Chapter 50
EPILOGUE I
The Second Blackfyre Rebellion was a watershed moment in the History of Westeros. Barely two decades after the First Blackfyre Rebellion, the pretenders rose again to make their claim on the Iron Throne, but unlike the first rebellion, they were met not just with defeat but absolute annihilation.
Many historians claim that the rebellion was a farce and that the whole thing was orchestrated by the Targaryens to further their control of the land. But there is little evidence to prove such a theory, and the argument is further weakened by the fact that House Targaryen nearly lost the war.
Still, the memoirs and letters recovered from the times show that the Royal House was indeed aware of the possibility of a rebellion, even if they did not quite orchestrate it. The war led to the revival of the dragons, but its greatest effect was the change it brought to the line of succession, as Prince Valarr Targaryen chose to abdicate in favor of his younger brother, Prince Matarys Targaryen.
Some claim that the abdication was a ruse and that Prince Valarr had been forced out of the line of succession by his little brother, and Lord Bloodraven, but once again, there is little to prove these claims. We know through the records that the two brothers remained good friends for years, and the older brother even acted as a Hand for a brief stint after the death of his younger brother.
Still, one can understand the reasons for all such claims of conspiracy given the sheer efficiency of the Reviver's reign. Matarys Targaryen is one of the most influential people in the history of the world, and even now, nearly a thousand years after his death, we are all still affected by his legacy.
He was born as the second son to Prince Baelor 'Breakspear' Targaryen and took after his mother's coloring in his hair and eyes. He was a brilliant boy even as a child, and there are tales of him reading tomes such as 'Barth's Unnatural Histories' at the age of six. He could speak like a learned man before his tenth nameday, and was a menace at court. He was a jolly boy, one who took great joy in laughing and making others laugh
He had an eye for commerce and trade even as a child, and used his own savings to lease a patch of land from the King, which later became his permanent seat of New Haven. He spent a year setting up the place, and his letters describe the venture as an 'experiment' which highlight his ambition.
He pioneered many of his great inventions in this land, discovering the crop rotation system, the role of fertilizer, modern plows and harvesters, and many other things that no other man had ever thought of in the last hundred years. He set up his own brewery, which later became the 'Royal Dragon Brewery' and exists to this day as the Oldest brewery in the Western Isles.
Unlike traditional lords or magisters, he had not simply given the land to the farmers. Instead, the Prince had full control of his farms and gave the people a wage instead of a share in his crop. It was unorthodox, but the wage was fair, and the farmers were promised payment even in the case the crop failed.
Not long after he had set up the colony, the Prince was sent to squire for his uncle, Prince Maekar Targaryen. Prince Maekar was King Daeron's fourth son and had been given the seat of Summer Hall to extend the Crown's influence into the ever-disputed Marches.
He was a strict and just lord who had distinguished himself in the First Blackfyre Rebellion. The man had four sons, including Aerion Brightflame, who was the prime instigator of the Tragedy of Ashford Meadows.
Matarys Targaryen was under his uncle's care for four years, though by his own words, Prince Maekar had little to teach him by the end of the second year. In his letters to his brother, Prince Maekar was clear in his praise as he made his elder brother aware of his son's progress.
"By the Gods, he knows more than me or my Maester, Baelor. I have nothing to teach the boy anymore, neither as lord nor as warrior. He is a finer swordsman than my own children shall ever be, and what he lacks now is only experience, and I can offer him little of it here. Tell me now, what am I to do with him now?"
(The Rise of The Reviver by Maester Aemon Targaryen)
Still, he kept the boy under his wing for two more years, and he became a good companion to all of Prince Maekar's sons, except for Aerion Brightflame, who felt jealous of the young Prince and his talents.
The young Prince Matarys was charismatic and full of energy. He made fast friends wherever he went, and though he was but a second son, he was regarded rather heavily, but he began to change after the War against the Vulture King.
The Prince had ridden to the marches with his uncle, and Vulture King and raids were common in that time. The Prince rode through a ruined village and found himself taken aback by the carnage. So, when his time as a squire came to an end, he rode towards the marches to fight against the cruel Vulture King so that he could put an end to this tyranny.
But he did not just fight. The Prince spent half a year mapping out all of the hidden passes and caves used by these insurgents, and gave them to all the bordering lords so that they may put down such insurgents with ease afterward.
The move did not win him much love from the Dornish, for most of the Vulture Kings were often supported by the Dornish lords, but his efforts bore fruit, and when another man rose as a Vulture King some two decades later, all it took was an army of four thousand men to put him down.
By the end of the war, he had cemented himself as a paragon of justice, winning the moniker of 'Maekar the Matchless.' He was loved by the smallfolk and the lords, except for the Wyls, and the Prince rode towards Ashford to join his father and his uncle.
He had been away from his family for some six years now, and the Prince rode into Ashford in a rather dramatic manner as he openly vouched for the credentials of a young Ser Duncan the Tall, who had just lost his master to disease.
They had met years ago in a tourney at Storm's End, and the tall squire had left an impression on the young Prince who still remembered him nearly a decade later. Ser Ducan was allowed to participate in the lists, though he would not be able to ride in this tourney.
He was welcomed with a feast, but tragedy struck as Prince Aerion Brightflame slew a few members of a mummer's troupe on accusations of treason, including a woman named Tanselle who was a lover of Ser Ducan the Tall.
The Tall Knight could not stomach the sight of her lover's head being cut off, and so he attacked the Prince in his rage, causing chaos and mayhem. Later, many attempts were made to bury the ugly matter, but both Prince Matarys and Prince Aerion were stubborn in their beliefs, which led to Aerion demanding a Trial of the Seven.
Seven Warriors fought for each side, and the trial pitted the young Prince against his own uncle, Prince Maekar. It was a bloody affair, and it left seven dead, including Prince Maekar, who died by his own nephew's blade.
The Prince himself nearly lost his life, but the entire affair left an ugly wound on him that would continue to haunt him his entire life. Many called him a kinslayer, while the whole affair inspired many in the small folk. The lords began to fear him, as a champion of the rights of the smallfolk, and upon his return to the capital, he was exiled to his colony of 'New Haven.'
The Tragedy of Ashford Meadows robbed the young Prince of his smile, and the joyous boy would never return, for a greater tragedy lay ahead for him and his family. He wed Lady Gwin Ashford a year later, as drought and sickness tore through the Seven Kingdoms.
The Prince's own lands were spared, as the Prince had made cleanliness a part of the law in his own land. People could be punished for unhygienic behaviors, and the use of lye and soap was both encouraged and enforced.
New Haven had been producing soap for years, but the sickness saw the market double, and by the end of it, New Haven's coffers grew substantially because of the Prince's actions.
Taking advantage of the chaos, Dagon Greyjoy rose up in rebellion and began causing havoc in the Sunset Sea. Both the Crown and the Lords lacked the ability to muster a proper force to face the man, so the Prince volunteered himself, as commander, and a force of ten thousand was assembled at New Haven under his command.
He rode out to war once more, not even a year into his marriage. Still, he was on the border of the Westerlands when a missive came to him informing him of his wife being with child.
"Never have I ever desired to shirk my duty more than I do so in this moment. If it were not for the cries of the helpless mothers and their children, I would ride back to you in haste. But alas, their cries and wails compel me to do my duty as a Prince of the realm. But fear not, I will crush this pirate menace with haste and prejudice and rush back to your side as soon as I can."
(The Truth of the Reviver by Maester Greenwood)
Sadly, the promise will not be kept, and this will be the last time the Prince will set his eyes on his lady wife. The Greyjoy rebellion ended with the massacre of Pyke, and no one knows who was truly responsible for that cruelty, but it is believed that Dagon Greyjoy slew himself and his men as a sacrifice so that he could put a curse on the Young Prince and his lineage.
His son was born on the day of the fall of the Pyke and became ill not long afterward. He could savor his mother's warmth for but a few days before Lady Gwin Ashford died in New Haven.
The Prince rode hard, but he could not make it back in time to see Gwin, and in the end, she died in his absence, much to his dismay. Grief and pain had become a permanent feature in his life now, and it is often said that after this day, the young Prince never ever laughed.
Back in Kinslanding, Baelor Targaryen now sat the Iron Throne. His eldest, Prince Valarr, served as his hand, just as Baelor Targaryen had done so for his father. The court was filled with tension over the fate of the Iron Islands, for the Pyke massacre had left them without proper stewardship.
The Lords wished for the Crown to name one of the surviving Houses as the High Lord of the Iron Islands, but the Crown had little desire to do such a thing. Many, including Prince Matarys and Lord Bloodraven, argued for the Crown to take control of the Isles so that it might put an end to the archaic ways of the Ironborn people.
Lord Brynden Rivers was a prominent voice and was unmatched in his loathing of the Ironborn and their ways.
"They are nothing but scum. They refuse to farm their land, and instead prefer to steal and plunder to fill their bellies. They may call them thralls, but we all know what they truly are—slaves. Such people and values have no place in this Kingdom. If it were up to me, I would be rid of them all, but I know well that my King is far more magnanimous than myself. So, I implore you to appoint a royal steward to these Isles so that we may put a leash on these untamed monsters. Seven know, we can make better use of their land than these people. The lords who speak of laws and customs forget that these people are traitors, and so their lives are yours to decide upon. You can have their heads, and that would be justice still. Appointing a governor on their lands to help them change their ways, and bring them prosperity is way more mercy than these heathens deserve."
(The Rise of The Reviver by Maester Aemon Targaryen)
In the end, the King was swayed by his son and his counselors and appointed Prince Aerys, his own brother, as Governor of the Iron Islands. This single act lit the flame of rebellion, as Lords saw it as an overreach, and so while the Princess Kiera was returning to the capital, with Shiera Seastart, the infamous Mistress of Lord Bloodraven himself, the Blackfyre pretenders struck their retinue and captured them both.
The Riverlands rose in open rebellion, and Daemon Blackfyre II was crowned King in the halls of Whitheall, and, much to everyone's surprise, Lyonel Baratheo, the Lord of Storm's End, joined the pretenders' cause as well and began marching his armies towards the capital.
This was the same man who had fought alongside Prince Matarys during the Trial of the Seven at Ashford. The rest of the realm simply watched and chose neutrality in betrayal of their oaths. They were very angry at the Crown's perceived overreach in the Iron Islands, and so the war began with the Blackfyres holding a clear advantage.
Brynden Rivers marched towards Whitheall, while Prince Valarr rode towards Wendwater to block the march of the Baratheon armies. The absence of Prince Matarys was noticed, and many wondered if the death of his wife had simply broken the man's will.
But the truth was far different. The Prince had offered himself as both soldier and commander, but the King had relieved him of his duties so that he might pursue a different goal. For a hundred years now the House of the Dragon had been without its symbol of power, and so he tasked his youngest son with the impossible task of reviving the dragons.
There is a dispute here on who instigated this quest, and why. But the records regarding this have been burned and destroyed, leaving the truth to speculation. But we all know that the young Prince was tasked with this impossible endeavor.
By the year's end, the Crown was on the brink of losing the war. Lord Bloodraven won a great victory at Whitheall and slew the pretender King, only to realize that Daemon Blackfyre II was no more than a placeholder for the real claimant, Daemon Blackfyre's third son, Haegon.
Haegon Blackfyre landed on Dragonstone with twelve thousand men and conquered the ancient seat that was the symbol of House Targaryen's might and power. He used his ships to impose a blockade of the Blackwater Bay. In Westeros, Aegor Rivers, the man who had planned this all finally made his own move as he rushed towards Bitterbridge so that Bloodraven's men would not be able to join up with Prince Valarr's men at the Wendwater.
House Targaryen was trapped, and the capital was surrounded. Prince Valarr's army was tired by now, and the news of the fall of Dragonstone was a great blow to the morale of his five thousand men. In that moment, Lyonel Baratheon marched his armies through the Wendwater, and clashed with Prince Valarr's men during in the night.
It was a bloody rout, and the Laughing Storm quickly decimated the Prince's cavalry. Prince Valarr ordered a retreat, hoping to join up with his father's host in the rear, but such was the chaos that he found himself surrounded by the Laughing Storm and his men.
The war could have ended that night, but just as Lyonel Baratheon was able to land the final blow, a loud roar tore through the skies and the history of the Seven Kingdoms was altered once more.
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