King of Winter and Ice (asoiaf)

Over the years, Starks friendship with House Belaerys grew. When during a Ghiscari rose in rebellion, Valyrian raised their armies, at that time House Stark also sends its armies to learn how the lockstep legion and Unsullied works and how to effectively counter them for their own uses and because Northerners and First Men are strictly against slavery. In that fight the Stark heir, Bennard saves the life of Belaerys heir, Austrion. This becomes the base of their friendship that will last for centuries.

In return of this great favor, House Belaerys provides House Stark with another valyrian steel sword, Winterbane. A bastard sword with silver crossguard that have two wolf heads on either sides. The grip is made of dragon leather and silk, and the hilt is made of silver in the shape of the wolf with two sapphires for eyes. Not only that they provided each major northern house with their own weapon of valyrian steel.

To Umbers, Burleys and Dustins, an axe each, to Karstark, Ryswell and Boltons, a longsword, to Manderly, who arrived in North after they have to leave their old home in Reach due to conflict with House Peake, and Reeds, a trident and to Mudds and Skags, a Great sword. Starks also have another longsword made for the lord of Wolfswood, as there is no lord of Wolfswood since the exile of Blackwoods and if they assign a lord of Wolfswood, it would be insulting to be the only major lord without a valyrian steel weapon. They also provided North with glass at a discount to build glass gardens along with favorable trade terms.

It was for these reasons that Starks and Belaerys considered each other All Weather Friends. So, when the news of the Doom that struck Valyria reached Winterfell, King Beron Stark was visibly depressed. It was not until months later when a small fleet made up of damaged ships, trading ships, fishing boats, etc. reached in White Harbor and the news reached Wintefell that King Beron was seen first time with any expression other than his somber expression. When Vaemon Belaerys reached Winterfell, King Beron was visibly released and smiled for the first time.

Vaemon told Beron that his family received a vision similiar to Targaryen, just hours before the tragedy and he was barely able to get out with his two daughters and all the people he could manage but unfortunately his wife who has gone out riding her dragon at that time died there. He had sent many ships in small contingent to many free cities to check whether they could land their but learned how they killed any dragonrider in their cities after the Doom. So having no other destination he came to North.

All the people, slaves were freed after they arrived in north, that came from Valyria, around 5,000 people settled in a section of Winter City called Little Valyria. All of them were skilled people of Valyria and while they lost the means to make valyrian steel and fused stone, they were still very skilled in their respective arts. Also, the two daughters of Vaemon were married to Cregan Stark, heir of Beron, in a three-way polygamous marriage as the Old Gods don't have any laws for marriage. House Belaerys will continue in the line of Starks as proved by the purple eyes the children of Cregan and his wives. House Belaerys also came with two sets of valyrian steel armor and two valyrian steel swords and dozens of dragon eggs and books on how to tame and raise dragons as well.

All was going great till the time of the grandson of Cregan, Torrhen Stark when dragon roars were heard on the blackwater bay and Aegon Targaryen landed there with his armies and dragons. Aegon Tragaryen had great ambitions and was not satisfied with just ruling 3 rocks in the Narrow Sea. He wanted to rule a whole continent like his ancestors, and he knew that with the might of his dragons he could make it possible.

King Argilac Durrandon, the aged Storm King, sought to use Aegon Targaryen, Lord of Dragonstone, as a shield against the threat of Harren Hoare, King of the Isles and the Rivers. Argilac clumsily offered Aegon the hand of his maiden daughter, Argella, with a dowry of consisting of the lands east of the Gods Eye between the Trident and the Blackwater Rush. Although once controlled by the stormlands, this territory in the riverlands was now ruled by House Hoare.

Aegon refused and instead made his own counteroffer, asking for the additional cession of Massey's Hook and lands between the Blackwater, the Wendwater, and the Mander, territory long held by the stormlands. This would be sealed with the marriage of Argella to Orys Baratheon, Aegon's childhood friend and champion, who was also rumored to be Aegon's bastard half-brother. King Argilac as expected was, like his house words, very furious and had the hands of Aegon's envoy cut off and sent to Aegon with a message: "These are the only hands your bastard shall have of me."

It is said that this is what fueled Aegon's desire of conquest, as at this insult Aegon sends a message to all seven kingdoms declaring himself King of whole Westeros. But it was Aegon's ambition and arrogance that fueled it as he couldn't swallow that valyrians who once ruled half the world is now restricted to three rocks in the middle of the Narrow Sea. Every King had different reaction.

King Argilac scoffed in arrogance. Queen Regent Sharra Arryn sends a marriage proposal for herself along with a portrait of herself, promising support of Vale if he set aside his wives, marry her and make her son Ronnel his heir. Meria Martell, the Princess of Dorne, sent an offer of alliance against Storm King Argilac but refused to bend the knee.

King Loren I Lannister, King of the Rock and the King of Westerlands, afraid of dragons might went to Reach to form an alliance with King Mern IX Gardener, King of the Reach. Harren Hoare seeing his mighty castle Harrenhal nearing completion scoffed and said, 'No army can conquer my castle. They will break beneath its walls.' King Torrhen Stark, aware of a dragons might from the books left by his ancestors decided to observe, while preparing for any conflict.

The war began in 2 BC, Before Conquest, when Aegon Targaryen and his two sister-wives Rhaenys and Visenya landed with fewer than 1,600 men at the mouth of the Blackwater Rush next to three hills. Upon the highest hill, Aegon started construction of the Aegonfort, a wooden motte and bailey fort as his first claim to the mainland of Westeros. The Targaryens were supported by Houses Celtigar, Massey, and Velaryon. House Rosby yielded Rosby to Rhaenys, while House Stokeworth surrendered to Visenya after Vhagar used dragonfire on the roof of Stokeworth.

Aegon's first test came from Lord Darklyn of Duskendale and Lord Mooton of Maidenpool, who joined their power and marched south with three thousand men. Aegon sent Orys Baratheon to meet them on the march, whist he descended on them from above with Balerion. After both lords were slain, Darklyn's son and Mooton's brother, Jon Mooton, yielded their castles and swore their swords to House Targaryen.

Queen Visenya placed a Valyrian steel circlet, studded with rubies, on her brother's head and Queen Rhaenys hailed him as "Aegon, First of His Name, King of All Westeros, and Shield of His People." Aegon than sent his fleet commanded by Daemon Velaryon to take Gulltown with Visenya and Vhagar. A hastily assembled Arryn fleet, augmented by a dozen Braavosi warships, met and defeated the Targaryen fleet in a battle in the waters off Gulltown. Among the dead was Aegon's admiral, Daemon. Visenya descended on the Arryn fleet and burned their ships.

After getting the news that Vale fleet is completely destroyed rebellion broke out on the Three Sisters, who only bent to Vale to run away from Stark's justice and have been waiting for an opportunity to declare independence, when the Sistermen renounced their allegiance to House Arryn of the Eyrie and declared their queen to be Lady Marla Sunderland.

Meanwhile, Aegon marched northwest to the Gods Eye and Harrenhal, but he was attacked by House Hoare twice on the south shore of the Gods Eye. The Battle of the Reeds was a Targaryen victory, but they suffered heavy losses at the Wailing Willows when two of King Harren the Black's sons crossed the lake in longboats with muffled oars and fell upon their rear. Balerion fell upon the victors as they were crossing back across the lake, burning Harren's longboats and sons as well.

Harren summoned the river lords to defend Harrenhal, but they rose against the Hoares under the leadership of Lord Edmyn Tully of Riverrun. One by one the river lords joined their strength to Aegon, with Edmyn being the first to do so. Suddenly outnumbered, King Harren the Black took refuge in his supposedly impregnable stronghold. Aegon met Harren at the gates, under a peace banner to parley. They are said to said:

Aegon: Yield now, and you may remain as Lord of the Iron Islands. Yield now, and your sons will live to rule after you. I have eight thousand men outside your walls.

Harren: What is outside my walls is of no concern to me. Those walls are strong and thick.

Aegon: But not so high as to keep out dragons. Dragons fly.

Harren: I built in stone. Stone does not burn.

Aegon: Sure, stones do not burn but it surely melts. When the sun sets, your line shall end.

Descending from the sky atop Balerion, Aegon used dragonflame against the great castle, and Harren and his sons died in the burning of Harrenhal. The next day Aegon accepted an oath of fealty from Edmyn Tully, and named him Lord Paramount of the Trident. The other river lords did homage as well, to Aegon as king and Edmyn as liege lord of the riverlands. The melted swords of Harren's ironborn were sent to the Aegonfort. Aegon granted the castle to his master at arms of Dragonstone, Quentyn Qoherys. But Tully's who were neither strongest, nor rich and have never been the Kings always faced conflict in their lands from their stronger and much more famous Vassals like Mallister, Blackwood, Bracken and the newly named riverlord Qoherys, the new lord of Harrenhal.