The Steel Wedding

A wedding between the heir to House Roxton and a Hightower goes awry when the bride is found laying with a Peake. The Peake’s and Roxton’s both raise their banners and a stand-off ensues while more and more lords choose sides. A trial by seven kills both Lord Roxton and Lord Peake but still the conflict continues. Crown Prince Maekar and a host of royal levies end the event before it can devolve into a skirmish. In the peace council afterwards the Roxton’s gain Orphan-Maker while the Peake side loses lands.

The Wedding
The wedding arranged in 269 AC is an event that many of the denizens of the Reach remember, if they were around then. It was intended to be a grand event, the joining of the Houses Hightower and Roxton demanded an immense list of guests and a colossal pile of gold to be invested in the marriage. Not a single Lord of the Reach was absent when the day came, many bringing their heirs and scions to mingle among the assorted nobility. The heir of House Roxton and his Lady wife did their duties, stating their vows before the assembled Lords of the Realm, they were visibly uncomfortable however, the match made for nothing more than political gain. There were also the rumors regarding the Roxton’s sexuality, some claiming he preferred the company of his sworn sword over his new Hightower wife. These assertions were only strengthened by Roxton’s refusal to take part in the bedding ceremony, retiring to a separate room, largely to the disappointment of the Reachlords.

A Wedding Awry
The previously merry event quickly went awry however, as Lady Hightower was found abed with the third son of Lord Peake, a dashing knight known for his charm. Outraged, Lord Roxton demanded the Peake’s pay for the stain upon his honor, listing a lieu of requests in restitution. Lord Peake laughed off the demands, calling the event a minor mishap and insinuating the fault was Roxton’s for failing to do his duty as a husband. Insults and threats flew afterward, the great hall of House Roxton devolving into shouts and resentment as Lords took sides or stepped back to watch. In the frenzy Lord Roxton called the Peake’s thieves and traitors, vowing he would claim his families’ ancestral sword. Lord Peake drew Orphan-Maker from its sheath in response, rallying his household guard to stand by his side. An intense standoff took place, the men of House Roxton staring down their opposition with blades out. The Peakes withdrew from the Ring, but not before promising to raise their banners and demand penance for Lord Roxton’s wild insults. The whole time Lord Tyrell had stood by, failing to soothe eithers sides anger. Lords departed for their seats, off to raise levies or bunker down in the case of raids. Still, Lord Tyrell’s hollow words did nothing to dissuade his unruly vassals, and he set out for Highgarden to gather his own soldiers. A letter flew to King’s Landing, asking the support of the crown in ending the petty conflict.

Conflict
Lord Peake did well on his threats, gathering just under three thousand swords to his banner in a moon, making steady progress towards the Ring. Lord Roxton gathered his banners as well, calling upon neighbors and Houses with which they had alliances. The two hosts met at Thunderrest, betwixt their own seats. Both sides drew up their war camps, perimeters were set and stakes and moats were hastily crafted to deter enemy raids. In the Roxton camp were the Leygood’s, the Risley’s, and the Hightower’s. Opposite them were the Peake’s, Ball’s, Pommingham’s, and Graceford’s. The longer that the war camps stood the more men were drawn to either side. The Costayne’s, Ambrose’s, and Osgrey’s took up the call of Lord Peake, arriving with their hosts and joining up with the men of Starpike. Conversely, House Webber and House Caswell joined Lord Roxton, causing the conflict to grow even larger in scope.

Lord Tyrell finally arrived with an army to put down the disagreement, but it was too late. His host paled in comparison to the numbers that sat in the war camps, all he could do was attempt to bring both sides to the negotiating table and watch. Eventually he succeeded, though it was to little avail. Roxton and Peake were too far consumed by the slights and dishonors the other had supposedly brought upon them. They argued until Lord Peake offered an ultimatum. A trial to determine each House’s innocence and guilt, though not a mere trial of words. He offered a trial by seven, invoking the ancient rite that had not been seen since the tourney at Ashford Meadow. Roxton accepted almost immediately, eager to end the standoff before his House suffered further financial draining. The champions lined up on either side of the no-man’s land, knights of great repute seated side by side as they prepared to end the conflict once and for all. Lord Roxton himself rode in his son’s defence, accompanied by Ser Loreon Leygood, Ser Archibald Risley, Ser John Hightower, Lord Agramore Webber, Ser Cleyton Caswell, and Ser Denys the Swift. Lord Peake also fought for his son, along with Ser Donald Pommingham, Ser Foss Ambrose, Lord Harlen Ball, Ser Gwayne Osgrey, Ser Imry, and Ser Lem the Lefthand. Tyrell cried out for an end to the madness, but his words were little more than wisps of wind at that point. The fourteen competitors charged across the battlefield, the clangor of steel on cedar ringing out from amidst the carnage. At the end of it all both Lord Roxton and Lord Peake lay slain, the inventors of their own demise. Ser Imry, Ser Denys, Ser John Hightower, and Lord Harlen Ball were also among the fallen, having given their lives before the accusers had died themselves.

The Climax
With the leaders of both hosts dead, the armies kept themselves afloat through sheer will and confusion. The heirs to House Roxton and House Peake took up their fathers arms and causes, despite the quarrel’s supposed end with the deaths of their fathers. The new Lord Roxton intended to offer peace, but with the death of his son Lord Hightower demanded blood, and so the stalemate dragged on. It would finally be put to an end eight moons after it had begun when the Crown Prince Maekar Targaryen arrived with a host of Royal levies, thousands of soldiers at his back. Men at arms were finally sent home to see their families and Maekar brought the assembled nobility to a peace council to determine who had been wronged. Excusing himself from the council due to his lack of knowledge, Lord Tyrell became the man who presided over the peace council, having final say over any reparations. Desperate to prove himself the strong leader he so clearly was not, Tyrell overcompensated by heavily favoring the Roxtons, seeing the Valyrian steel sword Orphan-Maker stripped from House Peake and lands taken from Peake and his supporters. Neither side of the council walked away happy, as the Peakes lost their ancestral sword and lands while the Roxton side was angered Tyrell hadn’t put a stop to the insurrection sooner. The Hightowers were especially disillusioned with their liege, receiving nothing in return for the death of their scion Ser John, who had been slain at the hands of Lord Ball. While peace was finally achieved the scars of the small conflict remain, the Peakes and the Roxtons never truly reconciling for what took place. There are still those that whisper that the Peake led Reachlords may have raised their banners for Blackfyre had the dispute devolved to a skirmish.