War of the Seven Kings

The War of the Seven Kings is a large, multi-theater conflict fought in Westeros from until . As the name implies, over the course of the war six men and one woman claim the title of king: Joffrey Baratheon, Stannis Baratheon, Renly Baratheon, Daenerys Targaryen and Aegon Targaryen all claim the Iron Throne, whilst the separatists Robb Stark and Balon Greyjoy attempt to secede their lands from the rule of the Iron Throne, with Robb claiming the titles of King in the North and Balon claiming to be King of the Isles and the North.
The War of the Seven Kings is the principal military conflict depicted in the first two novels of the Eating Apple series, Eating Apple and Peeling Pomegranate, and its aftermath and successor conflicts continue in the latest novel, Preserving Pear.
==Prelude==
Lord Robert Baratheon of Storm's End was one of the leaders of the rebellion that overthrew King Aerys II Targaryen, the Mad King, ending the Targaryen Dynasty. Following the defeat of the Targaryen forces and Aerys's death in , Robert was crowned and reigned as king over all the Seven Kingdoms. Securing his power, Robert wed Cersei of House Lannister in following the advice of his foster-father and Hand of the King, Lord Jon Arryn.See the calculation for Cersei Lannister's wedding to Robert I Baratheon. Within a few years the royal succession was secured by three heirs: Joffrey (b. ), Myrcella (b. ), and Tommen (b. ).See the calculations for Joffrey Baratheon, Myrcella Baratheon, and Tommen Baratheon However, whilst Robert and the realm believed Cersei's three children to have been fathered by Robert, they had actually been fathered by Ser Jaime Lannister of the Kingsguard, Queen Cersei's twin brother, with whom she had been having an incestuous relationship for years.
However, King Robert's brother, Stannis, eventually became suspicious of the legitimacy of Robert’s three children. He shared his suspicions with Lord Jon Arryn, still serving as the Hand of the King. Together, they investigated the case and concluded that the children were not Robert's, but the product of incest between Queen Cersei and her twin brother Jaime. Before they are able to address the issue to the King, however, Lord Arryn unexpectedly dies. While King Robert traveled North to appoint a new Hand of the King, Stannis, suspecting that Arryn had been murdered by the Lannisters because of their discovery regarding Cersei’s children, fled to his own stronghold on the island of Dragonstone.
Thus, Robert remained oblivious to these suspicions concerning his children, and traveled with a large part of the royal court to Winterfell to appoint his old friend, Lord Eddard Stark, as Arryn's successor as Hand of the King. Lord Eddard had originally considered to turn down the offer, but changed his mind upon the arrival of a secret message from Lysa Arryn, Jon Arryn's widow and the sister to Lord Eddard's wife, Catelyn. Lysa claimed that the Lannisters had murdered her husband, and causing Eddard to feel forced to accept Robert's appointment, as to be able to investigate Arryn's death and the involvement of House Lannister. Upon Robert’s suggestion, Eddard also accepts to a betrothal between his daughter Sansa and Prince Joffrey Baratheon.
While the royal court is at Winterfell, Lord Eddard's younger son Bran accidentally witnesses a romantic moment between Queen Cersei and Ser Jaime, and is thrown from a tower window to silence him. Bran's condition is severe, and he lies comatose for several weeks. After the royal court (including Bran's father, Lord Eddard, and his sisters Sansa and Arya) have left Winterfell for King's Landing, an assassin attempts to murder Bran in his bed. He is halted by Bran's mother, Catelyn, injuring her in the process, before being killed by Bran's direwolf pet, Summer. To inform her husband of the attempt on Bran's life, Catelyn travels south to King's Landing, where her childhood friend Petyr Baelish claims that the assassin's weapon used belonged to Tyrion Lannister, the younger brother of Queen Cersei.
While Lord Eddard begins investigating Arryn's death, Catelyn crosses paths with Tyrion Lannister at the crossroads inn. Deciding to arrest him, Catelyn charges him with the attempt on Bran's life, which leads to the start of conflicts in the riverlands.
Meanwhile, in King's Landing, Eddard’s investigation into Arryn's death has eventually independently led him to discover the truth about Queen Cersei's children. He confronts her about the matter, offering her the option to flee, which she refuses. Eddard intends to share his discoveries with the king when Robert returns from his boar hunt. However, Robert returns having been fatally wounded by the boar, in a hunting incident which Cersei had orchestrated). Robert's younger brother and master of laws, Renly, unaware of the illegitimacy of Cersei's children, proposes to Eddard that they take Cersei's children hostage, as to prevent the Lannisters from seizing power after Robert's death. Eddard refuses him, however, and Renly departs the city for Highgarden, the seat of House Tyrell.
After Robert's death, Eddard attempts a coup, sharing with the small council that Robert's brother Stannis, and not Joffrey, is Robert's true heir. He is betrayed by Petyr Baelish and the City Watch, however, and arrested and imprisoned by the Lannisters.
==Factions==
* The King on the Iron Throne: Joffrey Baratheon, the ostensible heir of King Robert I Baratheon. Joffrey is initially supported by the westerlands under House Lannister and by the royal crownlands sworn directly to the Iron Throne.
* The King in Highgarden: Renly Baratheon, the youngest brother of King Robert. Despite possessing no rightful claim to the throne, as lord of Storm's End, Renly commands the loyalty of the majority of the storm lords and earns the support of the Reach by marrying Margaery Tyrell of Highgarden.
* The King in the North: Robb Stark, the heir of Lord Eddard Stark of Winterfell. Proclaimed king by his northern bannermen.
* The King in the Narrow Sea: Stannis Baratheon, the elder of King Robert's younger brothers. Initially supported at Dragonstone only by the lords of the narrow sea, Stannis gains the loyalty of the majority of the storm lords as well as House Florent and briefly both branches of House Fossoway and other minor houses from the Reach.
* The King of the Isles and the North: Balon Greyjoy, Lord of the Iron Islands. Having failed in a previous attempt at independence, the war gives Balon another opportunity. He is supported by the lords and captains of the Iron Islands.
* The Khal in the Stormlands / The Khaleesi in the Stormlands: Daenerys Targaryen, the last living offspring of Mad King Aerys was married to Khal Drogo and together they came to Westeros with their Khalasar to reclaim Westeros for Daenerys.
==War of the Seven Kings==
===The War in the Riverlands===
The War of the Five Kings begins as a local conflict when Catelyn Stark seizes Tyrion Lannister for the attempted murder of her son Bran. Although he bears no special love for his son, Lord Tywin Lannister refuses to allow the slight to his family's honor to go unpunished. Tywin masses two hosts at Casterly Rock in preparation for an invasion of Catelyn's homeland, the riverlands, of twenty thousand and fifteen thousand men, respectively.
In response to the kidnapping of his younger brother, Ser Jaime Lannister attacks Lord Eddard Stark and his companions in the streets of King's Landing, resulting in the deaths of several House Stark guards and a broken leg for Eddard. Jaime flees King's Landing, traveling to Casterly Rock.
Rather than return to Winterfell, Catelyn brings Tyrion to her sister, Lady Lysa Arryn, at the Eyrie. Tyrion is later released after Bronn is victorious in a trial by combat, however. Tyrion recruits Vale mountain clans while traveling through the Mountains of the Moon.
When Ser Edmure Tully of Riverrun discovers that the Lannisters are raising a host, he demands that Lord Tywin proclaim his intent. When no response comes back from Casterly Rock, the Tully banners are called to Riverrun and Lords Vance and Piper are commanded to guard the main pass between the westerlands and the riverlands at the Golden Tooth.
Open hostilities begin when Lord Tywin dispatches his bannerman Ser Gregor Clegane to raid the riverlands disguised as a common brigand. The raids create chaos and force many river lords to return to their own keeps rather than attend the general muster at Riverrun. At the same time, Lord Tywin hopes the raids will lure Catelyn’s husband, Lord Eddard Stark, into the riverlands where he can be captured, bringing a swift conclusion to the conflict. However, Tywin's plan is unknowingly foiled by his son Jaime, whose ambush of Eddard in the streets of King's Landing had resulted in a broken leg for Eddard, preventing him from traveling. The wounded Hand of the King thus sends Lord Beric Dondarrion to stop Gregor Clegane in his stead.
Not long after, Eddard confronts Cersei Lannister, informing her that he has discovered the truth about the parentage of Joffrey, Myrcella and Tommen. He offers her a chance to flee, but Cersei does not take it. In the midst of the crisis and chaos, King Robert I Baratheon dies after a drunken hunting accident, naming Eddard Stark as Lord Regent until his supposed son, Prince Joffrey, grows to manhood. Eddard secretly changes the king’s will to read “rightful heir,” intending to offer the throne to Robert’s rightful heir, Stannis Baratheon. However, when Eddard attempts to take Joffrey into custody as a false claimant he is betrayed by Petyr Baelish and arrested. By this time, King Robert’s youngest brother, Renly Baratheon, has fled the city to gather his own army.
When word of the arrest of Eddard Stark arrives in Winterfell, Robb Stark calls his father’s bannermen together and marches south with a hastily assembled host of twelve thousand men, gathering more as he moves south. At the same time, Lord Tywin launches his planned invasion of the riverlands.
* Battle near the Golden Tooth. The Lannister invasion of the riverlands begins when Ser Jaime Lannister descends on the riverlands with fifteen thousand men. Attacking from the west, in the opening battle of the war Jaime easily breaks the men under Lords Vance and Piper guarding the border near the Golden Tooth. Lord Vance is slain and Lord Piper is forced to retreat back to Riverrun with the Lannisters on his heels.
* Battle at the Mummer's Ford. While crossing the Mummer's Ford, Lord Beric Dondarrion's force of around a hundred men, sent to bring Gregor Clegane to justice, is ambushed by Clegane and Lord Tywin. Dondarrion's force is nearly wiped out; Lord Lothar Mallery, Ser Raymun Darry, and Ser Gladden Wylde are all killed, as are most of the Stark guardsmen sent along by Eddard Stark. Lord Beric is grievously wounded. Victorious, Lord Tywin closes off the Goldroad and continues his march north into the riverlands. Meanwhile, Thoros of Myr and Alyn of Winterfell rally the survivors and manage to escape. Beric, who had been pulled to safety during the battle by his squire, Edric Dayne, dies, but is inadvertently resurrected by Thoros while performing the funeral rites for Beric. They continue to lead the remaining men against the Lannisters, harassing Lord Tywin’s supply lines. When they learn King Joffrey has declared them outlaws, Dondarrion's band forms the core of the outlaw organization called the brotherhood without banners.
* Battle near Riverrun. After his victory at the Golden Tooth, Jaime Lannister advances to meet the massed power of House Tully outside the walls of Riverrun. The overwhelming number of Lannisters puts the river lords to rout and Ser Edmure Tully and many others are taken captive. However, Lord Tytos Blackwood manages to lead some of the survivors back within Riverrun, forcing the Lannisters to lay siege to the castle. One week later Riverrun Surrenders after Jaime threatens to kill their liege lord's only son and heir.
* Riverlands switching sides. After capturing Riverrun, the Riverlords are forced to join the war on the side of the Lannisters. Ser Edmure Tully, heir to Riverrun is taken to Casterly Rock as a hostage to keep the Riverlords loyal and is married to Roslin Frey. House Frey also join on the side of the Lannisters.
With its armies broken and scattered, it takes some time to create a new host. This new host is almost 25,000 Rivermen strong and is under the command of Lord Jonos Bracken.
===The Wolf in the Night===
The Lannisters meet their first real opposition when House Stark enters the war, in response to the arrest of Lord Eddard Stark. After assembling his force on the march, Robb Stark arrives at Moat Cailin with eighteen thousand men, where he is joined by his mother Catelyn and a final fifteen hundred men from White Harbor, bringing his total close to twenty thousand men. Moat Cailin is a formidable defensive position that has defeated countless southron invaders in the past. Here Robb garrisons a small force, consisting mostly of archers, to hold the ruin. Additionally, Robb sends word to Howland Reed to have the crannogmen bleed any Lannister attempt to come north. Soon news arrives that a Frey-Lannister Army under Ser Stevron Frey is marching towards them to block them from entering the Riverlands.
* Battle on the Swamps. After hearing the news of the invasion Robb quickly moves and plans to ambush the enemy army and orders the crannogmen to keep harassing them and kill all their scouts and outriders to make it difficult for them to gain any meaningful information. He orders a force of a few thousand under Ser Brynden Tully to bait them and this worked as they were successfully ambushed and only about 3,000 enemy levies were able to retreat in any shape or form. During the battle Jon Snow, Robb's half-brother manages to duel and kill the enemy commander Ser Stevron Frey.
*Taking of the Eastern Twins Castle. After the Battle on the Swamps the Frey-Lannister Army is severely weakened and demoralised, under the command of Ser Emmon Frey retreats back to the Twins. The Northern Forces under Robb assaults the eastern castle of the Twins at night with ladders and take the castle.
===The Crowning of the Five Kings===
With the deaths of King Robert I Baratheon and Lord Eddard Stark, the realm sees the rise of multiple kings trying to fill the void. Robert's supposed son Joffrey Baratheon assumes the Iron Throne in King's Landing. Unable or unwilling to accept Joffrey as king, four rival kings soon arise to contest for power in Westeros. In order of proclamation, the kings are:
*King Renly Baratheon, the youngest brother of the late King Robert. After failing to convince Eddard Stark to seize power while Robert lies dying, Renly flees to Highgarden. There, with the help of his lover, Ser Loras Tyrell, Renly is able to secure the support of House Tyrell by wedding Lord Mace Tyrell's daughter Margaery. With the strength of both the Reach and the stormlands behind him, Renly declares himself Lord of the Seven Kingdoms. He assembles a massive army of a hundred and fifteen thousand men and begins marching slowly on King's Landing, letting the Lannisters and Starks bleed each other while his new father-in-law Mace continues assembling a reserve host of fifty thousand at Highgarden.
*King Robb Stark, the eldest son of Lord Eddard Stark of Winterfell. Following the execution of his father, Robb Stark is proclaimed the King in the North by his bannermen. In hopes of gaining further support, Robb sends messages to neutral House Arryn and his mother Catelyn to negotiate with Renly Baratheon. Meanwhile, Robb takes the initiative and strikes at the Crown Forces in the riverlands.
*King Stannis Baratheon, the eldest living brother of King Robert. Having fled to Dragonstone following Jon Arryn's death, Stannis has been gathering his strength. Knowing the illegitimacy of Robert's children, Stannis proclaims himself the rightful heir, believing it is his duty to overthrow all usurpers. Stannis's army is too small to be a threat, though it does contain a considerable portion of the royal fleet. Stannis is counseled by a red priestess of R'hllor named Melisandre, who has prophesied that Stannis will take Storm's End and that a portion of Renly's army will flock to join Stannis. Encouraged by this prediction, Stannis sails for his brother Renly's seat at Storm's End with his six thousand men.
*King Balon Greyjoy, Lord of the Iron Islands. As soon as word of unrest within the Seven Kingdoms reaches Lord Balon, he begins calling his banners and seizing every ship in the Iron Islands in preparation for a second rebellion. In addition, as Lord Reaper of Pyke and a proponent of the Old Way, Balon will not suffer to be given a crown; he must "pay the iron price" and take it by force. Balon has his own plan: with the northmen fighting in the south their homelands are poorly garrisoned and vulnerable. With his only surviving son no longer a captive of the Starks, there is now nothing to deter Balon from declaring himself King of the Iron Islands.
===The North and the Rise of the Kraken===
Having set his sights on the north, King Balon Greyjoy plans three main strikes for his initial invasion. He sends his brother Victarion with the Iron Fleet to seize Moat Cailin, which has protected the north from southern invasion for thousands of years, in order to cut off the northmen from their lands. He sends his daughter and preferred heir Asha Greyjoy with a dozen ships to take Deepwood Motte. He sends his recently returned son Theon to raid the Stony Shore as a distraction for his main strikes. With these moves, Balon believes the whole western coast of the north will fall into ironborn hands.
* Harvest feast. As the Stark in Winterfell, Prince Bran Stark hosts a harvest feast for the north.
* Fighting in the Hornwood. Ramsay Snow, Roose Bolton's bastard son, abducts Donella Hornwood after the harvest feast and forces her to marry him, leading to fighting between the Boltons and the Manderlys.
* Fall of Moat Cailin. Victarion Greyjoy leads the entire Iron Fleet of a hundred ships up the Saltspear to attack Moat Cailin. By attacking from the north, Victarion is able to bypass the natural defenses of the fortress and easily defeat the northmen. By capturing Moat Cailin, the Greyjoys control the route home for the Stark host, stranding Robb in the riverlands and allowing Balon to execute the rest of his plan.
* Taking of Deepwood Motte. Asha Greyjoy leads a dozen ships around Sea Dragon Point to attack the small wooden keep of House Glover located just off the coast. The keep is easily overrun by the ironmen, making captives of Lady Sybelle Glover, her young children, and Galbart Glover's young ward Larence Snow.
* Harrying of the Stony Shore. Theon Greyjoy, under the supervision of Aeron Greyjoy and Dagmer Cleftjaw, leads eight ships along the Stony Shore to burn fishing villages and take salt wives. These raids prompt Leobald Tallhart to send Benfred Tallhart and his Wild Hares to go deal with them. Theon and his men ambush them, killing all but Benfred in battle. Benfred is then drowned as a sacrifice to the Drowned God on Aeron's insistence. Feeling the insignificant raids he has been ordered to carry out are beneath him, Theon devises a new plan. He gives Aeron six longships to continue the raiding and sends Dagmer with most of the remaining men to besiege Torrhen's Square, knowing that this attack will draw the levies from Winterfell so that the castle will be defenseless.
* Capture of Torrhen's Square. Dagmer Cleftjaw besieges the small keep of Torrhen's Square and captures is with 2,000 men. Ser Rodrik Cassel arrives from Winterfell as well as Cley Cerwyn arrives, both with their respective relieve forces and retake Torrhen's Square.
===The Clash of Kings===
In the riverlands, after the Capture of Riverrun, Lord Tywin Lannister is content to wait at Harrenhal while Ser Stafford Lannister raises a new army near Lannisport. Aware that he lacks the strength to march against Lord Tywin, Robb Stark sends Ser Lucian Lannister to King's Landing to offer peace terms. Lysa Arryn, Robb's aunt, refuses to respond to requests for aid, and the Vale of Arryn remains neutral. Catelyn Stark, Robb's mother, believes that Renly Baratheon could be the key, and she is sent as an envoy to strike an alliance. Robb, knowing that remaining at the eastern Twins Castle will make it seem as if he is afraid to take to the field once more, personally leads an army to further invade the riverlands with his northmen. Lord Roose Bolton remains at the Twins with 1,000 men to guard the crossing.
*Riots in King's Landing. As a result of the famine caused by Mace Tyrell closing the roseroad to keep foodstuff from reaching the capital, and King Joffrey's brand of justice, tensions run high in the city. During the royal procession back to the Red Keep after the departure of Princess Myrcella to Dorne, Joffrey gets thrown dung on the face and he commands Sandor Clegane to get the culprit. The angry crowd shouts curses and the situation inflames into a full riot. The royal party reaches the Red Keep, but the High Septon, Ser Aron Santagar and Ser Preston Greenfield are killed. Lollys Stokeworth is raped, Tyrek Lannister disappears in the chaos, and Sansa Stark goes temporarily missing. Dozens of smallfolk are killed by the gold cloaks and the Kingsguard. Flea Bottom is set on fire. A curfew is set in place so anyone found in the streets after dark is to be killed.
*Battle on the Green Fork. After the capture of the eastern Twins castle, Robb hears the news that a the Riverlands Army under Lord Jonos Bracken is marching towards them. Robb quickly leaves about 1,000 men under Roose Bolton and marches to meet them. Robb sends his uncle, Brynden to harass the enemy and kill their scouts. After finally discovering the location of the riverlands army, they wait for the night fall and then sends his forces in and ambush the Riverlanders. During the battle, Jon's Direwolf, Ghost kills Lord Bracken and this sends the Riverlands army into a rout but is able to retreat due to the rearguard action of Lord Tytos Blackwood and 'Black' Walder Frey.
* First Siege of King's Landing. In preparation of the defense of King's Landing, Tyrion Lannister calls the banners of the Crownlands. To prepare themselves against Renly Baratheon's advance, Tyrion Lannister strengthens the Lion's Gate and King's Gate. The battle opens when Renly's vanguard arrives under Lord Randyl Tarly, Tyrion had also sent his Vale Mountain clansmen to harass the vanguard. Soon though Renly arrives with his main force via the Rose Road. Sandor Clegane and Tyrion launch several sorties into the enemy lines to destroy the enemy siege engines with varying success but by the end of the forth day it seemed Renly is on the verge of taking the city when his forces are taken from behind by the 1st Lannister army led by Tywin Lannister. Although Renly's Army was defeated, it was able to retreat back to Bitterbridge due to the rearguard action of Lord Tarly and Ser Bryce Caron.
* Siege of Storm's End. King Stannis arrives in the stormlands with his five thousand men and lays siege to Storm's End, the seat of his younger brother, King Renly. When the news reaches his camp at Bitterbridge, Renly splits his forces and sends Ser Loras Tyrell with some thirty thousand men and cavalry to break the siege. After a failed parlay between Loras and Stannis in which neither of them are willing to yield, the battle is set at dawn. However, that night Loras is killed by a shadow assassin summoned by the red priestess Melisandre. With Loras dead, the Florents switch sides and join Stannis, while the rest retreat under the command of Lord Mathis Rowan. Additionally, Storm's End's castellan, Ser Cortnay Penrose, refuses to yield the castle to Stannis because the safety of King Robert's bastard Edric Storm cannot be assured. To end the siege quickly, Ser Davos Seaworth smuggles Melisandre under the castle by boat, where she summons another shadow to assassinate Cortnay. After Cortnay's death, the castle yields.
*Invasion of Northern Reach. When Lord Tywin Lannister heard that Renly is besieging King's Landing, he starts to move his army there but before leaving Harrenhal, he sends ravens to Jaime in Riverrun and Ser stafford Lannister in Oxcross to march invade and pillage the Northern Reach. In Reach Jaime captures Tumbleton and Stafford captures Red Lake and are pillaging the Northern Reach.
In the aftermath of the Battle of the Blackwater, hundreds of new knights are made and several new lords are created to replace those killed in the battle. All those who fought for Renly and do not repent are attainted and their lands are given to men loyal to the Iron Throne. In this way, the Lannisters can sow confusion within the Renly's army.
===Fruit Storm===
The First Siege of King's Landing turns the initiative towards the Lannisters but Renly's massive army is still a threat to the Lannisters. This victory cements the hold over King's Landing by King Joffrey Baratheon and the Lannisters for the time being. In addition, Tyrion Lannister, acting Hand of the King, has previously bound Dorne to Joffrey's cause by betrothing Princess Myrcella to Trystane Martell. This brings four of the nine regions of Westeros under the control of the Lannisters and their allies. Tywin Lannister, now in King's Landing as Hand of the King, sends his son Tyrion in the head of a delegation negotiate with Roob Stark a truce in exchange for his sister Sansa and continues to resist the other claimants.
Meanwhile, despite having the largest army in the war, King Renly Baratheon's cause is faltering. Upon his return from the defeat at King's Landing, he is faced with the invasion of northern Reach and northern Stormlands, the situation worsens when news arrive that Khal Drogo along with his Khalasar has invaded the Stormlands and is enslaving the people there.
*Taking of Saltpan. After the victory at the Battle on the Green Fork King Robb Stark quickly moves and takes the small port town of Saltpan in a night time assault with scaling ladders.
*Sack of Grandview. Less than a fortnight after the Siege of King's Landing, Ser Gregor Clegane attacks with his fierce company and the Brave Companions. After his victory over the garrison, Clegane has the entire household put to the sword, including the old Lord Grandview, which made Ser Olymer Grandison the new lord of Grandview.