Maester's Interlude
Balon Greyjoy's head rolling across the steps of Pyke sealed the end of the Greyjoy Rebellion, a spark, a dying ember of a man hell-bent on bringing the old way of the Ironborn back to life. Greyjoy and his three sons Rodrik, Maron and Theon had died because of his madness as had Euron Crow's Eye and Robin the lack witted. King Aemon's hold on the Iron Throne was now completely secure with the eradication of the Ironborn threat, to further ensure that the Ironborn did not rally around another rebellion; the king had his cousin Harlon Greyjoy eldest born son of Victarion Greyjoy wed to Asha Greyjoy the only surviving child of Balon and Alannys Greyjoy. The king also went on to name Victarion Greyjoy Lord of Pyke and Lord Paramount of the Iron Islands, giving him two months in which to solidify his hold on the isles before he would be required back in the capital
Victarion Greyjoy did just that, within the two moons he was given to sort out the affairs of Pyke he brought some troublesome bannermen such as the Orkmonts and the Drumms to heel and won the rest over by ensuring that their lands and castles were not too harshly hit by the fines that King Aemon imposed on them. It helped that Greyjoy was already a warrior of considerable prowess and a noted battle commander, with his new bannermen living in awe of how he had crushed the Iron Fleet on the coast of Fair Isle. Victarion' s son Harlon was equally adored, a handsome lad, he was strong and martially minded and soon enough had put three sons into his wife's belly, naming them Aemon, Aeron and Horen.
As with the Arbor following the ending of the War of the Dragons, the Iron Fleet was significantly reduced in power with the King not wanting another naval power that could challenge the royal fleet. The Iron Islands were allowed to build a new war fleet of some 50 ships whilst the rest of their ships had to be trading vessels that could be subject to inspection by the crown at any time, or place. Though the Ironborn would grumble about this and raise many a new protest, they eventually came to accept the terms for fear of what would happen should they refuse King Aemon one eye's demands.
On the mainland, the king threw a great tourney this time at Lannisport to celebrate his victory over the Ironborn. Those who had fought in the war came to watch and participate and so the people of Lannisport found themselves treated to the sight of many a war hero competing the jousting or the melee. The melee was won by Ser Lyle Crakehall swinging a fiery mace for all to see, the boar of a man brought foe after foe down, including the veritable Ser Brandon Stark the white wolf. The jousting was won by Ser Jaime Lannister who crowned his wife Lady Rhaena Queen of Love and Beauty, it was also at the tourney that Hoster Tully finally announced whom his son and heir Edmure Tully was to marry, the youngest sister of Lord Garth Hightower, Lynesse Hightower. Their wedding which took place a moon after the tourney in Riverrun was a grand occasion with the king and the royal family in attendance.
Lord Hoster soon had two grandchildren in the short space of time following the wedding, a boy named Edmyn with fiery red hair and a girl named Minisa with pale blond hair and green eyes. The delight of the Riverlands and the delight of House Tully the two children would grow up to cause all kinds of havoc in the years that would follow and would often play with their cousins from Winterfell, for Lord Brandon and Lady Catelyn had two more children following the Greyjoy rebellion, two boys named Bran and Rickon. Both of whom had countless amounts of energy and stamina and often gave their parents a run around especially when paired with their sister Arya.
Tidings from north of the wall continued to grow stranger during this period, as ranging after ranging returned back reporting vast swathes of wildling villages either abandoned or torched not a single body in sight. Lord Commander Mormont led two great rangings out during the nine year period following the Greyjoy Rebellion, on the first ranging they discovered the tomb of the horned lord a mystical figure who was said to have fought against the kingdoms of the north. In his tomb they found many an object that Maester Aemon the maester of the watch would later confirm as being from the time of the children of the forest and the age of heroes. On the second ranging that Mormont led in 297 A.L., the Night's Watch did battle with a horde of wildlings and giants on that ancient pillar the fist of the first men, winning the battle but having to beat a hasty retreat when the cold winds came and Mormont himself faced a mutiny through the snows and the cold when his men hungry and tired grew fed up with Craster the wildling's snide comments and killed the man and raped his wives and daughters.
Benjen Stark one of the few to survive the second ranging fled to Castle Black and then onto Winterfell where he warned his brother Lord Brandon of the oncoming wildling invasion and the cold and all that they had found on their rangings. His brother, who had always been sceptical of the true threat the wildlings could actually pose after reading the journal of his grandfather and seeing his own father's words and notes took more serious heed of what his youngest brother told him and called his banners and began the long march north to the wall to deal with whatever enemy came through the wall.
South of the neck, in the Twins the Freys of the Crossing mourned and celebrated the passing of one Lord Walder Frey whose rule of tyranny finally came to an end on the eve of the New Year, death by choking on a chicken bone during dinner. Stevron Frey became the new lord of the crossing and as such had the unenviable task of trying to repair his house's reputation that had been so damaged by his father. Stevron Frey died though of a fever, though some whispered he was poisoned by his own son. Ryman Frey the drunkard became Lord of the Crossing for only a brief two week period before he died in a hunting accident leaving his son Edwyn Frey as Lord of the Crossing though rumours abounded that Black Walder was massing men to take the Twins by force. Such rumours reached King's Landing and were discussed before being dismissed.
In King's Landing there were many celebrations to be had, Tygett Lannister grandson of the mighty lion Tywin Lannister was wed to Princess Rhaenys of Summerhall, and his own sister Joanna was wed to Prince Aegon of Summerhall. The Lannisters were for a change experiencing unprecedented levels of popularity throughout the kingdoms, it seemed that those who had lived in fear of Tywin Lannister looked forward to the day his son and grandson would rule the Westerlands though they did acknowledge the good work that Tywin Lannister had done as Lord of the Rock and as Hand of the King, helping to raise a good and kind king who put his duty to his people before all else.
The royal family saw its own fair share of marriages, Prince Lucerys Targaryen the king's only surviving brother was wed to Myranda Royce and given a rebuilt Oldstones as his seat of power, they soon enough had children following them on their heels. The king also saw his daughter Daenaerys betrothed to Robb Stark, soon to wed him once the fighting in the north was done. The royal family also welcomed two new members to its ever growing number, Prince Aeryl Targaryen born in 288 A.L. and Princess Samaira Targaryen born in 290 A.L. both of whom had their mothers colouring and personality. The issue of whom the crown prince Maekar should wed was one that was fiercely debated amongst the small council, for King Aemon had not wished for the incest of his family to continue hence why his daughter had wed Robb Stark, there were many suitable maidens that were discussed and the benefits they could bring to the throne, Sansa Stark and Cerenna Lannister could only strengthen family bonds, Margaery Tyrell was already wed to Mern Hightower the heir to Highgarden, Arianne Martell would be the ruling princess of Dorne once her father's time came, and as such it would not do to have too much power in one place.
Eventually the king decided to see his son wed to Lady Allyria Dayne of Starfall, the king's goodsister, and the prince's aunt. And though there was some muttering about the betrothal in court none dare say a word against it in the open. For the king, with the might of the north, the Westerlands, the vale and the Reach behind him was in a position of power that none of his predecessors since perhaps King Jaehaerys the conciliator had been in. None dared plot against him unless they wished to be found out and hung, drawn and quartered. The lords knees remained bent for the fear of the king's wrath and out of respect, love and loyalty for him as well, for the king though ruthless to those who opposed him could be loving and caring to those who gave him leal service.
In the east the Brightflame Empire became more and more secure. King Maegor Brightflame, who had come to power as a fifteen year old lad, had crushed the invasion led by an alliance of Bravos, Lorath and Qohor on the battlefields of Lhazar and the dragon plains, mustering the armies of the cities under his command. The battles had been fierce and many men had died but Maegor earnt his stripes during that war, burning Lorath to the ground and taking the city of Qohor for all it was worth. Bravos' Sealord bent the knee and so Bravos was accepted into the Brightflame Empire though there was always the chance of rebellion from that city that had hid from the dragonlords.
Following that war, Maegor Brightflame spent the next five years ensuring his hold on Essos was secure, those regions such as Asshai that none dared venture to were brought into the empire through trade and commerce, those cities that might prove troublesome were won over by marriages and benefactions for raiding against Ibben and the Summer Islands. Maegor himself refused many marriage offers more concerned with seeing his reign secure through trade and peace than through marriage, his own vast array of siblings were his heirs for now was what he was known to say. That remained the case until he met a priestess from Asshai by the name of Melisandre and then his tune changed.
Some would say that the red woman had enslaved the king to her whims through magic, others through her body. But all agreed that now that the king was her husband the empire would expand toward the west as perhaps it should have done right from the beginning. When the Dothraki began threatening the King's empire led by one Khal Drogo, the Khal turned up dead a few days later outside the gates of Volantis the city where Maegor had made his capital and base, there were whispers of the red woman doing the deed and of shadows being brought forth from the dark.
After the birth of his son Gaemon, and his daughter Daenys, Maegor Brightflame summoned his bannermen from across Essos to Volantis, where the armies of the cities and the sellsword companies and the unsullied came to hear his words and the words of the red woman who was his queen. And the plans for an invasion in the west were made, and soon enough the fleet of the bright dragon set sail from Volantis and from Yunkai and Westeros would shake with the might of the Brightflame who were coming to claim what was theirs, or so Maegor Brightflame swore before the flames of R'Hllor before he set sail, the red woman beside him.