HOUSE florent

House Florent of Brightwater Keep is a vassal house that holds fealty to Lord Bronn of Highgarden, Lord Paramount of the Reach. Their seat is Brightwater Keep, located in the Reach, west of Highgarden. House Florent’s heraldry consists of a red-gold fox with blue flowers on an ermine background.

House Florent had close ties to House Gardener when they were the Kings of the Reach prior to the War of Conquest. House Tyrell were installed as Wardens of the South after King Mern IX Gardener was killed fighting Aegon the Conqueror. House Florent resents the elevation of House Tyrell and believe they have a more valid claim to the position. At the start of the War of the Five Kings, House Florent followed their liege lords, House Tyrell, in pledging support to Renly Baratheon's claim to the Iron Throne. Following the death of Renly, however, the Florents did not follow the Tyrells and instead sided with Renly’s brother, Stannis Baratheon, as Selyse Florent was his wife. They then participated in the Battle of the Blackwater alongside Stannis, namely Selyse’s brother Ser Imry Florent, though they were not successful in taking King’s Landing from King Joffrey Baratheon, the illegitimate son of Cersei Lannister. Ser Imry’s fate and whereabouts are currently unknown, but likely to have died in battle. Following Stannis’ loss, Axell Florent, the Lord of Brightwater Keep and brother to Selyse, was burned alive by a Red Priestess in Stannis’ service for refusing to renounce the Faith of the Seven religion. Axell pleaded with his sister and her husband for mercy, which they did not give. Furthermore, due to Selyse and Stannis’ blind faith in the Lord of Light, their only child, Shireen Baratheon, was also burned alive as a sacrifice. As result, Selyse hanged herself out of guilt while Stannis subsequently perished in battle against House Bolton. Following the Sack of Highgarden, led by House Lannister, as well as the extinction of House Tyrell, a former sellsword named Ser Bronn is granted lordship over Highgarden, as promised by Tyrion Lannister. Meanwhile, Selyse’s cousin, Melessa Florent, married into House Tarly, another noble house in the Reach. At their seat of Horn Hill, Melessa birthed three children named Dickon, Talla and Samwell Tarly, the latter of whom has now become the Grand Maester to the newly-elected Bran Stark, King of the Six Kingdoms.

In the A Song of Ice and Fire novels, the Lord of Brightwater Keep was Alester Florent, the brother of Axell who was omitted from the series. Similar to Axell’s depiction in the series, Alester, Stannis’ Hand of the King, was burned alive by Melisandre for treason, however, in the novels this was due to Alester’s attempt at making peace with House Lannister. Following Stannis' defeat at the Blackwater, it was left to Selyse and Alester to rule in Stannis' name while the king broods. Alester was given the king's seal by Selyse to speak in Stannis' name, and in doing so he not only offered his lands to the Lannisters, but Stannis’ claim to the throne as well. As result, Stannis had him executed and Alester’s lands and title went to his son Alekyne Florent.

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HOUSE HIGHTOWER

House Hightower of the Hightower is a vassal house that holds fealty to Lord Bronn of Highgarden, Lord Paramount of the Reach. Their seat is the Hightower, located within the Reach in the city of Oldtown, aptly named as the oldest city in Westeros. Their heraldry consists of a stone white watchtower, with a fire on the top, on a grey field. House Hightower’s words are “We Light the Way”.

House Hightower is an ancient family, existing since the Dawn of Days when they were petty-kings. During the arrival of the Andals and the creation of the Kingdom of the Reach, the Hightowers allied with the invaders and, as resut, were able to keep their wealth, lands and privileges. House Hightower rarely takes part in wars within the realm. However, during the civil war known as the Dance of Dragons, the Hightowers were strong supporters of of the greens against the blacks when Aegon II Targaryen contested the Iron Throne against his sister, Rhaenyra Targaryen, as Aegon’s mother was the Queen Dowager, Alicent Hightower. Nearly two centuries later, Ser Gerold Hightower was a knight and the Lord Commander of the Kingsguard under King Aerys II Targaryen. During the final engagement amidst Robert's Rebellion, which saw the downfall of the Targaryen dynasty as well as the death of King Aerys, Ser Gerold fought alongside Ser Arthur Dayne and other Kingsguard members against Eddard Stark and some other Northmen who were defending the usurper king, Robert Baratheon. Though Gerold manages to kill one of the Northmen, he is slain shortly thereafter by Eddard Stark. Later, during the War of the Five Kings, the Hightowers support Renly Baratheon’s claim following the death of King Robert, but changes sides along with their liege lords, House Tyrell, in order to support Joffrey Baratheon, the illegitimate son of Queen Cersei Lannister. Following the eventual Sack of Highgarden, led by House Lannister, as well as the extinction of House Tyrell, a former sellsword named Ser Bronn is granted lordship over Highgarden, as promised by Tyrion Lannister.

In the A Song of Ice and Fire novels, House Hightower is led by Ser Gerold’s nephew, Lord Leyton Hightower, who has ten children. His second daughter, Alerie Hightower, is married to Mace Tyrell, who at this point in the novels remains the Lord Paramount of the Reach and is the father of Margaery Tyrell and the famed knight Ser Loras. During a tourney at Storm's End, Leyton Hightower was unhorsed by Ser Barristan Selmy. Lord Tywin Lannister once offered his dwarf son, Tyrion, for marriage to one of his daughters, but Lord Leyton felt insulted and rejected the offer.

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HOUSE OAKHEART

House Oakheart of Old Oak is a vassal house that holds fealty to Lord Bronn of Highgarden, Lord Paramount of the Reach. Their seat is Old Oak, located in the north-west of the Reach and near the border of the Westerlands. House Oakheart’s heraldry consist of three green leaves on a golden plain and their words are “Our Roots Go Deep”.

The Oakhearts claim descent from John the Oak, a legendary son of Garth Greenhand sired on a giantess. The petty kings of Old Oak joined the realm of Garth III Gardener, King of the Reach, through a pact of friendship and mutual defense. During Aegon's Conquest, Lord Oakheart led King Mern IX Gardener's left at the Field of Fire, where the Gardeners burned and their line ended. House Tyrell then became the Oakhearts' new liege lords, despite the Oakhearts boasting an older and more distinguished lineage than the Tyrells. The house is currently headed by Lady Arwyn Oakheart, a loyal vassal of Mace Tyrell, the former Lord Paramount of the Reach. Prior to the War of the Five Kings, Lady Arwyn’s son, Ser Arys Oakheart, served on the Kingsguard for Robert Baratheon until his assassination. Ser Arys continued to serve as Kingsguard under King Joffrey Baratheon’s short reign when he was tasked to guard the king’s sister, Princess Myrcella Baratheon, in the southern region of Dorne, as she had been arranged to marry Prince Trystane of House Martell. Following the death of Myrcella, Arys then returned to King’s Landing to subsequently serve under her younger brother, Tommen Baratheon until he took his own life as result of his mother Cersei Lannister’s treachery against House Tyrell. While Arys then served as Cersei’s Queensguard, House Lannister led the Sack of Highgarden, which resulted in the extinction of House Tyrell. Afterwards, a former sellsword named Ser Bronn was granted lordship over Highgarden, as promised by Tyrion Lannister. During the Battle of King's Landing, it is unknown if Ser Arys was one of the Queensguard crushed by the falling debris of the Red Keep or if he was slain while defending his queen upon the arrival of Sandor Clegane.

In the A Song of Ice and Fire novels, following King Robert’s death, Lady Arwyn sides with Renly Baratheon alongside her liege lords, House Tyrell. It is unknown in the series if this was the case, as the only member of House Oakheart represented was Ser Arys. In Dorne, Arianne Martell, Prince Doran's daughter and heiress, seduces Ser Arys, persuading him to take part in her plan to crown Princess Myrcella to incite war with the Iron Throne in retaliation for the death of Oberyn Martell. The plan is foiled, as Arianne's party is intercepted by Areo Hotah. Ser Arys, bravely but foolishly, charges at the surrounding soldiers and kills some of them, but is killed by Hotah.

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HOUSE redwyne

House Redwyne of the Arbor is a vassal house from the Reach that holds fealty to Lord Bronn of Highgarden, Lord Paramount of the Reach. Their lands are located on the island of the Arbor, southwest of Highgarden. House Redwyne’s heraldry consists of a burgundy grape cluster on a blue field.

House Redwyne ruled as Kings of the Arbor until their last monarch was lost at sea, allowing his cousin, King Meryn III Gardener, to make the isle part of the Kingdom of the Reach. During the Dance of the Dragons, the Arbor declared for the greens, a faction that supported the claim of Aegon II Targaryen on the Iron Throne against his sister Rhaenyra Targaryen. Due to their island location, their merchant ships require great protection at sea, so the Redwyne Fleet is one of the three largest in the realm. The Redwynes enjoyed a particularly close relationship with their former liege lords, House Tyrell, as Lady Olenna Redwyne eventually married Lord Luthor Tyrell. Their son, Mace Tyrell, became the Lord Paramount of the Reach until the extinction of their house. Meanwhile, Lady Olenna’s nephew and Lord of the Arbor, Paxter Redwyne, also married into House Tyrell with Olenna’s eldest daughter, Mina Tyrell. At the start of the War of the Five Kings, House Redwyne followed the Tyrells in supporting Renly Baratheon's claim to the Iron Throne, with Olenna’s granddaughter Margaery Tyrell also marrying him. However, following Renly’s assassination, it is the assumption that the Redwynes also followed their liege lords in support of House Lannister after assisting in the Battle of the Blackwater. Lady Margaery married King Joffrey Baratheon until his death and then once again to his younger brother and heir, Tommen Baratheon. The relationship between the Tyrells and Lannisters were irreparably broken following the Destruction of the Great Sept, where the Queen Regent, Cersei Lannister, arranged for the explosion while Queen Margaery and Lord Mace were inside of it. Following this, Cersei then organized the Sack of Highgarden, which resulted in Lady Olenna’s death, as well as the extinction of House Tyrell. Afterwards, a former sellsword named Ser Bronn was granted lordship over Highgarden. It is unknown if the Redwyne’s continued their support of the crown following the extinction of the Tyrells, or if they returned their allegiance to House Targaryen, as they previously had for centuries.

In the A Song of Ice and Fire novels, members of House Redwyne tend to have bright orange hair. While most vassal houses from the Reach joined House Tyrell in fighting for the royal House Targaryen during Robert's Rebellion, the Redwynes are noted for being particularly staunch Targaryen-loyalists. Although in the series it is noted that the Redwyne’s were listed as Renly Baratheon's supporters, this is not the case in the books. They wanted to, but during the early stages of the War of the Five Kings, Cersei Lannister holds the twin sons of Lord Paxter hostage at the royal court. After Renly dies, the Redwyne’s then join the Tyrells in aiding the Lannister army in the Battle of the Blackwater.

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