Ronnel Royce

Ser Ronnel in his Kingsguard Armor

Ser Ronnel Royce (born 72 AC) is a sworn Knight of the Kingsguard, sworn to defend The Iron Throne and Viserys I Targaryen. Born the eldest son of Lord Robar Royce and Lyanna Corbray, Ser Ronnel was expected to be heir to Runestone and become the Head of House Royce. He was fostered in the Red Keep under the Master at Arms, Richard Selmy, and became friends with Daeron Targaryen. He was eventually named to the Kingsguard, a sworn brotherhood of knights dedicated to protecting the King and the Royal Family. He is known for being honorable, dutiful, and loyalty, but is also quite gallant and well loved.

## Appearance and Character

Ser Ronnel Royce is a tall and strong young man, standing tall over many others. He has a handsome face, with fine chiseled features, neatly kept short hair and a clean shaven face. He looks a knight- strong, tall, gallant, handsome, with bright brown eyes. He does also have serious and dutiful look when he is doing his duty, with a careful eye against any dangers against the throne.

Like all of Lord Robar's children, he shares his father's sense of honor, loyalty, and duty. He takes his vows as a Kingsguard extremely seriously, and does his duty without question or hesitation. When on guard, he is very cautious and wary, and has trained himself to watch for any sign of danger that might hurt his charges, and respond quickly. He always remains ready to serve, protect, and die if necessary. On the tourney field or on the battlefield, he is quite bold and daring, and enjoys the pageantry and show of chivalry. He is well loved by nobility and commoner alike for his skill and his graciousness. However, he is more than just show, and does take his duty seriously. He is also well known with his skill with the blade, being able to wield his longsword masterfully with either hand.

## History

### Early Childhood

Ser Ronnel was born in 72 in Runestone as the first child of Robar Royce, the Lord of Runestone, and his wife Lyanna Corbray. Set to be the heir of Runestone from his birth, he was raised with special care by his father Robar, who wanted a strong son to take his place as the Lord of Runestone, and not end up like Robar's brother Kyle, who had been the eldest but had shamed House Royce by his misrule and murder of his two sons. Ser Ronnel was a large and healthy child, and grew quickly.

He first began learning to wield swords at a young age, under the careful supervision of his grand-uncle Yorwyk. He was strong and fit for his age, and took to the sword naturally and gracefully, quickly surpassing the other boys his age. So he went against the older boys, and soon began beating them as well. He progressed very quickly, and soon began besting the squires and became known as the best fighter in Runestone's training yard. He was so good, he began sparring with his left hand as well, just to make it a fair fight.

In addition, he proved to be a dutiful and diligent, and although he lived for the sword, he did his other duties as was required. He was courteous, conscientious, and gracious to those he met. He read tales of gallant knights and heroes in his free time, and strove to be like them. He wanted to be a true knight, one of the knights out of legend, and to strive for the pinnacle of chivalry and honor. His father was greatly pleased by his son's progress, and decided it was time to have his son squired and knighted by a respected knight.

### Squire in the Red Keep

At age ten, Ronnel was sent to King's Landing to be a squire for Richard Selmy, the Master of Arms of the Red Keep. Robar wanted to have his son make important connections with the rest of the realm, and King's Landing was the place to do that. Used to life in his father's efficient Court in Runestone, life in the Royal Court of Rhaegar I Targaryen was a huge adjustment to make. With many intrigues and politiking, Ronnel learned to have a wary eye, and keep an eye out for suspicious behavior. However, as a young boy only of a well distinguished house, he remained out of the plots of the Red Keep.

No longer the most talented of the squires in the Red Keep, he continued to spar and try to improve his skills. Every day he went out to the yard, training with either his right or left. He took a liking to Selmy, and two became very close. When it came to matters of war and fighting, Selmy was quite serious, and provided invaluable training to Ronnel in the way of war and of the sword. However, on the whole, Selmy was joyful and boisterous, with a booming laugh and open smiles. The two would share jokes, and Ronnel liked spending time even off duty, though he carried out his duties as a squire seriously and faithfully.

Several years into his squiring, when sparring with the other lads of the Red Keep, he made friends with a boy 6 years younger than he, one of the Princes, Daeron Targaryen. Despite the age difference, the two became fast friends, and Ronnel took the Prince under his wing, and offered to help teach him with his knowledge of the blade. Ronnel was protective of his young friend, and developed a deep sense of loyalty to the Prince.

He continued to grow and to train, increasing his skill with the blade in both of his hands. He became well known through the keep for his prowess and his diligence, and for his friendship with the Prince. He proved to be quite able and adept with the sword and his knightly behavior. One afternoon, when traveling through the streets of King's Landing, he passed a Septa who was cornered in the street by a group of five men, who were attempting to rob and rape her. Ronnel sprang into action, and rushed to the Septa's aide. Although the men laughed at the boy, thinking him weak, his quick and masterful strokes with the sword left them all dead. The septa thanked him for his assistance, and spoke on his behalf to Richard Selmy. Having decided him worthy, Selmy made him a knight.

### Knight of the Crown

Having heard of Ser Ronnel's training, ability and knighthood, Lord Robar sent word from Runestone that Ser Ronnel could return to Runestone to begin preparing to inherit Runestone. However, Ser Ronnel requested that his father let him remain in King's Landing, as he had another idea- to be named a Knight of the Kingsguard, the highest Knighthood in all the realm. Besides which, he had grown fond of the Targaryens, especially Prince Daeron. His father, considereding the prestige of the Kingsguard, assented. Ser Ronnel remained in King's Landing as a Household Knight of the Red Keep and the Crown.

He remained steadfast friends with Richard Selmy and Prince Daeron, and even though he was a Knight, he spent time with the two, and still frequented the training yard. He became used to life in Court, and worked to prove himself a loyal knight worthy and able to be a Kingsguard. He learned to become aware in court, watching for suspicious activity and sense danger and subterfuge. That way, he would be best equipped to protect the Crown when he became a Kingsguard.

During the Rosegold Rebellion, Ser Ronnel marched with King Viserys I Targaryen's host into the reach, and participated in the Slaughter of Bitterbridge. During the fighting, his swordwork fared him well, but days of fighting had its toll. On several occasions he distinguished himself, but many others Lords and Knights did. As the days went on, he lost track of the number of men he killed. On the day the King himself joined battle, he was on the walls, fighting, when a quarrel took him in the shoulder and he fell off the walls onto the bodies below. He survived, but broke his leg in the fall, and was unable to fight for the rest of the battle. He would be out of commission, and unable to fight for the rest of the duration of the rebellion.

His wounds took time to heal, even after the Golden Truce was agreed upon. He remained in the Red Keep, but his injuries had hurt him. He eventually was able to walk again, but the wound in his left shoulder made it hard for him to use his left hand in fighting. He worked hard to get up to his old ability, and the work was hard. Relying on the support of his old teacher Richard Selmy to help him out, he struggled through his weakness, growing stronger every day, working to regain what he had lost. Eventually, through hard work and lots of training, he was back to his full fighting shape.His friend Daeron also took a wound during the fighting, and was not the same, taking to drinking and becoming more distant to Ser Ronnel. However, the two did remain friends, albeit if the relationship was strained.

### A Knight of the Kingsguard

After almost a decade of striving to be named to the Kingsguard, in 95, the Kingsguard finally had a vacancy, and with Prince Daeron's suggestion, King Viserys named him as a Knight of the Kingsguard. Before he was to say his vows, his father and brother Manfred were set to come from Runestone to see him take his vows. However, the ship crashed before it even left sight of Runestone. Struck by grief, he blamed himself for their deaths, because he was the cause of their sailing. But, keeping his loss to himself, he took the vows of the Kingsguard, and began his life protecting the King on The Iron Throne and House Targaryen.

He had prepared himself for years to become a Kingsguard, and did the best he could, but the first few months were the hardest, coping with the loss of his father and brother. He kept in mind that he swore an oath, and renounced his family for protecting the crown. His sense of honor and duty carried him through the hardest parts, and an friendship with a brother who was named around the same time he was- his goodbrother, Ser Mathis Darry, who himself had unknowingly left his wife, Ronnel's sister Leona, with child. Ronnel did not hold a grudge against Mathis for this and encouraged him, and in turn, Mathis helped him realize he was not responsible for the deaths of his father and brother. Both shared a strong sense of duty, and Mathis's piety greatly impressed Ronnel. Under Mathis's suggestion, Ser Ronnel turned to the Faith of the Seven for comfort in his loss, taking special devotion to the Father, in honor of Robar, and the Warrior, in honor of Manfred. These help to assuage his loss, and build a closer relationship with his goodbrother and sworn brothers.

Due to his friendship with Daeron, Ser Ronnel was most often assigned as the personal bodyguard of the Prince of Dragonstone, and he worked to protect him, although he was given other assignments by the Lord Commander. He spent two years on Dragonstone with Daeron, and was one of the utmost few who knew of his relationship with Mycella, but kept his friend's secret with tight-sealed lips- if the Kingsguard were to keep the King's secrets, he would let no word pass from his mouth. He accompanied Daeron with a handful of others on the night when Mycella was attacked, seeing only the bodies and the destroyed wreck of the cottage. The Prince commanded them to leave him alone, and so he departed. The next few weeks, he was one of the few who the Prince spoke to, and even that was often in brief. He tried to support the Prince the best he could, but the Prince remained distant until he returned to King's Landing. He continued to remain by the Prince's side, to help, serve and protect his Prince and his friend in any way he can.

Ser Ronnel is known for his diligence and his sense of duty and honor, and guards those he is assigned to protect without question or pause. He is extremely cautious on guard, and has a keen eye for any sense of danger or mischief. When he is off duty, he is happy to take a lance for a tourney tilt or for a sparring match, and enjoys spending time with Prince Daeron and Ser Mathis. Over the course of three years defending the Crown, being a Kingsguard has become second nature to him.

## Family

Family Tree

*Allard Royce*, Lord of Runestone, born 1 AC, died 53 AC. Married to Jenna Redfort. He had three children:

* *Waymar Royce*, Lord of Runestone, born 21 AC, died 67 AC. Married to Bethany Manderly. Together they had six children:
	+ *Kyle Royce,* Lord of Runestone, known as *Kyle the Kinslayer*. Born in 41 AC, he died 68 AC when he was thrown out the moon door for killing both of his sons. He had two children:
		- *Denys Royce*, born 62. Killed in 68 by Lord Kyle.
		- *Osmund Royce*, born 65. Killed in 68 by Lord Kyle.
	+ Robar Royce, Lord of Runestone, known as *The Bronze Shield*. Born 44 AC, died in 95 in a shipwreck. Married to Lyanna Corbray, together they had seven children:
		- Ser **Ronnel Royce**, born 72 AC. A Knight of the Kingsguard.
		- *Ser Mafred Royce*, born 73 AC. Died in a shipwreck in 95 AC.
		- Lady Leona Darry (nee Royce), born 75 AC. Married to Ser Mathis Darry before he set the marriage aside to join the Kingsguard. She has one child:
			* Robar Darry, born 95 AC. The heir to Darry.
		- Gerold Royce, Lord of Runestone, born 76 AC. Married to Perianne Arryn. Together the couple has two children:
			* Perianne Royce, born 96 AC.
			* Manfred Royce, born 97 AC. The heir to Runestone.
		- *Ser Jared Royce*, born 77 AC. Slain in 93 AC during the Battle of King's Landing during The Rosegold Rebellion.
		- Ser Denys Royce, born 80 AC. A Household knight in Ninestars. Married to Larra Templeton, together the couple have two children:
			* Jared Royce, born 97 AC.
			* Bethany Royce, born 97 AC.
		- Lynesse Royce, born 82 AC. A lady in waiting for Lady Zhoe Arryn.
	+ Ser Leyton Royce, born 48 AC. Married to Arra Blackwood. Together the couple has three children:
		- Luthor Royce, born 71 AC. A Maester of the Citadel.
		- Rhea Royce, born 73 AC.
		- Ser Yohn Royce, born 75 AC. Captain of the Guard of Runestone. Married to Shireen Darklyn. Together the couple have three children:
			* Glyes Royce, born 93 AC.
			* Godric Royce, born 95 AC.
			* Lynora Royce, born 98 AC.
	+ Jeyne Corbray (nee Royce), born 51 AC. Married to Artos Corbray. Together the couple has two children:
		- Jonelle Corbray, born 71 AC.
		- Alyn Corbray, born 73 AC.
	+ Ser Robin Royce, born 53 AC. A sworn brother of the Night's Watch.
	+ Minisa Celtigar (nee Royce), born 54 AC. Married to Damon Celtigar. Died in 84 AC from childbirth. The couple has three children:
		- Valena Celtigar, born 77 AC.
		- Gael Celtigar, born 80 AC.
		- Serala Celtigar, born 84 AC.
* Alayne Reed (nee Royce), born 23 AC. Married to Howland Reed, an exile of House Reed. Together they had three children:
	+ Ser Farlan Reed, born 53. Slain in 93 AC during the Battle of King's Landing during The Rosegold Rebellion. He had two children:
		- Vayon Reed, born 69 AC.
		- Osric Reed, born 71 AC.
		- Alys Reed, born 76 AC.
	+ Allard Reed, born 55 AC. He has one child:
		- Barbrey Reed, born 74 AC.
	+ Jeyne Reed, born 57 AC.
* Ser Yorwyk Royce, born 25 AC. Married to Josella Waynwood. He has three children:
	+ Ser Yorbert Royce, born 45 AC. Master of Arms of House Sunderland. Married to Catelyn Waxley. He has five children:
		- Alyssa Velaryon (nee Royce), born 63 AC. Married to Addam Velaryon. Together the two have one child:
			* Jacerys Velaryon, born 81 AC.
		- Ser *Jon Royce*, born 63 AC. Slain in 86 during the Battle for Ironoaks. Married to Morgase Coldwater, had one child:
			* Catelyn Royce, born 80 AC. Married to Guncer Bar Emmon.
		- Ser Andar Royce, born 65 AC. Household Knight of House Sunderland, married to Dianna Sunderland. The couple three children:
			* Alayne Royce, born 83 AC.
			* Gunthor Royce, born 85 AC.
			* William Royce, born 89 AC.
		- Rhea Sunderland (nee Royce), born 66 AC. Married to Ser Davos Sunderland. Together they have three children:
			* Cecil Sunderland, born 80 AC.
			* William Sunderland, born 89 AC.
			* Adelaide Sunderland, born 95 AC.
		- Ser *Hubert Royce*, born 68 AC. Slain in 86 during the Battle for Ironoaks.
	+ Josella Mallister (nee Royce), born 47 AC. Married to Addam Mallister. Together they have six children:
		- Joanna Tully (nee Mallister), born 74 AC. Married to Lucas Tully.
		- *Jon Mallister*, born 74 AC. Died in 74 AC.
		- Lymond Mallister, born 77 AC. Married to Serena Blackwood.
		- Patrek Mallister, born 79 AC. Married to Perianne Darry. The chouple has one child:
			* Rosamund Mallister, born 97 AC.
		- Catelyn Farman (nee Mallister), born 80 AC.
		- Desmond Mallister, born 82 AC.
	+ Ser *Godry Royce*, born 50 AC. Castrated by Lord Kyle Royce in 68 AC for speaking against him. Slain in 87 AC during the Slaughter Between the Four Forts.