The King of Knights, Chapter 3: The Calm Before the Storm

With the establishment of the Black Swords and the Knights of the Round Table at the dawn of 190 AC, Daemon now had his knights and they were quick to act. Donations flooded in from all of the affluent members to equip and feed their burgeoning chivalric army and the Black Swords organized themselves into an efficient and orderly chain of command underneath the Knights of the Round Table, one based not just on birthright and status but on merit, fame, competence as a knight, chivalric character, and the acclaim of one’s peers.

Absolutely none doubted Daemon’s choice for the eleven knights that sat at his Round Table with him and with them as his lieutenants, the Black Swords began setting out on missions all across the Reach and the neighboring Stormlands, Westerlands, and Riverlands. Everywhere they went, the Black Swords would make the roads safe for travelers, putting down bandits and raiders and taking part in many tourneys and hunts to test their skills against fellow knights and continue winning more acclaim.

In time, people began to say that a maiden girl could walk down the Roseroad from Oldtown to King’s Landing in her name-day gown and still go unmolested, and travelers could find fire, bread, and salt at many an inn and holdfast for there was peace and plenty, strangers could be trusted and all bad things had been vanquished by the Black Swords.

Many who had previously doubted the order, especially after Daeron II forbade its formal chartering, began to be swayed and started donating if not outright joining its ranks. And even in faraway lands where the Black Swords had not yet ventured, their example began inspiring many to act and curb the injustices of the world at large.

A new chivalric age seemed to have begun as knights all over the realm rose up like never before, like a fire had been lit in their souls, calling them to arms to make safe their domains from raiders, criminals, bandits and more.

Daemon’s personal example of chivalry and magnanimity was exceedingly powerful here. Though wise enough to not alienate his powerful noble supporters, he was eloquent and charismatic enough to speak up on behalf of the plight of the smallfolk on many occasions and inspire those who followed him to do better by the smallfolk, as the tenets of the Faith called for, as their vows as knights demanded.

In Daemon’s words, to be knights was to be examples to all the land. It was an ideal of perfection that none could attain, not even himself, but there was meaning nonetheless in striving for perfection, to honor their vows and oaths as true as they could.

Daeron II was not content to simply allow Daemon to win the love of the realm so easily, however. He began propping up his son and heir, Baelor Breakspear, as a competitor to Daemon’s reputation like never before and as mentioned before, the faction that began to emerge around Baelor was known as the Spears and many saw Baelor and not Daeron II as the man they would fight for as King.

Though Baelor did not create an order of knights like the Black Swords, a company of famed knights began to form around him nonetheless as had been aforementioned. These included the seven knights of the Kingsguard, Lord Commander Damon Darry, known as the Demon of Darry, Ser Willem Wylde, Ser Jeffory ‘Neveryield’ Norcross, Ser Michael ‘the White Owl’ Mertyns, Ser Alyn ‘the Pale Griffin’ Connington, Ser Robert Flowers (Red Robert Flowers), and Ser Roland Crakehall, the cousin of Roderick Redtusk.

In addition to the Kingsguard, there were also Baelor’s younger brother, Prince Maekar Mightmace, Lord Corwen ‘Stormbreaker’ Baratheon and his son, Ser Olyver Baratheon, Lord Donnel Arryn, and Ser Donnel of Duskendale and Ser Florian Fowler who were both seen as future Kingsguard. Lord Daemon ‘the Grey Lion’ Lannister also joined the company, first as Baelor’s squire and later as a knight in his own right.

Another particularly notable member of Baelor’s company was his bastard uncle, Ser Brynden ‘Bloodraven’ Rivers, who also served as an unofficial Master of Whisperers on the Small Council in addition to his service at Baelor’s side. With his inheritance from his mother Melissa and an exceedingly generous allowance from his brother, King Daeron II, Bloodraven had formed a particularly large personal guard of longbowmen armed with weirwood bows known as the Raven’s Teeth.

Brynden placed his Raven’s Teeth at Baelor Breakspear’s command who combined them with members of the King’s Landing City Watch, the Targaryen household guard, those of the Kingsguard assigned to him and his brother Maekar, and the forces provides by allies like his goodfather, Corwen Baratheon, to form his own company of knights and soldiers rivalling Blackfyre’s Black Swords.

Almost in direct imitation of the Black Swords, Baelor and his company similarly began to travel around the realm putting down local bandits and criminals and taking part in tourneys to win acclaim and fame and sway hearts and minds. Something Baelor could do as well that Daemon couldn’t at this time was use royal authority as the Prince of Dragonstone to hear petitions and requests and enact immediate and desired lasting changes, however minimal, which helped him shore up support for his father’s ailing reign.

The two factions, the Swords and the Spears, consequently began a political race of sorts, competing over which bandits they could destroy, tourneys to participate in, and lords to court the support of, and the two factions would encounter each other on numerous occasions, participating in the same tournaments and even at times hunting down the same parties of bandits.

Admirably, both Daemon and Baelor kept the peace between their respective factions at each of these encounters. An undercurrent of mutual respect did exist between the respective companies of knights and they were able to peaceably compete in tourneys and even on a few occasions work together to accomplish mutual goals to safeguard the people and eliminate criminals. Nonetheless it was undeniable that tensions were brewing. None dared to speak it aloud, but many could feel that war was looming and both factions believed they were competing for the support of the realm when that war finally came.

Never was this clearer than the incident at the Tourney of Maidenpool in 192 AC. Baelor Breakspear and Daemon Blackfyre were both semi-finalists in that tourney and it was seen as a foregone conclusion by many that they would proceed to the final match and it excited all attendees as the two princes were both famed knights and seen as paragons of chivalry. A joust between them would surely be a spectacle to behold, one that none had seen since Prince Daemon had left court in 188 AC.

That match would never end up happening however as a vicious brawl broke out in the tourney grounds outside the jousting arena shortly before Daemon’s semi-final joust and after Baelor’s own match. The men involved included several of the Black Swords and the Raven’s Teeth, all of whom had jumped in to support their respective leaders, Ser Aegor Bittersteel and Ser Brynden Bloodraven. The Kingsguard forcibly put an end to the brawl and the two ringleaders were marched to the command tent where both Princes Baelor and Daemon demanded answers.

Bittersteel brought forth accusations that he had discovered tampering with the harnesses and straps on Daemon’s saddle that could endanger his life in the impending semi-finals of the joust. He laid the blame for this on Bloodraven, arguing that Bloodraven had hated both himself and Daemon ever since they were young boys and only he had the motive out of everyone at the tourney.

Many witnesses were also able to testify on Aegor’s behalf that Bloodraven had been seen constantly glaring with hatred in his eyes at both Daemon and Aegor throughout the tourney and in a shocking turn of events , one of Bloodraven’s own personal guards, a member of the Raven’s Teeth, broke rank and reported that he had been viciously slandering both Daemon and Aegor in private, casting aspersions on their characters and insulting both of their mothers.

Bloodraven however defended himself, dismissing the witness testimony of his guard as lies and provided an alibi with many of his Raven’s Teeth and even some of Daemon’s other Black Swords testifying that he had been seen elsewhere and his whereabouts accounted for not just on that particular day of the tourney but every preceding day as well. It seemed physically impossible for Bloodraven to have personally tampered with Daemon’s equipment and when Baelor demanded if Aegor could provide any evidence that Bloodraven was responsible, either directly or indirectly, Aegor hesitated.

Lady Ermesande Mooton noted in her diary that Aegor Bittersteel had frozen in that moment, hesitant on how to answer. His eyes had flickered briefly to his twelve-year-old younger sister, Lady Shiera Seastar, who was in attendance and then to his brother Daemon Blackfyre before he looked down and said that he had none.

Breakspear grew wroth then and censured Bittersteel for assaulting a member of their family without just cause and bringing forth accusations with no evidence. His attempts to punish Bittersteel more harshly were rebuked by Daemon, however.

Lady Ermesande recalled that Daemon had been uncharacteristically furious throughout the whole incident and she insisted that it was the kind of anger that was directed at multiple people. Both at Bittersteel for acting so foolishly and at Bloodraven for his slanders and perceived attempt to have him killed.

When Baelor openly mused the idea of forcing Aegor to pay recompense of some kind to Bloodraven for the assault, Daemon could stay silent no longer. He retorted that there was a witness testimony that Brynden had been viciously slandering himself, Aegor, and their mothers.

It was far from unthinkable for him to have been responsible for the attempt on his life with that considered, Daemon argued, and even if they ignored that whole matter entirely, the kind of vicious slanders Bloodraven had been spreading, so vile they shall not be repeated here, were more than enough cause for any man to assault another.

It was a matter of honor, Daemon said, declaring that any man who would slander another’s character and insult their mother should be able to back up their words with the sword. He proposed a trial by combat between Bittersteel and Bloodraven, one that would resolve both honor and justice and let the gods decide who was in the right here.

Baelor immediately rejected this proposal. He declared that Aegor had forfeited any right to such an honor duel when he had incited a brawl that had disturbed the peace and endangered the lives of bystanders. Furthermore, Baelor argued that there was no justification for a trial by combat of any kind without even a shred of evidence that Bloodraven could be in any way responsible for anything more than slander.

He continued to demand that Aegor’s false accusations be punished, stating that the realm would turn to chaos if they allowed any man to simply bring forth false accusations against their personal rivals without any consequences. There was no justice in that he proclaimed.

At that Daemon Blackfyre took off his gauntlet and threw it at the feet of Bloodraven. He declared that while Aegor may have given up his right to an honor duel, he had not and Bloodraven had insulted both him and his mother as well.

“If justice demands that Aegor be made to pay recompense for his supposed false accusations, then I demand justice as well for my mother. Does the law not say that any man who slanders a member of the royal family shall forfeit their speech forevermore? Who does this bastard think he is to speak such calumnies against my mother, a trueborn princess of the realm? Let him defend his words if he can with the sword and if he cannot, I shall gladly take his tongue as wergild,” Daemon declared.

Many noted that Daemon’s anger appeared primarily motivated at the insults to his mother, Princess Daena, rather than to his own person. Others praised his cleverness and wisdom, for Daemon’s own roots as a legitimized bastard himself were often used to gainsay him and by anchoring his challenge against Bloodraven around his mother, a trueborn princess whose legitimacy none questioned, Daemon made his cause look more righteous.

Regardless of political affiliations, all agreed that a bastard slandering a trueborn princess of the blood was unacceptable and with the renewed chivalric spirit across the realm, a knight like Bloodraven slandering a lady was seen as particularly uncouth. Many agreed that Prince Daemon had every right to challenge Bloodraven to an honor duel and Prince Baelor was now in an exceedingly tough position.

While Baelor was an honorable man, he too was biased in favor of his preferred kin. If Daemon stepped up to shield Aegor despite his misguided actions, Baelor would do much the same to protect Brynden Bloodraven, his favored uncle and kinsman. A duel between Daemon and Brynden would only ever go one way and Baelor was not willing to accept the chance that Brynden would be maimed or even killed by Daemon in the duel.

Asserting his authority as the Prince of Dragonstone, Baelor declared that there would be no honor duel but he conceded that Aegor’s actions, while foolish, had been borne out of reasonable mistrust and righteous anger at the insults to himself and his kin. Baelor proposed to Daemon that they let the matter lie and consider it settled as both Aegor and Brynden had acted out of turn and should both be disciplined by their respective lieges without escalating matters any further.

To the surprise of some, Daemon agreed, showing his wisdom and restraint, and the matter was considered to be ended. The burning hatred between the three brothers, Blackfyre, Bittersteel, and Bloodraven had only grown from the incident however, as had the tension between the faction. An outright brawl had occurred between members of both factions and it had almost escalated into something neither was yet ready for.

Daemon and the rest of the Black Swords withdrew from the tourney immediately after the incident, and the anticipated joust between Daemon and Baelor would never come to fruition. Baelor was crowned the victor of the tourney after easily defeating Daemon’s would be semi-finals opponent but many observed that his mood was troubled after the Black Swords’ departure.

A new rift soon appeared to develop between Breakspear and Bloodraven in the aftermath and Bloodraven ceased accompanying Baelor on his expeditions across the realm. Instead Bloodraven increasingly spent more and more time in King’s Landing and in 193 AC, King Daeron II was finally able to prevail on his Hand of the King and goodbrother, Prince Maron Martell of Dorne and find excuses to honorably dismiss many of the Dornish members of the Small Council and replace them with his loyalists.

The first of these was Brynden, who became the Master of Whisperers and was henceforth known across the realm as Lord Bloodraven. Rumors soon began to spread of whispers of sorcery that allowed Bloodraven to infringe the privacy of lords and ladies across the realm to bring all their secrets to Daeron II, for so grim and uncanny did his knowledge feel at times. Some began to murmur that Bloodraven’s spy network was so widespread that he had a thousand eyes instead of two.

Daeron’s small council might have been less Dornish now but the realm was no less agitated by it. While admirable men like Donnel Arryn and Corwen Baratheon soon took seats on the Small Council as well, others remained simply unpalatable just like Bloodraven. One of them was Daeron’s choice for the Master of Ships.

Originally the Master of Ships had been the aged and venerable Lord Addam Velaryon, the son of Alyn Oakenfist and Princess Baela, who had served as Aegon IV’s Master of Ships and on Daeron’s Small Council until he had been unceremoniously dismissed and replaced with a Dornishman in the aftermath of Prince Daemon and Princess Daenerys’ elopement as part of Daeron II’s attempt to preserve his Dornish union.

The Velaryons had been greatly slighted by this and it did not help that they had always had a tense at best relationship with Daeron II and his wife Myriah. Alyn Oakenfist had been one of the closest allies and supporters of the Young Dragon’s Conquest of Dorne and had famously split Dorne in two when he had smashed through Plankytown and led his entire fleet to burn and sack their way up the Greenblood.

Once she had become Queen, Myriah had used her position to disadvantage and weaken the Velaryons as much as possible, pushing through restrictions on their fleet and trade and once they had been dismissed from the Small Council and her brother became Hand of the King, the two went even further.

The humiliated and spurned Velaryons were not trustworthy to be made Master of Ships again in Daeron’s mind. Too many bridges had been burnt and he recalled all too well that his rival Daemon shared kinship with the Velaryons through his grandmother Daenaera and his aunt Elaena’s bastard children, Jon Seafyre and Jeyne Waters, both of whom had joined Daemon’s party.

In Daeron’s mind, it was already a foregone conclusion that the Velaryons would back Daemon and so he doubled down on disfavoring them, using as much royal power as he had just cause to wield to disadvantage them and their fleet and make a royal fleet that was as powerful and independent from the Velaryons as he could. With the Velaryons disfavored and other traditional loyalists like Celtigar untrustworthy due to their ties to Daemon and the Velaryons, Daeron had to turn to other parties.

He initially considered offering the position to the Redwynes but the Reach as a whole had become very hostile to Daeron II for his favoring of Dorne and the Redwynes had been long since courted by Daemon and had kin serving him in the Black Swords, so they were ruled out for the same reasons the Velaryons were ultimately. According to the Grand Maester at the time, Daeron II had in fact offered the position to the Redwynes who ended up spurning the offer in favor of maintaining ties to Blackfyre but many question the veracity of this as the position of Master of Ships would have been beneficial to Daemon’s cause had that been their true reasoning.

Regardless, Daeron II ultimately made the decision to make Torwyn Greyjoy Master of Ships. It was a decision that surprised many though it made much sense on paper as with the Reach and the Velaryons both estranged from the crown, the Iron Islands were the foremost replacement. They were considered one of the preeminent naval powers of the realm and it was thought that their fleet when combined with the fleets of the Westerlands would easily be able to defeat the Redwynes, Hightowers, and other fleets from the Reach and assert naval dominance in the Sunset Sea.

Daeron II no doubt remembered the Red Kraken’s rampage in the Westerlands during the Dance and thought the Greyjoys could place a similar sword to the backs of the Reach should they rise for Daemon’s cause. Daeron was not the only one who remembered this though, and it caused much friction from Daeron’s allies in the Westerlands where memories of the Red Kraken’s raids had endured long even sixty years later. It also further galvanized growing discontent and resistance to Daeron’s rule in the Reach and Riverlands who saw their king as doubling down on the accusations of falling in bed with treacherous raiders and dishonest oathbreakers.

“The king has already allied with Dornish and ironmen, will he make wildlings Kingsguard and pirates lords next,” they asked each other, only half japing.

It did not help matters at all that despite Daeron’s efforts to try and restore his Small Council to normalcy and remove overt Dornish influence and membership, Prince Maron Martell remained Hand of the King and there was little way for Daeron to remove or undermine him without compromising the entire union he had sacrificed so much for.

Maron Martell’s tenure as Hand of the King is one that is greatly decried as one of the worst in history. The Dornish prince was always trying to make the court and every possible facet of King’s Landing more Dornish, appoint more and more Dornishmen to high offices, positions in the City Watch, the Royal Fleet, and more, while also constantly trying to push through laws and policies favoring Dorne at the expense of the other kingdoms.

He was often aided in this by his sister, the Queen, Myriah, and the realm would constantly whisper and rumor about their doings with suspicion. Many did not trust in the slightest that Daeron II was working to moderate them or undermine their more extreme policies and any credit that ever was given for that was mostly attributed to Daeron’s son, Prince Baelor Breakspear.

Both Maron and Myriah also kept long grudges. The Velaryons were but one of many houses that were disfavored in court due to their actions in the Conquest of Dorne and Maron even prevailed on Daeron II to expel the Alchemists’ Guild from King’s Landing due to their support of one of Aegon IV’s ill-conceived attempts to invade Dorne. (The expelled Alchemists ended up finding new patronage under the Velaryons and Daemon.)

Neither Maron nor Myriah were stupid however and despite their efforts to promote Dorne’s interests, they knew it couldn’t be done entirely at the expense of Daeron II’s position. In 193 AC, Maron would finally end up marrying the younger daughter of Lord Corwen Baratheon, and younger sister to Robyn who had married his nephew, Baelor. The marriage was heralded by supporters of the Spears as an initiative to bring peace between Dorne and the Stormlands and consolidate the alliance between Houses Baratheon, Martell, and Targaryen. Some in the Stormlands however saw it as their liege getting in bed with the Dornish, further dividing the region.

Midway through 193 AC, Maron Martell also shocked the entire realm when he presented the famous Valyrian steel crown of Aegon the Conqueror to Daeron in a lavish and flowery ceremony. Maron claimed that the crown had been lost for many years but after a long search, it had finally been discovered and was being returned now to its rightful owner.

Maron had no doubt intended to strengthen his ally’s ailing legitimacy and make Daeron II seem like a better king in the eyes of his realm and indeed much of Daeron II’s faction did rally to his cause due to the crown’s discovery, even if most of them only saw it as Baelor Breakspear’s future crown with how much he had become the true leader of the faction.

However, the fortunate ‘discovery’ of the crown enraged many as it reminded them of just how the crown had been lost to begin with. The Martells among other houses had killed Daeron II’s namesake under a banner of truce and none, not even Daeron II’s supporters, believed that the crown had actually been lost instead of lying in some Dornish vault for thirty years.

That the Dornish had kept the crown for so long and never returned it even after Baelor had made peace with them or Daeron II had unified them with the realm infuriated many and made them suspect Dorne’s intentions and goodwill. Far from shoring up Daeron II’s legitimacy, the return of the Conqueror’s crown only divided the realm even more as many saw it as the Dornish shoring up support for their puppet king and refused to be swayed by such a meaningless gesture.

While all this came to pass, Baelor and Daemon continued their chivalrous knightly adventures across the realm with their companies and their efforts ended up making the realm safer than it had been in many, many years as a result. A rare benefit of the intense division and competition that was growing in the realm.

It has been mentioned previously how Baelor and his brothers’ families were growing in this time as well but Daemon and Daenerys, ever the passionate couple were not idle either. After the birth of their twin sons, Aegon and Aemon in 188 AC, the couple had another set of twins, their daughters Daena and Laena born in 190 AC, then a third son named Aegor in 192 and a daughter named Serra in 193. Many began japing that the couple were aiming to outdo the Conciliator and the Good Queen and the couple’s passionate romance seemed to more than rival that of Prince Baelon the Brave and Princess Alyssa.

It was not all rosy, however. Daemon’s constant adventures and expeditions with his Black Swords clashed heavily with his responsibilities as a father and husband. The children naturally needed stability in their life, which was why, despite accompanying Daemon on many of his adventures and progresses to win more acclaim and court more support, Daenerys and their children would remain at home in Whitegrove more often than not and the children would go weeks and sometimes even months without seeing their father at times.

These constant absences were the cause of a few arguments between the Prince and Princess, and though they reconciled every time (often with a passionate night in the bedroom) and the Princess was more than understanding of Daemon’s reasons and even agreed with them, it did still trouble and hang between them. Political considerations warred with familial responsibilities and it was often difficult to juggle them, though the two eventually found a balance that worked for them and the children.

The first major challenge to this balance came shortly after the birth of their daughter Serra in mid 193 AC, when word came from the North of a massive revolt against House Stark by the Skagosi. None in the south had even thought of interfering, but Daemon proposed to the Round Table and the Black Swords that they should intervene.

Publicly, Daemon declared that it would only be chivalrous and just to aid the Northmen, their fellow subjects of the realm, in fending off the scourge from the cannibals and savages of Skagos. Privately behind closed doors, he saw a golden opportunity to test the skills of his men in actual war instead of just bandit hunts and to build connections with the largest of the Seven Kingdoms which could prove useful.

While the Knights of the Round Table and the Black Swords were eventually won over by Daemon’s passionate arguments after some initial hesitance due to the distance and the estrangement between the North and the southern kingdoms, Princess Daenerys was far from pleased. Their daughter had only just been born and now her husband was scheming to gallivant off to the furthest corners of the realm?

Reportedly, the Princess refused to speak with her husband at length for months while the expedition was being planned and only finally broke on the final day when the two had a lengthy and private conversation. What exactly they discussed is not known but it is noted that Princess Daenerys was much more at ease and understanding after it and waited patiently and loyally for her husband’s return.

Finally, as 193 AC waned into its tenth moon, Daemon set off for the North with a vast company of a thousand knights, almost the full force of the Black Swords and each of the Knights of the Round Table. Months of planning, logistics preparation, and the like had been done, and the Starks had been contacted and informed of their intentions, which they had accepted after getting over their surprise.

The Knights of the Round Table made the decision to travel by land rather than by sea for a number of reasons. For one, there was no major port in the western coast of the North that could really receive their army and traveling the long way around to the eastern coast would have been a great delay and fraught with risk due to the pirates in the Stepstones and the Narrow Sea storms.

The one-to-two-month journey by land also allowed them to very visibly seen riding off to a chivalric war by the people of the realm and this brought them more acclaim and even inspired other knights to join their cause as they traveled north. By the time the Black Swords finally entered the Neck, their original thousand strong company had doubled in strength and many newcomers had become Black Swords in all but name.

They finally arrived in Winterfell as 193 AC died and they were welcomed and feasted by Lord Barthogan Stark, who by happenstance also bore the nickname ‘Barth Blacksword’ which he had earned for his prowess in combat, wetting his sword Ice with the blood of his enemies enough times that it had turned black or so the stories claimed.

Barth Blacksword greeted the similarly named Black Swords with a twisted mix of gratitude and suspicion. The war against the Skagosi was brutal and not going well and any help was much appreciated, but the fact that the North, long ignored by the south was receiving any aid at all made him greatly suspicious as to the intentions of these southern knights. It did not help that the Black Swords were not alone in providing aid to the North.

Once it had become clear that Daemon Blackfyre was leading his company north, Baelor Breakspear had declared his intention to do the same and boarded his company onto the royal fleet and sailed them north to White Harbor.

Both princes and their companies were hosted and feasted in Winterfell and it soon became evident to Barthogan Stark that his political support was being courted. Most believe that this annoyed him greatly, thinking that the south only paid the North attention when it sought their soldiers.

Nonetheless he was a wise lord and he spoke nothing of this. Instead, he challenged several of the newcomers to duels, as his own skills with the blade rivalled that of his father Cregan who had measured up well against Aemon the Dragonknight and Barth wished to test the mettle of the Southrons. The histories note that each of the Knights of the Round Table, including Prince Daemon won his respect through these duels, as did Prince Baelor and several of his company’s knights.

Soon enough however, there would be little time for political games as the Skagosi launched new raids on the mainland and even laid siege to Karhold after defeating the Karstarks in a sudden battle. The North immediately sprang to action with the aid of the newcomers.

While Baelor Breakspear commanded the royal fleet, Blackfyre and Blacksword led their respective armies to the relief of Karhold by land and with a thunderous charge they fell upon the Skagosi and slew them all to a man. The chivalry of the south united with the valor of the Northmen on that day and the stoneborn savages were vanquished.

If they had earned some of Barth’s respect previously, the Black Swords had truly won all of it now that he had seen them endure the harsh Northern climate and fight and bleed alongside Northmen. And they continued proving themselves worthy of that respect as the Northmen and the Black Swords alike took the fight to Skagos itself.

The Skagosi had been forbidden the sea ever since the reign of King Brandon IX Stark but in secret they had built up a large fleet in the centuries since and had unleashed it during Barth’s rule as Lord to devastating effect. The rest of the North had had little power at sea ever since Brandon the Burner and had struggled to counter the Skagosi raids and incursions as a result. Even after rebuffing them, they had struggled to put down the rebellion as each of their invasion attempts were crushed by the Skagosi fleet and many lives were lost.

Baelor Breakspear’s royal fleet proved critical here as it utterly crushed the Skagosi fleet at the Battle of the Bay of Seals, giving a much-needed opportunity for an invasion force to land safely on Skagos. Though the Skagosi sued for peace after the defeat of their fleet, knowing their doom was to come, Barthogan refused to accept it and demanding nothing less than their complete and total surrender, intent on wiping the scourge of the Skagosi out once and for all.

With Daemon and his army by his side, Barthogan landed on Skagos with his Northern army and began a punitive campaign to crush the Skagosi in their entirety and fully pacify the island as part of the North.

It is here that some argue Baelor Breakspear made a mistake. Breakspear had assumed that providing the critical royal fleet would win much favor from the Northmen and when they landed on Skagos, he led his forces well in the battle to seize Deepdown with Barthogan and Daemon Blackfyre. After the fall of Deepdown, however, Baelor accepted Barthogan’s suggestion that he take Driftwood Hall while he and Daemon continued on to seize Kingshouse and bring the war to a quicker end by dividing their forces.

Baelor had assumed a little too much and forgotten that for all that Barthogan had treated him with honor, it was much harder for him to win the Stark lord’s favor than it was for Daemon for reasons that weren’t truly Baelor’s fault. Barthogan’s elder brother Rickon had died in Dorne many years earlier and Barthogan had never forgotten or never forgiven. Baelor looked Dornish and had a Dornish mother and his father was bending over to the Dornish and all of this displeased him greatly. That the royal fleet Baelor had brought with him was built in part by the efforts of the Greyjoy Master of Ships further sat ill with Barthogan.

All the while however, Daemon Blackfyre had steadily proven to be a fine prince and alternative prospect to Baelor and more than that, they had begun to form a genuine and mutual respect and friendship, while Baelor for all of his affability and good nature, had had some level of distance with Barthogan due to being the Prince of Dragonstone and thus Barthogan’s technical liege, coloring all of their interactions with the slightest tint of imbalanced authority which of course, rarely pleased prideful lords.

Still all of this might have ultimately amounted to nothing in the end if not for what happened at Kingshouse. As the siege of Kingshouse had progressed, some of the forces of House Magnar had snuck out of a secret passage and ambushed Lord Barthogan who would have surely died if Prince Daemon had not come to his aid.

Fighting like the Warrior himself, the stories tell that Daemon singlehandedly sliced through twenty Skagosi savages and pulled the wounded Barth Blacksword to his feet before the two cut down the rest of their foes, their Valyrian steel blades, Blackfyre and Ice, cleaving through primitive furs, flesh, bones, leather, and rusted mail with ease. The experience solidified the friendship and bond between the two men and Barthogan would never forget it for as long as he lived, forever remembering the life debt he now owed to Daemon.

After that incident, the war continued until Kingshouse and Driftwood Hall had both fallen and Barthogan’s younger brother had been installed as the Lord of Skagos. The victors returned in triumph to Winterfell after months of ceaseless fighting in the eleventh moon of 194 AC and celebrated for many days.

Daemon’s fighting prowess had won him much acclaim and respect from the Northmen throughout the entirety of the campaign and a few grizzled veterans who had had the honor of fighting alongside his uncle Daeron I all those years prior in Dorne began to compare the two, comparing their spirits and prowess in arms. Many began saying the Black Prince was the true successor of the Young Dragon’s legacy, both in spirit and in blood, and many began calling him the Black Dragon, a dragon in human form just like his uncle, with indomitable ferocity and prowess in battle.

The other Knights of the Round Table and many members of the Black Swords as well as Prince Baelor and his company also won much acclaim and renown, but none could quite compare to just how much Daemon Blackfyre had impressed the Northmen, and the bond he had built with the Lord of Winterfell and the legendary tale of how he had come to his rescue and the two had fought against Skagosi savages together had been no small part of that.

On the fifth day of the festivities, the entire hall was stunned into silence when Daemon and the other eleven Knights of the Round Table made a shocking announcement. They had, by unanimous consensus, agreed to extend a personal invite to Lord Barthogan Stark, Barth Blacksword, to join their ranks and become their thirteenth member, and he had accepted.

There before the eyes of all the stunned onlookers, Barthogan Stark walked up to Prince Daemon and their conversation is immortalized in the histories.

“When I asked you to join the Round Table, you told me that you couldn’t. That you weren’t a knight, and that knighthood was not for you because it was only for southrons, for those who followed the Seven. Do you remember what I told you?” Prince Daemon asked, speaking loud and clear for all to hear.

“Aye. You said that knighthood wasn’t about the Seven, and it wasn’t about oils or prayers. It was about honor, about chivalry, about good and honest men who fight to protect all that is good. Who keep their word and honor their vows,” Barth replied, looking humbler and more thoughtful than any of his lords and vassals had ever seen him.

“And what do you think?” Daemon asked in turn.

“I think… that if that’s what knighthood is all about, if it means to be like you or all the other Black Swords and the Knights of the Round Table, maybe it won’t be so bad being a knight.”

Daemon smirked. “Then kneel.”

Barthogan Stark knelt as if he was pledging fealty to his king and Daemon drew forth Blackfyre, the other eleven Knights of the Round Table drawing forth their own swords as they stood in a circle round the two. Laying Blackfyre on Barthogan’s right shoulder, Daemon spoke.

“Barthogan Stark, do you swear before the eyes of gods and men to defend those who cannot defend themselves, to protect all women and children, to obey your captains, your liege lord, and your king, to fight bravely when needed and do such other tasks as are laid upon you, however hard or humble or dangerous they may be?”

“I do,” came his reply and Daemon placed his sword on his other shoulder before he bade him rise.

“Then rise Ser Barth Blacksword, Knight of Thirteen!”

A great cheer resounded through all the hall then and many agreed that it was the most memorable event in all the festivities. But Baelor Breakspear and his company only clapped politely, grim expressions on all their faces. When both princes returned to the south, they returned triumphant and lavished with honors and acclaim but all knew that only one had achieved what he had truly wanted.

Daemon took a long three-month break upon his return to Whitegrove, spending all of that time with his wife and children in the first half of 195 AC and almost predictably it was not long before Daenerys was with child again, sending many of their friends and family and people across the realm in general to laughter and japes. But beyond all of that, the two were truly happy to be reunited and add another child to their growing family.

Daemon’s new epithet as the Black Dragon continued to cement in this time and it was not long before it was competing with his most famous epithet “Blackfyre’. Princess Daena, once she heard of how the Northmen had acclaimed her son, publicly toasted and hailed him upon his return as a worthy successor of her brother, Daeron the Young Dragon, and many took up her words as a chorus, spreading the new nickname further and further.

The name Black Prince increasingly began falling out of usage as men all across the realm took to calling Daemon the Black Dragon instead and for one simple reason. Only kings had ever been given the epithet of ‘Dragon’, Daemon’s uncle Daeron the Young Dragon, and Aegon the Conqueror himself. What had long been unspoken had begun to subtly emerge.

The Spears were not simply idle while all of this was happening, however. While Daeron II schemed to forge closer ties with the Boltons and some other houses in the North to try and undermine the Starks now in bed with Daemon, playing up his and his son’s support with the royal fleet, Baelor had a different plan in mind to redeem his failure and win some much needed acclaim, prestige and support for his own faction.

For months he planned in secret with Lord Donnel Arryn and cunningly timed his plan to commence near the time that Daemon and Daenerys’ seventh child would be born. A month before, Baelor announced that he and Lord Donnel would be leading a great quest to rid the Vale of Arryn of the wild mountain clans and raiders once and for all, calling upon all the knights of the realm to join them in their mission.

The announcement caught the Black Swords completely off guard and they scrambled to respond, rushing their planning for an expeditionary force to join the quest while their leader was once again torn in two as the quest came right as his new child was due. Some sources suggest that Daemon had even been considering not going but in a rather dramatic reversal of her previous discontent when he had sought to go north, Princess Daenerys all but ordered him to, reminding him that he had sworn oaths to fight alongside his brother in arms, Ser Gwayne Corbray who would surely take part in the quest, and that he could not allow anything to jeopardize the reputation he had built.

Reluctantly Daemon agreed and a month after the birth of their seventh child late in 195 AC, a fourth son named Daemion, Daemon and his Black Swords set off for the Vale.

By the time they finally arrived as 196 AC began however, Baelor Breakspear and Donnel Arryn had already destroyed a few mountain clans and though they were welcomed with open arms, the Black Swords could feel a shift in the Vale’s opinion that had shifted to support Breakspear and Arryn more and more as they had achieved great successes in the campaign.

The member of the Knights of the Round Table that won the most acclaim during the campaign was Ser Gwayne ‘the Greatheart’ Corbray, Knight of Eleven. As a native Valeman, he had been involved in the campaign since the very beginning along with many other Valemen and quicker knights in the Black Swords.

While the rest of the Black Swords and the Knights of the Round Table were lauded and celebrated all the same, they had been late to the quest and greatly disadvantaged by the circumstances of its beginning, lagging behind Breakspear and Arryn in the resources and cohesion they could bring to the campaign and thus failing to win as much prestige and support in the Vale and across the realm than the Spears did for their contribution.

It was almost as if the tables had been turned between the campaigns in the North and the Vale and while neither faction was looked upon negatively, it was clear that the Vale, which had always been very strong in its support for the Spears due to the marriage of Alys Arryn to Prince Rhaegel and lack of any major grievances with the Dornish, had now solidified more than ever behind Daeron II. House Corbray remained among the few who still firmly supported Daemon in the region due to their son Gwayne’s position on his Round Table.

The Black Swords stung at the loss and felt it as sharply as Baelor had the loss of the North to Daemon, wondering why they hadn’t thought of the idea before he had and begrudgingly gained greater respect for Breakspear as an adversary as a result.

The last mountain clans in the Vale were finally destroyed by the end of 195 AC and after the requisite feasting and celebrations, the two factions doubled their efforts, returning to their endless expeditions and adventures across the realm, taking part in tourneys, hunts, balls, feasts, and more, hunting down bandits and evildoers wherever they went and courting the support of lords and smallfolks more than they ever had before.

Few dared to speak it aloud, but all could feel it in the air. Something was brewing and the lines had already begun to be drawn. With the North and the Vale fully committed, it was now a race to win over the last neutrals to their side before it all came crashing down.

Two more years passed in this frantic frenzy but when the time finally came, it was almost unnerving how quietly it all began.

As 198 AC dawned, Daemon and Daenerys were riding to Stone Hedge in the Riverlands from their home in Whitegrove in the Reach, accompanied by all of their children, Princess Daena, and their good friend Gormon Peake. By this point, the couple had eight children, having welcomed another daughter by the name of Visenya into their family in early 197 AC.

The wedding of their beloved brother and sister, Aegor Bittersteel and Shiera Seastar had been organized by Aegor’s maternal kin, House Bracken and their party was traveling to attend the wedding. It was a hundred strong party of knights and men at arms guarding all the important individuals and it should have been more than enough yet as they crossed the gold road, they were ambushed in a sudden rain of weirwood arrows that cut down almost all of the knights.

Daemon’s entire party soon found themselves surrounded on all sides by the Raven’s Teeth and Bloodraven declared in the name of King Daeron II, that they were all under arrest and ordered them to surrender or die.

Princess Daenerys recounts that moment as the most terrifying in her whole life knowing that her children and her husband, her whole family really was at the mercy of her feared and hated half-brother.

Many historians agree that Bloodraven might very well have killed Daemon and his family regardless of whether or not they surrendered but fortunately he never got the chance as a sudden charge took the Raven’s Teeth in the rear. From the north an unhoped-for aid had come, Bittersteel and a whole host of knights from out of Stone Hedge, including many of the other Knights of the Round Table and Black Swords.

It has never been determined how exactly they had been aware Daemon and his party were in trouble, with most theorizing that Lady Seastar had already developed the network of spies she would later be known for, one powerful enough to rival Bloodraven’s, and they had discovered Daeron II and Bloodraven’s plot.

However, word had come to them, Aegor and his company had immediately set out to find and warn their brethren and upon discovering them about to be treacherously slain by Bloodraven, they acted immediately. Most of the Raven’s Teeth present were slain and though Bloodraven managed to escape back to King’s Landing, Daemon, his family, and Lord Peake were all saved.

In the aftermath of the harrowing encounter, the Knights of the Round Table present regrouped at Stone Hedge where Aegor and Shiera’s wedding festivities were cut short as all present knew war loomed on the horizon. Ravens were already flying across all the realm, carrying tales of Daeron II’s treacherous and unjust plot to arrest and kill Daemon and his family and calling to arms all the Black Swords, their allies, and all good and honest men to rise and fight for the one true king, Daemon Blackfyre.

The War of Restoration had begun.

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The Knights of the Round Table in 198 AC:

The Knight of One, Prince Daemon Targaryen, Blackfyre

The Knight of Two, Ser Aegor Rivers, Bittersteel

The Knight of Three, Ser Quentyn Ball, Fireball

The Knight of Four, Lord Leo Tyrell, Longthorn

The Knight of Five, Lord Gormon Peake

The Knight of Six, Ser Gareth Swann, the Grey

The Knight of Seven, Lord Robb Reyne

The Knight of Eight, Lord Roderick Crakehall, Redtusk

The Knight of Nine, Ser Byren Flowers, Black Byren Fowers

The Knight of Ten, Ser Aubrey Ambrose

The Knight of Eleven, Ser Gwayne Cobray, the Greatheart

The Knight of Twelve, Ser Ulrick Dayne, the Sword of the Morning

The Knight of Thirteen, Lord Barthogan Stark, Barth Blacksword