Game of Thrones: Knight’s Honor

The Tyrell enclave on the shores of the Sea of Dorne, nestled along the southern side of the Red Mountains, came into their possession seemingly without reason. It felt as though it had been thrust upon them—a piece of land they neither desired to relinquish nor could properly manage.

This land, known as Red Watch, sat at the crossroads of Wyl in Dorne, Blackhaven in the Stormlands, and Stonehelm. Apart from a narrow strip of coastal land, the territory was mostly rugged and mountainous, unsuitable for cultivation.

Originally, this land belonged to House Shady, a minor noble house of the Stormlands with an ancient lineage. However, the house was extinguished during the reign of Aegon the Conqueror. Instead of returning the land to the Crownlands or the Stormlands, Aegon granted it to House Tyrell, making it a fief of The Reach.

Over the centuries, House Tyrell attempted multiple times to develop this territory, but every effort ended in failure. The land's barren nature and minimal developmental value were major obstacles. More importantly, Red Watch was caught in the midst of the most chaotic region in Westeros—the Dornish Marches. Perennial disputes among the Lords of Dorne and the Stormlands exacerbated the instability, and the wildling tribes entrenched in the Red Mountains posed a constant threat.

These wildling tribes, vastly different from those near Tumbleton, were battle-hardened warriors, having faced the Lords of the Stormlands, The Reach, and Dorne in relentless skirmishes. Their resilience allowed them to stand toe-to-toe with the armies of nobility without succumbing. Unlike other wildlings, the tribes in the Red Mountains had adopted a quasi-feudal system, complete with a tribal hierarchy, and even elected a "Wildling King." While many Lords of the Seven Kingdoms dismissed the notion as mere fantasy, viewing the wildlings as primitive savages, a Maester who studied these tribes recorded an election process that bore a striking resemblance to the Kingsmoot of the Iron Islands.

This was the extent of the information Lynd found about the enclave in Highgarden. Evidently, House Tyrell paid little attention to this remote territory. Their last recorded attempt to develop it occurred over two centuries ago, before Dorne bent the knee to the Iron Throne.

The situation in Red Watch was undeniably complex. The Wyl of Dorne controlled a strip of land along the Wyl River, Blackhaven dominated the mountainous terrain, and Stonehelm held territory on the western bank of the Redwatch River.

Additionally, House Swann of Stonehelm laid claim to the entire Red Watch area. Nominally under Tyrell dominion, the enclave's only area truly controlled by the Tyrells was a small plot of land with a modest fishing village.

Despite its apparent desolation, Lynd found the enclave uniquely suitable for his needs.

Firstly, it was expansive. Legally, the entire triangular region between the Boneway, the Red Watch River, the River Wyl, and Dorne fell under Tyrell jurisdiction.

The total area far exceeded that of an average lord's domain. While much of the land was mountainous and unfarmable, there were fertile patches, such as the Red Watch along the upper Red River. These lands, however, were occupied by wildling tribes and remained undeveloped.

Secondly, the location was strategic. Positioned at the convergence of Dorne and the Stormlands, and within reach of The Reach, it lay along a trade route to the northwest. Its coastline along the Sea of Dorne offered potential for building a port to facilitate trade and bolster fishing.

Lastly, the wildling tribes, while a bane to others, represented an untapped resource for Lynd. To him, these tribes were not a problem but a potential population, ripe for integration and development.

He believes that his strength alone is sufficient to bring all the wildling tribes in the area under his control. By then, there will be no need to seek immigrants from elsewhere. The vast population of the wildling tribes alone will compensate for any shortage in his human resources.

The only challenge he anticipates is the encroachment of Wyl, Blackhaven, and Stonehelm on the territory. Over the years, these places have developed villages on the land they seized, and they will undoubtedly be unwilling to relinquish what they consider their spoils. Conflict is inevitable.

However, Lynd sees potential in war. Not only could it elevate his reputation, but it might also bring him wealth—provided he emerges victorious in the end.

Lynd did not linger in Highgarden. After consulting Highgarden's library about the enclave Willas had mentioned, he departed as planned and returned to Tumbleton. At the time, Highgarden was abuzz with the impending marriage alliance between Dorne and The Reach. Apart from a few individuals, hardly anyone took notice of Lynd's quiet departure.

When Lynd and Jon had first arrived in Highgarden, they were just a pair of travelers. Now, as they returned to Tumbleton, they were part of a grand procession: more than 50 knights, hundreds of soldiers, and a herd of horses. Among the procession, the two massive wild stallions, the Kings of Wild Horses, drew the most attention.

Anyone they passed, whether they recognized the banners or not, immediately identified Lynd upon spotting Glory, his renowned steed.

During Lynd's stay in Dorne, news of Oldtown's attack by the Ironborn had spread across the Seven Kingdoms, causing a significant stir. The Starry Sept and the Citadel held extraordinary status within the realm, and although the Ironborn had refrained from attacking the Citadel, their assault on the Starry Sept was a direct affront to the Faith of the Seven.

In retaliation, the Faith of the Seven spearheaded a ban prohibiting all followers from conducting business with the Iron Islands. This sanction dealt a severe blow to the Iron Islands. While piracy was a deeply ingrained tradition for the Ironborn, it was not their sole livelihood. The islands were barren, with minimal arable land, and most Ironborn depended on fishing and trade for sustenance. With the ban in place, the Ironborn could no longer procure essential grains like wheat, which they imported, triggering an inevitable food shortage.

Following this, the lords of the Seven Kingdoms denounced the Ironborn and imposed a coastal blockade.

Their subjects were permitted, even encouraged, to attack Ironborn ships with impunity. Even The North implemented the isolation order, further cutting off the Iron Islands from the rest of Westeros.

Under normal circumstances, Balon Greyjoy would have sought to mend relations with the Iron Throne, offering explanations or scapegoats to diffuse tensions and mitigate the fallout. Yet, the Iron Islands' uncharacteristic silence in the face of these sanctions has unnerved the Seven Kingdoms' leaders, prompting them to increase their surveillance of the region.

Meanwhile, another matter has captured the attention of nobles and commoners alike. Lynd's miraculous actions during the Ironborn's attack on Oldtown have become the subject of widespread discussion.

During the attack, Lynd Tarran reportedly protected Lord Willas Tyrell, who was praying in the Starry Sept, by single-handedly fending off more than 700 Ironborn. According to the accounts, Lynd defeated and beheaded all the attackers in the square before the Starry Sept.

When these stories began circulating, they were met with disbelief. To many, such a feat seemed beyond reason, dismissed as little more than a fabrication or a wildly exaggerated tale.

It would already be a stretch to claim that one person stopped a siege of ten attackers, but the story of Lynd single-handedly stopping a siege of more than seven hundred and beheading them all sounded utterly preposterous to most. So preposterous, in fact, that even the dullest minds could recognize it as a fabrication.

The more rational belief was that Lynd had led several hundred soldiers and knights of House Tyrell in repelling the Ironborn siege and personally contributed to the killing of more than seven hundred in the square of the Starry Sept. Many concluded that House Tyrell had exaggerated Lynd's personal achievements to boost the morale of their knights, attributing the entire victory to him alone. Speculation ran rampant as to why House Tyrell would choose to glorify Lynd specifically. Some believed it was a calculated effort to elevate his status, while others assumed it served some political agenda. Regardless of the reason, it undoubtedly benefited House Tyrell.

This skepticism surrounding Lynd's supposed feat began to shift with the official announcement of an investiture letter from the Starry Sept. In this letter, the Septon of the Starry Sept, speaking on behalf of the Seven Gods, conferred upon Lynd the title of "Blessed by the Warrior."

The letter detailed Lynd's miraculous act of slaying over seven hundred Ironborn in front of the Starry Sept. According to the letter, his unparalleled feat was a result of his unwavering loyalty to his lord, which earned the admiration of the Warrior, one of the Seven Gods. The Warrior's blessing, it claimed, imbued Lynd with superhuman strength, allowing him to achieve this incredible victory.

The square in front of the Starry Sept was subsequently declared a holy site and renamed Warrior's Square. A statue of the Warrior was erected at its center to commemorate the miracle. The announcement was further reinforced by the Great Sept of Baelor in King's Landing, which acknowledged the letter and included the event in the Book of Miracles.

If this recognition from the Faith of the Seven had been the only endorsement of Lynd's feat, skeptics might still have dismissed it. However, the Maesters of the Citadel soon included the attack on Oldtown in their meticulous Chronicles of the Seven Kingdoms, confirming the authenticity of Lynd's actions. Given the Citadel's unwavering commitment to historical accuracy, this endorsement carried immense weight. The Citadel had refused to alter its records even under threats from Maegor the Cruel, a testament to its integrity. A widely quoted saying in the Seven Kingdoms underscored this: "Everything in the Seven Kingdoms may be false, except for the chronicles of the Citadel."

With the chronicles affirming Lynd's achievement, doubt gave way to belief. Further evidence surfaced, including accounts of a duel in Oldtown where Lynd had fought a hundred opponents alone. Garth Hightower, who had witnessed the duel, repeatedly attested to its authenticity. Others who had been present corroborated the event, bolstering Lynd's reputation as a peerless warrior.

Public perception of Lynd shifted dramatically. What was once doubt transformed into admiration, particularly among hedge knights and mercenary warriors who began to idolize him. Believers in the Seven Gods went a step further, proclaiming Lynd the Chosen One, an incarnation of the Warrior. His former title of Bear Hunter faded into obscurity, replaced by the moniker Chosen One.

As Lynd returned to Tumbleton, his newfound fame became apparent. No longer just a member of a larger party as he had been in Dorne, he now led a group that attracted widespread attention. Ordinary people greeted him with fervent chants of his title, some even praying to him as if he were a divine being. Hedge knights and mercenaries sought to join him, their admiration unwavering even when he declined their offers.

Despite rejecting their formal allegiance, Lynd did not completely dismiss these followers. He allowed them to accompany his group, providing food for them during their journey. By the time they reached Bitterbridge, over six hundred hedge knights and mercenaries had joined his entourage. Together with his original followers, the procession resembled a formidable army, causing the Lord of Bitterbridge to briefly consider closing his gates in fear of an impending attack.

Lynd, however, was pleased with the growing number of followers. Though he refrained from officially recruiting them, he planned to have Nymeria enlist them into Tumbleton's garrison upon their arrival. This strategy allowed him to expand his forces without exceeding his authority. Willas Tyrell had assured him that he would soon be appointed head of the anti-bandit force in The Reach, with greater authority and recruitment quotas. However, since this appointment had not yet been finalized, Lynd exercised caution, mindful of the scrutiny he faced from across the Seven Kingdoms.

Lynd understood that patience was key. The path before him was clear, and he only needed to proceed steadily, avoiding any missteps. For now, every move was calculated, leaving no room for misinterpretation. As a result, Lynd refrained from formally accepting any allegiance until his return to Tumbleton.