Full Summary
Valaerys Targaryen was a cousin twice-removed from Viserys, Daemon, Rhaenys and Aemma. He married Valaena of the House Maltaris, a remnant of Old Valyria. Together they had seven children.
Elaecia Targaryen was their fourth child, but first girl. And she would cause ripples, as early as her first year. While a strong willed and independent individual she grows to become, she's seen by Blacks and Greens alike as an asset. A powerful pawn. A pawn on the board that both factions want on their side.
By the love of her father, Elaecia Targaryen was given the gift of a husband who respects and honors her as an equal in every way, and a name and House that would serve to protect her. With the freedom to pursue her own destiny, Elaecia Targaryen proves to be so much more than anyone ever expected of the little princess.
Archive
This archive is a list of information that is added/different from the canon at the beginning of the story. You don't have to read it all, unless you're like me and like to have all the details laid out so you can come back and look at it whenever you want.
In this story seven Valyrian Houses survived the Doom, one way or another. It will follow canon very loosely. As I am adding several new Houses as well as plenty of new characters, they will cause a ripple effect and as such will automatically change the progression of the story. The more original characters that are involved in a certain plot-line, the more that plot-line will diverge from canon.
This archive will be updated, should I feel the need.
Lands
The Skylands
The Skylands is the collective name for two archipelagoes under the rulership of House Belaerys.
People from the Grey Peaks are called Greylanders and people from the Dawn Isles are called Sunlanders, while they are collectively called Skylanders on many occasions. Those born as bastards are given the surname Grey in the Grey Peaks and Dusk in the Dawn Isles.
The Grey Peaks and Dawn Isles comprises enough land to rival the Reach and as such are self-sufficient in most things such as food, clothes and building material. They of course import luxury items relatively often.
The Grey Peaks
The Grey Peaks is a large and very mountainous archipelago situated where the Narrow and Shivering Seas meet. Ruled by House Belaerys from their northern keep Heartstone.
The Grey Peaks are known for a few animals unique to their mountainous and heavily forested territory. Among these are the Venti (fast and sturdy horses), Slinks (a ferret-like creature) and Reevers (giant eagles).
The Dawn Isles
The Dawn Isles is a large and warm archipelago situated in the Summer Sea. Ruled by House Belaerys from their southern keep Dawnstone.
The Dawn Isles are known for a few animals unique to their very warm climate and territory filled with jungles, steppes and forests. Among these are the Slinks (a ferret-like creature), Pards (large felines) and Lycans (large hounds, said to rival direwolves in size).
Houses
House Belaerys
Their sigil is a four-legged dragon (unlike the two legged one of the Targaryen sigil) in silver, on a purple background. There is dispute amongst Westeros on whether their House words are "Survive and Thrive" or "Shadow and Blood". House Belaerys will confirm both to be true, yet give no clarifying answer. Their primary seat is Dawnstone and their secondary seat Heartstone. One of only two remaining Valyrian Houses known to be Dragonlords.
If legends are to be believed then House Belaerys left Valyria long before the Doom, said by some to be around 2000 BC and others to have been 4000 BC, and as such is one of very few Houses of Valyrian blood known to have survived the Doom.
They ended up conquering and settling both the Dawn Isles and the Grey Peaks; although there is some dispute between the maesters on whether the Belaerys did much conquering. As histories before their conquering speaks of Greylanders as logical and loyal and Dawnlanders as pliable and kind, many maesters believe that the people simply submitted to the Belaerys out of logic and a wish to shed no blood.
House Belaerys has been matriarchal since before they left Valyria and still are. As such all power, land and titles are inherited from mother to daughter. Sons are valued as the shields of their family and as representatives to the rest of Westeros. This has also led to women never marrying into Houses outside of the Grey Peaks or Dawn Isles, as that would diminish their power, while sons are those who might be married off for alliances. Of course, since the other Houses in Westeros are patriarchal and want to marry off their daughters instead of their sons for alliances, this has caused a political distance between the Grey Peaks and Dawn Isles and the rest of Westeros. Just like the Martells of Dorne, the Belaerys rulers style themselves as Prince and Princess.
There is a contract and oath between Aegon the Conqueror and High Princess Mysallia Belaerys (the ruling Princess of House Belaerys at the time of the Conquering) called the Thirteen Concessions. These include, but are not limited to, the concession for their Matriarchal society and laws.
There are whispers that speak of House Belaerys having an origin as a powerful House since before the Dawn of Valyria, although there is no proof. There are also rumors that proclaim the Belaerys as skilled sorcerers, capable of bewitching any man, woman or child. These are usually not deemed as anything more than myth, legend and fairy tale.
House Maltaris
Their sigil is white flame on a black background and their House words are "By Blood we Rule".
They are of Valyrian descent and moved to the Grey Peaks roughly around 300 BC. They have never been Dragonlords, yet they held a position in the Freehold right below the Dragonlords as prominent bloodmages and pyromancers. They have a tenuous relationship with the Targaryens and Belaerys' at best, as they believe themselves superior even centuries after the Doom. While there is no known history supporting this, they believe that they had dragons at one point in time, yet were stripped from them some thousands of years ago for a slight they don't remember. All other Valyrians disregard this as a House reaching beyond their own station.
House Qaranyon
Their sigil is a golden two-legged dragon wrapped around a black scepter on a white background and their words are "Blood of the Dragon".
Like House Maltaris they are of Valyrian descent and settled in the Dawn Isles roughly around 200 BC. They have never been Dragonlords either, much to their frustration. There has been many attempts in their family history of members who would attempt to steal a dragon or an egg in the hopes of the dragon accepting them. There have also been plenty of attempts at gaining a Dragonlord daughter for a son of theirs in an attempt to breed the so-called "blood-of-the-dragon" into their own bloodline. None was successful. There are whispers that the reason they left Valyria was to escape the fury of some of the Dragonlords after one too many attempts at theft. They have gained a higher position in the Skylands than they ever had in Valyria thanks to being one of only seven Houses to have survived the Doom.
House Raennareon
Their sigil is a red crystal on a blue background and their House words are "Beauty is Power".
While of Valyrian descent, there are rumors that they originate from the same mysterious origins that the Belaerys are believed by some to come from. This theory is supported by the fact that even though House Belaerys were said to have left Valyria thousands of years earlier, House Belaerys and House Raennareon have always been close. They moved to the Dawn Isles roughly around 500 BC. They have never been Dragonlords, but their family have always contained several talented artisans, including those with a knack for manipulating living glass.
