Battle of the Trident

Participants|  **House Baratheon** **House Stark** House Bolton House Forrester House Greyson **House Tully** **House Arryn**

Leaders| * Lord Robert Baratheon
* Lord Eddard Stark
* Lord Roose Bolton
* Lord Thorren Forrester †
* Lord Nestor Greyson
* Lord Roose Bolton
* Lord Jon Arryn
* Lord Hoster Tully
* Lord Walder Frey
* Ser Barristan Selmy
* Prince Lewyn Martell †
* Ser Jonothor Darry †
* Ser Brendel Branfield †
* Malcolm Branfield

Casualties| Moderate* Lord Robert Baratheon wounded in action
* Lord Thorren Forrester †
* Gorden Forrester †
* Luthor Greyson †
* Ser Barristan Selmy wounded, captured
* Prince Lewyn Martell †
* Ser Jonothor Darry †
* Ser Brendel Branfield †
* Axell Branfield killed on escape †
* Malcolm Branfield captured

**Colour Guide:**

* **Yellow - Canon**
* **Blue - Canon only to Season Two AU/Expanded Fanon**

The **Battle of the Trident** was the climactic battle of the civil war known as Robert's Rebellion.

## History

### Prelude

In his previous campaigns, Robert Baratheon had successfully led his main army north from the Stormlands to join his main allies in the North, the Vale, and the Riverlands. He cut his way through loyalist Houses that attempted to stop him at Summerhall, Ashford, and Stoney Sept. At the last location, a loyalist army attempted to corner him but in the Battle of the Bells, the armies of the North, Vale, and Riverlands arrived and their combined forces drove them off. The combined rebel army then withdrew into friendly territory north of the Trident. The Riverlords remained divided, but House Tully sided with the rebels.

While the rebels massed north of the river, Crown Prince Rhaegar Targaryen - who had started the entire war when he abducted Lyanna Stark - finally reappeared in King's Landing and massed the bulk of the remaining loyalist forces. He then led them north to face off against Robert's armies when they attempted to cross south of the Trident and advance on King's Landing.

Robert's rebel army at the Trident was composed of the forces from the Stormlands, the North, the Vale, and rebel houses from the Riverlands such as the Tullys. Robert's personal army from the Stormlands was somewhat diminished in size from all of the fighting it had seen but was more battle-hardened. The rebel forces from the North, Vale, and Riverlands had also seen action at the Battle of the Bells and though slightly outnumbered by Rhaegar's army, had more combat experience. The army group was commanded by Lord Robert Baratheon himself, Lord Eddard Stark, Lord Jon Arryn, Lord Hoster Tully, and several of their bannermen, including Lord Roose Bolton of the Dreadfort, Lord Thorren Forrester of Ironrath, and Lord Nestor Greyson of Timberwatch.

Rhaegar's loyalist army consisted primarily of the direct Targaryen vassals from the Crownlands including House Branfield, joined by 10,000 Dornishmen under the command of Prince Lewyn Martell of the Kingsguard. Rhaegar's own lawful wife was Elia Martell, and the Mad King kept her as a virtual hostage in the Red Keep to ensure House Martell's support. A few men from the Reach were also present, but the bulk of House Tyrell's army was tied down further south besieging Storm's End, held by Robert's younger brother Stannis. Rhaegar's forces were fresh and larger than the rebel army but were unbloodied and less experienced. Prince Rhaegar Targaryen himself commanded the loyalist forces along with several of his most trusted Kingsguard, including Ser Barristan Selmy.

### Battle

The two forces clashed directly on the Trident. The battle was not in favor of either side until Prince Rhaegar Targaryen was slain by Lord Robert Baratheon during the battle, resulting in a crucial and critical victory for the rebel forces. Rhaegar was killed at a fork in the river from a swing by Robert's warhammer, smashing the rubies from Rhaegar's armor with his killing stroke. This led to the site becoming known as the Ruby Ford.

Dorne lost all the 10,000 troops they sent to support the Targaryen army including Prince Lewyn Martell himself. The Targaryen army was completely annihilated and Ser Barristan Selmy was severely injured and captured. The rebel army took heavy casualties, but not nearly as many as the Targaryens. Robert himself was also moderately injured in the fighting. Lord Roose Bolton counseled Robert after the battle to execute Ser Barristan, but Robert overruled him and not only pardoned Selmy, but sent his personal maester to treat the grave injuries of Ser Barristan, recognizing the knight's courage and loyalty despite being on the enemy force.

In the Northern contingent, Lord Thorren Forrester of House Forrester was slain and his son Gregor Forrester became lord of the House. Thorren's estranged son Gorden was also killed in the battle after rejoining his House during the Rebellion. House Greyson clashed with House Branfield, leading to the deaths of Brendel Branfield and Luthor Greyson and the capture of Malcolm Branfield.

### Aftermath

Enraged at the death of his son, Nestor Greyson marched forth to Kinshall, the seat of House Branfield. En route his soldiers killed Axell Branfield so that he could not warn his family, and then went on to sack the keep.

The defeat marked the beginning of the end for the Targaryen dynasty. The main reason such a high number of Houses had remained loyal to the Mad King was because of loyalty they felt towards his son and heir, Rhaegar. With Rhaegar dead, House Targaryen's popular support fell drastically. No army stood between the rebels and King's Landing, the only other loyalist armies being Mace Tyrell's army besieging Storm's End, and Tywin Lannister's marching from Casterly Rock towards the capital. Since Robert was wounded in the battle, it fell to Eddard to lead the rebel army south towards King's Landing, hoping to arrive before the Lannisters - who were presumably rushing to reinforce the capital city. What Eddard and Robert did not realize was that after the victory at the Trident and the death of Rhaegar, Tywin had decided to betray the Mad King and join the winning side. The Lannister army arrived first, but after being let inside the gates they promptly turned on its defenders, resulting in the Sack of King's Landing.

Lord Walder Frey, Lord of the Crossing and one of Lord Hoster Tully's bannermen, did not appear until the battle was done, for which Lord Tully nicknamed him "The late Walder Frey".