The Second Dance Of Dragons

The Second Dance Of Dragons ( or more simply The Second Dance ) was a civil war within The Seven Kingdoms fought between 299 AC and 301 AC.

Background
The heir to The Seven Kingdoms was left in ambiguity Aegon VI Targaryen passed suddenly in 299 AC. Less than a year before hand - his only child and heir Jaehaerys Targaryen also perished. Leaving The Targaryen Dynasty's future up in the air.

But days after Aegon VI's demise -

Lord Symond Rosby ( Aegon's Hand ) and Grandmaester Harren decided that an heir was not at all apparent. Thus they issued the call for a Grand Council. The council was originally to take place at King's Landing immediately following Aegon VI's funeral celebrations.

Jocelyn Baratheon, and several members of the small council, argued with this decision however - and asked for the council to take place at a later point in time ( so to allow for the realm's mourning ).

In this "resting" period -

Factions began to form.

The first faction was helmed by Dowager Queen Jocelyn. She, in her grief, believed that the rightful heir was her granddaughter - Elaena Targaryen. Some backed Elaena immediately... however she was barely a woman. A timid girl shaken by the deaths in her family.

The second faction was led by Baelor Tyrell. His daughter, Melessa, had married Prince Jaehaerys before his untimely death. In their short time as newlyweds - she'd become pregnant with his child. Baelor was very vocal of the son his daughter held. House Tyrell's influence at court had grown immensely since the marriage. So Baelor's vocality was met with positivity from those at court.

The third faction was subtly ran by Lord Symond. He was quiet about things, but he believed the true heir was Aegon VI's bastard son - Daeron Waters. Daeron, himself, did not really push his claim. But he did not need to. Symond Rosby was pulling each and every string -

And nobody really knew why.

All they did know was that the time of mourning was coming to its end and the highly anticipated Exalted Council was nigh.

The Grand Council At Harrenhal
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The Calm Before
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Baelor's Blitz Begins
The armies of the Reach marched from Highgarden merely a few weeks after the conclusion of the Grand Council, with Baelor Tyrell personally leading a host of nearly 30,000 soldiers, intending to strike the first blow in what he hoped would be a short and decisive campaign. With an alliance firmly secured with Lord Loren Lannister of the West, and a secondary army led by Lord Torman Tarly assigned to watch the marches in case of Dornish invasion, only one target remained a serious threat to the security of the Reach; the Stormlands, the heartlands of Princess Elaena's power.

Once the Tyrells arrived at Ashford, their force splintered into two smaller armies, the first of which would continue on with Lord Baelor to Blackhaven, the seat of House Dondarrion, the strongest of the Stormland's Marcher Lords. The second army would be under the command of Lord Addam Osgrey, a young man who had managed to catch the attention of Lord Baelor upon the road. This army would march to Harvest Hall, where it would attempt to neutralize the threat of House Selmy. The purpose of this campaign was to secure all of the passes through the Dornish Marches, and prevent the forces of House Martell and their vassals from merging their armies with Alexander Baratheon in the Crownlands, where they could mount an effective resistance against Lord Baelor's campaign. Upon hearing of their advance, Lord Gaheris Caron of Nightsong almost immediately turned his cloak in favour of Lord Baelor, effectively turning the tides of war in favour of the Reach before the first drop of blood had even been spilled.

The first battle of the campaign took place at Blackhaven, where 15,000 soldiers faced off against the garrison of House Dondarrion. Knowing that it was important to secure the pass before Qoren Martell had a chance to properly gather his strength, Baelor opted for an outright assault upon the keep, rather than risking a lengthy siege. An auxiliary force was sent forward in advance, led by Lord Buford Footly, who demanded the submission of the keep, however these calls fell upon deaf ears. Ladders and siege weaponry was assembled upon the castle walls, and the initial assault was bloody and costly for the Reach's forces, though the tide turned when Ser Eustace Lyberr was able to successfully scale the walls, and open the castle gates from the inside, allowing Lord Garlan Florent and the Reach's cavalry forces to enter the keep, and put down the resistance that remained, allowing House Tyrell to claim the first official victory within the Second Dance.

In concurrence with this assault, Addam Osgrey's force had arrived at Harvest Hall, where they met the forces of Lord Symon Selmy. Knowing himself greatly outnumbered, and with little hope of victory, Selmy challanged Osgrey to a duel in the place of an outright battle, and swore that if he were to lose, he would surrender his keep without bloodshed. Wishing to prevent damage to his army, the young Lord Osgrey accepted the deal, and fought Selmy beneath the walls of Harvest Hall, securing victory at the cost of personal injury. Unfortunately, Selmy's widow, Syla Fell was unwilling to give up the castle, following her husband's demise, and sealed the gates, forcing Osgrey to launch the assault which he had feared. Knowing the cost of her dishonourable disregard for her husband's last promise, Lady Fell threw herself from the walls of the keep, when it became obvious that the castle would fall to Osgrey's forces, and her children were taken as captives and hostages.

The fall of Blackhaven and Harvest Hall, along with the submission of Nightsong were devastating for morale within the Stormlands, and marked Baelor Tyrell as a serious threat to the position of Princess Elaena, as his armies sat upon her doorstep, blockading her supporters in Dorne. Houses Selmy and Dondarrion were forced to submit hostages to House Tyrell, which were sent to Highgarden and would remain there for the duration of the war.

The Surrendering Of Storm's End
Following their great victories at Blackhaven and Harvest Hall, the armies of the Reach reassembled into a single force by the ruins of Summerhall. With the Dornish Marches now firmly under the control of the Reach, Baelor Tyrell began fermenting plans to knock the Stormlands out of the war completely, and cut off the head of the snake, knocking out Elaena's primary supporters, and leaving King's Landing almost defenceless.

With that in mind, Baelor marched his armies towards the Stormlands capital at Storm's End, intending to assault the fortress as he had done at Blackhaven, and capture Ethan Baratheon, the heir to the Stormlands, and in doing so, force to submission of his father, Lord Alexander. Upon arriving at the keep, Lord Baelor demanded its submission, promising pardons to the Stormlords upon the war's conclusion if they gave up the keep without a fight.

Inside the castle, division was rampant. Ser Ronnet Penrose had been Alexander Baratheon's trusted castellan, and he was stalwart in his belief that the Stormlands could not bow to the whims of the Reach. He was supported by Lord Baratheon's youngest sister, Lady Joy Baratheon, who feared that Lord Baelor's possession of Ethan might compromise the safety of her family. However, Joy was married to Ser Donnel Caron, the younger brother of Gaheris Caron, whom had already established himself as a supporter of House Tyrell. Caron argued in favour of surrender, stating that it would be the only was to truly secure the safety of House Baratheon and all of the men inside of the keep.

The final decision however, laid not upon the shoulders of any of these people, but rather Lady Lilith Baratheon, Alexander's wife, whose children were the primary cause of debate. Lilith would rule in favour of her good-brother, and offered surrender to Lord Baelor upon the condition that no one inside the keep would be harmed, an offer which was gladly accepted by the Reach, in lieu of a prolonged siege.

Lilith and her daughter, Emma and Elaenor would be taken as hostages by the Tyrells, and taken to Highgarden, however Ethan Baratheon had been successfully snuck out of the keep by his aunt Joy, his whereabouts unknown.

The Landing Of The Golden Company
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The Attack On The Crownlands
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The Battle Of The Crooked Trout
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King Jaehaerys' Death
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Veron Greyjoy's Assistance ( And Qoren Martell's Lack Thereof )
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Baelor's Allegiance
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The Board Reset
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Trouble In King's Landing
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The Reach VS The Westerlands
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To King's Landing
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The Bitter End
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The Battle At King's Landing
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Victory
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Aftermath
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