| Note: The title of this article is conjecture and may be subject to change. |
| Fighting at Bitterbridge | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conflict | War of the Five Kings | ||||||||||||
| Date | 299 AC | ||||||||||||
| Place | Bitterbridge, the Reach | ||||||||||||
| Result | House Tyrell victory | ||||||||||||
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Fighting at Bitterbridge occurs during the War of the Five Kings in the aftermath of the death of King Renly Baratheon and the fall of Storm's End to King Stannis Baratheon.
Prelude
Renly Baratheon holds a great melee at Bitterbridge during his march toward King's Landing.[4] After hearing that his older brother Stannis has besieged Storm's End, Renly leaves his foot at Bitterbridge with his queen, Margaery Tyrell,[3] and rides east with his horse to confront Stannis.[5] Melisandre assassinates Renly with a shadow,[6][1] however, and Ser Loras Tyrell, kills two of his fellow Rainbow Guard, Robar Royce and Emmon Cuy, and another guard in his rage.[3]
Lord Alester Florent bends the knee to Stannis, the first of several of Renly's followers to join their late king's brother.[3] Loras, however, returns to Bitterbridge from Storm's End with a fifth of Renly's knights.[3] Lords Randyll Tarly and Mathis Rowan, who had also accompanied Renly,[5] leave the camp as well.[1]
Fighting
The news of Renly's death reaches Bitterbridge, where near sixty thousand men[1] are encamped and led by lesser lords and commanders of the Reach and the stormlands.[7] The camp falls into confusion and conflict as rival envoys arrive, becoming a collection of feudal levies instead of a unified host. Some men return to their homes.[7]
At some point after Lord Tarly returns to Bitterbridge, a fight breaks out between some who wish to declare for Stannis and some who follow House Tyrell's decision not to. Randyll seizes the stores and puts many men—mainly Florents—to death. Lord Lorent Caswell locks himself inside his castle to avoid the hostilities.[2] Ser Parmen Crane and Ser Erren Florent, two knights sent by Stannis to retrieve the army,[1] are taken prisoner.[8]
Aftermath
Parmen and Erren are taken to Highgarden as hostages.[8] The Rowans and Oakhearts are spotted north of the Mander.[2] Lord Petyr Baelish rides from the Red Keep to Bitterbridge and then Highgarden,[9] negotiating an alliance between the Tyrells, Lord Tywin Lannister, and King Joffrey I Baratheon. Most of the men at Bitterbridge join Joffrey,[7] leading to the defeat of Stannis in the Battle of the Blackwater.[10][11]
Quotes
Ser Loras is likely making for Bitterbridge. His sister is there, Renly's queen, as well as a great many soldiers who suddenly find themselves kingless. Which side will they take now? A ticklish question. Many serve the lords who remained at Storm's End, and those lords now belong to Stannis.[3]
—Varys to the small council
It would be hugely overstating to say there was a battle, but there was definitely much confusion and conflict when word reached them of Renly's death. At that point -- and in the days that followed, as rival envoys began to arrive -- Renly's foot ceased to be a whole and became more a gathering of feudal levies, each of which had to make its own decision as to what to do now. Presume some fighting. Presume that a lot of people just decided this might be a swell time to go home. But most of them ultimately wound up with the Tyrell/Lannister alliance.[7]
Notes
- ↑ Houses Fossoway of Cider Hall and Fossoway of New Barrel change their support to Stannis after Renly's death and potentially have men behind at Bitterbridge.
- ↑ Houses Caron, Connington, Errol, Estermont, and Morrigen change their support to Stannis after Renly's death and potentially have men left behind at Bitterbridge.
- ↑ Houses Ambrose, Beesbury, Blackbar, Bushy, Cuy, Dunn, Footly, Hightower, Hunt, Inchfield, Leygood, Oakheart, Rowan, and Shermer support Renly and potentially have men left behind at Bitterbridge.
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 A Clash of Kings, Chapter 42, Davos II.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 A Clash of Kings, Chapter 44, Tyrion X.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 A Clash of Kings, Chapter 36, Tyrion VIII.
- ↑ A Clash of Kings, Chapter 22, Catelyn II.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 A Clash of Kings, Chapter 31, Catelyn III.
- ↑ A Clash of Kings, Chapter 33, Catelyn IV.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 So Spake Martin: After Renly, May 31, 2000
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 A Storm of Swords, Appendix.
- ↑ A Storm of Swords, Chapter 68, Sansa VI.
- ↑ A Clash of Kings, Chapter 65, Sansa VIII.
- ↑ A Storm of Swords, Chapter 14, Catelyn II.