal of her contributions and her place within the royal tapestry. The whispers of “why not change the law to declare Princess Rhaenys the heir?” were not just political musings; they were a constant reminder of her own perceived failure to both birth a son and to convince the King to adopt more Andal culture and values. The King’s decision, in her eyes, was not merely a political move, but a personal condemnation, a wound that festered with every passing day, a constant reminder of her own personal indignity.

In contrast to Queen Jocelyn's fiery reaction, Princess Rhaenys responded to the Great Council of 105AC with a profound sorrow. Most accounts of the era, often focusing on her perceived ambition of her youth, tend to overlook the depth of her emotional response as conveyed to her granddaughter. The elevation of Prince Aemond, and thus the bypassing of her own claim which her father could also have pushed forward, was a brutal confirmation of her own perceived shortcomings. It was not the loss of the crown that wounded her most deeply, but the undeniable message it conveyed about her own worth in the eyes of the realm and most importantly her father, leading to a quiet despair and a retreat from the social life as she grappled with the implications of the King’s decision. The whispers of “The Queen Who Never Was” were not a source of defiance and ambition as many suspected, but a constant bitter reminder of her own failed relationships and broken family. The King’s decree, in her eyes, was not an act of political expediency to secure his succession with a man of his own bloodline, but a personal rejection, a devastating blow to her own sense of self.

It did not help her marriage was also straining at this time for her husband Count Corlys Velaryon refused to resign his seat on the Small Council as Master of Ships over this humiliation of his wife for as Count Corlys would tell the Princess Rhaenys, House Velaryon of Driftmark, while wealthy, was still not secure enough in the politics and trade networks to be complacent and let go of high offices.

The concern that Count Corlys harboured had much basis in fact. Their wealth and influence in Court depended on two pillars, one was their trading fleet and its resulting wealth, and the other was their ties to House Targaryen. But neither of these were invulnerable, for while having the Kings daughter serve as matriarch was a great boon, having the future King's half sister as matriarch may turn out to be a major vulnerability as the two children of King Aemon while not actively hostile were not close in the least and not much would be required to turn their relationship sour. Also a concern for the Velaryon's was that their trade network which sustained their all important fleet was reliant on the markets of other lands and fief other than Driftmark itself. That was not true for their rivals such as the Houses Hightowers, Lannisters, Grafton's, Seawynd's, and even the in their view 'lesser' rivals of Houses Celtimon's, Tyrells, Stonewolf, Manderly, Mallister's and Mooton's, who all possessed the advantage of controlling major port cities on the mainland to act as major entrepôts like Kings Landing, Oldtown, Dragonsmouth, Lannisport, White Harbour and Gulltown, allowing them to establish secure trade routes into their respective duchies and exert greater influence over commerce as they were able to entrench their trade networks in a way the Velaryon's could not. This was most easily seen with the river fleets of House Seawynd their fiercest rival but was equally true of almost all their other rivals as well,  who maintained stronger inland networks.

Not to mention that unlike many of the Houses they did not have within their extended Cadet House Lines and their domains an island on the stepstones to give them easier and cheaper access to the summer sea and its lucrative trade networks, requiring the Velaryon's to pay full price for access which put them on a competitive disadvantage.

Another major vulnerability was that while the ships of House Velaryon could be found in every port of note the isle of Driftmark while a major center of trade had only shipbuilding when it came to industries to call its own. And while one should not downplay the importance of shipbuilding as House Velaryon made good coin supplying ships to clients across the land; It meant that they had no major trade good of their own. Unlike the Redwynes or the Dornish they were not known for some lucrative wine, nor like the Eastwood-Tarth trading fleet were they well established into the liquor trade with its near unquenchable thirst for Eastwood Whiskey and Gin. Both of these goods were constantly in demand despite the proliferation of competitors, cheaper competitors at that, and managed to remain the favourite of Nobles and Magisters across Westeros and Essos for not just its better quality but also its higher prestige. Furthermore they lacked the Gold of the Lannisters, the industry of Oldtown like the Hightowers and the endless fertile fields of the Celtimon's and Tyrells'. Driftmark's island location also meant they did not have the ability to more easily harness the products of a vast hinterland like House Manderly or Grafton.

This meant that their tremendous wealth was dependent purely on their mastery of the seas and this disparity in their position to their rivals meant of the major trading Houses of the realm the Velaryon's were some of the most vulnerable to the shifting dynamics of trade, "The sea is a fickle mistress" Count Corlys would often remark, "and our fortunes ride upon her whims. We must remain vigilant, lest our rivals seize the advantage and banish us from the markets of the known world.". It did not help that the markets of Hull and Spicetown in Driftmark, which were popular for silk, spice and wool trading, were de facto controlled by the Rogare Bank which had allied with the Velaryon's and whose loans and support had helped these markets elevate themselves over their rivals. And while the Rogare's were, as just mentioned, allies this vulnerability and lack of control of the markets of their own fief created a constant source of anxiety for the Velaryon's, who feared that their hard-won wealth could be easily lost. This was most true for their wool trade with the Manderly's, Starks, Boltons, Dustin's, Stonewolf's,  Grafton's,  Melcolm's,  Eastwood's, Swann's and others all seeking to take back the control of the wool trade they had lost to the Rogare's meaning that despite Driftmark's' wool trade and workshops only growing they were also battling constantly to maintain ground were possible, and generally but not consistently losing relative share in the growing markets of Westeros.

A further consideration was the Velaryon wealth and influence was challenged at every turn by the Seawynd's of Seahorse Town, a-city-in-the-city of Kings Landing, in whose markets they held an advantage. They were not just a cadet branch of House Velaryon but its fiercest competitor and rival as the two now separate houses sought control of the trade networks of Blackwater bay and the Crownlands.

The balance of power between the Seawynd's and Velaryon's was a delicate one, constantly shifting with the tides of trade and political advantage. While the Velaryon's possessed the advantage of a dragon-riding matriarch and a close alliance with the King through her, as well as a strong trade fleets; The Seawynd's held near equal sway over the lucrative trade routes of the Narrow Sea even with the advantages brought forth by the Rogare-Velaryon alliance. This was as their more entrenched riverine trade networks allowed them to more easily and cheaply access inland markets. Furthermore the Seawynd's, based in King's Landing, were more adept at navigating the intricacies of court politics, cultivating alliances with the growing number of neutral houses and securing favourable trade agreements. They understood the importance of maintaining good relationships and acted not as leaders but facilitators for the Queens Coalition, their ships sailing across Westeros acting as not just traders but emissaries and interlocutors for the Gardeners, Lannisters and other Houses, avoiding open conflict and relying on other means to achieve their goals, borrowing the strength of other Houses. "The true power lies not just in the roar of dragons, particularly during times of peace" a Seawynd would write in his journals during this era, "but also in the silent opening up of everyday trade and the subtle influence of whispers brought forth by trusted friends." This more passive approach contrasted to the Velaryon's, who on the other hand, were more direct in their approach, openly leading the growing Driftmark Faction in court and relying on their wealth and might to assert their dominance.

Also to keep in consideration was the fact that the Seawynd's, entrenched in the heart of the capital, wielded influence that extended beyond mere commerce in the city. Their constant presence allowed them to subtly manipulate policy to their advantage in a way that the more transient Velaryon's could not. Their large holding in the Royal Capital also gave them much say, particularly via the City Council where they held many fiends and allies. Furthermore they held much influence in the City outside Seahorse Town, owning a vast network of establishments such as taverns, inns, brothels, shops, warehouses and more which made them masters of the whisper campaign, adept at spreading rumour's and sowing discord among their rivals at court while also helping keep track of their actions in the city. Their ability to influence the flow of information and shape public perception gave them a distinct edge in the politics of the realm. "A scandalous whisper in King’s Landing," a Seawynd Maester would record, "echoes throughout Westeros, but particularly when the Seawynd's want it to do so. The reverse is true as well, for it is remarkable how many supposedly secret tales from across the realm the smallfolk and members of the Royal Court just happen to come by in certain inns, taverns and gambling dens"

With the Great Council of 105 AC the Seawynd's, seizing the opportunity to exploit the divisions within the realm, subtly undermined the Velaryon's' position; Spreading rumours of discord between Princess Rhaenys and the King among others. This meant that despite the outward prosperity and power Driftmark sat ill at ease especially as it realised they may now face the enmity of the crown for potentially decades with the accession of Crown Prince Aemond.

As such Count Corlys Velaryon, acutely aware of these challenges, refused to resign from the Small Council, despite the tensions it created in his marriage. He also sought with renewed vigour to further expand the Velaryon trade network, establishing new trading posts and forging alliances. He also invested heavily in shipbuilding and naval defense, ensuring that his war fleet remained a formidable force in the Narrow Sea which gave him power and leverage even during times of peace as he retained the ability to protect his trade routes without depending on others. All this would be vital in withstanding the shocks as the political implications of the Great Council of 105 AC continued to reverberate throughout the realm, reshaping alliances and creating new divisions with the Velaryon's, caught in the crosscurrents of these shifting tides

"The sea is ever changing" Count Corlys would often say, "and so must we."

Chapter Text

In 106 AC the King Aemon would proclaim the Bank Decree, forbidding anyone except chartered banks from making loans to any merchant or noble family outside the duchy in which the money lender was based. The Decree further forbade anyone, even chartered banks, who lent money to demand the money they lent to be paid back in a different currency if the amount lent was more than 100 gold Dragons, and limited how much could be charged in late fees. Furthermore no one but a chartered bank was to be allowed to finance merchants with the purpose of trading with Essos a sum more than 100 Gold Dragons, and this was a cumulative per merchant to get around the possibility of multiple loans. All of which was to be implemented from 110 AC. In doing so the king took a hammer to the foundations of the Westerosi banking and money lending institutions, for there was only one Chartered Bank in all of Westeros, the Bank of the Dragon. As such there was a horde of nobles, merchants, depositors and money lenders to the Royal Court, hoping to change his mind.

However it was at this point that the King Aemon revealed his true intentions, he declared that henceforth 10 new banking charters would be made available and these banking charters allowed for not only money lending across the Kingdom and financing trade with Essos but also made it legal to charge interest rates of up to 7%, Henceforth any loan charging more than 7% interest was declared to be usury while any loan charging at or below 7% was deemed to be permissible by the Faith if the institution had received a charter. The restriction on late payments fines were also loosened but not dropped for chartered banks. Further benefits of chartered bank would be legal recognition making recovering money easier as the banks got better protection under the law, especially against nobles, further the bill of exchanges (where the bank guaranteed the funds) of chartered banks would be accepted for paying taxes and settling of court adjudicated debts. This would open up a lucrative field as for many, especially more minor, houses paying via their local bank would be easier in some cases that paying in physical gold which brought in costs and hassles of their own.

This would make these charters extremely valuable, and knowing this the king declared that he would be selling each charter for 150,000 gold Dragons, to be paid over a period of 20 years. This gold was to be used for three reasons; half a million gold dragons would be going to the building of a brand new basilica in the Holy Square dedicated to Jon the Baptist who performed the first baptism on Hugor of the Hills, the gold given to the Faith who was in charge of building the structure, not the Crown which only provided the gold. This basilica, which like most others took decades to complete, as well as one seventh of the tac revenue from the profits of these chartered banks was the price the Faith demanded for allowing the king to legalise the charging of interest rates by these chartered banks of up to 7% though it would be decades if not centuries before the Faith accepted the charging of interest of any kind as anything more than a sin, if at the very least a minor one. 200 thousand gold dragons would be used to compensate both the Queen Visenya Trust and the Prince Maegor Trust, for the increased competition was bound to reduce the profits of the Bank of the dragon and in doing so would reduce their incomes. The king also gave land to both the trusts which was currently on the outskirts of the royal capital, with the expectation that both the trusts would use some of the gold that they had received to develop these lands in order to receive rental incomes from it so as to lessen the blow. The third purpose for the gold was to build up the coffers of the royal family as they designed new Royal Works, which would ensure King Aemon's legacy would last.

The King Aemon would offer each of the Dukes the right of first refusal, he also asked them for advice on whom he should confer the charter on. For the King wanted to balance the new banks being created across the realm and did not want to concentrate them too much in one region, while at the same time not upset the power balance in the duchies too much.

The North

House Stark chose to receive the charter themselves and opened the Direwolf Bank based in the Winter city, with a new branch being opened first in Stoneport with House Stonewolf brought in as minor stakeholder and partner. The bank initially operated on the same model of the Bank of the dragon lending out their own wealth rather than accepting depositor's, though this would soon change after a decade once it got more established. Soon it offered services such as bills of exchange, money exchanging services, and investment as partial owners rather than lenders. In a bid to expand its network, and to pay the fees for receiving the charter as their profit were not that high in the first few years; Other houses were also brought in as minority stakeholders however the Duke remained as the largest stakeholder and still led the Bank. Houses which bought into the bank included House Ryswell, House Dustin, House Tallhart, House Karstark, House Ramsworth and House Whitewolf.

Branches of the bank were opened in all of their seats so as to increase the banks network and also to let the houses see the benefit of their participation. The Direwolf bank in the end became very internally focused, for while it facilitated trade with other parts of the Kingdom and with Essos, primarily through the rapidly growing Windstrider trading company who were able to open their own branch of the bank in Windstrider town, helping facilitate the Banks integration into the Northern and Westerosi trade networks. Overall by volume lent its main customers what the Lords of the North themselves followed by Northern merchants with few loans made to the merchants and lords of other Duchies. With the credit the bank provided was used by the North to develop itself, building water wheels and windmills in villages, paving roads and building smaller canals and sewers in towns, establishing new trade fleets, establishing new workshops so as to export its crafts and its goods, surveying and developing new mines, etc.

In this the bank was aided by the fact that the North was going through it's golden age along with most of Westeros. Due to a variety of circumstances brought forth by King Jaehaerys Golden Reign, as well as earlier factors in lay since the Conquest of Westeros such as long peace; There was a massive expansion in the North's population leading to growth unseen before and creating high demand for credit while also creating opportunities to repay it back as the North increased its trade, it's settlements, it's markets and its wealth at a rate faster than almost any other duchy in the Kingdom and the Kingdom as a whole was prospering aplenty already. When comparing an absolute reduction in poverty and growth in Wealth only Crownlands, which were underpopulated borderlands, and were boosted by the seemingly endless expenditure of House Targaryen to build their city, being able to match the growth the North. This was as its relatively low base allowed it to grow much faster relative to the rich Westerlands and Reach which while retaining their ranks as the richest grew relatively slower overall.

The Vale

Duke Denys Arryn was wary of banks and opted not to open his own bank for like the traditional Lords of the Vale, he thought banking and money lending to be sinful activities beneath him. Instead the Duke was convinced by his cousin Lord Isembard Arryn to nominate him for the charter with Duke Denys becoming a partner in the venture without needing to dirty his hands and honour in it. Lord Isembard Arryn was the head of the Gulltown Arryns, a more mercantile branch of the Family. He was known as the Gilded Falcon due to his wealth, as men used to jape that the falcon on his arms was made of gold, it was a name he liked enough that he renamed his trading company to the Gilden Falcon Company. The King however was interested with more than just gold in the case of the Vale and so he granted the charter but only on the condition that the Lord Isembard bring in many partners into the Bank. In particular he wanted the Bank to be run in partnership with the houses of the Weirwood Vale and the Mountain clans so as to integrate them into the economy of the Vale so as to help reduce the ancient enmities between these people by making them partners in building a common prosperous future.

The king allowed for these houses to have only a minority stake, no more than 1/5 was mandatory but he wanted the participation of at least the Weirwood Vale Houses. Lord Isembard accepted the offer of the King and joined in partnership with the Weirwood Vale Houses. As followers Old Gods they had no issue with charging interest nor were they so proud of their own heritage that they thought activities which would encourage commerce and earn profits to be beneath them. Both Lord Isembard and the Weirwood Vale Houses agreed the Mountain clans were barely ready for basic trade such as barter, much less running a bank, but they were not opposed to more partners, partners who were frankly required to meet the demands of the King's fee for the charter. As such the very next year in Gulltown the Falcons bank would be founded, with House Arryn of the Eyrie owning 1/5th of the share, House Melcolm of Old Anchor and Waxley of Wickenden also joining with the bank owning a tenth of the Bank, each, leaving the Gulltown Arryns as the holders with the largest stake with a 4/10th share of the bank. It was initially a moneylender bank as it did not originally accept depositors other than its owners, but it still offered services such as bills of exchange, money exchanging services, and investment as partial owners rather than lenders.

It would compete fiercely with both the Rogare Bank which was supported by House Shett and the Bank of the Dragon  which was supported by House Grafton. As such the three banks became proxy fighters for the three noble families of the principal port and city of the Vale.  In time the Falcons bank along with becoming profitable would become the main facilitator of trade between the houses of the Weirwood Vale and the rest of the duchy, this would give them severe dividends when the bank would sponsor mining surveys in the Weirwood Vale in return for a share of the profits for 50 years, and in remote areas which where abandoned due to their poor soils found silver, enough for a couple of operational mines, and while the silver mined was not the same as the bountiful rivers of Silver Den or the Hornvale it was still a great sum which helped build up for Weirwood Vale and help finance and capitalise the Falcons bank.

The bank would also become deeply intertwined with the Gilded Falcon trading company, with the company using the bank to finance its growing trade network and the bank using the companies growth and network to boost its own profits but that is not to say  Moontown, Old Anchor and Wickenden did not benefit with all three houses expanding their own trade and increased their fief's population and income, also hosting branches of the Bank.

The Riverlands

Duke Grover Tully wished to set up his own bank, one which would hopefully gain him more influence in his own Duchy, but knew he had neither the experience nor enough funds to spare, as such he decided to partner with House Blackwood, who had been one of the key moneylenders of the land. It was through their ability to charge and pay interest that they were able to serve the various kings of the Riverlands as their chief financiers, managing the money and the debts of the Kings and also helping the various lords of the Riverlands. Collecting debts which they then used to extract protection from the surrounding Andal families. This was what allowed House Blackwood to survive all these years in the south after the Andal invasion and retain their Faith for the Faithful required their sinful usury based loans. Indeed more than their strong armies of the wealth of the land, the court banking role of House Blackwood was in truth its greatest strength, one which more than once had saved them from the Faith Militant and House Bracken.

House Blackwood agreed to open a bank for it foresaw much profit in the venture, but instead of simply making it a joint partnership between House Tully and House Blackwood which would be opposed by many of their rivals House Blackwood suggested bringing in more partners, to create a larger base which would be incentivised to use their bank, this would also reduce their own burden. Duke Elmo Tully agreed and Houses Mallister, Vaelaros, Qoherys, Qhaedar and Harroway were brought in with House Mooton and House Frey declining to join.  As such the Bank of the Trident was founded, it was like the Direwolf Bank and the Bank of the Dragon in that it did not initially accept deposits from outsiders but this would overtime change with merchants allowed to open deposits and earn interest. The Bank was focused on growing trade in Westeros itself and taking full advantage of the Riverland's location in the center of Westeros. The bank also helped Duke Elmo project his authority across his domains, for it provided a ready made support base and alliance, something Duke Elmo needed to corral and rally his unruly bannermen.

The Westerlands

In the Westerlands there were two banks, one opened by House Lannister, the Bank of Lannisport, the other by House Reyne, the Bank of Castamere. The opening of these banks did not really change much, both these houses had been participating in money lending activities for centuries though through a variety of tricks such as charging late fees and using biased exchange rates due the Faith's prohibition on interest. As such both these houses, the richest in the Westerlands, opened their own banks fully operational unlike the others, with the operations being moved over from the existing activities. These two banks would fiercely compete with one another, and with every other bank, the seemingly endless gold and silver reserves allowing them to provide large sums at interest rates unheard of. Compared to the rest of the new chartered banks the two banks were very much focused on the rest of the Kingdom, for the Nobles of the duchy did not really need loans and the merchants already had access to loans on generous terms under their previous operations and as such did not really provide a great new opportunity. They both accepted certain depositors, mostly merchants based in their fiefs and in the cities of Westeros where they opened branches such as Kings Landing. House Reyne also used their bank to help develop the town of Castamere, hoping to grow it into a larger seat now that the many ancient restrictions on the town had been removed by the Old King, and it was aided in this by the Reyne river allowing it to more easily access sea trade.

This opening of a second bank in the Westerlands was considered quite an affront by the Lannisters, especially as not only was it a competitor the Duke had explicitly asked for the charter not to be granted.

The Reach

In the Duchy of the Reach the Duke Gardener would decline opening up his own new bank, due to his family's longstanding association with the Bank of the Dragon. As such a bank would be opened by House Hightower of Oldtown who were begrudgingly nominated by the Duke at the insistence of the Crown despite the fierce political rivalry between Highgarden and the Hightower. This would be the Bank of Oldtown, it would allow for depositor's other than its founders, leading to rapid growth in the city. The Bank would also grow using the existing trade networks of the city as a base, expanding its influence across the trade networks of the Reach.

As such the Bank of Oldtown would be used by the Hightowers as another tool in the heightened political conflict between the two strongest Houses of the Reach.

The Stormlands

In the Stormlands the Duke Boremund would decline setting up his own bank, instead the three houses of the Northeastern alliance who were heavily dependent on trade would set up the Northeastern Bank owned and operated equally by the three. This bank unlike many of the others which was not focused on facilitating loans to its own duchy and to the nobility, instead it was outward looking, its goal was to fund merchants who would increase trade in their lands, connecting them to the markets of Essos and Westeros outside the Stormlands and in doing so grow their towns into trading hubs and thus increase the value derived from their goods including grains, whiskey, cloth, gin, coal coke, metals and metal instruments, amber and much more. The Northeastern alliance was determined to make their lands, part of the mainland duchy with some of the most martial, trade-is-for-the-weak-and-craven-to-waste-money-on-baubles nobility  into a premier trading hub. In this they were aided by increasing ties to the Houses of Cape Wrath who too were looking to expand their emphasis on trade and increase ties to Essos and the Narrow Sea. In a sense the bank was only set up because the King forbade the lending of large sums of money in financing of trade with Essos and outside their own duchy, for this bank more than any other had little need of the right to lend across the realm. Even less so than the Direwolf bank, Falcons Bank of the Bank of the Trident. As such in the initial years while it was still establishing itself it ran into losses however the Northeastern Alliance houses were not deterred for them this was merely the cost of doing business with said losses being compensated for in the future.

Dorne

Prince Qoren Nymeros Martell wish to set up his own bank but feared that the fee of 150,000 gold Dragons when there was no guarantee of profit was too much for his coffers to bear, furthermore he was unable to garner interest from any House he was willing to ally with in order to start the bank, and felt that the amount of trade in his own fief was too small to justify the expense when considering the competition. Therefore unlike House Tully which faced with the same predicament, he was unable to open his own bank, even as a partner. But even his opponents would agree that they would find it difficult to justify a bank, and more importantly the cost of the charter, in Dorne meaning the Duchy would not have its own bank.

The Iron Islands

No house in the Iron islands would be interested in setting up its own bank. Furthermore few merchants of the islands if any would be interested in taking loans.  Also important to note was the fact that the Ironborn did not trust bills of exchange as a matter of principle and faith with some drowned men denouncing the idea of paper based claims to your own gold stored with others, deeming the using of such paper to be heresy and 'Greenlander Witchcraft'. Because of these factors banking did not spread to the Iron islands even in the form of Bank branches.

The Stepstones

In the islands of the Stepstones Prince Valerion of the Glittering Isle would request for and receive a banking charter for the Bank of the Glittering Isle. In doing so the Prince wanted to put all the gold he was mining to work, hoping to use low interest rates in order to facilitate the growth of merchants based on his own island, and thus to turn his island into a trading hub rather than a mere resupply stop in the middle of the Narrow sea.  It offered trusted merchants interest bearing accounts as well as services such as bills of exchange , money exchanging services, and investment as partial owners rather than lenders. Due to his partial ownership of the Bank of the Dragon, the Bank of the Glittering Isle made an alliance with the older bank and was integrated into its network, acting partially as a branch of the Bank of the Dragon. This greatly boosted the bank's appeal and allowed its merchants to trade more easily.

The Crownlands

But the single greatest dilemma facing any house wishing to set up a bank was House Velaryon of Driftmark. Both house Velaryon and House Rogare knew that if Driftmark wanted to set up its own bank now would be the chance, however in the end it was decided that they would continue should be allies. For Driftmark it made sense because they were not as confident in running the bank themselves and not willing to give up the benefits of being part of a larger network. For House Rogare similarly the benefits of alliance were hard to give up, especially they were foreigners who would not have access to the deep ties the rest of their competition had.

But it was only later when they read the decree in full that they realised that the Rogare bank would nonetheless have to substantially change how it operated. For non Westerosi were forbidden from owning shares of  chartered banks, nor were Non Westerosi Banks allowed to operate as Charter banks. Hence it was decided that Lorenzo Rogare, who had handled his family's banking interests in the Kingdom would apply for a charter and set up a new bank. This new Westerosi Rogare Bank would be independent of the old Rogare Bank of Lys in terms of its books and its legal identity and obligations. The old bank in Lys would continue to be operated by Lorenzo's brother Lysandro and to compensate his family for their loss of the Westerosi market Lorenzo Rogare would sell half the shares of this new bank to House Velaryon of Driftmark for a large sum and then use it to purchase the Westerosi operations of the Rogare Bank of Lys.

Both the Rogare banks would sign an alliance which would guarantee cooperation pledging to continue to honour bills of exchange on the same terms, to continue to cooperate when it came to exchanging currencies, and to otherwise facilitate trade between their clients as before, something Driftmark agreed with for the Rogare network was one of its main strengths. Lorenzo Rogare would use some of his wealth to purchase land from House Buckwell with the aid of House Velaryon of Driftmark, half a dozen or so villages on the banks of the Gods Eye river, and would get Princess Rhaenys to petition her father so that he may recognised as a Lord so as to continue to operate the bank, which the king would grant. As such he would swear his oaths and become Lord Lorenzo Rogare of Vaduz, a subject of the Iron Throne. The new House Rogare of Vaduz while operating out of Kings Landing built a new fortified palace in their new lands, which was named for a hunting lodge his family owned.

The new bank's main advantages included the fact that it still maintained its network across the Narrow Sea, and thus was able to offer unparalleled access to and services in foreign markets, not to mention its large portfolio of services with the Westerosi Rogare bank being the most sophisticated financial institution in all of Westeros. Thus nobles and merchants based across Westeros maintained accounts in the bank, and preferred using the bank for all their banking requirements.

With this the realm was set for a new era in its commercial and financial history as a flood of new banks led to a flood of activity and credit. From the start realising that they did not have the means to compete with the banks in the Crownlands with the established history and large networks, or the Westerlands with their seemingly unlimited resources, or even the Bank of Oldtown with its location on one of the, if not the single greatest trading port in the Realm; The Direwolf Bank, the Falcons Bank, the Northeastern Bank and the Bank of the Trident would quickly form an alliance of their own, known as the Westerosi Banking Alliance for lack of an agreement on any other name, pledging to accept each other's bills of exchange on favourable rates and terms and pledging to cooperate on facilitating payments between their Duchies so as to encourage trade by their merchants. In time they would even coordinate their money exchange services so as to provide better rates. This banking alliance would be crucial in helping these newer banks survive and thrive.

In the end the main area that the banks would be competing over when it came to external markets was the contiguous block composed of Lower Riverland's, the Crownlands, the Reach outside the Hightower domains, the Stormlands (outside the banking island that was the lands of the Northeastern Alliance) and Dorne. This was a substantial part of the Kingdom and had its own resources, trade and wealth. As such these lands would see much activity as the banks fought bitterly over this market, opening many branches, as they found their home markets saturated and the other parts of Westeros having local players who would bitterly contest them even if it did not make financial sense to do so. Meaning that these were some of the cheapest markets to borrow sums in, and not just in the kingdom but also the known world, at least in these initial years. Something many more mercantile lords and merchants would take full advantage off.

These banks and the response of the nobility and Faith to them would reflect the increasingly dual nature of the Westerosi nobility as the traditionalist denounced the less honourable, craven and more money minded ways of their mercantile peers who in turn praised the Targaryens for their peace and prosperity.

In 107 AC Countess Rhea died in a hunting accident which many whispered was no accident at all. With no children in the marriage Prince Daemon received nothing from the union. He would not be a widower for long though as his uncle the King Aemon would arrange a marriage for him to Lady Aemma Selwyn of Seahorse Crescent in order to give him a tie to the Stepstones where he was to inherit his seat, but he disliked his second wife nearly as much as his first wife, claiming he wanted not an ordinary Valyrian, but one with Targaryen blood who could be a dragon rider, like the bride his brother got. But there were no suitable daughters of Targaryen Princesses for him both due to their age and his disastrous first marriage making the Blackwood's wary of breaking a betrothal to match one of their daughters with him, for along with his reputation he brought comparatively little wealth and lands to any marriage, having been born the second son to a second son. Prince Daemon also refused all granddaughters of Princess Aerea claiming their blood was too diluted as the two granddaughters of the appropriate age had their mothers Andal golden hair rather than their fathers Valyrian silver hair. And in any case other factors also made such a match unworkable including the fact that none of them wanted to marry the man known as the Rouge Prince who spent more time in brothels and taverns than in his own fief. It is said it would take him a month to finally bed his wife, and he would spend months away from his seat avoiding her and making enemies of the Selwyn of Seahorse Crescent and House Seawynd.

However the most surprising news of the year 107 AC would be when the King announced that the Crown was selling its shares of the Bank of the Dragon to House Gardener, the payment to be made over 20 years, this would not only return control of the bank to the direct Line of Prince Maegor, but would provide the Crown immense levels of gold for despite the competition and despite its challenges in adapting to the new landscape the Bank of the Dragon remained one of the largest and most important financial institutions in the Kingdom, having been consistently profitable even if at times it was strapped for liquid capital, and had in the forms of loans an enormous fortune, not to mention other assets such a tenth of the King Jaehaerys canal, and the right to profit from various bridges etc. The reason for selling this stake is considered to be the fact that the crown needed to gold and that it was less than confident in the prospects of the Bank of the Dragon in the future, now that it had much more competition. However this may have been a better deal for the Bank of the Dragon as freed from the need to support the endeavours of the Crown it was able to take a more aggressive and profitable path. Under the Gardeners who now owned the majority of the bank the Bank of the Dragon joined in the Westerosi Banking Alliance along with its partner the Bank of the Glittering Isle, greatly enhancing its network, allowing it to better compete.

This need for gold would become apparent when the King announced the building the King Aemon Canal, seeking to connect the Trident to the Gods Eye Lake similar to how his father had linked the Mander to the Blackwater. The Canal would start in Darry land upstream of the widows ford and continue to Harrenhal, it would have few curves as instead of being level it would use locks fed by the waters of a small river which started in the hills east of Lychester and would have drained into the Gods Eye lake anyway, only now a northern passage would be carved with locks built along the entire path to facilitate movements over lands which the gods never intended for ships to cross. This meant it was shorter than the King Jaehaerys Canal, though its construction cost and time was projected to be similar due to the worse terrain. As part of the works the Princess Rhaenys Bridge would be built to ensure the canal would not disrupt the travellers of the Kingsroad.

However unlike the King Jaehaerys Canal, this one would not have similar backing, meaning the relative burden borne by the Crown to build this canal was initially assumed to be much higher as House Qoherys and Darry in whose lands the canal would flow could only contribute so much and needed to borrow to pay for their share; And unlike House Gardener, House Tully saw no need for a  canal which at best would provide only a marginal boost to them and thus were unwilling to become partners in this endeavour, a feeling followed by the rest of the Houses that made up the Bank of the Trident and who thus agreed to not lend the Canal any money. The Bank of the Dragon also was a smaller financier this time, despite the high profits it was currently receiving from the King Jaehaerys Canal, and many believe that the refusal of the bank's other partners to allow the bank invest more money towards the canal, and in particular refusing to lend any gold to Houses Darry and Qoherys, was what convinced the King to sell the shares in the bank. This meant that the King would search for partners to help afford the project, settling on House Lannister and Reyne, who both agreed to provide funds in return for ownership share in the company and thus its profits. House Lannister and Reyne also loaned money to Houses Qoherys and Darry so that they could pay their required sums, in return for half their share of the profit until the loan was paid over thrice.

Both Westerland Houses also received many offices for this aid with Duke Tyland Lannister made Master of Laws and Ser Rogar Reyne made High Steward of the City of Kings Landing.  In the end the King Aemon Canal Company would have the following ownership:

House Targaryen: 50%

House Qoherys: 15%

House Lannister: 10%

House Reyne: 10%

Bank of the Dragon: 10%

House Darry: 5%

Even with this funding the Royal coffers took a major hit and the canal would essentially absorb all the gold the crown received from selling the banking charters and the shares of the Bank of the Dragon. In the endeavour to secure more funds King Aemon however would be aided by the King Jaehaerys Canal which would provide the crown with a 100,000 gold dragons in profits that year alone, this revenue stream taking the burden of funding the remaining share of canal owed by the Crown.

Soon the Royal finances would stabilise, and the royal reserves would start growing for the first time in a long time. But this would not be enough for the Royal finances to be truly secure in the eyes of the King for he had more plans to be paid for and thus the King Aemon would implement a series of methods to increase his coffers. The King would sponsor trade long range expeditions with the Seahorse Trading Company and House Velaryon, seeking to send fleets to increase direct trade with Hellas, Qarth, the White Kingdoms and the Ghiscari without needing the Free cities as middlemen and thus paying their tariffs and upcharges. The Royal Workshops would also be expanded to meet the increasing demand for their goods, increasing the profits the Crown received, they were expanded to produce luxury goods like leather products (gloves, bags, saddles) via the new Royal Leather Works in Antlers, and metalworks in Kings Landing. Meanwhile other incentives were created to increase production of goods such as cotton textiles for both Westeros and Essos, with Duskendale becoming an important player in cotton fabrics, fed by the produce of the Reach via the King Jaehaerys Canal, as well as the growing production of the Stepstones, and the islands of Oros and Dragons' Deep in particular.

In these years the Realm remained prosperous and wealthy, however the calm of these year would not last and starting from 111 AC the Crown went through tragedies. That year Prince Baelon would die during a hunt when a snake spooked his horse throwing him off and snapping his neck. The death of his younger brother was of great shock to the King, the Royal Family and the Realm at large. The King would appoint his nephew Prince Viserys the his next Hand of the King to make him more comfortable with running the realm as it was likely that his son Prince Aemond would have appointed him as hand anyway due to the upcoming marriage.  Further tragedy would come just a few months later when Prince Daemon's second wife Princess Aemma would die in childbirth, her son Prince Baelon the Younger dying just a month later as well, leading the Prince to become a childless widower again. Almost a month later the Princess Betha also gave birth to a stillborn daughter almost dying in the process, with many rumours, and the loud proclamations of Queen Jocelyn, claiming the Seven had finally punished the Line of Baelon for their sins, having lost so many in such a short amount of time.

The death of Prince Baelon would herald a great realignment in Westerosi politics which while very quick in its execution was years in the making, his death just the final push for the last remnants of the old political system to collapse and reform. The previous generations fight for culture had become an issue of yesteryear, something the elders bickered about while the a growing proportion of young nobles mixed and matched songs, fashions and languages, embracing both Valyrian and Westerosi culture in equal measure and picking the best of both, something which if the Old King saw would have warmed his heart. (Though many of the Valyrian and Andal Houses retained their core identities and cultural affiliations in an exclusive manner based on bloodline and origin). Similarly the matter of succession which had animated the court was also by now long moot with the accession of Prince Aemond now secured by a Great Council.

The politics of the day were instead dominated by considerations of trade and coin, a matter which the King had helped bring about with his chartered banks. Further this transition was also because of the fact that many of the most important leaders of the political battles of the past decades were either dead or no longer involved in the Royal Court in such a capacity such as Queen Alysanne, Queen Jocelyn, Prince Baelon, Princess Alyssa, Duke Boremund, Count Ronald Reyne, Countess Mansa Florent, Count Jacob Royce, Dowager Countess Mooton and others. Now instead of which style of hair the nobility was concerned about who one banked and traded with. 

As such after the death of Prince Baelon the Queens coalition finally broke apart after hollowing out for years and with it so did the Anti-Maegor Coalition which collapsed completely with even the Faith realising that associating with the Queen did them more harm than good. Even the Hightower coalition while surviving in name was not the same, with a much different composition and with new objectives and interests. Even the old Storm's End-Driftmark Alliance would soon break apart in not just fact but also in name with the death of Duke Boremund, son of Alyssa Velaryon. In coming years as his heir Duke Rogar plotted a more neutral path as he turned Storm's Ends attention away from the Royal Court and back to the Stormlands.

This major realignment in allegiances and loyalties led to the new major coalitions of Westeros which were now:

The Kings Landing Coalition: Composed of the core houses of the Queens coalition, that is the Line of Maegor and their closest allies. It included the Houses Seawynd, Gardener, Lannister, Celtigar, Rowan, Oakheart, Welsh, Crakehall, Grafton, Buckwell, Tagaros, Maegyar, Merryweather, Redwyne and Mantarys. Despite being in some ways the strongest coalition it was not particularly active compared to the other two, functioning more as a trade alliance and a defensive pact, banding together to strike down any major threat to their influence while its members acted independently in the meantime. Publicly this was as the members of the coalition were broadly content with the political situation as they already held many high offices and were instead increasingly concentrating more on their own lands and their long term works, in common with the neutral Houses. But a more important reason for their lack of coordinated action was due to the fact that despite the blood ties between them, the Kings landing Coalition was leaderless with Houses fighting among themselves for leadership, particularly Houses Gardener and Lannister, with membership of the Kings landing Coalition more about rejecting the other coalitions.

Thus instead the main coalitions which were active in the Royal Court and were responsible for most of the political violence and jostling of this era were:

The Driftmark Faction: Led by House Velaryon this coalition was an alliance built from scratch by the Count Corlys using his trade empire and influence.  It included Houses Rogare, Martell, Shett, Darklyn, Celtimon, Tyrell, Rosby, Stokeworth, Mooton, Massey, Cox, Bolton and Manderly. This coalition was a more active coalition compared to the Kings Landing Coalition for it was undisputedly led by the Velaryon's.  It sought to gain more power in the Royal Court and offices for unlike the Kings Landing coalition it held relatively few of the higher offices of the realm despite House Velaryon's close ties to the Crown. It was arguably both the weakest but also the most united of the three major coalitions of the Era.

The Hightower Coalition: Led by House Hightower it included Houses Corbay, Hunter, Reyne, Banefort, Florent, Swann, Dayne, Whitehead,  Costayne, Beesbury, Roxton, Swann, Tarbeck, Melcolm, Arryn of Gulltown and Waxley.  It was like the Driftmark Faction more active in the Royal Court, and sought to not just gain power but use the Crown to keep the Lords Paramount's in check. It also became the main political faction which represented the Faith of the Seven in the politics of the Realm with the representatives of the High Septon being unofficial members.

It is important to note however that all these houses were compared to yester year much more loosely aligned and affiliated, with the corralling and keep together of ones coalition a much harder task.  This can both be seen in and explained by the rise of neutral but strong Houses. No longer was neutrality something for the weak or irrelevant as it had been decades ago. From Ducal Houses such as Baratheon, Stark, Martell and Arryn to smaller Houses such as House Darry, Piper and Lemonwood to dragon riding houses such as the Glittering Isle Targaryens, the majority of Houses had taken a much more neutral position in the newer politics of the Realm. Not aligning in the long run with any faction and instead creating a complicated web of trade ties and alliances.

All this meant that the Royal Court was less the scene of grand clashes of two united hosts but more an ever complicated dance where one constantly changed partners. This can be seen most clearly in the fact that the difference between neutral and aligned Houses was partially a matter of trade concentration and because there was a pre-existing blood alliance or long standing rivalry which fixed them on one side. For example in the case where the Arryns of Gulltown, Shett's and Grafton's, fierce rivals all were blocked from changing coalitions as they refused to align with their rivals. Similarly Tyrell and Celtimon membership in the Driftmark Faction is more or less caused by House Florent aligning with the Hightowers. The Seawynd's were the Velaryon's greatest rivals, and the Gardener's were the Hightowers, which also helped shape the coalitions.

It is also important to note that there were, along with these larger Westeros spanning coalitions, many smaller regional ones as well such as the Trident Coalition of Houses Tully, Blackwood, Mallister, Vaelaros, Qoherys, Qhaedar and Harroway and the River Coalition of Houses Frey, Bracken, Vhassar, Valentia and Strong in the Riverlands. The Northeaster Coalition of Errol, Eastwood and Tarth, the Northwestern Coalition of Houses Buckler, Penrose, Connington and Trant  in the Stormlands and more. The existence of these more regional coalitions added another downside to concentrating too much on Kings landing while ones rivals had their eye set on more local matters.

Overall all these factions, coalitions and alliances would help shape Westeros for years to come.

In 112 AC King Aemon died in his sleep of a fever, his death a shock to the realm as he was still too young to be expected to die naturally and had been expected to rule for decades more considering how long both his father and mother had lived. His son Prince Aemond became King Aemond, First of his Name, Head of House Targaryen, King of Westeros, King of the Andals, the First Men, the Ironborn and the Rhoynar, Duke of the Crownlands, Warden of the Narrow Sea, Defender of the Faith,  Lord of the Seven Kingdoms and Lord Protector of the Realm.

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King Aemond, First of his Name, Head of House Targaryen, King of Westeros, King of the Andals, the First Men, the Ironborn and the Rhoynar, Duke of the Crownlands, Warden of the Narrow Sea, Defender of the Faith,  Lord of the Seven Kingdoms and Lord Protector of the Realm was crowned with his father and grandfathers crown. He inherited a peaceful realm, wise councillors and distrust from the Faith and the Nobility. This distrust and dislike was especially seen when some accused him of poisoning his own father King Aemon to gain the Iron Throne, though none dared do so openly, not wishing to be fed to Ambertail which had grown to be a fierce dragon.

The weariness of the Faith for House Targaryen was due to many factors. The first was the fact that the King was a legitimised bastard born from the union of then Prince Aemon and his sister Princess Viserra, which while being objectionable for the Faith on its own was a major political blow for them as well, for the Faith and the most pious lords were the only remaining public supporters of Queen Jocelyn (who had been immediately retired/banished to Storms End by the King, his first Royal command), and the fact that she had been so publicly humiliated reflected badly on them as well. Further many royals including current Crown Prince Viserys were less than pious believers in the Faith of the Seven, another factor being that his wife Princess Betha had been raised in the Weirwood faith even though she later publicly converted. Many of her sisters were also married or betroth into other Houses which believed in the Old Gods such as House Stark, House Stonewolf, House Ryswell. Many in the faith feared that when considering House Targaryen's lack of piety, the strong faith of the Blackwood's would mean more conversions such the one which occurred in the Riverland's when Count Quenton Qoherys agreed to convert in order to Marry Jocelyn Blackwood. All this caused the Faith of the Seven concern over the direction of the realm, and made them less than supportive of the new King.

The strained relations still between the Crown and its nobles on the other hand was due to the Crown growing its authority and raising its taxes over the course of many decades. For while the Nobility enjoyed peace and prosperity they disliked having more of their power taken away and resented high taxes even as they grew wealthier each decade overall. However unlike his father when he became the King, King Aemond would not have to face too many issues regarding coin immediately between rising prosperity increasing taxes, and the control of expenditures with the King not announcing any new major new Royal Works, lessening the Crowns concern on its many expenditures in the short term.

King Aemond decided to deal with both these concerns by a combination of measures. To introduce himself to the realm and to meet his people the King took a long Royal Progress, the first by a King in decades, to see his realm and let them see him. He made it a point to visit every Cardinal of the Realm and pray with them in major events to show his piety, while distributing alms in name of the Seven. He would also have the good fortune of taking this progress the year when the Stary sept was opened for public prayers after decades of rebuilding after Prince Maegor burned it down, though it would take another decade more for the Sept to be fully rebuilt, prayers the King participated in and during which he would ask the gods for forgiveness for his great-great- grandfathers sins, the first time a Targaryen showed public regret for their actions during the Faith Militant Rebellion, an act of contrition which won him much praise. This goodwill however was limited as he refused to either rescind previous reforms or lower taxes. The latter was especially taboo as the King needed all the revenue he could get in order to finish the Royal Works he had inherited, determined to finish all the works except the Royal Roads which were too vast to complete in a single lifetime even after decades of work.

But despite its successes the Royal Progress also alerted to the realm that many still saw him as an illegitimate bastard with the phrase King Bastard, King Waters, or Aemond the Bastard still spoken too causally and openly in the Ducal and Noble Courts for his liking according to his spies and allies. It did not help that the King Aemond was rather paranoid and wary by nature both before and after his accession, and as such he would undertake in his reign many reforms to help keep his nobles in check. But also to strike a blow against Westerosi culture for the King had identified the Faith and Westerosi culture, and in particular but not exclusively Andal culture, as an enemy for him. This more expansive view of enemies was not just due to the Kings paranoid nature but also as he realised that both the Northerners and Iron Born were also wary of joining more deeply into the realm, wishing to preserve their own distinct cultures and traditions. But this was based on them rejecting to a degree their commonality with the rest of Westeros, something unacceptable to the Crown.

As such the King would begin to make plans, plans which impact us till this day.

The King Aemond would retain Prince Viserys as his Hand of the King. Though many noted that Ser Otto Hightower, the former Chancellor of the Exchequer who had served under Lord Lyman, the Master of Coin, and on the recommendation of Prince Hand Viserys had been appointed as private secretary and advisor to the King; Had become increasingly influential in the running of the realm, many calling him the Shadow Hand. This signalled the shifts in the politics of the realm that had occurred in the realm during the reign of King Aemon and showed the Hightower coalition on the rise.

In 113 AC King Aemond would charter four new citadels, the Winterfell Citadel, the Sunspear Citadel, the Edmynton Citadel (next to Riverrun) and the Durrandale citadel (near Storms End). This meant of the duchies of Westeros only the Iron Islands were currently lacking one. These new citadels would in time greatly increase the number of skilled and learned men in the realm, spurring improvements in everything from stewardship of companies and Houses to architecture to governance of towns.

The biggest benefit of these citadels would come to House Tully as with its foundation the small town of Edmynton would rapidly begin to grow like never before, becoming five times larger in the first 30 years alone. This would bring both prestige and wealth to House Tully which till now were one of only two Dukes without a proper large town in their direct fief. The town would also greatly benefit from the presence of a branch of the Bank of the Trident; With cheap loans available and the demands growing town providing demand the town would become a much larger market for trade.

In 114AC the King would announce the adoption of the Valyrian Calendar into Westeros, till now on all official documents and histories only the moons were used due to vast disagreement on the names of the month. Even King Aegon the Conqueror had not standardised these, now however King Aemond adopted the Valyrian calendar wholesale with the new calendar being the following:

The fact that all twelve months were now to be named after Valyrian Gods caused much outrage but the King was unconcerned for him the fact that he would act even when the whole realm was against him was part of the message he wanted to send. This would soon be followed by the City Culture Decree.

Henceforth all chartered cities in Westeros were to maintain a Circus or a field for chariot racing which was to be sponsored from taxes, and thus free, for the smallfolk at least 9 times a year. Once on each of the days of the Seven as well as on the Sevens Day, the Seventh day of the seventh month when all were celebrated together.  The final celebration was for the 5th day of the third month or the 5th of Meleysius to celebrate the landing of King Aegon the Conqueror, henceforth celebrated as Dragons Day. In the North (for Winterfell and Stoneden in particular) and Iron Islands owing to their different faiths, 8 other days rather than the Faith of the Seven's holidays were allowed to be used with Dragons Day forming the common secular holiday across Westeros.  This expansion of chariot racing which would grow to all corners of the realm, would just be the start. The City Culture Decree would also mandate the presence of a Valyrian Theater and baths in all chartered cities. And while again they could charge for most of the year for nine days they were to be sponsored to be free to the smallfolk, though with charges for extras and special services allowed even on these days.

The mandate to build Valyrian theatres and baths would be extended to the chartered towns, set forth by King Jaehaerys in 83 AC, depending upon their population. In time Haystack Port, Eastwood, Stormtower, Stonehelm, Evenfall Port, and Weeping town in the Stormlands; Crakehall, Kayce, Castamere and Banefort in the Westerlands; Ramsgate, Deepwood Motte, the Weeping Town, Flints Finger, in the North; Old Anchor, Bronze Cove, Hearts Home, Wickenden in the Vale; Lordsport and Harlaw Port in the Iron Islands; Saltport and Snowtown in the North; Wembley Town and Norwich in the Reach, would feature these building greatly enhancing the culture of these settlements.

All this was not just to entrench the Valyrian culture deeper into Westeros, but was also a way to increase the costs borne by the richest nobles, reducing the amount of coin they could use to oppose the King. This was especially true in the short run when the City Culture Decree caused many a noble to drain their coffers to meet the expenses. And while most agree Westeros as a whole benefited from these works they were expensive to not just build and maintain; For in earlier years the coin earned was generally not enough to recover the expenses of running and maintaining these works though in time they would generally either earn enough coin to be profitable (Baths and Theatres) or would gain additional sponsors such as guilds and richer merchants who would reduce the burden borne by the nobility in terms of chariot racing.

King Aemond's reign however would not be all triumphs and victories. With controversy not shying away for long, besides the fact he became King despite being bastard born, for in 115 AC Prince Daemon of Dragons Deep went to Driftmark, where he laid eyes upon the enchanting Countess Laena Velaryon, the daughter of Count Corlys and his cousin Princess Rhaenys, and he asked the Sea Snake for her hand in marriage for he had fallen in love at first sight the songs claimed.

Countess Laena was already betrothed to the son of a late Sealord of Braavos, but when the Sealord died, Countess Laena's betrothed squandered his father's money and power and came to Driftmark. There, for nearly ten years, Count Corlys repeatedly found ways to postpone their wedding, unwilling to let it go through, but he also did not have the means to break it, not just out of honour but mainly due to the fact that the penalty clauses, enforced by the Iron Bank of Braavos no less, would be a major blow to the Velaryon's, the late Sealord having provided much gold to them for the betrothal as bride price. Gold which was desperately required when they sought to compete with the Seawynd's and other Houses to grow their own trade empire, and gold they still needed in order to maintain their trade networks especially as they lacked the advantages of some other Houses such as the Redwynes, Grafton's and Seawynd's whose cadet branches in the stepstones provided them with cheap docking fees and discounts on warehousing and ship repairs and maintenance, advantages which while small individually per ship were large in aggregate. Also having a forward base allowed these houses to more efficiently trade with the Summer Sea and Summer Isle, another major issue was these houses monopolising the attention of the merchants from Westeros, Essos, Sothoryos, and Summer Isle who came to the Stepstones to trade as a convenient middle point , shutting the Velaryon's of Driftmark out of the growing and lucrative Stepstone entrepôts market. Finally if the contract was broken it would also attract a penalty interest rate tripling the amount to be owed, which would mean that House Velaryon if not completely impoverished would essentially lose its position as one of the richest Houses of the Realm.

Prince Daemon when explained the dilemma of why the betrothal could not be broken simply killed the Braavosi in a duel which was only supposed to be to first blood rather than to the death, freeing Count Corlys of one of his greatest burdens. While singers say Prince Daemon fell in love with Countess Laena at first sight, the records of the nobility and chroniclers of the time state that Prince Daemon, who had demonstrably met the Countess many times before as Princess Rhaenys and him had reconciled over their childhood rivalries and squabbles now that they were older, had married into mighty House Velaryon of Driftmark to check his own descent from power. For he held no office of note, and his fief the island of Dragons Deep was in disarray after being ignored by its liege for over a decade, with only the presence of Prince Valerion and his family keeping the Stepstones themselves, stable, prosperous and functioning despite the fact Prince Daemon was supposed to govern them in his fathers and later brothers name over the past few years. In fact despite being one of the larger of the islands Dragons Deep did not have the same level of the prosperity of the rest, as Prince Daemon had wasted his incomes on his vices rather than patiently investing in his holdings, meaning it saw lesser trade compared to the other major islands, for building orchards of olives and fruit which were some of the most lucrative trades of the stepstones and which could put much of the remaining land to good use required upfront investment for years before bearing returns, something which was also true for ports and harbours. Thus the Prince's income were derived mostly from the mines and cotton fields which were established by his father Prince Baelon which while profitable were not enough to fund both the improvement of the fief and Prince Daemon's expensive habits and taste's. It helped not that his wife Princess Aemma had spent much of the income of the fief left after the expenditures of Prince Daemon and the running of the fief on luxuries and jewels for herself out of spite for her husband meaning the coffers of the fief were almost always close to empty.

Many believe that outside of being a Princes of the Blood, this island was one of the key factors leading to Count Corlys to agree to the wedding for Count Corlys intended to use the islands of Dragons Deep as a base for his own trading fleets, to better compete with rival lords. Count Corlys had also been concentrating more and more on the Royal Court rather than his trading empire as he grew older, especially when he had been appointed Master of Ships by King Aemon who hoped to use this as a way of reconciliation with Princess Rhaenys. This focus on political power was only accelerated after he was linked to three Dragonriders in his Wife, Daughter and Goodson, for a week after the wedding which was held in Driftmark the new Princess Laena claimed Caraxes, her grandfathers dragon, becoming the second daughter of a Targaryen princess to do so after the Princess Betha. As the Princess Laena wished to see the world, and news of Prince Daemon killing someone in a battle to first blood began spreading causing recrimination flowing in from across the realm, the newlyweds toured the Free Cities, visiting Pentos, Volantis, Qohor, and Norvos; Avoiding Braavos to the deep disappointment of Princess Laena, but the city would be too dangerous considering the current Sealord had all but embargoed Dragon's Deep already out of principle, despite having no love for the failed son of his predecessor. They returned for some time to Pentos, where they learned that Princess Laena was pregnant. They would go to Dragons' Deep and for the first time since his first marriage Prince Daemon put in the effort to actually govern his fief which to his credit he did with some efficiency, though many in Dragon's Deep noted the Prince enjoyed dealing out punishment too much for his pronouncements to truly conform to the spirit of the law, often ignoring the magisters who were advising him to show mercy. Their daughters Princesses Baela and Rhaena were born there in 116 AC.

When the twins were half a year old, the family returned to Driftmark to introduce the Princesses to their grandparents before travelling to Kings Landing to present their daughters to the Royal Court to receive a Royal blessing, as well as eggs from Dragonstone. When they arrived the King Aemond grudgingly allowed for the Prince Daemon to claim the death of the Braavosi was just an accident, but it was clear no one believed that. However this does not mean all was forgotten for to great anger the King refused his cousins dragon eggs and the right to claim dragons until they were older, something Prince Daemon and Count Corlys blamed very much on Ser Otto Hightower, who had been leading a campaign in the Royal Court to do so ever since word of the new princesses birth had arrived, roping in the entire Hightower coalition. This lead to what was previously a respectful enough relationship between political rivals who held opposing interests to turn into a burning hatred which would never be extinguished. And for decades the Driftmark Faction and the Hightower Coalition would become the bitterest of enemies.

While the Prince Daemon was in Essos, the Royal Family saw much change in the realm. Almost the month he left it saw its newest Dragonrider when Prince Aegon, son of Prince Viserys claimed Vermithor, the Bronze Fury, the Dragon of the Old Wise King, something which was seen as a good omen by the realm. In the meantime King Aemond made his mark on the realm.

King Aemond's reign was marked by a keen understanding of governance and a desire to consolidate royal power and in particular drive a strong blow against the Baratheon's, Velaryon's and their supporters of Princess Rhaenys for the King remained most paranoid over his half-sister and the nobility which supported her. He in 115 AC thus decreed a significant shift in the financial administration of Westeros, boldly establishing three new offices: Lord Treasurer of the Riverlands, Lord Treasurer of the Stormlands, and Lord Treasurer of Dorne.

Just as with the Lord Treasurer of the Crownlands these appointments were not mere extensions of existing roles but rather they represented a fundamental change in the relationship between the Crown and its subjects as now for in these three duchies unlike the traditional system where local lords collected taxes and then remitted a portion to the Duke who remitted what was due to the Crown, these new Lord Treasurers were empowered to directly assess and where appropriate collect all royal taxes, though it should be noted all these houses were still responsible for collecting their own rents and dues which formed a majority of income the land provided. The Crown essentially approved the old system to continue in the countryside in practise as the cost of sending its own officers was deemed too high, instead using an expanded system of audits of records and the sending of embassies of tax collectors to randomly selected fiefs and villages to investigate facts on the ground to check the honesty of noble Houses, only taking over direct supervision and collection where some sort of chicanery and tax duplicity was found.

Meanwhile the Crown tried completely taking over taxation in towns and cities, but even here the demands of efficiency and administrative simplicity, as Noble and Ducal Taxes had also to be collected, meant that in practice the offices of tax collection went from being solely under the control of the nobility to being jointly supervised by the Crown and Nobility as all recognised that two independent tax collection systems would be ruinous for all. This, along with the previous reforms in the Crownlands which were similar but stronger in scope, meant that in half of Westeros the Crown had its own agents helping in the assessment, and in some cases particularly ports collecting taxes directly, which weakened the nobles of these lands as withholding taxes from the Crown became much harder if not outright impossible, and also saw the reduction in potential for delays of payment, embezzlement, or manipulation by local nobles which in the long run allowed the Crown to collect more taxes as a bid by each side to keep the other honest led to more efficiently and accurately collected taxes.

However it should be noted that in comparison to the Crownlands the tax systems of these duchies were still more devolved. Also in some of the cases, the Dukes and Princes actually benefitted from the supervision, as the nobles had another check on them meaning collecting Ducal taxes became easier to in some instances, even as these three houses raged against the restriction on their power and the removal of their ancient rights and privileges, having fewer levers to use against their bannermen and in some way making them lesser than other Ducal Houses as the Crown reduced their powers and authority in favour of its own.

It should also be noted that while tax efficiency did increase and the Crown's power over the nobles in these duchies did grow and expand, the single greatest impact of these reforms, in the immediate decades to come at least, was primarily political as even without this apparatus the Crown was hardly plagued with nobles refusing to pay their taxes, for they knew that such a path only led to feeling the heat of dragon fire. For while not immediately disempowering the nobility the reforms did change the relationship by more heavily tilting it more in favour of the Crown who was able to dictate its policies more easily even without resorting to the threat of fire power, in many cases simply decreeing changes as part of their existing prerogative that in years which would have required the Crown to at the very least threaten the nobles to comply with.

By the Kings decree the tax collectors, all tax collectors both Royal and Noble, were to be regular salaried officers with tax farming forbidden, and in the case of Royal tax collectors they were also often rotated across lands to prevent them becoming too entrenched and thus a source of corruption. This ban on tax farming was also extended to the rest of Westeros leading to many nobles to complain over the coming years that they now had to spend much more money hiring and supervising tax collection. Though despite the complaints many still developed these structures  gladly in truth as they hoped to entrench their own tax apparatus before the King could turn his eye on them, for it became known that the Kings centralisation was much less centralised than assumed at first glance and those nobles who had proper entrenched tax collection services were able to retain more say and control compared to the nobles who were much more lazy and dependent on tax collectors where the King was able to shape the tax collection in the land much more to his influence, with many a noble House losing even the ability to collect their own rents for all intents and purposes.

While these Lord Treasurers fell under the overall purview of the Master of the Coin, who was to oversee their operations, King Aemond decreed they were to report directly to him so that he and future Kings maintain close oversight of the financial affairs of these crucial regions, ensuring accountability and transparency. And while it would take over a decade, and near two, to implement the impact of these reforms was profound for not only did the direct collection of taxes by the Crown noticeably but not majorly increased royal revenue, as it eliminated the losses associated with the old system, the new system reduced the potential for local lords to amass excessive power through control of tax revenue, thereby bolstering the authority of the Crown.

The establishment of the Lord Treasurers of the Riverlands, Stormlands, and Dorne was a testament to King Aemond's astute understanding of not just governance but on how to bring his nobles to heel, for this act meant that while they complained angrily the nobility also realised that there was nothing that they could do without risking their lines destruction meaning they were helpless to but watch as the Crown gained more power and control over them. Nobles quickly curtailed those open complaints in the Ducal and Noble Courts which strayed a bit too far into treason, something which earlier they felt free to do. The whispers of lords who called him a usurping bastard and a tyrant greatly rose however showing the Kings unpopularity.

In early 116 AC the King launched his next great set of reforms, this was to the Office of Master of Whisperers. Till now the office was not a formal, established "institution" in the sense of a permanent organisation lasting and transcending through various office holders. Instead the Master of Whisperers operated through a network of informants and agents, the size depth and breath of which varied depending on the individual holding the office with the effectiveness of the office heavily relying on the individual's skills, resources, and access to information. This to the King who was paranoid about the loyalty of his nobles was not just absurd but dangerous. He dismissed Ser Arthur Osgrey from his post and instead appointed Ser Castor Tarth who was to rebuild the office according to the 'Secret Charter' which while secret then became infamous later. This would take years to finish but Ser Castor Tarth would see it through, being the Master of Whisperers for near four decades.

Under the Secret Charter the Council of the Seven Red Eyes was formed through which every Master of Whisperers was to run the office. This council held 9-10 members though. First was the King, and possibly his heir the Prince of Dragonstone which is why the membership varied, next was the Master of Whisperers himself and finally the Seven Red Eyes. Each of these Red Eyes were assisted by two Red Ears and oversaw subordinates known as Black Eyes, the Black Eyes having a more focused view and mandate and also had at least two Black Ears assisting them. The King hoped that such as system would endure beyond each individual Master of Whisperers and provide a solid foundation to ensure the Crown was never taken unaware as each new Master of Whisperers would not be required to essentially start from the beginning.

The Council of the Seven Red Eyes, its main subordinates and structure, and their mandates thus were:

• The King
• The Crown Prince may or may not join
• The Master of Whisperers: Head of the Council in day to day affairs
• The First Red Eye, overseeing the Crownlands, assisted by two Red Ears
• The Black Eye of the Red Keep and the Royal Offices
• The Black Eye of the City of King's landing
• The Black Eye of the Stepstones
• The Black Eye of the Crownlands and Dragonstone
• The Second Red Eye, overseeing the Stormlands, Dorne and Reach, assisted by two Red Ears
• The Black Eye of the Stormlands
• The Black Eye of Dorne
• The Black Eye of the Reach
• The Third Red Eye, overseeing the Westerlands, Riverland's, Vale assisted by two Red Ears
• The Black Eye of the Westerlands
• The Black Eye of the Riverlands
• The Black Eye of the Vale
• The Fourth Red Eye, overseeing the Iron Islands and the North assisted by two Red Ears
• The Black Eye of the Iron Islands
• The Black Eye of the North
• The Fifth Red Eye, overseeing the Faiths, assisted by Two Red Ears
• The Black Eye of the Faith of the Seven in the Crownlands and Kings Landing
• The Black Eye of the Faith of the Seven in the Rest of Westeros
• The Black Eye of the Other Faiths of Westeros
• The Sixth Red Eye, overseeing Essos, assisted by Two Red Ears (Due to the distances involved the remaining parts of Essos and the Known world not covered by the two Black Eyes were not closely monitored with whatever the two heard being transmitted to the Sixth Red Eye.)
• The Black Eye of the Kingdom of the Three Daughters
• The Black Eye of Pentos and Braavos
• The Seventh Red Eye, overseeing the Archives, assisted by two Red Ears
• The Seventh Red Eye officially had no separate Black Eye of the Archive as the office was held concurrently by the Seventh Red Eye himself. This holder's duty was to not just organise and maintain said archive but also derive insights and implications which a more focused or limited spy would not be able to see, he was also the main coordinator or cooperation between the rest of the Eyes. He would be assisted by not just by his two Red Ears but also five Black Ears in later years to manage the archive and help coordinate ever more agents and joint operations.
• One of these Black Ears would be the Black Ear of the Whispers who was responsible for gathering an keeping a record of all known ciphers, solving those which were till then unknown;
• The Black Ear of Healing would also be founded to keep a record of all known poisons and maintaining all known antidotes in the Red Keep itself.
• The Seventh Red Eye also was in charge of the "Secret" Black Eye: This Black Eye officially did not exist but whose presence became known to the council soon enough, for they were all spies after all. The purpose of this Black Eye was to keep an watch over the Council of the Seven Red Eyes as a whole and if need be eliminate traitors and spies with mixed loyalties, this was why it was also called the Stranger's Eye. They were also made part of the Seventh Red Eye as access to the archives and the nexus of the Council meant they had access to the most information possible.

As a whole the most interesting Eye to historians and Maesters would be the Seventh Red Eye or the Black Eye of the Archive, for every other Eye was just a reorganisation of something that has come before. But the Black Eye of the Archive was new. He would be responsible for noting down and organising all the information that came to the Crown through the Council and would try to identify patterns and potential threats before they became clear. But the most important part was the Archive that they left behind. The Red Keep's Secret Archive, even in its fragmented, fractured and incomplete form, is one of the most important sources for the past that we have. In the Archive we still have many Ledgers, that is the records of individuals ranging from the office holders of the Crown to the Counts and Dukes and their families to the Sealord's of Braavos. Each Ledger of parchment and papyrus is important for its provides a detailed insight into the secret and schemes of the most important people at the time, giving us at the very least possible motivations for why they acted as they did and how they enacted their plots. When combined with the ledgers of their friends, relatives, forefathers and descendants we can see a clear view of why certain events occurred as they did, a view that mere histories of court pronouncement and decrees would not illustrate.

It was also hoped that by each Red and Black Eye having two Ears there would never be a loss of knowledge like the kind that occurred when a Master of Whisperers left, with the King envisioning that if say the First Red Eye retired or died the following chain would occur, A Red Ear becomes the new Red Eye, a Black Eye is made the new Red Ear who is trained by the existing Red Ear, A Black Ear is used to replace the Black Eye who is already familiar with the Black Eye's duties as they had been directly assisting them, and the new Black Ear is trained by the existing Black Ear. It was thus hoped that they would be able to retain all the secret that were gained while also acting as a check on one another. For each Ear along with assisting their Eye also kept a watch on them, and the other Ear.

As a mark of office Each Red Eye would receive a round medallion made of Red Amber with an draconic eye carved on one side and the number on the other, with Red Ears receiving an oval medallion of a draconic ear. The Black Eyes and Black Ears would receive theirs their Eye and Ear medallion in black marble. In time in the media of Westeros the image of a young woman gently lifting a box lid to see the medallion on a pillow, before dramatically screaming as inexplicable thunder and lightening flashed in an enclosed room, a lightning which somehow would magically transport the man who owned the medallion into the room without a door opening, would become an entrenched part of culture, so common to be almost satirical even when used for a serious scene.

In 117 AC the King Aemond complained of a stitch in his side during a hunting trip. The pain worsened after he returned to King's Landing, and he eventually became bedridden. After five days of illness, King Aemond died of a burst belly, his funeral pyre was personally lit by his would be goodfather and cousin now King Viserys II and his ashes were interred in Dragonstone.

King Aemond's is not remembered fondly in Westeros and not just because of his birth and illegitimacy. While Maesters and historians praised his rule, short though it was, as filled with energy, vigour and decisiveness and look with approval on his bold reforms the nobility as a whole despised his heavy handedness and alleged tyranny, something which seeped into popular culture and the common histories and folklores of the realm.

Chapter Text

After the Riverland's, Vale and Stormlands had fallen under the control of Aegon the Conqueror, King Torrhen Stark called his banners. He was aware that, due to the vast distance of the north, it would take a long time to assemble his army. After the Field of Fire when Torrhen reached the banks of the Trident, he found a host of forty-five thousand men and three dragons waiting for him, even without the dragons the Targaryen Host was larger and stronger.

Torrhen's scouts had reported seeing the ruins of Harrenhal's gatehouse and reported that it was indeed as large as the Great Keep of Winterfell and confirmed that it had melted. The King had also heard accounts of the Field of Fire as well. Some of Torrhen's lords urged him to attack, but he realized that a similar fate would await him if he tried to force a crossing. Other lords urged the King of the North to fall back to Moat Cailin and make his stand there. Torrhen's bastard half-brother, Brandon Snow, offered to cross the Trident at dark to kill the dragons with arrows made of Weirwood or to turn into a wolf and maul Aegon and his sisters for Brandon held the sacred Wolfblood as well.

With Harrenhal and the Field of Fire in mind, however, King Torrhen instead sent Lord Brandon with maesters to negotiate a peace demanding many assurances and rights in return for bending the knee. For a week messengers went back and forth but soon an accord was reached. No Valyrian House would be granted land in the North and the Crown renounced its right to seize northern land without the assent of Winterfell to ensure none would be settled in the future. Furthermore religious tolerance and freedom across Westeros would be implemented and the sacred Weirwood protected by the Crown among other assurances, The Crown would also ensure no Stark or their kin would be denounced or prosecuted for their Sacred Wolfblood and the abilities it granted.  These along with other concessions meant that after the week ended King Torrhen and his lords crossed the Trident and knelt before King Aegon, placing his crown at King Aegon's feet. There in front of his sisters and highest nobles the King took Torrhen Stark by the shoulders and raised him to his feet proclaiming him Grand Duke of the North, Lord of Winterfell and Warden of the North.

House Stark was allowed to keep its ancient crown which had been passed down for generations unlike the rest of the Royal  Houses who all fought at least one battle against the Targaryens and thus had to offer theirs as tribute, only providing the remaining crowns such as those belonging to Regents, Princes, Queens and Princesses. Since then the North was one of only realm whose swords were not seized twisted, dented and burnt, but it also caused many to perceive King Torrhen Stark as a craven, who despite the blessing of the Old Gods which gave him strength and speed above mortal man refused to fight for his and his lines rights. He has subsequently been known as the King Who Knelt in mockery and commiseration ever since.

After Grand Duke Torrhen surrendered the crown of his ancestors to Aegon the Conqueror, he was a broken man. It is said that he did not smile or laugh, and his wife Lyanna had to force him to leave his bed in the mornings, often times he was found in his Direwolf form lying down in the center of halls staring at nothing and no one. Later, once he died, the first four years he spent as Lord Paramount of the North would be known as The Shameful Years. The Shameful Years ended however when his brother Brandon Snow, returned.

Brandon had been wroth when his brother surrendered their House's crown without a fight and had left for Essos within the next moon. Brandon left because, as he told Grand Duchess Lyanna, “I can’t and wont be a Kinslayer so I must leave”. Because of this Brandon’s return was a welcome surprise and a grand feast was held in his honor, however Lord Brandon was not interested in feasts and as soon it was polite he dragged Grand Duke Torrhen to his solar. The words spoken in the solar have been lost to time, but we do know that the very next day Brandon left with more than half of House Starks wealth to White harbor with Grand Duke Torrhen sending ravens to Duke Manderly demanding that he prepare his fleet.

As rumors spread many wondered just what Brandon Snow was up to, some believed he had threatened to rebel and was paid off, others that he would pay a faceless man to kill King Aegon. This particular rumor was credible enough that Grand Duke Torrhen had to send many letters to King Aegon to assure him of loyalty. Though despite what some northern nobles bitter over the conquest hoped, Grand Duke Torrhen would not have King Aegon murdered knowing that to do so would risk his entire line, rather what he had done was to take a great gamble.

His brother Brandon in his journeys had found his way to the Island of Ib in the Shivering Sea as he had attempted to travel to the Kingdom of Ifequevron to see if the Children of the Forst truly still lived there something he had dreamed of doing since he was a boy and first heard the tales of the then semi-mythical land but never got around to doing as he stayed in the North to support his brother. Here in the Port of Ib he saw a heard of great furry beasts. On inquiry it turned out that these animals were a type of cow native to Ib, called the Ibbenese Highland cow. Brandon then found a unusually talkative Ibbenese Shepard and over many drinks Brandon was able to learn about how the cows could survive the coldest of winters without any problems. Over the next few weeks Brandon continued learning about the cow in more detail, what type of food they need, how to make sure they make it through winters when snow covers the land etc. By the end of this exercise Brandon knew in his bones that the North could prosper greatly with this cow, they had endless empty lands which would make perfect pastures and unlike other animals which the north imported from the south in the past, these wouldn’t die when the winds blow cold.

Further House Stark which was constantly short on labor to till its farms could more easily ,he hoped, replace men with beasts. As such knowing he had no time to waste Brandon made his way to Braavos and from there to the North, once he reached Winterfell convincing his brother was rather easy for Torrhen was so relieved to have Brandon back he would likely have given Winterfell away if asked to do so at that time. And so as the first ships from Ib arrived with their large flocks of cows and some Sheppard's looking to start new lives, it was that five years after the Torrhen’s surrender that the North once again had its destiny transformed by a single man with a new animal from Essos. Only this time it was for the better.

The cows as Brandon predicted thrived in the North in a way other species had not, they provided great amounts of milk, butter and cheese as well labor as draught animals compared to the other varieties, bred with more native cows to form new and better breeds. To encourage their use and to reduce his own burden Grand Duke Torrhen also began distributing them to the smallfolk living on the Winterlands, the ancestral lands of House Stark, for free to use as household animals. However no one could predict just how rapidly the cows numbers would grow and soon they were numerous enough to be used for meat, first at a small scale and then a large one. 

This slowly but surely transformed the North which now had a an additional food source which was cheap, plentiful and relatively easy to obtain, furthermore one could transport cows to various parts of the North much more easily than grain when factoring in the lack of proper roads. Soon what earlier was considered to be large tracts of wastelands became new pastures and the Northern diet and wallet greatly befitted in the coming years. But at this point, at the very start, many regarded  Grand Duke Torrhen as weak and mad, Weak for giving up his Crown without a fight and mad for gambling so much of his Houses wealth on this unknown magical cow and the word of his bastard brother. With many lords believing that they would soon be picking up the pieces of a financially shattered House Stark post winter.

However the winter came and the cows…. Did not die, even after the harshest months the cows were fine. They simply kept growing and the Winterlands already some of the richest in the North became richer still. In 15 AC to mark the tenth year of the arrival of the Ibbenese cows, Grand Duke Torrhen decided to reward his brother Brandon with lands of his own, in the Far Upper North, bordering the Gift. While mostly empty then these lands were perfect for rearing cows, filled with lakes and streams along with endless fields of  thick grass. These would be some of the first lands outside the Winterlands to see the Ibbenese cows. In the span of a day Brandon went from an influential man but still a landless bastard to a Noble Lord of the North. He took the name Whitewolf to honor both sides of his origins, and his descendants, House Whitewolf of Snowfort ruling the Snowtown, taking Last Hearths position of the northernmost large town in Westeros

Grand Duke Torrhen died in 30 AC and was succeeded by his son Rodrick, the third son, as his eldest and second son Brandon and Eddard had been so wroth with their fathers decision to bend the knee and to later give away their sister Sansa Stark for marriage to Ronnel Arryn, a marriage that caused the death of her in the birthing bed, that they, similar to their uncle Brandon Snowstark, left the North rather than become Kinslayer's.  They would create the Company of the Rose, which become a well know fighting force, drawing mostly from the North and fighting in the many wars of the Free Cities.

Grand Duke Rodrick was a close friend of Prince Maegor who he had joined in his Great Adventure and was respected for his prowess on the battlefield and the riches and Valyrian steel dagger he brought back from Essos. In fact that so close was the relationship between them that he was able to arrange for the betrothal of his second daughter to the Prince's son, Prince Aerion but the match was not to be for while Grand Duke Rodrick continued on his father’s legacy and ruled as he had wisely and capably, ensuring the spread of the Ibbenese cow, he did not get many years of peace for it was in Grand Duke Rodrick’s reign that the uprising by the Faith Militant occurred. He would aid the Crown when Prince Maegor demanded men to fight the Faith Militant, sending greybeards and adventurers to for once invade the south than the other way around. But the Grand Duke did not expect, no one expected, just how much success these warriors would have and how much gold, grain and other treasures they would send back. Similarly no one expected that Prince Aerion, Conqueror of the West and Rider of Balerion would die in the rebellion.

In 45 AC the Grand Duke joined his voice to the calls for peace and would go to King Landing to witness the end of the Faith Militant uprising for he had received enough reports to know that continuing on as he had would only hurt not help his friend Prince Maegor, but despite his reasoning it is known that Prince Maegor considered the Stark's supporting the calls for peace to be a betrayal, one which would lead to some distance between the Line of Visenya and House Stark for the Regency of King Jaehaerys. But this would soon end and House Stark would establish itself as one of the leading voices in the Maegor Loyalist and later Queens coalition.

However despite ruling well Grand Duke Rodrick died relatively young after he caught an autumn fever, and in 47 AC his son Ellard took the Winter throne, just one year before King Jaehaerys reached his own majority, by a slim 4 months Ellard Stark would be the last Grand Duke of the North, ruling for most of his life as Duke of the North.  However while Grand Duke Rodrick left the lordship of House stark to Duke Ellard, in his will he also left lands to all his other sons as well for with the growing population we wished to size the chance to put to use the vast land holding which the Starks had built for millennia but which were functionally worthless due to the lack of people to make use of the land.

To his second son John he gave the lands surrounding the mouth of the last river, a small patch, with Lord John Stark raising the keep of Seawolf Cliff and built the village then town of Saltport. This became the seat of House Seawolf which would build in time build one of  the largest fishing fleets in the seven kingdoms, using their advantageous location and the cheap gold it could borrow from the Bank of the Dragon to build large fishing vessels which could spend a week on sea allowing the North to use the bounty of the rich fisheries of the shivering sea to its fullest. House Seawolf would also encourage the conversion of raw fish to more lucrative products and  in time after many generations of both vision and pragmatism more fish and fish products such as dyes, sauces, oils would be sold in Saltport than any other place in the known world so the northern boast would go.

Finally his youngest son, Rickon Stark was to be given lands of his choice, but not in large quantity.  Lord Rickon chose the confluence of the White Knife and Wolf Knife rivers. There he established the Riverfort and the settlement which would become the Knifetown and took the name Icewolf for his own. Despite the small size of the town it would become a major hub for trade in the decades to come.

Duke Ellard led a crucial time for House Stark for in this era like many of the duchies the old ways and balance of power was falling apart. As such like all the Great Houses of Westeros the Starks had to navigate a strange new political reality one where old certainties were certainties no more.

And while the Duke had much  going for him in terms of the politics of the North and Westeros, with strong allies in Prince Maegor and Queen Alysanne he faced great challenges as well.

Summarized excerpt from The History of the Northern Kingdom by Grand Maester Beron.

The North, called Norge in most of the Old Tongues of the First Men is a land of beauty for those willing to see it. For it does not have the amber fields of grain similar to the Reach or Riverland's, but it has dense forests, such as the Wolfswood, rolling hills, and endless windswept fields of wildflower and thick green grass………The climate is harsh shaping the hardy character of its people who are strong and proud, with the North being the only Kingdoms of the First Men to throw back the Andal invasion, remaining proudly unconquered, with the people still speaking the Old Tongue and holding to the Old Gods……. The Duchy is bisected by numerous rivers, including the mighty White Knife and its tributaries including the Wolf Knife…and many mountains and hills with the North being half of Westeros….with landscape as diverse as the rest of the Duchies of Westeros put together.

The North is a vast land with many features and regions, each unique and diverse…….. It thus makes sense that out of all the Houses of Westeros it was the Starks who were not just skilled warriors but were also blessed with the ability to shift into direwolves, granted to them and only them by the Old Gods, who unified the North. For their ability to transform into werewolves and partially shift for increased strength made them fearsome opponents, allowing them to dominate battles and maintain morale among their troops, reinforcing their rule over other Northern factions and Houses who also sought dominion of the land….  

On the back of this strength the Starks began a millennia long campaign to gradually absorbed rival kingdoms……..  First securing the Wolf Wood and the Loyalty of the Mountain Clans, then one by one defeating and absorbing the Barrow Kings, the Flints of Breakstone Hill, the Slates of Blackpool, the Umbers of Last Hearth, the Lockes of Oldcastle, the Glovers of Deepwood Motte, the Fishers of the Stony Shore, the Ryders of the Rills, and all this does not include those who did not survive these wars of Conquest including the Marsh Kings of the Neck, the Warg King and more than a score of lesser houses and petty kings whose very names are lost to history………..

Yet the bitterest foes of Winterfell were undoubtedly the Red Kings of the Dreadfort………. yet in the end, even the Dreadfort fell before the might of the Direwolves and Winterfell, and the last Red King, known to history as Rogar the Huntsman, swore fealty to the King of Winter and sent his sons to Winterfell as hostages.

But while the North was won through the strength of arms it was kept through many ways most importantly Faith and culture………. Using their ability to shift the Starks claimed to be divinely chosen rulers and to further this they commissioned the Records of Ancient Matters to solidify their legitimacy and position themselves as the true protectors of the North​ and its people against all their enemies from the Others, to the Wildlings, to the Andals and more.

The geography of the North is as varied as its people and explains much of the balance of power in the North.

At the core of the North is the Winterlands, the ancestral lands of House Starks, which form the heart of the Kingdom and later the Duchy. The Winterlands are the single largest fief in not just the North but in Westeros, as one expects from the rulers of the largest of the old seven Kingdoms, it is comprised the eastern half of the Wolfwood, the entirety of the Direwolf Mountains from which the mighty Wolf Knife flowed, the basin of the Wolf knife and its tributaries such as the Cerwyn River. In the West it stretched to the fief of House Tallhart who controlled the shoreline Torrhen's and Torrhen's Square. But its most important portion, other than the Wolf Knife valley surrounding Winterfell itself is the eastern domain which contain most of the White knife valley to the east, holding most of the mighty river from the Mouth of the Long Lake until it flowed into the southern domain of House Manderly, giving House Stark fertile soils from which it could raise the most rents, tax revenue and the largest armies in the North. It was this geographic location, at the heart of the North which allowed the Starks to pick off their enemies one by one. Slowly conquering the North at their leisure, either through war or through diplomacy, using their richer lands and might to entice many of the Houses of the North to submit without war.

But as large and powerful as this domain was the North had a problem few other Duchies experienced, this was the existence of many different major River systems independent of the main one, each dominated in either large part or in whole by another House. As such in contrast to the Reach only had two major river systems,  with those being the Mander and the Garths' Bay Estuary, or the Vale where the rivers were comparably short and provided relatively small advantages, the North had many major independent river systems and thus power centers comparable to the major rivers of the South, from the Stark controlled Wolf and White Knife to the Stony River System controlled by the Stonewolf's, the Last River dominated by the Umbers, the Kars River controlled by the Karstarks who also held part of the northern shoreline of the Last River, to the Weeping Water of House Bolton, the Broken Branch River of House Ramsgate, the Barrow River of House Dustin, to the Torrhen's River of House Ryswell. This also does not include other distinct geographies where powerful Houses held sway such as the Neck of House Reed, the Lands of House Manderly which contained the all important port of White Harbour and their control of the Southern shore, to the Sea Dragon Point whose Houses were proud and as quarrelsome as those of Crackclaw Point, The Western Wolfs Wood of House Glover,  the Northen Mountains of the Clans, Cape Kraken and Flint's Finger of the two branches of House Flint and the Isles of Skagos of the Skagosi Houses who were a realm and people of their own and Bear Island of House Mormont.

In the millennia past all these obeyed Winterfell out of fear of the Direwolves ripping their throats apart personally with if they dared rebel, with the Starks backed by the largest and best fed army of the North. But now under the Targaryens and the Kings Peace these Houses began to realise they now had much more power and autonomy with the Starks not even holding unquestioned dominion over the White Knife and Wolf Knife as for ocean trade all their goods needed to pass through the docks at White Harbour where House Manderly ruled.  As such similar to the rest of Westeros while the Starks retained a universally acknowledged and obeyed legal primacy in the North the politics of the Duchy had fallen into a relative state of near constant political anarchy compared to centuries past as the Lords of the North sought autonomy and the Starks desired to prevent them from gaining said autonomy without breaking the Kings Peace and courting the wrath of the dragons.

As such in the aftermath of the Great Council of 45AC the North saw a new dance of alliances, fostering's, marriages and of course the development of new ports and towns which taking advantage of the rising trade and prosperity of the realm acted as increasingly important, independent trade nodes. This increasing decentralisation and trade growth would only further weaken Stark control of the North as it forged new alliances and relationships outside the North where the Starks's influence was limited. Though this is not to say it was non-existent for the Starks' through their membership in the Maegor Loyalist/Queens Coalition, not to mention their status of Duke's, maintained a strong voice in the Royal Court and those of other Dukes and important nobles.

For a time the Stark's tried and failed to maintain the old status quo, but this was clearly not working, even as due to the rising prosperity and the growth of the Ibbenese cow House Stark was by most metrics the strongest it had been in living memory in terms of gold and men. This was mostly down to the fact that in this time the alliances of the North were being rewritten with one of the most important being the semi-covert Anti-Stark Alliance of a variety of Houses who sought to constrain the power of Winterfell while the Dragons protect their necks and families. The core of this alliance being the Bolton-Manderly Alliance in which the two houses, some of the Strongest in the North if not the strongest after House Stark, sought to join forces to prevent a return to the status quo with Countess Jenna Bolton marrying Ser Wyndol Manderly, Heir to White Harbour.  But this attempt backfired greatly, particularly for House Manderly as House Stark vowed to make an example out of them.

It should be important to note that during this time that while we talk of political chaos and changing balances of power the legal power of Great Houses was never in question and was enforced without exception by the Crown and King Jaehaerys. No noble House in this era ever rebelled against the Duke's outside the shocking example of the Northwestern Alliance in Borys' Rebellion, and even here the question of whether this was a noble rebellion or an internal conflict in House Baratheon is an open question. For to rebel would not only invite retaliation from the Duke in question but also the Crown. Despite this however the legal Primacy was not enough for unquestioned political control by the Great Houses. But at the same time it had never been truly weaponised against the Lords Vassal. Until Duke Ellard had enough of the Bolton-Manderly Alliance and sought to set an example, and at the same time showed why such actions are best not undertaken.

The Duke did this by using the same principals that constrained him, an inability to use violence to force vassals to obey, against his opponents. As such Duke Ellard decreed the elevation of Houses Locke of Oldcastle, Woolfield of Sheepshead Castle, Flint of Widow's Watch, House Hornwood of Hornwood and House Ramsworth of Ramsgate as major lords of the North, removing their formal, if nominal in practice, allegiance to White Harbour and swearing them to Winterfell directly, gaining their support as they did so. This was a major blow and the first of its kind in this new era of politics for till now politics was fought more indirectly. But the impact was immediate for while the allegiance these Houses held to White harbour was only nominal it did help shape alliances, thus for Duke Ellard such a move made perfect sense for it weakened his opponents hand and was something which was impossible for them to just ignore, furthermore to him it was a just move for House Manderly had been given command over these Houses to keep them out of the influence of House Bolton.

And true to belief Count Manderly went straight to the King to complain. But between the Count's inability to point to a written law preventing the Duke from doing so and the influence of the Queen Alysanne the King decided this was not a matter he could intervene in without appearing biased. This blow while on the face of it helped greatly strengthen the political hands of not just House Stark but also all the Ducal Houses, in truth was a major blunder, as shown by the fact that no such decree of this scope or magnitude was passed again. For as House Stark found out by attacking the control their Principal Bannermen  held over their own Vassals they would only greatly increased the opposition of its nobles to their attempts to regain control of the politics of the realm. It is said that three times as many Houses joined the North's Anti-Stark Alliance with House Manderly in particular also taking a much stronger and open opposition to House Stark in the Royal Court.

In the aftermath House Stark continued its efforts but in a more conventional manner. They did this by among other methods hoping to weaken the trading power of the Manderly-Bolton Alliance, offering much lower ducal taxes to the Saltport of House Seawolf. This helped position Saltport as a larger trade hub hobbling the efforts of House Bolton to promote the Redmaw Port which was relatively close by, and by doing so they helped limit the level of Bolton influence in the North and the realm at large.

Duke Ellard also harnessed the increasing wealth brought by the growing Ibbenese cow population which after nearly six decades had become an important part of the North, the creatures allowing how more families to be supported by fields which used to be empty grasslands and whose labor allowed more fields to be farmed as each farmer had to do less work as seen across the land. In the coming decades the population of the Stark fief and those of their allies would grow and so would their trade, the North increasing export of wool and lumber, but also in latter years of various metals as the North was able to support more mines in the Direwolf mountains as well as leather, cheese and sausages. All this brought great wealth which House Stark used to gain control of trade networks and used to expand and project its influence.

In order to further gain control of this trade, cement stronger control of the North and to further check the Manderly's Duke Ellard would take back the Wolf's Den which was being used as a prison, and renovate it, and give it to his second son Rickard who would be the one to refurbish and expand the Wolf Den Port where Winterfell had maintained a small fleet of its own in years past, but one which would soon rapidly grow. Rickard Stark who captained the ship the Windstrider would go on to become one of the first recorded Northman and certainly the first Stark to navigate past the Qarth straits, making it to Yi-Ti where he would spend little more than a moon. Bringing back great wealth, with which he would create the Windstrider trading company based in White Harbor and build using the support of Winterfell his own town which would become an extension of the city of White Harbor. Lord Rickard would also write of this and his other voyages in the book "Tales of the Windstrider". He would name his own cadet branch of the Starks House Windstrider which became the second noble family of the City, acting as an internal check on the Manderly's for centuries to come even if the Merman retained Primacy.

The Starks also used fostering's, marriage alliances and trade pacts with a variety of Houses to create stable political alliances in the North but in truth they were never truly able to stomp down their opposition in this Era.

And so as the reign of King Jaehaerys continued so did the power struggle between Winterfell and its vassals with new frontiers in this political war quickly opening up.

Chapter Text

King Viserys, the Second of his name, Head of House Targaryen, King of Westeros, King of the Andals, the First Men, the Ironborn and the Rhoynar, Duke of the Crownlands, Warden of the Narrow Sea, Prince of the Stepstones, Defender of the Faith, Lord of the Seven Kingdoms and Lord Protector of the Realm was crowned with the Draconic Crown of Westeros.  This crown, also known as the Dragon Crown, was designed by his father, Prince Baelon, and was used instead of the Crown of Jaehaerys worn by his grandfather, uncle and cousin. It is a magnificent symbol of the Targaryen monarchy, rich in history and adorned with dazzling jewels. The Dragon Crown became the principal ceremonial crown for the Kings of Westeros from that point forward and each king thereafter used two crowns: a personal crown for everyday occasions, and the Crown of Westeros for coronations and major royal events, symbolizing Targaryen prestige and power. Like the Royal Sceptre, the Dragon Crown became inseparable from royal authority, and like the Iron Throne, it was passed down unchanged through generations. The most distinctive feature of the Dragon Crown is its seven half-arches, which meet at the top to form a closed crown. At their intersection sits the Tear of Aegarax, the largest diamond in the world, unmatched in brilliance. The crown also features a red velvet cap, trimmed with ermine fur, visible at the base and beneath the arches. Beyond the Tear of Aegarax, the Dragon Crown is encrusted with a dazzling array of precious stones: 777 black diamonds in various cuts, 777 rubies, 269 pearls, 154 sapphires, and 154 emeralds.

For Viserys II his personal every day crown was circlet wrought entirely of solid gold, its form inspired by the venerable laurel wreath, a symbol of victory and authority in Old Valyria and originally from Hellas from whom the Valyrian's adopted it from. Each laurel leaf, meticulously crafted, was a testament to the goldsmith's artistry, with delicate veins and subtly curved edges that convey a sense of naturalism. The leaves are not merely stamped or etched, but appear individually hammered, each possessing a unique, organic quality. The gold itself is of a deep, resonant hue, suggesting a high degree of purity, and it gleams with a soft, warm light, rather than a harsh, blinding brilliance. The leaves are densely packed, forming a continuous, unbroken band around the wearer's brow, conveying an impression of both strength and refinement. The circlet itself is not a simple, flat band, but rather a subtly contoured form, designed to fit comfortably upon the head. The Crown of Viserys II like the Dragon Crown was a major inspiration to his descendants with many creating similar personal crowns for themselves.

As part of the Coronation ceremony he would wield the Royal sceptre in one hand and  the Pearl of Caraxes in the other. This pearl represented the world under the monarch's rule and symbolized divine blessing and authority. This was further emphasized by the seven-pointed stars on the band of gold encircling the pearl, signifying the monarch's role as Defender of the Faith.

His wife, Queen Betha, wore a smaller crown of similar design as the Dragon Crown, again with seven arches. At its top was the Fang of Balerion, the largest black diamond in the world, shaped like a small fang about a third the size of the Tear of Aegarax. But the most striking part of her outfit was her necklace for as part of the coronation celebrations Princess Alyssa had gifted Queen Betha the Princess Alyssa Necklace which she wore to the main ceremony. With this the Dragon Jewels firmly became part of the Royal Targaryen Crown Jewels and Regalia, becoming part of every major royal event of note.

The Queen Betha would in the coming days also unveil her personal crown for regular daily use. The Queen Betha Laurel Wreath Crown or more commonly known as the Queen Betha Tiara, is a study in light and movement. The leaves are made of diamonds on white gold, a masterpiece with no gaps between the diamonds giving an effect as if its one solid piece, and thus the tiara shifts and shimmers with the slightest movement of the head, catching and refracting light from every angle. This creates a living, breathing quality to the tiara, as if the laurel leaves themselves are gently rustling. The diamond "berries" punctuate the foliage with concentrated bursts of brilliance, their rounded forms contrasting with the elongated leaves and adding depth to the overall design. The white gold setting, chosen for its strength, serves as a near-invisible framework, allowing the diamonds to take center stage. The metal's cool, white tone enhances the diamonds' fire, creating a harmonious and luminous effect. The tiara's graceful curve, designed to sit comfortably on the head, follows the natural contours of the brow, creating a seamless and elegant silhouette. The density of the diamond work, yet the delicacy of the design, reflects a mastery of the jeweller's art, where precision and artistry converge to create a piece of enduring beauty. It's a tiara that speaks of both classical inspiration and sophistication, a testament to wealth of House Targaryen, ironically created at a time when the Crown would see ever more strain on its finances due to rising ambitions of the Royal Family.

 In the feast that followed, as part of the transition from his Cousin's reign to his own, the King merged his titles as Prince of the Stepstones and Lord of Oros to the Royal Line. And after Queen Betha received the sword Dark Sister from her goodmother declared all three Valyrian steel swords were henceforth entailed to the Crown, never to be sold or given away again.

King Viserys II inherited a peaceful realm, wise councillors and continued distrust from the Faith and the Nobility. The weariness of the Faith  for House Targaryen was, as with the reign of King Aemond, as many members were less than pious believers in the Faith of the Seven or had been raised in the Weirwood faith.

Similarly the reforms of King Aemond in terms of enforcing the Valyrian Calander on Westeros, passing the City Cultural Decree, more centralising tax collection in the Riverland's, Dorne and Stormlands, among others strained relations still between the Crown and its nobles. However unlike his predecessors the King would not have to face too many issues regarding coin immediately for between King Aemond moderating expenses, the still rising prosperity increasing taxes, and his own half of the wealth he inherited from his father filling up the treasury and lessening the Crowns concern on its many expenditures in the short term, though this would soon change.

King Viserys II decided to deal with the problems of distrust by holding a splendid court filled with goodwill, the Merry King as he was known was determined to maintain the peace of King Jaehaerys the Wise, as such there were many feasts, balls, and tourneys, with much celebration to mark each major festival of the Faith of the Seven in the Red Keep itself. The King also regularly visited the Prince Aerion Circus for chariot racing with his court, being a passionate supporter of the Orange team like his father, despite their less than stellar track record, to be seen by his people. In interest of this the King Viserys II also took a year long Royal Progress to help win the support of his people, and to show the power of Quicksilver to those who harboured fantasies to oppose him.

The King would appoint Otto Hightower as Hand of the King in a major political victory for both House Hightower and the Hightower Coalition. Ser Otto who had previously served as Private Secretary to King Aemond was already known as the Shadow Hand, and now his influence would grow. Ser Otto's appointment had many benefits, he had become a good friend to the King Viserys II while he served as Hand of the King to Kings Aemon and Aemon, his daughter Alicent was his daughter's main Lady in waiting, having a Hightower Hand helped in creating the symbolism of reconciliation after decades of Targaryens and Smallfolk's holding the office of Hand of the King's. The King also gained a skilled Hand who was well versed in navigating both Court and the Royal offices and finally the Hightower Coalition was also wealthy and powerful enough that it could stand against any other House or coalition in the realm. This last point would become very relevant, very soon.

The years 118AC and 119AC were years of realignment in the Royal Court as the King tried to maintain peace. But the Royal court quickly began to split apart as the Velaryon's of Driftmark tried to become once again the second family of the Realm through the might of the Driftmark Coalition and the strength of their ties to House Targaryen, while the Hand of the King Ser Otto and the Hightower Coalition sought to check their rise. At stake was royal favour especially on matters of trade tariff reduction and royal offices.

Overall however the King and the rest of the Small Council and senior office holders, which other than the Hand of the King and the Master of Ships was composed of either the members of the Kings Landing Coalition or neutral Houses, kept the Royal Court in harmony, more engaged by the feasts, entertainment and the gossip and everyday scandals of the Red Keep than the battles between the Hand and the Master of Ships where they opposed each other for the sake of opposing the other rather true disagreement, for the King had again refused Princess Baela and Rhaena dragon eggs and again Ser Otto was blamed.

In 120 AC Princess Laena, the wife of Prince Daemon, died after a failed birth where his son was a stillborn, throwing the Royal Court, House Velaryon and Prince Daemon into mourning. During this time, It was announced that Count Laenor, son of Count Corlys, had decreed his niece Baela Targaryen as his heir for despite the age of 25 he had no spouse or child to call his own with many whispering the Count preferred squires to maidens. Though it is known that this time his father was attempting to match him to Princess Rhaenyra after the death of King Aemond, her previous betroth and hearing that King Viserys II had shown some hesitation of marrying his children believing they were more suited as brother and sister than spouses.  However it is also known that the King and Crown Prince Aegon were both very much against any further match with the Velaryon's. As too many matches with Dragonriders at the same time had given them too much power, the kind of power the Dragon and Targaryen Inheritance law was meant to prevent. Even with Princess Laena's death the Velaryon's still could call upon two Dragonriders which was one Dragonrider too many for House Targaryen's comfort for it meant that they still could threaten the Royal Line.

Indeed despite what many nobles including the King's own brother Prince Daemon supposedly believed its most likely that the King rather than a peace loving man who avoided conflict so much that he was too mild mannered and thus was easily dominated and used as a puppet by Ser Otto; Was instead acting mostly in his own accord in order to restrain House Velaryon and the Driftmark Faction which posed the most significant challenge to Royal authority, which is the most believable reason why he continued to refuse his nieces Princess Baela and Rhaena dragon eggs and dragons. For if it was simply the influence of the Hand of the King it begged the question why Ser Otto had a very hard time reverting the culture of the Court from its Valyrian emphasis to a more Andal setting showing that his influence was not absolute, indeed under King Viserys II along with an emphasis on Valyrian culture, art, music and literature the King brought, the Queen also emphasised the art forms of the First men, decorating the Keep with the wood carvings of the North which depicted scenes of the Andal Conquest and Andal Wars of the Children on the Forest in a negative fashion, emphasising the virtues and valour of the resisting First Men, something the Hand and his coalition could do nothing about except grumble in the shadows. Similarly despite the parade of nobles coming to the Red Keep to complain the King Viserys II continued the tax reforms of the Riverland's, Stormlands and Dorne, realising that these realms would likely be the Velaryon's and Princess Rhaenys greatest allies. Thus many historians claim that in a sense the King Viserys II used Ser Otto and his Hightower Coalition as a whipping boy, absorbing all the anger of the Driftmark Faction and his own brother Prince Daemon, with the gains of the Hightower Coalition being compensations rather than spoils of political victories.

The proof for this theory can most be seen in the actions of the King where he weakened both the Hightower Coalition and Driftmark Faction, balancing each side and persuading this or that noble house to drop out of each coalition or to give up and make amends with their rivals, preferring to use honeyed words, charm and amity during hunts or feasts to threats or harsh commands. The King and Queen would for example arrange matches between the two Celtimon twins to the heirs to Houses Florent and Tyrell in the name of making peace which weakened both sides as all the houses in question became neutral after the marriages. Their goal seemed to be a balancing act rather than see either coalition win or lose permanently which may unleash chaos.

In 121 AC when word would come from Essos that the Dothraki were rising again, and even before the Sarnori, Tomori and Lhazareen could call for aid Westeros was preparing for battle as the Third Targaryen War Against the Dothraki approached. It became clear that unlike the past two times many Dragonriders wished to go east. This would create problems for the more people, the less each individual gets, furthermore it was clear that now that the Dothraki had not had a century to pillage Essos they had much less treasure than they had in the time of Prince Maegor, as such there was much competition for less gold and valuables. Soon it was decided that Prince Daemon and Prince Aegon would lead separate forces to Essos. Prince Aegon would go north and aid the Sarnori while Prince Daemon would travel from the South and aid the Tomori and Lhazareen. The King, while exempting any Valyrian Steel or great jewels, also announced a tax equal to one fifth of the earnings in gold, marking a change from before when no tax was levied. After much protest he was convinced to lower it to one tenth but refused to forgive taxes entirely. Knowing of the tax and the potential for lower wealth and glory both Prince Aegon and Prince Daemon would also seek to limit the number of those they take with them, though they were generally unsuccessful in this endeavour due to pressure from friends and allies as all of Westeros wished for gold and glory, and if they were especially lucky Valyrian Steel, for no one in Westeros had forgotten the absolute bonanza of the metal that had been acquired in the Second Targaryen War Against the Dothraki under Prince Baelon the Brave. Soon after negotiating fair deals, better than what Prince Baelon got due to the hard bargains they drove, having agreed to refuse to go if either one did not get a fair deal, they would depart.  Before departing Prince Daemon would be given Dragonclaw by his brother to wield for the duration of the campaign while Crown Prince Aegon would receive Blackfyre.

In the meantime the Targaryens of Sunfyre's Roost and Eastwoods of Eastwoods would join into an alliance and set out with their own forces and that of their allies, such as Houses Errol, Selwyn and Tarth, to the Dothraki sea. With them would be the largest number of Dragonriders, consisting of Princess Viserra and Princes Valerion, Zuko and Aang. They would not go with the invite of some distant kingdom or for the gold they offered, rather their would land on the shores of the shivering sea and make for Vaes Dothrak. Their aim being simple, great jewels and Valyrian steel, with any and all gold being given to their allies after paying for the costs.

As such in 122 AC the Dothraki would soon face a culling like they never faced since the days of the Valyrian Freehold.

The Campaign against the Dothraki lasted under one and a half years if that, with the forces returning in full by 124. This was due to many reasons; First was the fact that there were more Dragonriders meaning more ground could be covered quickly, similarly the Dothraki were also lesser in number meaning it was faster to defeat them. But the simplest reason was that the forces from Westeros were not seeing much benefit by fighting, the defeated Dothraki did not provide the same level of spoils, and were much more willing to run away, split apart the hosts and scattering and using tactics which generations ago they would have considered unthinkable. Such as hiding in forests where due to fears of a raging fire out of control the Westerosi had to fight pitched battles under the trees as well as attacking bandit style in the knight instead of fighting int daylight. All this meant the Westerosi forces quickly lost interest, there was little glory and treasure being won by them compared to the songs of their forefathers. This was most seen in the lack of Great Jewels and Valyrian Steel they found compared to previous campaigns.  What Princes Aegon and Daemon would realise very quickly was that what they faced now were the weaker, less wealthy khals compared to those generations ago. As such they won little compared to Prince Maegor and Prince Baelon, with Prince Daemon only receiving for his share two Valyrian steel long daggers he called Morgul's teeth, after he reluctantly turned over the other (much smaller) daggers to the nobles who followed him, while Prince Aegon retrieved an arakhs for himself as his forces faced more success, the blade was reforged into the sword which was initially named Lady Daenys after Daenys the Dreamer.

All in all when considering the 10% tax on their earning, the campaigns led by both Prince Aegon and Prince Daemon were considered failures compared to previous campaigns in terms of winning glory and great wealth. Even though for the common soldier, hedge knights, landed knights and lower nobility it was the a great opportunity for the campaign yielded much gold still. Really the disappointment faced by the higher nobility and the Princes was a problem of ever heightened expectations set by exaggerated tales of the previous campaigns meeting glorious but not glorious enough reality.

Ironically the one campaign which was the most well when considering their initial goals were the Eastwood-Glittering Isle joint force, which was the only one which did not have a sponsor, local ally and had the fewest troops. For while invading deep into the Dothraki sea where there were no towns to defend and gold to earn put them at a disadvantage in some ways, it allowed them to fight those Khalasars powerful enough to control the heart of the Dothraki sea, this meant while they did not earn much gold at all, in fact they lost gold due to the small amount they recovered from their victories and the large amount they promised their allies from their own coffers, they were able to fulfil their goal, recovering a large Valyrian Steel Blade each, with the blades they forged being noticeably larger than the Lady Daenys, as well as two great jewels, not to mention many daggers for their allies as well as other smaller luxuries to be distributed among the common soldiers with some sleeping in silk tents. Meaning despite being the only force to end the campaign in a financial loss, they left around the same time as the others with their heads held high in pride for they considered the lost gold a price well worth paying.

The Swords were reforged into longswords called Lady Dreamfyre and Sunfyre's Wrath for Houses Eastwood and Targaryen of Glittering isle respectively while their allies received daggers which were also reforged. House Selwyn would reforge theirs into a elegant fencing blade perfect for Braavosi Water Dancing. Meanwhile Houses Errol and Tarth would forge theirs into Baselard Daggers. As for the great jewels, Prince Valerion won what is now known as the Valerion's Emerald Cup, which is a cup crafted from a single, magnificent emerald weighing an astonishing 252 carats, whose carvings suggest it is somehow of Yi-Ti origin. Meanwhile the Princess Viserra took what is now known as the Princess Viserra diamond, a large 190 carat clear diamond, which she would set in a necklace. The Princess Viserra Necklace, featuring the diamond bearing her name would be the only one in Westeros able to compete with the Princess Alyssa Necklace in terms of opulence and grandeur though it would never win the fight.

When the forces returned to Westeros in 124 AC they returned to crowds of cheering smallfolk, the judgemental eyes of their more cautious (or craven) peers who had refused to go east and now were congratulating themselves for the decision, and a Royal Court ready to make matches for both the Princess Rhaenyra and Prince Aegon were well of age and needed spouses. To the shock of the realm, and the King and Queen, Princess Rhaenyra announced her intention to marry her uncle, Prince Daemon. When the King objected to the union the two flew to Dragonstone and married in a Valyrian Ceremony. The news of their wedding despite the Kings objections caused a great scandal at the Court of King's Landing and it took some time before the Crown reconciled with Prince Daemon and Princess Rhaenyra.

Meanwhile Prince Aegon announced his decision to marry Lady Elena Eastwood, second youngest daughter of Princess Viserra who the princess had kept unmarried, despite being 22 years old, out of hope that she would get to marry Prince Aegon and become Queen, the main argument for her other than her Targaryen blood was the fact that her younger sister Lady Visenya was betroth to Prince Zuko Targaryen, eldest son of Prince Valerion, and thus by marrying Lady Elena Prince Aegon could tie Prince Valerion's line to the Royal Family and balance out the Driftmark faction which had just gained a new Dragonrider in the form of his sister Princess Rhaenyra.

Thus in 125 AC Crown Prince Aegon married Lady Elena Eastwood, the now Princess Elena would claim the dragon Silverwing, which when paired with her husband riding Vermithor signalled a omen of peace and prosperity to the realm. It was at this wedding ceremony that the sword Lady Daenys would be reintroduced to the realm, now renamed as the Saint Aegon's Sword of Justice.  It blade was mow meticulously decorated with gilded emblems the Seven Who Are One, with Seven separate styles of Seven Pointed Star running up and down the blade, also on the sword are the Royal Sigil with the a detailed figure of King Aegon the First.  The hilt was gilded and encrusted with diamonds and rubies, adding to its splendour but the most impressive part, other than the blade being Valyrian steel, is the scabbard. Crafted from bronze and lined with red silk velvet, it was studded with seven different types of gems, using with diamonds, rubies, emeralds, blue sapphires, yellow sapphires and amethyst to create a dazzling display of colour and light. The Saint Aegon's Sword of Justice became a symbol of the House Targaryen's power and authority, as well as their duty to protect the Faith and uphold justice, and this display and homage greatly impressed the Royal Court and the Realm and was seen as a strong symbol of the King's piety.  Eventually the sword would be integrated into royal coronation ceremonies.

The next year in 126 AC the Crown Prince and Princess would have twins who they would name Jaehaerys and Jaehaera, signalling both stability and future prosperity as Crown Prince Aegon had a male heir to pass down the throne to. Both would hatch eggs in their cradles with Prince Jaehaerys hatching a dragon black dragon called Ancalagon after the famous one which fought in the last Ghiscari war while Princess Jaehaera had a copper coloured dragon name Shrykos. In the tournament held to honor their births the King Viserys would announce the building of the Queen Rhaenys Baths and the Queen Visenya Hospital, affiliated with both the Royal Citadel and the Faith of the Seven, to be built in the City of Kings Landing.

And thus continued the reign of King Viserys, Second of his Name.

Chapter Text

During the reign of King Viserys II despite the many events of the Era, the Crown's attention was very much concentrated on the building of the Royal Villa whose construction defined the reign of King Viserys II and remains one of his greatest legacies.

Excerpt from the 'Royal Residences' By Maester Theon of the Riverland Citadel.

A mere days ride away from Kings Landing and nestled in the hills of the Kingswood, one finds a testament of two separate king's ambition and yearning for a life beyond the constraints of court life and duty, as represented by the Red Keep. The result of this was the Royal Villa, a palatial complex conceived not merely as a residence, but as a self-sufficient world reflecting the glory of House Targaryen, designed and planned for years under King Viserys II from when he was but the Hand before beginning construction in 121 AC…….

The reign of King Viserys II was marked by peace and prosperity, and was characterized by his personal passions for the arts, architecture, history, planning festivities and celebrations, and travel. It was these passions, coupled with a desire to escape the stifling formalities of the Royal Court, that fueled the years long design process of this extraordinary retreat. More than just a villa, it was a carefully curated representation of the Targaryen's vision and conception of themselves as both the Heirs to Old Valyria and rulers and inhabitants of Westeros, a place where diverse architectural styles and cultural traditions converged in a harmonious display of Targaryen power and personal taste………..

Constructed over two decades, beginning in 121 AC, the villa sprawls across an astonishing fourteen square miles, larger than most towns and some cities in Westeros, though most of it would be dedicated to gardens and hunting forests. However this fact does not detract from the size of the buildings of the Royal Villa, which collectively represented a royal undertaking not seen since the construction of the Red Keep itself. The Royal Villa was a testament to the king's ambition and his unwavering commitment to this project. It is not a singular edifice, but rather a constellation of over 70 structures, each with its own unique function and aesthetic, linked by a network of pathways, gardens, pools, and terraces. This interconnectedness yet seperation fostered a sense of both unity and diversity, mirroring the Westeros itself.

By size the largest area, which took up nearly two thirds of the grounds, is dedicated to the Garden of Vermithor, which despite the name were a section of the Kingswood forest. With the term mostly referring to a large stretch of plains cleared of trees in the foots of the hills of Vermithor and Quicksilver. The Garden's were used by the royal family as places where the Dragons could roost, with their Dragons carving new tunnels and caves into the hills. Next to the Garden of Vermithor, sitting on and around a hill at the heart of the Villa complex lies the Royal Palace, built in the Valyrian-Hellas Style. Here, amidst opulent apartments adorned with intricate mosaics, carved and decorated marble panelling, and vibrant frescoes, the king conducted affairs of state, received dignitaries, and indulged in private celebration. The palace's multi-tiered design, situated on a commanding elevation of the King Viserys II hill, offered panoramic views of the surrounding landscape, a constant reminder of the King's dominion over both the natural and political realms.  It's most famous portion would be the South Wing, the largest part of the palace, characterized by its imposing façade and intricate stonework, which houses some of the most opulent and significant spaces within the palace. The South Wing is home to the Hall of Mirrors, a long gallery, which is lined with 357 silver mirrors all made in the Royal Mirror Workshop, creating a breathtaking spectacle of light and reflection. Sunlight streaming through the clear glass windows at one end of the hall is reflected by the mirrors, creating a dazzling cascade of light that seems to stretch into infinity.  The intricate ornamentation of the hall, including gilded coffered ceilings, painted panels depicting the triumphs of House Targaryen, and marble sculptures, further enhanced its grandeur and splendour. The Hall of Mirrors served as a venue for lavish balls, receptions, and other social events, showcasing the grandeur and power of the Iron Throne. …….

Beyond the Hall of Mirrors, the wing also played a crucial role in the social and political life of the court when it was in the Royal Villa. Its numerous salons and reception rooms provided spaces for lavish balls, receptions, and meetings…… The North Wing by contrast is much smaller but still equally important, for it held eight dedicated apartments for each of the Great Houses, as well as other apartments for members of the Small Council, and some even given on the King's whims. Considering the rarity of these apartment within the Royal palace itself, receiving one not bound to the Great Houses or a particular office was a mark of great prestige and a claim to royal favour………The upper portions of the Palace, on top of the hill accommodates a large series of Royal apartments, each lavishly decorated with ornate furnishings and gilded details. These were the private domain of the King, Queen, Princes and Princesses and their closest companions and kin. The King's Apartments, for instance, are a testament to royal splendour, featuring opulent chambers such as the King's Bedchamber, the Vhagars Salon, and the Conquest Room, each adorned with intricate tapestries, marble sculptures, Art from as far away as Yi Ti, and paintings in every style……..One of the most famous elements of the Upper Floors and the Royal Palace as a whole was the Dragons Fountain, which stands at the heart of the Courtyard of the Dragons in the Palace, serving as the center of the upper palace and the family apartments. This iconic fountain, consists of a large, twelve-sided white marble bowl with a small fountain pouring water drawn from the Royal Palace Aqueduct, with the bowl resting on the backs of twelve black marble dragons. Each dragon, sculpted with intricate detail using one of the then existing Targaryen dragons as a reference has its mouth open, spouting water into a lower basin to show what time of day it was. In a controlled sequence the dragons would activate hour by hour by the constantly rising water in the bowl until all of them were spouting out water by midday when the bowl would drain completely using a siphon mechanism and the process would start again. The Fountain was more than just a decorative element and a timepiece. It served as a symbol of power, wealth and sophistication……. Along with the Dragon Fountain water from the Royal Palace aqueduct would flow across the building using pipes for fresh water and sewage, with the Royal Palace considered one of the cleanest and most pleasant building in the realm, each apartment had flowing fresh water for bathing and to help drain away wastes, ensuring the stench would not be an issue…….

…….A testament to King Viserys II's fascination with the mysteries of Qarth and the allure of Qartheen culture, the Canopus stands as one of the villa's most striking features. This monumental pool, reminiscent of the famed canal in Qarth of the same name, is flanked by a colonnaded walkway and terminates in a grand temple dedicated to the syncretized Qartheen-Valyrian Pantheon of Gods which were also adopted by the Qartheen Nobility and people as their own centuries ago after their conquest. The Canopus served not only as a symbolic link to the exotic reaches of the Known World and the edges of the Lost Empire of Valyria, but also as a venue for lavish banquets and theatrical spectacles, where the king and his guests could revel in the splendor of staged naval battles or partake in feasts under the watchful gaze of colossal statues.

In contrast to the grandeur of the Canopus, the Maritime Theatre offers a glimpse into King Viserys II's desire for solitude and introspection. This circular structure, ingeniously designed as an island within a pool, is accessible only by retractable bridges, creating a sense of seclusion and tranquility. The miniature villa at its center, with its own set of miniature baths and gardens, provided kings with a private refuge, a space for quiet contemplation away from the clamour of court life. The Maritime Theatre's intricate design, with its rotating dome and concealed entrances, highlights the ingenuity of Westerosi engineering and the lengths to which the King went to create spaces tailored to his personal needs ……

….This seclusion of the Maritime Theater was heavily contrasted with the Court Palace, which served as residence for the majority of members of the Royal Court and where the guests who did not merit rooms in the Royal Palace stayed. The architecture is characterized by its red brick construction and symmetrical courtyards. The Court Palace is by size the single largest structure in the entire Royal Villa by far and while much plainer compared to some other building had its own charms. The Great Hall which forms its own structure, with its flying buttresses and great windows for example, exemplifies the grandeur of this era. Measuring over 240 feet long and 70 feet wide, the sheer scale of the hall is awe-inspiring, it's famous windows run half the height of the walls on left and right, bookended with the main windows at either end which run three quarters of height. All these windows serve to bath it in a kaleidoscope of vibrant colours, the 30 windows narrate histories from the Coming of the First Men, The Long Night, The Age of Heroes, The Andal Conquest, The Targaryen Conquest of Westeros, and the lives of previous Kings. As well as stories from The Seven Pointed Star, The Weirwood Tales and the tale of the Grey King central to the Faith of the Drowned God . The intricate details of these narratives, from the figures' expressions to the folds of their garments, are brought to life by the interplay of light filtering through the coloured glass. The Great Hall witnessed many events, from lavish feasts and theatrical performances to grand balls and royal celebrations…….

…….The Pecile, a vast garden modeled after the Stoa Poikile in Hellas, reflects King Viserys II's deep appreciation for Hellas philosophy and culture. This expansive space, enclosed by a colonnaded portico, provided a serene setting for leisurely strolls and artistic displays. The Pecile's integration of nature and architecture symbolized the harmony between the intellectual and physical realms, a cornerstone of Hellenistic thought…..

The Baths, an integral part of Valyrian and Crownlander life, are represented in the villa by multiple complexes, each designed with varying scales of opulence and functionality. The Princes Baths a particularly elaborate bath complex, showcases underground furnaces that circulated hot air through the floors and walls, provided a luxurious and therapeutic bathing experience…….. The "Philosophers' Hall" near the baths, with its niches designed to hold statues of renowned thinkers, both Westerosi and Valyrian, further underscores the villa's emphasis on both side of Targaryen Heritage……..

Beyond these prominent structures, the villa housed a multitude of other significant spaces: libraries stocked with scrolls of literature and philosophy, theatres for dramatic performances, halls for musical recitals, temples dedicated to the Valyrian Gods, seven septs dedicated to each aspect of the Seven, Godswood's as well as a hall decorated with the statues of the High Gods of the Weirwood Faith to serve as monuments if not places of worship, and many sprawling gardens adorned with fountains and sculptures…...

The villa's architectural splendour was further enhanced by its lavish decoration. Vibrant frescoes adorned ceilings and walls, bringing a sense of dynamism and narrative to the villa's interiors. Most rooms also were decorated with some stained glass even if most of the window would be clear Myrish glass, with the clear glass often having borders of stained glass. Sculptures, populate the villa's gardens and buildings…..

Supporting all this was a monumental task requiring the building of paved roads to and from the city, 6 separate aqueducts diverting waters from streams and river with one connecting directly on to the Royal Palace providing running water which was expertly used for multiple purposes, even sent to above floors using a system of water wheels and pipes giving the Royal Access easier access to wet indoor latrines and upper floor baths, a large set of walls with 20 guard towers and corner forts, as well as huge barracks and other facilities to support the Dragonguard, and most prominently the Grand Chancellery, a vast complex of buildings located behind the Court Palace, it played a crucial role in supporting the daily life of the court. This sprawling complex, provided housing for if need be thousands of servants, guards and officials, as well as stables, kitchens, bakeries, laundries, workshops, and other essential facilities. The Grand Chancellery was a self-contained world, with its own streets, squares, and gardens. The Grand Chancellery complex also included a hospital and a sept, providing for the needs of the vast population that lived and worked within its walls when the Royal Court visited as well as when they were not here, as many people lived in the grounds of the Royal Villa full time rather than moving with the Court…….

Funding such a monumental undertaking was a major concern for the Crown with all the personal wealth King Viserys had brough being sunk into the Royal Villa as well as half the Crowns reserves. In fact  such was its expense that the Crown began using loans from the Bank of the Dragon, Bank of Lannisport, Bank of Castamere and the Westerosi Rogare Bank who all maintained branches in the City of Kings Landing to cover unexpected expenses so as to reduce the need to have gold reserves on hand. The Crown was not broke per say but it was in debt, ever rising debt which was not creating enormous headaches solely as these Banks offered these loans without interest in a bid to cultivate Royal favour. This precarious financial situation was something which was quite a change from just a few decades ago when it was flush with funds, with even the golden touch of Master of Coin Lyman Beesbury only enough to prevent the Crown from drowning in its own expenses. This need for coin was in fact the primary reason why the tax on the expeditions to the east had been levelled despite how unpopular they were.

In the years since the marriage of Crown Prince Aegon the realm was peaceful and prosperous though the Crown's finances remained strained and precarious at best. In the decade all three branches of House Targaryen were blessed wit many sons and daughters. The Crown Prince along with his twins had Prince Maegor. His sister who was married to Prince Daemon on the other hand had a son in Prince Aemon who hatched the dragon Vermax and a daughter in Princess Visenya The Younger whose dragon was the hatchling Arrax.  Prince Zuko had married Visenya the Elder, youngest daughter of Lord Daegon Eastwood and Princess Viserra, who also became the rider of Vhagar like her namesake Queen Visenya. This would create some bitterness in the sons of Prince Baelon as he was the last rider of the Great Dragon but it would fade soon. They would have a son Prince Aerion, who became heir to the Glittering Isle.

The Year 130 AC would be a very important one for the Crown as it saw the completion of the King Aemon Canal and Princess Rhaenys Bridge. This transformed the destiny and trade patterns of Westeros as the three main internal water systems that made up the core of the continent, the Great Westerosi Plain, these being the Mander, the Gods Eye and the Trident were united into one. Henceforth once could travel on a single barge from the Twins in the Northern Riverlands to Oldtown in the southernmost part of the Reach. This not only rerouted old trade away from the sea but also stimulated new trade, as the canal on its own as well as with its southern counterpart made new trade routes economically viable, and opened up brand new markets. The royal capital of King's Landing in particular benefited as it became the heart of what came to be known as the Common Market. The completion of the canal also greatly relieved the burden on the royal coffers, for it signalled the end to all major royal works except the royal roads and Royal Villa. This meant for the first time in a very a long time the crown could receive significant amount of gold without immediately spending it, allowing the Crown to make plans to pay back its debts and rebuild its reserves, and this occurred even before any profits were earned from the new King Aemon canal. As part of the growth brought forth by the canal the King would also announce that the Royal Post Office was to extend its services, creating a brand new riverine fleet which would make stops along  all the towns along the Mander, Blackwater Rush, the Gods Eye river and Lake and the Trident to better connect the realm and improve the range and flow of post sent across the Kingdom. This would help stimulate trade as well as markets got better connected not just by barge but also information.

The completion of the canal was celebrated by a tourney held at Harrenhal by House Qoherys and Darry attended by nobles from across the realm. It was at this Tourney that the realm also saw the announcement of the departure of House Targaryen of the Glittering Isle, as they left to travel to Leng and meet their family there, a journey which was to take many months, close to a year with them expected to return to Westeros not before three years had passed . In 130 AC the Targaryens also celebrated the birth of Prince Viserys the Younger, second son of Prince Daemon and Princess Rhaenyra however the good mood did not last for the days grew colder and white ravens came announcing the coming of not just winter months but an Autum year.

The year would see the end of Autum and coming of winter, yet this was not just a regular winter year, rather 131AC  would signal start to the Long Winter, being one of the coldest and bitterest stretch of winter years since the Conquest, though no one knew just how bad it would get. The Winter and its impact would also create the start of the Great Realignment, with the alliances of Westeros shifting, and the politics of realm reorganising due to the changes wrought during the Long Winter.

The year started with the birth of the Prince Maelor, third son of Crown Prince Aegon. And it was also at this time the first reports of plague came. Just months later in Driftmark Count Laenor Velaryon would die of the Winter fever leaving behind no children. This meant his niece Baela, the eldest daughter of Prince Daemon, would be married to Vaegon Velaryon, grandnephew of Corlys Velaryon. In return for this marriage Lord Vaegon was declared his Granduncle's heir ahead of many others in the Driftmark Line of Succession. Yet this marriage would almost plunge the Realm into a war after Princess Baela tried to refuse giving up her children's draconic inheritance, refusing to swear the oaths to not grant them dragons and dragon eggs for she had always been greatly angered by her lack of dragon and believed having them to be her and her line's birthright.

 As the Realm considered whether it should be prepared for war, the return of Princess Rhaenys from the Stormlands where she had gone to the Weeping town to pay respects at the death of a childhood companion resolved the issue when she got her granddaughter to agree to the oaths.  This incident while resolved peacefully, highlighted the problem caused by the high number of dragons aligned with the Driftmark faction. The King would also in retaliation strip Count Corlys of his office as Master of ships, though officially it was due to his advanced age. The Crown would also get the Master of Whisperers to increase the number of spies and informants in Driftmark and the seats of its allies for it did not want House Velaryon to become a second Dragonrider house challenging the primacy of House Targaryen, nor did it want the children of Prince Daemon to begin dreaming of supplanting the Royal Line.

However the realms attention was quickly diverted as more and more sickness spread and the death toll began to grow. Thus it was with joy that the realm let itself get distracted in the latter half of the year by the scandal in Oldtown; After Count Ormund Hightower, and the rest of the realm, found out that his new wife Countess Samantha, previously of House Tarly, was having an affair with his son and heir Lyonel Hightower.  Due to the legal relationship between the two the Cardinal of the Reach denounced it as incest and demanded punishment, and Count Ormund himself was in no forgiving mood. After his son refused to repent the Count Ormund asked the Cardinal of the Reach to annul his marriage, declaring he would not have such a sinful person as his wife.

The annulment was granted but not a month later news came that the two had found a sympathetic septon to marry them to the outrage of the faith which sent the septon to 3 years of penance though he would die soon after of winter fever. Count Ormund while enraged by this action however, despite the demands of the Faith, did not send the couple to the wall or silent sisters. Rather Lady Samantha and Lord Lyonel were disinherited, denounced and exiled, taking a small ship and gold to Lys to start a fresh life. Count Ormund's second son Martyn became his heir.

In the next few years, in the Winter months Highgarden saw heavy snowing, and even in Oldtown and Dorne where the summer months of Winters years were generally very pleasant now saw people lighting fires even during the day so as to banish the chill. In many parts of Westeros the Dukes and Crown had to send aid as the harvest of these Winter Years were universally poor, but distributing relief was difficult for the damp turned all the unpaved roads into rivers of mud and the rivers would be frozen making them useless in terms of transporting goods.

In 132 AC plague killed countless thousands in the Seven Kingdoms with the major cities affected the most; A strong man could wake up healthy in the morning and die by the evening, so swiftly did the plague strike. Dorne did not suffer much from disease, but the cooler temperatures caused rain which in turn caused flooding, it is said entire villages were wiped out before people even realised what was happening.  Similarly while the North and Vale saw little disease, they both saw many dying of cold and hunger. The plague over the course of the year killed many people both Highborn and smallfolk. Also killed were the High Septon Hugor the Second, a third of the Most Devout, and nearly all of the silent sisters in King's Landing.

In the month of Aegaraxius in 132 AC in order to both reduce tensions with the Driftmark faction after the incident with Princess Baela as well unite the main Dragonrider lines together it was announced that Princess Visenya the Younger would marry Prince Jaehaerys and become the next Queen of Westeros. In doing so this marriage would not only bring together the Lines of Viserys and Daemon, but also Aegon and Rhaenyra.  This marriage mollifies Prince Daemon and Princess Rhaenyra as it would see their blood on the Iron Throne but leaves Driftmark unsatisfied. However they would soon be distracted from such matters as on the 6th of Meleysius in 132 AC, Count Corlys Velaryon dies in his sleep of the plague, succeeded by his grandnephew Vaegon and granddaughter Baela. Count Vaegon would begin a rapid takeover of the myriad factions of House Velaryon of Driftmark, seeking to ensure that despite his young age his authority was total, something which would take the rest of the year to achieve.  This same year Princess Baela announced she was pregnant.

But for the Royal family the worst was yet to come. In the month of Meraxius of that year a major outbreak in Dragons Deep caused the Princess Rhaenyra to lose her child, but the Princess herself survived. Prince Daemon would end up fleeing the keep with his sons and daughters to Summerhall to get away from the disease while the Princess recovered, too ill to be moved. While just two months later the Royal family would also face loses as the Red Keep would face a major outbreak, in it Queen Betha would perish, followed just a week later by Queen Mother Alyssa, and then Prince Maegor died of the disease just the next day.

While Prince Maegor was the last Royal to die, many other nobles and notables would also perish over the course of the year including, Duke Tyland Lannister and his son, Count Bracken, Lord Butterwell, Alondra the Princess of Dorne, three members of the small council including Master of Coin Bartimos Celtigar the husband of Princess Maegelle who herself would perish a short time later as well as their eldest son Count Clement Celtigar, Hand of the King Ser Otto Hightower and his family, the Lord Commander of the Nights Watch, Lord Huon 'the silent Hound', Duke Quenton Greyjoy 'the old Kraken', the Duke Grover Tully and later his father Elmo Tully, Duke Rogar Baratheon and his mother Princess Saera the Duchess of the Stormlands and Count Melvin Tyrell and his four sons leading to his younger brother inheriting their seat.

The Year 133 AC the plague would subside but not disappear, but hope came with the white ravens announcing the coming of a spring year. The start of the new year would soon be followed by the births of Countess Laena Velaryon, eldest child of Princess Baela and of Princess Shaena, born to Crown Prince Aegon. In the middle of the year Princes Valerion and Zuko, and their families, would return from Leng, being shocked from the death toll for Leng and much of even Western Essos was unaffected. With Prince Zuko would come with his new son Prince Iroh, as well as news that Prince Aang had betrothed himself to a Lengii noble lady by the name of Katara and had decided to stay back in Leng in order to aid her family in a war, with them supposed to come to Westeros in some time. As the year ended and the plague continued to subside the most interesting news of the year came for the first great realignment happened due to the Long Winter. To the shock of all of Westeros, Princess Rhaena Targaryen, daughter of the Prince Daemon and Granddaughter of Count Corlys, was betrothed to Martyn Hightower, the new heir to Oldtown and most importantly the grandnephew of former Hand of the King Ser Otto Hightower, Prince Daemon's and Count Corlys' bitterest enemy at court. This match, the work of Count Vaegon, was only made possible by the deaths of Ser Otto and Count Corlys, for Count Vaegon had a hard enough time to convince just Prince Daemon to accept the match, with the Prince only doing so on the basis that Prince Aang was no longer available as a spouse and the fact that Count Vaegon threatened to pull out of their alliance completely which would ruin Dragons Deep as it tried to recover from the Winter Plague.  They would be married the next year in 134 AC as spring returned to Westeros and the Winter Plague and sickness ended and heralded the beginning of the merger of the Merger of the Hightower Coalition and the Driftmark Faction. But this peace and harmony was not to last for as the Hightower-Driftmark Coalition was formed it faced new opponents, with opposition to the leadership and central role of Houses Hightower and Velaryon coming not from the Kings landing Coalition but rather from within their own ranks.

In a great betrayal, as the realm settled and begun to rebuild and recover a new political power emerged, one which would swiftly take center stage in the Royal Court and seek to become leaders of the Hightower-Driftmark Coalition. This political power was House Rogare of Vaduz who would quickly attract many families to their side due to their influence which reached heights unseen before.

For the period of rebuilding from the year 134AC onwards is what Maesters may call the Rogare Ascendency, but what the people remember as the Lysene spring.  Led by Lorenzo Rogare and his son Cosimo, the Rogare's would take advantage of the chaos in the result of the plague to quickly grow their influence which was already entrenched at this point. For example, Lord Roggerio Rogare, a nephew of Lord Lorenzo, from a pillow house at the River Gate of King Landing called the Mermaid quickly came to rule large part of the city's pillow houses, shops, taverns and inns, fighting a bitter shadow war of influence with House Seawynd who had usually considered these types enterprises to be their domain, owning a significant chunk of them. Similarly the Rogares already controlled a trade empire which

Meanwhile Lord Lorenzo's brother Drazenko Rogare quickly gathered a fleet and opened his own trading company filling many of the gaps in the Westerosi markets. Meanwhile another nephew Lotho Rogare who began working for the Westerosi Rogare bank began making loans few could resist or match in an aggressive and expansionist policy penetrating the influence of the Westerosi Rogare bank deep into area's considered off limits till now.  However the Rogare's were not careless, instead they were merely ambitious. This can be seen in their profits, and for the first time since their founding over a century ago the Rogare Bank of Lys, even without its sister banks, was stronger than even the Iron Bank of Braavos with House Rogare collectively becoming the richest family in the Known World, and also holding the individual titles of richest family in Westeros, in the kingdom of Three Daughters and in Volantis where another branch of the family held considerably influence, holding a majority of the Second Fourth Bank of Volantis the largest Volantene bank and being once of the leading families not just in trade but also in the Elephant party of Volantis.

All the cities and towns of the Seven Kingdoms benefited from these loans and this trade, including Kings landing, Duskendale, Gulltown, Hull, Lannisport, Maidenpool, Oldtown, and White Harbor, with the Rogare's and their allies quickly coming to heavily influence if not control Westerosi trade with the Free Cities of  Lys, Myr, Volantis, Pentos, and Tyrosh. And despite the great power it gave them the Crown was happy with the state of affairs as it concentrated on bringing the realm back to its previous levels of prosperity. This alliance between the Crown and House Rogare could most clearly be seen when Prince Hand Aegon appointed Drazenko Rogare as Master of Coin in 136AC, signalling the Rogare's having reached their zenith in Westeros and indeed in Essos as well. In these years House Rogare controlled the Free City of Lys outright as Lysandro the Magnificent was named First Magister for Life, a now hereditary title, they owned single most influential and powerful financial institution, And their fleets and trading companies owned an empire of docks, ports, warehouses, taverns, mills, inn, markets, shops, workshops and every other type of commercial institution From Volantis in the east, to Lorath in the North, to the Summer Isle in the South to Stoneden in the West.

In the month of Caraxius in 137 AC King Viserys, Second of his Name, would die. He would be succeeded by his only son the Crown Prince Aegon, who would become King Aegon, Third of his Name,  Head of House Targaryen, King of Westeros, King of the Andals, the First Men, the Ironborn and the Rhoynar, Duke of the Crownlands, Warden of the Narrow Sea, Prince of the Stepstones, Defender of the Faith, Lord of the Seven Kingdoms and Lord Protector of the Realm.

Chapter Text

In the month of Caraxius in 137 AC King Viserys, Second of his name, would die. He would be succeeded by his only son the Crown Prince Aegon, who would become King Aegon, Third of his Name,  Head of House Targaryen, King of Westeros, King of the Andals, the First Men, the Ironborn and the Rhoynar, Duke of the Crownlands, Warden of the Narrow Sea, Prince of the Stepstones, Defender of the Faith, Lord of the Seven Kingdoms and Lord Protector of the Realm.

King Aegon III inherited a peaceful realm, wise councillors and unlike his father the trust of the Faith and the Nobility, which was the fruit of his fathers decades long effort to effect reconciliation between the Crown and its Vassals. He continued the Peace of Jaehaerys which had endured since the Great Council of 45AC and had lasted through the Reigns of King Jaehaerys, King Aemon, King Aemond and father King Viserys II. And his coronation was with the Draconic Crown of Westeros, but for everyday use he had a new Crown which was a gold circlet sprouting at equal intervals seven dragon's head with ruby eyes. The dragon heads were made from Gold, Amethyst, Silver,  Amber, Bronze, Ivory and Jade. At the ceremony the Queen Elena wielded Dark Sister and wore the Draconic Queens Crown of Westeros and the Princess Alyssa Necklace for the first time and would soon unveil her personal crown which was a gold circlet decorated with various flowers made of gold and silver.

During his early reign the King faced two main problems, the first was his uncle Prince Daemon and the Dragon's Deep Targaryens who were allied to Driftmark, and the other was his Great Uncle Prince Valerion and the Glittering Isle Targaryens. Both families but especially the Dragon's Deep Targaryens desired more power, lands and titles with both wishing to be given Oros and the title of Prince of the Stepstones which was to their wishes also be elevated into a Prince ruled Duchy like Dorne (By Royal Law since the time of Aegon the Conqueror only the fief of Dragonstone could be called a Principality, leading to Dorne being formally called the Duchy of Dorne despite having a Prince, not a duke, ruling it )

As such managing the House of the Dragon became the Kings greatest priority, to do so he would appoint Jaehaerys Buckwell, Lord of Antlers as his Hand of the King as a trusted neutral party and would lavish gifts and offices and honours on both cadet branches. Inviting them to the Red Keep and using the countless balls, weekly chariot races, nearly daily feasts, and tournaments to mark both Royal and religious events to keep them satisfied as he tried to figure out ways to keep the peace more permanently.

In 139 AC the King would face his first major crisis when Westeros would be shaken to its core, but the reason would not be Plague or War or Drought or Wildling Invasion or Pirate Invasion or Rebellion or anything in Westeros itself. Rather it was as Lysandro Rogare the First Magister of Lys, the acknowledged Patriarch of the many lines of House Rogare, the Head of House Rogare of Lys and owner of the Rogare Bank of Lys died while chocking on a piece of bacon. A death so absurd, its very absurdity is considered proof that it was the work of a jealous Braavos acting through the Faceless Men. Aiding in the fact that it was not a natural death was the fact that almost immediately the Magisters of Lys, Myr, Tyrosh and Pentos would begin an all out financial assault on the Rogare Bank of Lys. They would withdraw their funds, and spread rumours that Lysaro Rogare the eldest son of Lysandro had embezzled money to pay for his lavishness and to solidify his accession as the next First Magister. Soon slowly and then quickly a bank run would occur, one of epic proportions unseen before. In a bid to try and prevent the haemorrhaging of funds and the banks collapse, the Rogare Bank of Lys would issue Bills of Exchanges to be paid for by the Westerosi Rogare Bank and the Rogare-owned Second Fourth Bank of Volantis, turning a regional financial crisis to one which increasingly affected other markets. Both these banks would also lose enormous sums, draining their reserves. Due to location, convenience and recent profits fueled by ever higher lending from the Rogare's of Lys to the Westerosi Rogare's the Rogare bank of  Westeros took the worst hit.

This caused in the Westerosi Rogare Bank a crisis not just of finance as the legendary profits were drained to cover the Bills of Exchange but of governance as House Velaryon demanded they not honour the Bills of Exchange from Lys in a bid to prevent the collapse of the bank they half owned. But knowing that this was not possible as it would kill off the Rogare Bank of Lys and with it the network which was its greatest strength, Lorenzo and Drazenko Rogare would instead buy out the Velaryon's. They would give them the Rogare's Westerosi Wool, Spice and silk trade in terms of ships, warehouses, market stalls, shops, storehouses, carts, workshops and more which made up the trade network, greatly increasing the Velaryon trade networks and freeing them from the Rogare's controlling Driftmark's markets which was something which had a tremendous value of its own. This would cut the Rogare trade networks in Westeros by more than half and more importantly would not change the fact they to were still running out of reserves. In the meantime word came that the Pentoshi Branch of the Rogare Bank of Lys had been sold to the Prince of Pentos and his Bardi Bank who assumed its liabilities as well as accepted some Bills of Exchange in a bid to staunch the bleeding. This was the single largest example of the fact that during all this the Rogare's of Lys had rallied and had not remained idle. Selling parts of their banking empire to gain funds, and attracting deposits and loans from allies, while also calling in debts. But unfortunately part of the debt was from the Westerosi Rogare's with the interconnectedness of the banks, previously a strength, became their main weakness as the contagion spread far and wide.

As such Master of Coin Drazenko Rogare would invoke the banking laws he had written, ironically to ease the Rogare's takeover of Westerosi Banks. The Rogare Bank of Westeros formally appealed to the King and as the laws required, got him to issue binding mediation of the sale of parts of Rogare' Banks network. This mediation ensured the loans would be sold for its fair value and thus a profit. As such the Rogare banks operations, liabilities to depositors, and the loans to pay for them alike, in Oldtown and the Westerlands were sold to the Bank of Oldtown and the Bank of Castamere respectively who bought them at a significant markup compared to what one would receive from a distressed seller in a typical distressed sale. For they believed that despite the hit to their reserves and now lower profits they would receive from the loans the network of depositors and merchants would pay off in the longer term for they were profitable, something which proved correct and greatly strengthed the two banks grip in their duchies. Meanwhile the Rogare Banks operations in Dorne were sold to the Bank of the Glittering Isle, again at a healthy profit. Knowing the advantages of holding the operations of the Stormlands, heavily intertwined into the wool trade of the Baratheon's did not provide as much favour as before, they were also sold. The operations in the Marches and Cape Wrath were sold off to the Bank of the Dragon and the operations in the northern Stormlands to the Northeastern Bank. This infusion of gold and reduction in liabilities allowed the Westerosi Rogare Bank and the Rogare Bank of Lys to survive as the panic ended as it not only gained them more confidence due to the backing of the Crown but also the infusions of gold lessened the fear of depositors that they would lose money, allowing the Rogares to dedicate more gold to staunch the bleeding cause by Lysene bills of exchange. However both were much more diminished, becoming at best first among equals if even that, having lost much of their network advantage as well as most of their reserves and clients. The Rogare's would never be as rich or influential as they were in the previous years ever again even though both families would remain wealthy and influential overall with both banks surviving.

This downfall from power can be seen in the coming months, for after the panic ended, as the Rogare's and their allies the world over celebrated, news came from Lys that the enemies of the Rogare's murdered Lysaro Rogare and his immediate family including his wife, sons and daughters at the Temple of Trade during a public festival in Lys. It was also told that the city erupted into violence that day causing the rest of his family to flee the city with Moredo Rogare leading most to Westeros while Fredo Rogare and Drako Rogare fled east to Volantis.

Those who had profited from the Rogare's largesse rallied to their defense but many would be forced to either recant their support or flee, as those who had in previous years suffered at the hands of the Rogare's saw an opportunity for revenge. The streets of Lys, once bustling with trade, became a battleground for rival factions, their clashes a prelude to the larger war to come. "Lys" lamented the Lysene poet, Abel in the dedication of the famous poem Death of the Lovely Lady "was a city eating itself alive, blinded by greed and consumed by hatred."

The reason that these Magisters were able to take power in Lys so easily was that they had the firm support of the Magisters of Myr and Tyrosh who supported them with gold, men and ships. The constituent cities of the Kingdom of the Three Daughters, while nominally united were in truth bitter rivals, each vying for dominance. Myr and Tyrosh, in particular, had long been wary of Lysene influence, especially viewing the Rogare's rise and increasing control of their own trade and wealth with suspicion, jealousy and hatred. House Rogare's collapse and the ensuing chaos in Lys offered them a chance to break free from Lysene control and assert their own power. "The Three Daughters" observed a Tyroshi chronicler, "were sisters bound by convenience and fear of outsiders, not affection, and the Rogare's severed the ties of trust that held them together, as for the first time they claimed the right to decide how another one of them functioned....... and in doing so while they had indebted the Magisters opposed to the Rogare's also bought the enmity of any powerful family seeking to protect their own status from new rivals from rival cities"

Across the Narrow Sea, King Aegon III watched these events with a calculating eye. The Targaryen dynasty, while enjoying a period of peace and prosperity, had not forgotten the perils that existed from one line of the Dragon fighting another with the History of House Targaryen in Westeros largely a story of managing not just the realm but the family itself. The opportunity to expand their influence and assert their dominance over the Free Cities, and in doing so getting rid of two branches of Dragon Riders was too tempting to resist. Furthermore the branches in questions also hungered for lands, wealth and glory and decided the Free Cities would do. Moredo Rogare, brother to Larra Rogare, the youngest daughter of Lysandro Rogare married her off to Prince Aemon, the King's nephew, son of Prince Daemon and Princess Rhaeneyra.

The Targaryens, thus claiming kinship and a desire to protect their family's interests, declared their intention to take control of Lys in the name of Prince Aemon and Princess Larra. This move was also motivated by a desire to provide Prince Aemon with his own domain, thus lessening the likelihood of him or his father, the ever ambitious and prone to violence Prince Daemon Targaryen, coveting the Iron Throne. "The House of the Dragon" proclaimed a royal decree, "demands justice, and Lys shall be ours by right of blood and conquest.". Furthermore knowing that Myr and Tyrosh would not let Westeros simply take over Lys without a fight the King Aegon III also promised the Glittering Isle Targaryens that they would be elevated to the Dukes of Myr, make equal to the Great Houses of Westeros, securing their firm support as well as those of the rest of the Westerosi nobility who were promised lands and gold in what was to be the greatest expansion of the Realm since Aegon's Conquest..

As such at the dawn of 140 AC Westeros declared war on the Kingdom of the Three Daughters, formally fighting the war due to the claim Prince Aemon Targaryen made on the Lordship of Lys due to his marriage to House Rogare. As such the Prince was declared the first ever Duke of Lys.

What the people at the time would call the War for Lysene Succession is also known by many other names, the Rogare War is the most enduring one across the known world but many regional ones persist. In Westeros it is and was known as the War Beyond the Sea, The Third War of Conquest, and King Aegon III's War. In Volantis it is known as the Restoration War. In Braavos and Pentos it is the Third Braavos-Pentos War, as the battles elsewhere coincided with a war for the Amber Hills which lay between them, while in the Rhoyne Valley it is the Second Great War against the Volantene. While the spark that lit Essos alight was regarding control of Lys almost all of Essos soon was involved one way or the other. For the Targaryen declaration of war sent shockwaves through the Free Cities and all realised a new epoch had approached, one where the old certainties and balances of power were certainties no more.

The Primary conflict was of course the Westerosi Invasion of the Kingdom of the Three Daughters. But it was not quick to come, for Westeros was no longer a land of conflict and as such armies had to be raised from scratch when people had forgotten how to do so almost. Furthermore due to a combination of factors these armies were not the massed peasant levies of the past millennia, rather they were giant hosts of Dragonguard, Hedge Knights, second sons of nobles and Men-At-Arms, a much larger version of the Sons of the Dragon rather than the armies which fought in the conquest. This would mean the number of soldier would be lesser but more effective. Also rallied were the navies of Westeros with the Grand Fleet of Westeros and its Ducal Fleets being formally formed in practice for the first time since they were decreed into law under the reign of King Jaehaerys. Event he merchant fleets were rallied in order to ensure supply lines remained clear.

But despite all these challenges the most important was the requirement of coin with the Crown of Westeros going into debt, borrowing form each of the banks to finance its war as the Royal Coffers could not fund such an undertaking, especially as King Aegon III had promised to provide coin to his lords to help them rally more Men-At-Arms while also being determined not to raise taxes as he believed "Trade will be stabbed in the jugular once because of wars, let taxes not strangle it as well" the Crown also put firm pressure on its nobles to not raise taxes or rents either.

Despite all this the enthusiasm and support was high among all important segments of Westerosi society. Nobles dreamed of lands, honour, glory and gold, the Faith looked to expand its hold and rally the faithful by striking a blow on the slave trade, merchants while wary of war supported opening up the markets of Essos by disrupting competitors. But the war would not be easy for as the Westerosi prepared for so did everyone else.

In 140 AC the fleets of Westeros began sailing for the conquest of the Three Daughters marking a new epoch of Westeros and Essos