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House Tyrell is one of the Great Houses of the Seven Kingdoms. A large, wealthy house, the Tyrells rule the Reach from Highgarden. Ever since the marriage of Ser Robert Tyrell to the daughter of King Mern VI Gardener, the Tyrells have been able to claim descent through the female line from Garth the Gardener, the mythical first King of the Reach.

During Aegon's Conquest, the last Gardener king, Mern IX Gardener, and his family died on the Field of Fire. His steward Harlan Tyrell surrendered Highgarden to King Aegon I Targaryen and was granted the castle and dominion over the Reach as a reward. The Tyrells fought for House Targaryen in the First Dornish War, and a century and a half later in King Daeron I Targaryen's Conquest of Dorne. Feeling secure in his conquest, King Daeron I left Lord Lyonel Tyrell in charge as governor of Dorne. Lyonel's death at the hands of the Dornish sparked new revolts in the region, and Daeron's conquest was undone in a fortnight.

During Robert's Rebellion, the Tyrells stayed loyal to King Aerys II Targaryen. Lord Mace Tyrell's chief accomplishment during the war was leading the siege of Storm's End, which lasted almost a year. Following Aerys's death, Mace bent the knee and swore loyalty to the new king, Robert I Baratheon. Through his youngest son, Loras, Mace becomes a supporter of Renly Baratheon when the youngest of the three Baratheon siblings makes a claim for the Iron Throne. Read more...