When morning broke, word had already passed in hushed tones all throughout the Valryian island: the second-born Hightower lord had perished and a handful of nobles who had unfortunately been standing slightly near the incident had been caught by the very edge of dragonflame . Cloaks singed, sleeves blackened, skin blistered in minor burns when they failed to retreat quickly enough. Maesters had tended them through the dawn. The message was unspoken but understood: dragons did not distinguish pride from proximity.
By midmorning, King Aegon gathered everyone upon the windswept terrace overlooking the bay. Calm and somber, he addressed the crowd for the final time at his birth home.
“What occurred at Dragonmont,” he said evenly, “was a tragedy.” The use of the word ‘ tragedy’ instead of ‘failure’ sparked a flame of ire inwardly among some of the nobles. “The young lord was warned. The dragonkeepers are trained from childhood. Their commands are not tricks to be imitated for sport or to show off misplaced confidence in one’s abilities. A dragon is not a simple horse to be mounted nor a hound to be whistled for. A dragon recognizes blood and bond. It recognizes those entrusted to it. To approach without such bond is to gamble with fire.”
The Hightower matriarch trembled where she stood, knuckles white in fisted hands as she swallowed down what was seemingly delivered as an explanation and such a public airing of her deceased son’s faults. No courtesy apology given.
Aegon inclined his head slightly toward her. “House Hightower will have the Crown’s support in their mourning. The realm grieves with them.” He then turned back to face the rest of the assembly.
“But let this be understood.” His hand rested lightly against Blackfyre’s pommel as he spoke in a voice that brooked no dissent. ”Our dragons are the shield of this realm. They are the power that forged it. The power that ensures that the peace we celebrate this past week endures. Our respect for that power and self-restraint towards personal selfish ambitions will ensure the prosperity of this realm.”
The implication was unmistakable. To question dragons was to question the foundation of unity itself.
Then his tone shifted, warming. About three months hence, he announced, he would summon them again — this time to King’s Landing — to celebrate the completion of the Red Keep, rising at last as the enduring seat of royal authority. There, beneath its finished towers, the realm would also witness the formal celebration of the newly declared royal betrothals, binding crown and Dorne in a wise alliance. “We have forged a throne,” he concluded, voice carrying over sea and stone. “Now we shall build a future worthy of it.” The crowd clapped. Half of them genuinely supporting his vision, their faith in Aegon never wavering and the other half, merely out of sheer politeness to mask their true thoughts that might border on treachery. Among the Hightowers, the grieving mother did not clap. The matriarch's eyes were fixed not on the king’s face, but rather on the dragon sigil across his chest. And somewhere in that gaze, grief was beginning to harden into something colder.
And that concludes our Dragon-themed first chapter! You all now allowed to finish up your event threads, write new threads pertaining to the plot drop or plot conclusion or even have threads back at their homes as characters are now free to leave Dragonstone. As per popular vote in the discord the days between our first and second event are 11 days ( and 2 days have passed since our event ended ) which means our new event will tentatively begin at 8pm EST on the 5th of March. We will let you know if the date changes later on. Hopefully all threads can be wrapped up before the next chapter begins! Hope you lovelies enjoyed your introduction chapter to our story and we can't wait to further develop thrilling things with you all!
Also at the top of the post, we did mention that a few suffered collateral damage during the incident by the way of minor burns. Those few individuals are : Ruling Lord Harlaw, the youngest Mormont and a Lannister of Lannisport. Also, the knowledge of the items Myrcella Durrandon unexpectedly discovered by sheer accident during her sneaky search of Dragonmont, will be shared with the heads of house florent, house lannister of lannisport and house stark and one more new powerful house joining the class ;) Everyone else in the Ashen Promise will be given developmental news about it during the next event.
In light of the lingering unexplainable absence of Loras Tyrell, Crown Prince Aenyx Targaryen is hereby appointed by the King as interim Hand till the Ruling Lord Tyrell can be found.
Loras Tyrell, the Hand of the King and Ruling Lord Paramount of the Reach is now officially declared as missing. His chambers were untouched suggesting that he had not been kidnapped, but rather he had left on his own. However, there is not a single note nor letter found so as to inform anyone of his whereabouts and a concerned but also frustrated King Aegon has now sent out a search party for him. A few witnesses state that they had sighted him in Plankytown a day or two before the Desert Race but a couple of others swore that they had seen the Hand nearby Ghost Hill. Ruling Princess Deria Martell has lent her assistance by sending a few men to search both places as well as placing inquires. Loras' wife who has been ruling Highgarden in his stead whenever he was away with duties of the Hand, is besides herself with worry, claiming that he had not uttered a word to her about going away during the earlier part of their stay in Dorne.
Desmond Manderly is reported to still be in a coma.
( this is three weeks after everyone has left Dorne )
The aftermath of the stable incident cast a heavy and bitter shadow across Sunspear. What had first spread through the palace as scandal and outrage soon hardened into genuine horror once the full extent of the damage became known.
Maegor Lannister’s exhausted racehorse, though spared death, had suffered moderately severe injuries from the savage whipping. Stablemasters worked tirelessly through the night to tend the animal’s wounds, and though healers believed the horse would physically recover in time, the creature now recoiled fearfully from human touch. Even the gentlest approach caused it to flinch and tremble visibly, its once spirited temperament replaced with frightened distrust.
The stablehand fared little better. Though his wounds would heal, the young man remained badly shaken both physically and emotionally, reportedly startling violently at raised voices and refusing to return near the same stable row where the attack had occurred.
Yet it was the fate of Lady Yronwood that truly ignited fury throughout the Dornish court.
The injured woman—wife to a cousin of Ruling Lady Sylvenna Yronwood—had secretly been four months with child. The brutal force with which she had struck the stable wall caused her to miscarry later that evening despite every desperate effort from healers and midwives alike.
The grief within House Yronwood swiftly became rage. Ruling Lady Sylvenna herself reportedly stormed through Sunspear scarcely able to contain her fury and demanding justice before the Crown and openly declaring before witnesses:
“A life for a life.”
At the same time, grim news arrived from the chambers of Lord Desmond Manderly. The northern lord had sustained numerous injuries during the beating, but it was the final massive blow to the head that proved most catastrophic. Though the maesters managed to keep him alive, Desmond fell into a deep coma from which he had yet to awaken from. His brother, the furious Ruling Lord Manderly, immediately demanded punishment for Maegor, finding fierce support from his close ally, Ruling Lord Stark.
Pressure upon the Crown mounted rapidly.
King Aegon soon called for a private trial hearing within Sunspear to determine Maegor’s fate. Yet whispers spread almost immediately when the King’s Hand, Loras Tyrell, was nowhere to be found throughout the proceedings. In his absence, Master of Laws Lucifer Massey took charge of overseeing the investigation and hearing witness accounts.
One by one, testimonies were given.
The battered stablehand spoke through swollen lips and still-bleeding gashes across his torso.
Other stable workers recounted the violence in trembling detail.
The atmosphere inside the hearing chamber grew increasingly tense with every account.
Then Maegor Lannister himself was brought forth.
Gone was the furious young lion from the stables. The boy who stood before the Crown appeared pale and subdued, dark circles heavy beneath reddened eyes. When questioned, Maegor admitted he had secretly consumed large amounts of wine before entering the stables and claimed the alcohol had driven him into a drunken rage he barely remembered fully.
For perhaps the first time since arriving in Sunspear, the boy looked his age.
He apologized quietly to those he had harmed and asked the Crown for mercy, insisting that he regretted what he had done and needed guidance rather than destruction.
“I know something is wrong with me,” he reportedly admitted softly.
His mother, Princess Visenya, then stepped forward before the court.
The proud princess appeared visibly shaken as she pleaded directly with her brother, King Aegon, not to condemn her only child too harshly. Visenya took much of the blame upon herself, confessing that years spent ruling the Westerlands and obsessively overseeing construction efforts upon the Red Keep had perhaps caused her to neglect Maegor emotionally.
“He has grown without a father,” she said quietly. “And perhaps without enough of his mother either.”
Her voice reportedly broke when she added:
“He is still only a boy. A difficult boy… but still a boy.”
The King then withdrew with his Small Council for deliberation. For over an hour, tension consumed Sunspear. When King Aegon finally returned, silence fell immediately across the chamber.
The King’s verdict was firm.
Maegor Lannister would not be executed nor sent to the Wall. Instead, he was to be removed entirely from courtly and noble life for the foreseeable future. He would be sent under escort to the Great Sept in King’s Landing where the High Septon himself would oversee his repentance and determine the acts of humility, service, and atonement required for absolution. After a few years, Maegor would then serve quietly within a local septry in the Westerlands until reaching his eighteenth nameday, at which point he would once more stand before the King and Small Council to determine whether he remained fit to someday rule the Westerlands.
The sentence shocked many. Some considered it rather fair. Others considered it outrageously lenient.
Maegor himself reportedly stiffened visibly upon hearing the judgment, displeasure tightening sharply across his face for only a brief moment before he lowered his gaze and silently accepted his punishment.
But for Houses Yronwood and Manderly, the verdict brought little comfort. Their grief remained too fresh. Their fury too deep. Among both families, quiet whispers spread that true justice had not been served.
And in the shadows beyond Sunspear’s bright halls, that anger soon found direction.
Not long after the hearing, a clandestine meeting of the Ashen Promise was held once more in the darkness of the night. There, amidst flickering candlelight and wary voices, the ancient relic discovered by Myrcella Durrandon within Dragonstone the previous year was finally discussed openly in full.
The script accompanying the strange Valryian horn had at last been deciphered. If the translations were true, the relic possessed terrifying potential: the ability to exert influence over dragons themselves and weaken them through specific tones and commands.
The revelation stunned many present.
After long deliberation, it was ultimately decided that Lady Alyssia Lannister would covertly begin attempting to practice the horn’s notes upon Maegor’s own dragon over the coming months in hopes of mastering its power quietly and without suspicion.
By the end of the gathering, Ruling Lady Sylvenna Yronwood too had been quietly drawn into the fold of the Ashen Promise. Yet much like Dowager Lady Hightower before her, she was entrusted with only fragments of the organization’s true scale and purpose.
Still grieving the loss of both unborn kin and justice, Sylvenna accepted eagerly.
And so, whilst the rest of the realm outwardly returned to feasts, marriages, and celebrations, something darker continued quietly growing beneath it all.
This hereby marks the end of Chapter 3 and all its plot drops! Members are welcomed to make new threads reacting to all of Chapter 3 plot drops be it the most recent or oldest ones! You all may also start writing of characters leaving Dorne and travelling to wherever they wish to.
Three months after the Red Keep event, ravens come bearing news of the wedding of Lady Alyssia Lannister to Ruling Lord Vaelor Celtigar in Casterly Rock in which is rumored to be a grand affair worthy of well-respected golden lioness. The Celtigar-Lannister wedding will be held 2 months after the letters are sent out , which means it is 5 months between Chapter 3 & Chapter 4. Everyone is invited though attendance is not compulsory by the Crown.
Ooc: Chapter 4 will commence somewhere in the middle of June or earlier, depending on members. To be decided!
Chapter 2: The Unveiling of the Red Keep - plot conclusion! ( click on each sentence to read about it )
The Justice for Dragons and Trouts
This hereby marks the end of Chapter 2 and all its plot drops! Members are welcomed to make new threads reacting to all of Chapter 2 plot drops be it the most recent or oldest ones! You all may also start writing of characters leaving King's Landing and travelling to wherever they wish to including the Grand Funeral of Danelle Tully in Riverrun which shall be attended by both Royal Families of Targs & Martells.
Four months after the Red Keep event, ravens come bearing news of the Royal Wedding of Princess Viserra Targaryen to Crown Prince Qoren Martell in Sunspear in which all nobles of Westeros are highly expected to attend. The Wedding will be held 4 months after the letters are sent out , which means it is 8 months between Chapter 2 & Chapter 3. The Royal family especially Princess Viserra and her two ladies-in-waiting are expected to arrive in Sunspear about 1-2 months earlier to prepare for her wedding as well as get to know her new family better.
Ooc: Chapter will commence somewhere in the last week of April Or last day of April...to be decided!
By the time the hunting parties began to return to the Red Keep, the mood had shifted entirely.
What should have been a triumphant procession—horns, laughter, tales of near-misses and fine kills—arrived instead in fragments. Riders came in scattered groups, some hearty, some shaken, all speaking at once. The story of the White Hart spread quickly: how Aenyx Targaryen had brought it down with a single, perfect shot, saving Argella Baratheon in the same breath. Some told it cleanly, with quiet awe. Others, embellished it into legend before the stag’s body had even been brought through the gates.
But those stories did not hold the court for long.
Whispers of something darker followed close behind.
Of an arrow meant for Daemon Targaryen.
Of Danelle Tully stepping into its path. Of poison.
Each retelling grew sharper, more frantic, less certain.
By the time the last riders arrived—Victaria Hightower and Gyles Tyrell, weary and dirt-streaked from their long search for the way back—the Red Keep was already thick with tension.
Danelle had been carried straight to the Grand Maester’s chambers.
The doors remained shut for what felt like an eternity.
Servants came and went in hurried silence. Basins of water. Cloths. Strange-smelling herbs. No one was permitted entry, not even family. Outside, the corridors filled with waiting figures, hushed voices, and the creeping dread of something none dared name aloud.
Inside, time was slipping.
At last, the doors opened.
The Grand Maester emerged, his expression grave, his hands still faintly stained from his work. He requested the presence of King Aegon, along with his two eldest children, and Oswyck Tully.
They were ushered in and the doors closed behind them.
“It is indeed poison,” the Grand Maester said at last, voice low and steady despite the weight of it. “A rare one. Dornish in origin.”
The words landed heavily.
“Fatal,” he continued, after only the briefest pause.
A stillness took the room.
The summons were sent immediately. Ruling Princess Deria Martell and her children were called to the chamber without delay.
When they arrived, the sight within was unmistakable.
Danelle lay pale against the sheets, her body trembling in uneven intervals, breath shallow, lips faintly blue. The poison had already taken hold.
It thus fell to Arianne Martell to assess what remained to be done. She worked swiftly and decisively, requesting what ingredients she could, her hands steady even as the room around her held its breath. There was an antidote, she explained. But it wasn’t available right now and it would take weeks for her to gather all the necessary ingredients.
Time they did not have.
Still—she did what she could.
A draught was prepared, bitter and dark, pressed carefully to Danelle’s lips. Not to save her, but to slow what could not be stopped. To grant her hours where there might have been none.
Hours to speak. Hours to say goodbye.
One by one, Danelle’s loved ones were brought in.
Family first.
Quiet words. Broken voices. Hands held too tightly, as though grip alone might anchor her to the world a little longer. Not far from the chamber, Daemon Targaryen gave his account; he was shaken, voice unsteady in a way few had ever heard. What Danelle herself could offer was fragmented, faint, but enough to confirm what mattered.
This had not been chance.
When the King emerged, his expression was carved from something colder than grief. Something harder. Orders came swiftly.
The gates of the Red Keep were sealed. No one was to leave without explicit command. Guards doubled. Patrols increased.
And then, he called for His Hand and His Master of Laws.
“Find who did this” he commanded, his tone sharp and urgent.
Whatever had begun in the Kingswood had not ended there. It had followed them home. And now, it would be answered.
Hi lovelies! As of right now, gossip and whispers of who was behind the attempted assassination of Prince Daemon is running rampant. There are many theories but one of them is of some nobles/ servants spotting the Martells being called to the Grand Maester chambers which lead to people thinking that maybe the Dornish are involved somehow.
In the meantime, the final round of joust is still happening but everyone is being closely watched by all the guards and every single exit out of the Red Keep is barred.
Everyone can still continue their event threads and make new ones reacting to all the recent plot drops! At the same time, we will be allowing discord threads within family channels so that families can re-group and talk about everything that has happened during this event. More details on this discord threads will be announced soon.
