Blood of Dragons

In a turn that has caught many at court by surprise, the venerable and immensely wealthy Lord Ossifer Plumm has arrived in King’s Landing and swiftly secured the king’s favor in arranging a betrothal to none other than Princess Elaena Targaryen. After years of holding onto hope for the return of Oakenfist—now formally declared lost at sea—Princess Elaena has at last consented to marriage. Though Lord Plumm’s age has raised eyebrows, his deep coffers have seemingly smoothed the path to this unexpected match.

Court whispers abound regarding Lord Plumm’s lavishness, for he has spared no expense in showering both Princess Elaena and King Aegon with extravagant gifts. Upon the public announcement of the betrothal, he pledged a staggering sum to fund a new jousting society—the Band of the Dragon—declaring it in honor of his future bride. Yet few doubt the true target of this flattery, as the king’s growing disinterest in the aging Brothers of the Battle is well known. Rumors swirl over the society’s origins: was this Lord Plumm’s ploy to endear himself to the crown? Or was it Aegon’s idea, using Plumm’s wealth to reshape courtly pastimes? Some even suggest Princess Elaena herself demanded the creation of the society as a condition of her acceptance, hoping to outshine her wild and beautiful older sister, the Princess Daena, who has openly gathered many bold young knights to her like moths to a flame.

Meanwhile, the scars of the failed Dornish campaign still fester in the lands near King’s Landing. The catastrophic blaze that consumed nearly a third of the Kingswood—ignited by the king’s own war engines—left thousands dead and countless more displaced. In the charred remains, desperate survivors have turned to banditry, preying on travelers and merchants who risk the woodland roads. What were once peaceful villages have given way to lawless enclaves and talk of the growing threat is rising within the city walls.

In King’s Landing itself, the mood of the citizenry shifts like the winds off Blackwater Bay. Some rejoice at the news of the princess’s betrothal, hoping the union brings stability and royal favor to the capital. Others grumble that the king’s coffers empty for tourneys and betrothal feasts while food prices climb ever higher in the markets. Fishmongers along the Muddy Way whisper of strange catches—half-rotted sea beasts with burns upon their scales—while septons preach in the streets that the wildfire-blazed Kingswood is a sign of the gods’ growing wrath with the feckless advice of the king’s doddering councilors.