While Garth the Wise may have hated Targaryen rule, he did not let his hatred consume him, instead he channelled the energy and determination brought by it build the might of the Reach. Hence his Great roads which, along with Aegon's peace would increase trade in the reach threefold by the end of King Aegon's reign.

His son Willas learned his father's lessons and continued with his work, knowing that House Gardener must grow stronger before they could even think of challenging the dragon. Willas like his father isolated himself from the intrigues of the royal court as much as he could, preferring to focus on improving the reach and the Gardeners own lands. He married Gena Osgrey, the eldest Daughter of Lord Osgrey, the Marshall of the North Marches, at a young age and had a son, Gyles, by her. Their marriage is said to be a loving one. Willas maintained the king's peace and in its interest, swore loyalty to Aenys Targaryen upon Aegon I death. However, unlike his father Willas did not enjoy peace for long, instead he had to deal with the rebellion by the faith militant against Targaryen rule.

The faith could no longer tolerate the sacrilegious habits of the Targaryens, atleast now that Aegon the Conqueror was dead. As such the within two years of Aenys accession to the throne more than half the realm was in rebellion against the crown.

Many of the more pious lords had also demanded that the Reach, the heartland of the faith, rebel however Willas refused to do so. Not out of any love for the Targaryens, for he had none, but because Willas knew that armies cannot defeat dragons. He continued to resist his vassal's efforts to join the rebellion, even when King Aenys died, a wise move for soon Aenys brother Maegor took the throne and began burning all who opposed him.

Knowing that opposing Maegor would mean death, Willas ordered all his vassals to immediately stop supporting the rebels and try to prevent any criticism of the Targaryens. Despite these commands as well as constant efforts to prevent violence and maintain order in the reach, the rebellion still spread and parts the reach were soon also attacked and burnt by Maegor. The most infamous of these was the Battle of the Stonebridge where the Poor Fellows, who were nine thousand strong, and led by Wat the Hewer were caught between six lordly armies at Stonebridge. The sheer brutality of the battle 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.

Of course, this was hardly the last battle in the reach but along with the siege of Oldtown in 44AC was the most memorable. However, despite the ferociousness and brutality of Maegor, who was now being called The Cruel for his actions the tide soon turned against him. This was as the rebellion dragged out longer and atrocities became commonplace more and more people began calling for peace. And all these people correctly realised that Maegor, who now demanded the death of the faith itself, was the greatest obstacle to that peace.

Lord Willas was unable to live to see the end of Maegor's reign for he soon died of a summer fever in 47 AC. He was succeeded by his son Lord Gyles who came to rule at the tender age of 13. Despite this Gyles proved to be a capable ruler. While not being the most learned of lords Gyles had a gift of cunning. This cunning made him the first lord after lord Baratheon to support the now King Jaehaerys I when the third son of Aenys I raised his banners to reclaim the Iron throne. He did so despite the advice of his advisors, knowing that Maegor's reign was at a close and that the tide was turning. His gamble paid off when Maegor died soon after and when Jaehaerys took the throne House Gardeners influence increased. It of course helped that they had married into quite a few houses and as such brought more than simply the reach to Jaehaerys side.

House Gardener prospered greatly in Jaehaerys reign, using the long peace to establish deep trading relations with the rest of the realm. Gyles also improved House Gardeners standing by marrying Alyssa Hightower, strengthening their bonds with their most powerful and richest bannermen. During his reign Gyles also oversaw the expansion of the town of Highgarden, building the Great Works for which he is most well know. These are the Great Gardener Sept, The Highgarden Arena, the Statue of the three Kings, also known as Three kings, which is a collection of three 200 foot statues in the form of a triangle facing outwards, commemorating Garth the Gardener, Garth Greenhand and Garth Goldenhand.

However, the most consequential of Gyles decisions was the opening of the Bank of Highgarden. This bank unlike the Iron bank or other banks of the free cities did not accept deposits, rather it was owned and funded completely by House Gardener who used it to give out loans to merchants and traders. While the bank started small, it soon grew. By 80 AC the bank funded itself and no longer required the gardeners to deposit more money in it. Over time the bank would become the most important moneylender after House Lannister in the seven kingdoms.

Under the reign of the Old Wise King the realm prospered, the markets overflowed, the harvests were bountiful and the peace was maintained. House Gardener during this time also became stronger, marrying its daughters into good families, establishing new cadet lines to ensure they would not lack male heirs and to ensure trusted men would be able to fulfil important roles and offices. But more importantly under Jaehaerys the realm truly became one, whether it was due to the trade, the common laws, or other factors but now westeros truly became one realm rather than multiple realms under one king. As the long peace continued however not all years brought happiness for the Targaryens, for the Issue of succession became an important, especially after the death of the crown prince.

The sea snake, Lord Corlys Velaryon of Driftmark began using the wealth we acquired in his travels to the far east to convince many lords to accept the claims of his wife, Princess Rhaenys Daughter of the deceased crown prince Aemon, to the throne. However, there were more claimants to the throne including Prince Baelon Targaryen, Princess Rhaenys Uncle and his son Viserys. Like the rest of the realm House Gardener kept a keen interest in the issue of Targaryen succession and Lord Gyles attended the great council of 101AC, and spoke on the behalf of the most obvious candidate Prince Viserys.

In 104 AC upon the death of King Jaehaerys, the reach along with the rest of the realm mourned. But amongst the weeping, the whispers of power continued as the nobility fought for standing and influence in the new king's court. House Gardener's expectation for more power as payment for its support of prince Viserys were however soon dashed. And the start of the reign of King Viserys in fact marked the decline of the influence of House Gardeners as their vassals House Hightower soon became the second most powerful house in westeros.

A Hightower served as the Lord Hand and after the death of queen Emma Arryn, Alicent Hightower became the queen. The long peace had also swelled House Hightowers coffers. Also, the generations of peace had all but killed off the influence of the Houses that normally derived their strength from their swords such as House Tarly. They were not only less influential but now unable to properly navigate the court and politics of this era. This further concentrated power amongst the Hightowers who kept a tight grip on the Merchant Houses. This power only grew over the years as queen Alicent produced male heirs, and the realm was assured that a king with Hightower blood would soon sit upon the throne.

However, it was not to be, and the peace which had appeared so solid found that its foundations began to crack for King Viserys, ever a sentimental fool, had decided to name his daughter Heir, contradicting the ruling of the Great Council of 101AC which had brought him to power in the first place. His stance also greatly divided the realm, and in 111 AC at the tourney of Kings Landing the realm was finally split into two factions the Blacks supporting Princess Rhaenyra and the greens supporting Queen Alicent.

Upon hearing the news of this division Lord Gyles began preparing. For he knew that the Peace of Jaehaerys would not last and that a war for the throne was on the horizon.