Second Braeden Rebellion

The **Second Braeden Rebellion** was the epic war of Krystan and Janyn Carlysle against Gavyn Braeden from 70 A.K. to 75 A.K..

## Background

Due to King Krystan Carlysle's lack of trueborn children and his hate for his brothers Ian and Troye, he took desperate measures and appointed his bastard Janyn as heir. This caused the anger of many lords and ladies across the realm, including his brothers'. Ian Carlysle raised his army on the Claw, and so did Troye in the Bow. the Houses Lynwood, Thurham, and Deepwood sided with Troye. House Pelaris and Scarlet with Ian. The Capital was surrounded and the kingdom was in chaos.

## Prelude

In the West, House Braeden had recovered quite secretly. Lord Gavyn Braeden had the same longing for war and greater power as his forefathers, and he saw his oppurtunity. He raised his fleet and army in Fallhorn's Peak and started his march. His fleet met Ian's during a storm on the Bay of Kings, and he crushed the enemy. Gavyn made his camp at Aurelia's Arch on the edge of the Woods, after he persuaded Lord Laghnall that he was going to help King Krystan in his war. At the Arch, he sent a letter to the king, telling him House Braeden had returned to help him. At first Krystan did not trust him, but when Troye arrived and lay siege to the capital, now with all the strength of the Bow and the Smoke Vallleys behind him, he changed his mind.

Gavyn commanded his best friend, Lord-Admiral Quenn of Craygen, to sail the fleet further east to the Capital. And so he did, but when they arrived, they were bombarded by trebuchets and arrows. Quenn was helpless, and was taken captive. Gavyn's fleet burned and half his army was killed.

## Rebellion

On the first day of the new year, Gavyn marched back furiously, to Krystan's surprise. He entered the Woods and burned villages, raped women, and killed many lords. He entered Westwatch and sacked the city, killing Krystan's friend Haegan Laghnall. Word soon reached the Capital, and Prince Janyn urged his father to gather all his strength and break out of the siege to march on Gavyn. Krystan, however, had grown scared and sick due to stress caused by the war. He passed away in the fall of 71 A.K..

   King Janyn Carlysle I was crowned at the age of nineteen in the Hall of a Thousand Tears. His father had told the world on his deathbed that Janyn would be legitimized as his trueborn son and heir, which allowed him to take the Carlysle name instead of a mixed surname. All believed no one was left alive to tell who Janyn's mother was.

### **Outbreak Battle**

The new king unsheathed his sword himself, and rallied his forces left in the city. The Outbreak Battle erupted at more than one city gate, but Janyn led the vanguard at the Eagle's Gate. His trebuchets and archers rained down on Troye's forces and pushed them back for a while. On the other side of the city, though, Troye's fleet landed and broke through the Claw's Gate. The forces flowed through the city and clashed in the streets. When all hope was lost, Lord Luis Anthony sounded his trumpets and crashed into Troye Carlysle's forces, breaking them.

### t**he Bear's Lion**

Gavyn arrived late at the Capital, and he remained on a hill overlooking the city when he saw the battle raging between the king with Luis against his half-uncle. Troye was trapped between two armies, but Gavyn's eventual trebuchet attacks and his own fleet saved him. He managed to break out and flee. Troye retreated to his seat in the Bow, and Janyn was victorious, but then he saw his second enemy on the hill. Lord Braeden commanded that Haegan's family be dragged forward. He had taken them captive in Westwatch and brought them along. Helpless, King Janyn saw his friends in House Laghnall being thrown down the hill, killing them all. In seconds, Janyn stormed furiously up the hill, with many knights at his back. Gavyn started laughing, for this was what he wanted to happen. He stepped back, and forward came a hundred archers. Janyn jumped behind a rock, but a lot of his men and friends were pierced. The cavalery charged, killed the last of them, and threw them all down. In the meantime, Janyn's entire army marched up the hill and came to his aid. Just before he was found, they reached him and guarded him. Gavyn came forward with a woman and called out Janyn. The king came, and Lord Braeden unsheathed his sword. The men battled and Janyn got the upper hand. However, when his sword was at Gavyn's throat, the woman screamed his name. "Janyn," she said. "Janyn Carden." He pulled away his sword and stood up. She claimed to be his mother, and Lorelle Braeden was her name. In the chaos and confusion, Gavyn jumped up and stabbed Janyn in the back. The Guardian of the King, Tymmer "Steelbinder'' Lacey rushed forward and saved him from further harm.

### t**he Pact and Surrender of Arrowton**

Assuming Janyn had died, Gavyn marched forward, to the Bow. He figured the heir to the throne was now Troye Carlysle, even if Janyn was not dead. The people would never accept a king that was half Braeden. For the next year, Janyn recovered from his wound and Gavyn fought small battles in the Bow. Slowly, he made his way to Arrowton, where Troye and his son James lived. He met them privately in the castle and discussed their surrender. Gavyn had gathered men and magnified his forces in eastern Aurelia, so he figured Troye knew his cause was lost. Gavyn took the Arrowton fleet, a thousand sellswords and sailed down the Bow River.

Janyn had recovered, and he longed for revenge, but where would he go? To Troye, who rebelled and handed Gavyn supplies? Or to Gavyn in Fallhorn's Peak? He sent Luis Anthony to deal with Troye, and sailed to Fallhorn's Peak himself. Luis brought all the strength of the Gate and crushed the helpless opposition. Troye was captured, and killed. But where was his son, who was now the heir? Where was James Carlysle?

### **Battle for the Peak**

Janyn landed his fleet at the West's capital some months later and called out Gavyn. He came, and saw the truth. King Janyn was alive and well, and he had brought a familiar face, Lord-Admiral Quenn was pushed forward, all tied up. The gaoler forced him up to the crow's nest, where he was pushed and suffocated due to the rope around his neck. Furious, Gavyn remained helpless on the docks. Janyn commanded the fireballs to be launched and the arrows to be loosed. He landed on the beach and stormed the city.

Quite quickly, the walls were breached completely, and Janyn entered the castle. He had not seen Gavyn again, but he had a feeling where he could be. He cut down all in his sight in the castle and came upon Gavyn on his throne. It was awfully quiet inside, and Janyn strode toward him slowly. Gavyn's five best men battled Janyn's, and both their sword clashed again as well. When three men had fallen, two on Braeden's side and one on Carlysle's, another trumpet sounded. They heard men dying in the halls outside and prepared for what was next. Twenty men in bright red armour, with lions on their chest, entered. James Carlysle led them inside and helped them cut down the enemies. Only Gavyn and Janyn remained standing and surprisingly, they teamed up. With help of his personal guard, Eaton Festmark, James cut down Gavyn Braeden and left him to die. After Janyn told his half-cousin to show mercy and kneel, James swung his sword and they too battled for some time. They raged through the battle and the city, ending up on the roof of the castle. At the edge, James outwitted the king at fifteen and caused him to trip. Mercy was never an option for James, and he killed King Janyn Carlysle I for his father and uncle.

## Aftermath

James sailed back to the Capital and was happily crowned King James Carlysle I in the Hall of a Thousand Tears. This made him the youngest king of all time at fifteen, and brought an end to the Second Braeden Rebellion.

After being crowned king, James immediately commanded the remaining men and women of House Braeden to be found and killed to ''end the tyranny and lust for power of that family''. Hitmen were sent west and one by one, the bodies of the last Braedens were brought before him. Lorelle Braeden was brought last, with the remains of Janyn's body in her arms. It is now believed House Braeden has gone extinct.

James reigned for 65 long and plentiful years, before his son Kurtis succeeded him.

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