Blood of Dragons

Three days it took for a royal galley to bear Ser Ranulph Wendwater, one of the king's justiciar's, and Ser Jaesin Lannister, one of the king's White Swords, to Crackclaw Point with three dozen men-at-arms. A week followed, as Ser Ranulph attempted to put to rights the troubles there, sparked when it was said that Lord Staunton kidnapped the young and wilful Lady Evelyn of House Boggs, who inherited from her brother when he and their father died in the terrible flight down the Boneway. But the lady had been promised, to a bold knight of House Brune, Ser Osney the Quick, and what followed was…

The time had come: King Baelor was departing King's Landing with the former Dornish hostages. It was a plan that the king had announced months before, and the court met it with a mixture of incredulity and concern. Some assured themselves that Prince Viserys would dissuade him, that the gods would bring him to a wiser course, that he would realize the folly of it... But none of these things happened. Indeed, the king's resolve only grew as Prince Marence away in far Sunspear proved so agreeable, hardly arguing against any point in the king's plan for peace with Dorne (some would say this was…

Is it true? Can the slight, pious youth who is king -- young Baelor, whom some call Halfsepton -- really intend to depart for Dorne in two weeks time? That's the rumor at court, and the actions of the king's household and that of the king's stewards make some suspect it to be true. Orders have been flying, sending gold cloaks and foresters south of the city, along the beginning of what would be the king's route to Blackhaven and the Boneway beyond. Ravens, too, have been sent to the seats of the lords and knights along the way, allegedly enjoining them to deal with all the unrest and brigandry…

Word arrived late in the day from Blackhaven, and the words were as black as the wings of the raven that carried it: The last part of the king's army, believed to have been making its progress on the Boneway, had been due at Blackhaven two weeks or more by this point, if all had been well. Clearly, there was a problem. Yet scouts sent by the new Lord Dondarrion to explore the way south found no sign of the army, and there was concern. The garrison at Wyl, having entered the Marches after giving up the castle to its Dornish masters, said they had heard or seen no sign of them, either. What had…

The morning dawned with the king awake, after having knelt before the altars of the Seven in the royal sept in succession through all the previous night, fasting and praying in readiness for his coronation. Nearly a week of feasting had preceded it, each feast hosted by some gracious noble house -- Crakehall, Gargalen, Tully, Baratheon, Lannister, and Arryn -- and none could recall such a fine gathering of the great and the courtly since the coronation of the king's late father, Viserys, whose crowning ended two harsh years of war. Lavish efforts were made to impress his grace and his court,…

Departing from the crowded afternoon service, King Baelor and many of his followers were outside the royal sept. The young king remarked on the sermon on charity from the sept's chief septon, Septon Elwood, with a great deal of admiration. For some, that sermon was unfortunately timed, given what transpired afterward. A knight of the royal household arrived and delivered word that a message had arrived from Sunspear, a long-awaited message: Prince Marence's response to the Iron Throne's offer of peace. The knight was to escort the king to the small council's chambers . . . but there was a…

Two dozen ships were sighted from the heights of Aegon's High Hill, making their weary way down Blackwater Bay towards the city. The banners and pennons that flew represented a dozen different houses, many from Dragonstone, but one banner in particular was the most noticeable: the Targaryen three-headed dragon, flying from the top of mast of each and every ship. The king's -- the new king's -- fleet had returned from Dorne, carrying on it the pitiful remnant of his grand army who had survived months of hard fighting, fighting which culminated in disaster. The Young Dragon's murder, the…

In the wake of King Daeron's murder and the near-riot in King's Landing, King Baelor prayed and fasted for three days and nights. Only after he recovered from this did the young king begin to rule. And the tasks he set before his council? To proclaim the forty-nine days of mourning for Daeron I, to prepare his coronation after that time, to see to the safety of the Dornish hostages -- including a formal pardon for Ser Tarion Sand, who killed one of the guards in an attempt to escape to safety -- and... ... to make peace with Dorne. This, Prince Viserys -- still his Hand -- urged the king…

Storms had rained their fury on Blackwater Bay and King's Landing, and it was storms to blame, their downpours and their winds, for the long delay in news from Dorne. So when the rains stopped, temporarily, it seemed perhaps that news would arrive at last... But it never rains, without it pours. First a bird arrived bearing happy news, though two weeks out of date: the Dornish had sought a parley to render their surrender to the king outside of Godsgrace, shortly after their defeat and the death of Prince Rhodry Nymeros Martell, the brother of the Prince of Dorne. This news led to much cheer…

In King's Landing, the news of the king's victory after the Dornishmen attempted their night raid against his siege was well-received. It has become a ritual at the court, to gather in the Great Keep through much of the day, waiting for news to arrive drip by drip, carried on ravens' wings. And yet, though the news was happy for most -- a few knights of note were killed on the king's side, it's true, including Ser Yonel Storm of the City Watch -- it was not for those Dornish present. The news of Prince Rhodry's probable death, and the fall of Ser Elric, the Shade of Ghost Hill, troubled them.…

In the court of King's Landing, news arrives in dribs and drabs from the south, where King Daeron campaigns. The nws has been good, a string of victories now leaving the king in possession of the ground outside of Godsgrace, with room to make a siege that will bring down its walls and give the Young Dragon his final victory. The news from Oakenfist, that the Planky Town had been held against him -- and partially successfully, at that -- by foreign sellswords was surely disquieting, in the halls and chambers of the Hand and the small council. Where did they come from? From Pentos, or at least…

Princess Daena's tourney opened with a grand joust in the tourney grounds of King's Landing, which drew more than sixty fine knights and lances to challenge for the prize. The tourney brotherhoods formed a great portion of the participants, and there were those who said that more than the rich purse of gold she offered, it was the right for a company to be her champions for a year and a day that spurred them on. Of course, that the Dornish Sons of the Spear took part -- and were allowed to take part by King Daeron, despite all the ill-feeling towards the Dornish as the king made preparations…

The rebellion in Dorne continues apace, with Lord Velaryon holding Salt Shore still, now awaiting word from King's Landing for when he should strike against the Planky Town and Sunspear, and in the Boneway Lord Manwoody has achieved notable victories even as the stormlords march towards Blackhaven under the Baratheon banner; even the garrison at Wyl is threatend, it is said, and a number of watchtowers have fallen to him and to Red Rhys of the Scourge and Alyx the Witch. But in the south, a force under the Martell finally stirred to threaten the king's garrisons that still hold along the Vaith…

The king had gathered the court to celebrate the end of the 160th year since Aegon's Landing, and the opening othe 161st. It was to be a festive occasion, despite the dire news from Dorne, because the king was confident that his cousin Lord Oakenfist would settle matters despite Lord Tyrell's death, the loss of his men, and the firestorm of rebellion that set that hot, miserable land. In the course of the feast, the king was able to convince most of those present that it was a matter of time before Velaryon, his fleet, and his forces would bring Sunspear into line, and the rest of Dorne must…

Not all has been happy news, since the death of the outlaw Lord Andrey Blackmont. It transpires that the king had sought to force Blackmont to a parley by making use of his children, hostages in the Red Keep. Among them was his daughter Valeria, whom had been betrothed to the heir of Storm's End, Ser Tancred Baratheon. Some at court thought that this was merely a ploy, others that it showed the subtle intrigues of Corwen Baratheon. Regardless, with Andrey Blackmont's death, the king saw fit to dispossess Valeria's elder brother of his inheritance, instead accepting her fealty as the Lady of…