Chapter 4: Robert's Rebellion Greyjoy Rebellion
Fall Of The Dragons
In 250 AC, Lord Rickard Stark, son of Lord Edwyle Stark and Lady Marna Locke, took the title of Lord of Winterfell and Warden of the North at the age of 20, after his father passed away.
Lord Rickard was famously known in the North as theSouthern Wolf,because of his grand southern ambitions. The North was always wary of the southern games and in seeing their own lord playing with politics, that are best suited in the south, cause some animosity among the Northern Lords.
Lord Rickard's dream was to open the North from their self imposed isolation and take a more active approach in the politics that run the Seven Kingdoms.
He knows that while the North is the Second richest kingdom in Westeros it would still be crushed under the weight the weight of the south if they decided to unite against him, and though the extinction of Dragons in the aftermath ofThe Dance of Dragonsseverely weakened the Targaryen hold in the Seven kingdoms, they are still the ruling family of Westeros and one of the most powerful with their riches and alliances through marriages (As any House will give anything to be married within House Targaryen).
No, Rickard knows that if he wants to strengthen the North he will have to make alliances.
So with that in mind, around 271 AC Rickard Stark send his 8 year old son Eddard 'Ned' Stark, to foster with Jon Arryn in the Vale along with Robert Baratheon the Heir to Strom's End.
Rickard hoped that fostering his son with Jon Arryn will result in good relation with the Vale.
Rickard under the advice of Maester Walys, the maester of Winterfell at that time, proposed several marriage alliances with other great houses in westeros. To prevent talks of southern ambitions Richard sends His eldest son and Heir Brandon to foster with the Ryswells and his Daughter Lyanna to Bear Island to foster with the Mormonts.
In 281 Ac, a grand tourney was held by Lord Walter Whent at Harrenhal. While many across the seven Kingdoms thought that Lord Whent is hosting the tourney for his ten year old daughter's nameday, while in reality it was a ruse.
The main reason of the Tourney was to held a Big Council, composed of Lords of the Great Houses from all of Westeros so they can quietly dispose The Mad King Aerys, whose madness and paranoia had grown since the Defiance of Duskendale, and install his Son Rhaegar Tatgaryen as the new king of the Seven Kingdoms.
But the plan is all ruined when Rhaegar, after winning the Jousting competition, crowned Lyanna Stark as his queen of love and Beauty not only insulting House Stark and Baratheon, as Lyanna was betrothed to Robert Baratheon, but also insulting his wife Elia Martell of Dorne.
At the coming of the new year, Lyanna Stark was abducted by prince Rhaegar near Harrenhal. Her brother Brandon who was on his way to Riverrun to wed Catelyn Tully, when the news reached. Brandon and his companions rode to King's Landing. He rode for the Red Keep and outsides it's gates he foolishly shouted for Rhaegar to come out and die, unaware that the prince was not present.
King Aerys had them all arrested for supposed treason and summoned Lord Rickard to answer for his son's crime.
Lord Rickard arrived at the Capitol with 50 Grey Cloaks of Winter City's city watch as an escort. After being denied justice for falsely arresting his son and supposed abduction of his daughter by the crown prince, Lord Richard demanded a trial by combat.
Aerys agreed to Lord Stark's demand, but in a move that will horrify the whole realm, choose Fire as his champion.
Lord Rickard, who had thought that he will fight against one of Aerys's Kingsguard, was suspended from the rafters in the throne room, where his pyromancers kindled a blaze beneath the hulking lord of Winterfell. Brandon Stark was brought in the throne room as well and was placed in a Tyroshi strangling device while a sword was placed just out of his reach.
Lord Rickard was slowly cooked alive in his armour while Brandon strangled himself to death.
The Grey Cloaks, that Lord Rickard brought with him as an escort, went on a rampage after seeing the death of their Lord. It was said that each Grey cloaks killed at least three gold cloaks and even managed to injure the kingsguard Jonothor Darry before the were all taken down.
Next Aerys a raven to Jon Arryn demanding the heads of Eddard Stark and Robert Baratheon as a show of fealty.
Most men would have complied to the King's demands to save themselves from his wrath. But Jon Arryn wasn't most men, he was an Arryn of Vale whose House words wereAs High As Honourand instead of killing the boys, boys he had raised as sons, he called the banners of vale for war.
Eddard Stark, now Lord Eddard Stark of Winterfell, reached the North by passing through the mountains of the moon and then the Fingers of Vale to sail back North, he had taken the long route as Gulltown has been blockaded by Valemen under Lord Grafton who had declared for the Targaryens.
Ned Stark quickly called his banners in the North but even with the Winter Roads can only manage to muster 18,000 men. He ordered his younger brother Benjen Stark to call the remaining men to guard the Moat Cailin and the coasts of North, knowing the Tyrells and the Greyjoys have a massive fleet and can attack the north by sea, and while he knows that the Northern fleet is formidable It was still no match for combined navy of Iron Island and Reach who can field a combined fleet of 800 ships.
The 19 year old Lord of Winterfell will taste his first real battle at stoney sept where the combined army of the North, Riverlands, and the Vale will destroy the loyalist army being led by Jon Connington lord of Griffin's Roost who was pinning down the forces of Stromlands being led by Robert Baratheon.
After the decisive victory at the Battle of the Bells, Lord Hoster Tully lord of Riverrun demanded that both Ned Stark and Jon Arryn marry her daughters Catelyn and Lysa Tully for Riverlands support in their Rebellion and fulfill the betrothal that Brandon Stark and Elbert Arryn left after the ultimate demise at King's Landing.
Ned Stark was furious about this as he was already in love with Lady Ashara Dayne of Starfall but knowing that without their support winning the war will be difficult as it was Riverlands that was providing the food and supplies necessary to continue this war.
Ned Stark eventually relented after Jon Arryn convinced him to marry and after two days they married the Tully sisters in a small marriage ceremony at Riverrun.
A month after the marriage they received scout reports that an Army led by the Crown Prince Rhaegar has been dispatched from King's Landing and they were only at a distance of two days march from crossing the Trident.
Hearing this the Rebel army under the command of newly crowned King Robert Baratheon marched to face the dragon's army. And after two days they reached the Trident just in time to see the Loyalist army crossing.
Prince Rhaegar had assembled an army of at least 40,000 strong from strong contingents from Reach, Crownlands and Dorne.
The rebel army by contrast is only 35,000 strong, 15,000 from the North, 8000 from Riverlands and the remaining 12,000 from Stromlands and the Vale. While the rebel army lacked in numbers they made it up for their battle experience and determination.
The battle was started by waves of charging cavalry from loyalist side. Their plan was to disrupt the rebel army long enough for their foot soldiers to cross the raging river. But their charge were cul short by the Northern Army who had taken their ranks in the front.
The waters of the Trident had the slowed the horses and they unsuccessfully smashed against the Northern Shield Wall formation which stopped their entire charge.
Ser Barristan Selmy of Kingsguard, who was among the men during the failed cavalry charge across the Trident, will later say "I have never seen such a defence before in my entire life, the northern shield wall stopped our charge dead in their tracks all the while they rained us with their armor piercing Javelins and arrows from their backs, resulting in horrific casualties, it was a complete nightmare and for a second even I thought I will not make it alive".
While the charge failed, it did allow time for the loyalist infantry to cross the Trident and engage the rebels. Their plan was to use their numbers to flank the rebels, but that plan was also foiled when the Knights of the Vale led by Yohn Royce attacked the rebels from the rear, massacring thousands of lightly armoured Dornish warriors who were at the rear. It was said that it was at this charge that Prince Lewyn Martell met his end.
After hours of tight combat the rebels got the upper hand and slowly began to push the loyalist back in the river.
Prince Rhaegar, seeing that his army was ground losing challenged Robert in single combat hoping to cut the head of the snake. While the prince managed to injure his foe, Robert killed the Rhaegar by caving his chest with his monstrous warhammer, killing the crown prince and scattering the Rubies in his breast plate.
The loyalist army seeing the death of their prince broke immediately scattering in different directions.
The battle was a decisive victory for the rebels, as they have only lost less than,3000 men while the loyalist have lost more 11,000 men with another 8,000 being injured and taken prisoner and the rest of their forces being scattered.
Ser Barristan Selmy is the only enemy commander taken alive after this battle, as both Ser Lewyn Martell and Jonothor Darry of the Kingsguard perished in the battle, with Ser Jonothor Darry being Killed by Lord Eddard himself in single combat.
King Robert, being injured during the battle ordered Ned his best friend to secure King's Landing before Lord Tywin and the Lannister army reaches the city.
But he was too late, when he reached the capital he found the city in flames. Tywin Lannister had betrayed Aerys and sacked the city, when the gates were opened to him.
And that was not the end, when he reached the throne room, the room where his father had been murdered brutally, he found the Mad King in the ground in a pool of his own blood and a smirking Ser Jaime Lannister sitting atop the Iron Throne with a bloody sword in his hand.
Afterwards Lord Tywin rewarded Robert with the mangled bodies of Elia Martell, wife of prince Rhaegar, and her children Rhaenys and Aegon.
Lord Stark after seeing the murder of innocents were furious and demanded the trials of those who had taken part in the atrocity. But Robert refused him saying they are not innocents butDragon spawns.
Ned angrily left the capital with his Northmen to relieve the siege of Strom's End which he easily accomplished as Mace Tyrell immediately surrendered the moment he saw the Direwolf banners of House Stark.
After that Eddard along with six of his companions, Howland Reed, Lord William Dustin, Ethan Glover, Martyn Cassel, Theo Wull, and Mark Ryswell, made their journey to the Red Mountains of Dorne in search for his sister Lyanna. He had received word from lord Varys, the spy master of dead King Aerys, that his sister is captive in a place known as tower of Joy.
After few days of hard riding the finally approached the broken tower which was guarded by Last of Aerys's loyal Kingsguard, Lord Commander Ser Gerold Hightower, Ser Oswell Whent and last Ser Arthur Dayne, The Sword Of The Morning, the best swordsman in the realm and brother of Ashara Dayne.
It was three vs seven but even with that the fight was even at best. Ned managed to kill Oswell in single combat while Howland killed Ser Gerold with a poisoned spear. Ser Arthus managed to kill Theo Wull and Mark Ryswell and injured William Dustin. He would have killed Ned to but he was saved by Howland Reed at last second.
After the fight only Ned and Howland remained standing with William being lightly injured but alive.
After that Ned raced inside the tower where he found his dying sister and in her arms was a stillborn baby girl with silver hair which had not survived childbirth.
Ned in his grief burned the entire tower to the ground hoping that the burning wreckage will provide him with the comfort he desperately want.
After the grief of his Lyanna's death had passed Ned told Howland Reed to take his sister's bones back to Winterfell so she could be buried in the Crypts. He also ordered him to take the Northern Army back with him while he deliver the SwordDawnback to Starfall and maybe meet his lover for the final time.
After reaching Starfall he met with the grievingUlrick Dayne, Lord of Starfall. Ned returned Dawn and asks forgiveness for Arthur's death.
Lord Dayne states that while he may forgive Ned for Arthur's death he shall never forgive him for Ashara's death.
After seeing the look of shock and grief on Ned's face, Lord Dayne confesses that her sister was pregnant with Ned's child and she died in childbirth because of grief when she found out that Ned had married Catelyn Tully.
When Ned asks to meet the child Lord Dayne took him to the nursery where a baby with black hair and grey eyes was sleeping.
Lord Dayne said Ned to take the child with him so that he may grow up with his father.
Ned left Starfall with his child before making a hasty journey to Riverrun to reunite with his wife, who had given birth to a son she had named Robb, named after King Robert.
When Ned reached Riverrun he met his wife Catelyn, who was standing in front of gates of the castle, with their son and Heir Robb.
Catelyn welcomed her lord husband warmly, but her smile was wiped from her beautiful face and replaced with a cold look when Ned introduced his bastard son Jon Snow/Sand to her.
She raged and screamed that her husband had broken their marriage vow, how he had bedded a whore or a kitchen wench and had further dishonoured her by bringing his ibastard son with him.
Ned managed to calm his wife down before he explained that he had not betrayed her or broken their marriage vow. He exclaimed that he was son of Ashara Dayne and she had conceived him during the tourney of Harrenhal when he and Ashara shared a night of passion. He then said that Ashara had died in childbirth and Lord Ulrick was too grief stricken to take care of the child.
Catelyn felt horror and shame when she heard the fate of Jon's mother and she quickly apologised because of calling her whore. She then and there took a vow that she will always look after Jon like he was her own son, a vow which Ned was grateful for.
After staying at Riverrun for a week, Ned and his Wife and their sons left the Riverlands and began their journey North. They took a ship at Seaguard before sailing all the way to White Harbour and then to Winterfell where they were greeted by a tearful Benjen Stark.
It took Ned and Benjen few months to adjust and learn to rule Winterfell efficiently, with Ned having no prior experience as he was a second son. But he had seen how Lord Arryn rule and had lesson from him so it was not too tremendously hard.
Cat also remained true to her word and took care of both Jon and Robb equally, she also adjusted to her position as Lady of Winterfell and helping Ned in accounts of coffers of Winterfell.
While an entire generation of Starks had died during the rebellion, the North haven't suffered any serious long time harm having lost less than five thousand men in the entire war. And not only that King Robert had given the Lands of the New Gift back to the North, which had been given to the Night's Watch by Good Queen Alysanne during the rule of the Targaryens, as a reward for their service in the rebellion.
A year after the rebellion, Benjen seeing that the North is doing well in the hands of his brother decided to join the Night's Watch and become the guardian of the wall as a Black Brother. But when he went to take permission from his brother he was flatly refused.
Benjen was angered by this but his brother calmed him down and said that he wanted Benjen to take Moat Cailin as his seat, as the Ancient fortress only had a Castellan even though it's repairs were finished 100 earlier, and start another cadet branch of House Stark.
When Benjen asked why he wanted him to take the castle and not one of his future sons, Ned replied that he was giving him the castle as a reward as it was Benjen who maintained the logistics and steady stream of supply from the North during the war.
Benjen reluctantly agreed to the proposal and became the New Lord of Moat Cailin taking the title of Benjen Whitestark as a name for the new cadet branch of house Stark.
For the next five years the north prospered and during that time House stark had three new addition to there family. Twins Sansa and Arya Stark born during the time of short winter in 285 AC and a boy Brandon Stark, named after Ned's older brother, just two years after the birth of the twin sisters.
But as someone said that all good times must come to end, as so it happened.
Balon Greyjoy, eldest Son of Quellon Greyjoy, and lord of the Iron Island declared himself king of The Iron Island and believing that Robert's reign over the seven Kingdoms was fragile launched his own rebellion over the Iron Throne.
His rebellion achieved initial success when two fleets of Longships led by Euron and Victorian Greyjoy respectively, surprise attacked Lannisport and Arbor at the same time burning the Lannister and Tyrell fleet with Wildfire severely weakening the Naval power of the Iron Throne in the Sunset Sea in a single decisive move.
The Salt king then ordered the invasion of the North, as the Starks had a strong Naval presence in the Sunset sea and can pose a serious problem later. The Iron Fleet comprised of 90 Longships led by Balon's Son Maron entered into the Northern Waters but this invasion force was crushed by Cregan Seastark, Lord of Wolf's Den and Grand Admiral of the Northern Fleet, in the battle of Bay of Seals.
The Iron Island suffered another serious blow by the death of Rodrik Greyjoy, eldest son of Balon and heir to the Seastone Chair, during the storming of Seaguard. Rumours says that it was Jason Mallister, Lord of Seaguard himself who killed Rodrik in single combat.
But the Death Knell for House Greyjoy tolled when the combined Fleet of the North and Iron Throne, being led by Cregan and Stannis Baratheon respectively, crushed the remaining Iron Fleet led by Victorian Greyjoy in the Battle Of Fair Isle.
With the enemies Naval power eliminated Robert Baratheon invaded the Iron Islands with the combined might of the Seven Kingdoms, crushing any resistance with overwhelming numbers.
The Islands felled within a week with Pyke being the last to fall.
Balon Greyjoy bended the knee to Robert recognising him as his king and sovereign and in return Robert spared his life and took Theon, Balon's last remaining son, as a hostage and should Balon rise again against his King, Theon's life will be forfeited immediately.
With the end of Greyjoy Rebellion peace can now reign in the North and the Seven Kingdoms. But what many didn't understood that the Robert's and Greyjoy Rebellion had caused a major shift in power dynamics since Aegon's Conquest and it had set the stone for theGame Of Thrones.
And Done!
Now I have made several changes from Canon.I have made Jon son of Ashara and Ned, because seriously I love Ned and Ashara and really hate the Rhaegar and Lyanna bullshit DD made up with.
Secondly Catelyn doesn't hate Jon Snow, why you ask, well Ned had confessed that he had sex with Ashara before they were even betrothed, as Catelyn was supposed to marry Brandon before his death.
Third Benjen doesn't join the Night's watch instead at Ned's request he become Lord of Moat Cailin and Married Alysane Mormont of Bear Island.
Fourth and most important Arya and Sansa are twins so they will bond closer than there Canon counterparts.Hope you all like this changes, if not well!!!, I will take the flames.
Enjoy the chapter guys and leave comments below because remember reviews are food for a writer's Soul.