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A steward is a representative of a king or lord who helps to manage their seat and household. Stewards can be aided by understewards.[1][2] The position is similar to a magister or qhoran.[3]
Duties
[edit]
Stewards have a prestigious position and can be lowborn[4][5] or come from nobility,[6][7] though they can be looked down upon by highborn from great houses.[8][9] A steward is responsible for running the day-to-day affairs of a castle and acting on its lord's behalf.[10] He or a castellan may be entrusted with the castle in the lord's absence.[11][12]
Stewards are in charge of a castle's household,[13] and they can manage the finances of their master[14] and be in charge of accommodations.[15][16][17] Some stewards can be cruel to the servants they oversee.[18] Maesters can aid stewards with household accounts.[19]
The order of stewards are members of the Night's Watch who supply food, clothing, and other supplies for the black brothers.[20][21] They are led by the Lord Steward.[22]
History
[edit]The ironborn had thralls who could read, write, and calculate serve as stewards, tutors, and scribes.[23]
House Tyrell served as hereditary High Stewards to the Kings of the Reach from House Gardener.[24] During Aegon's Conquest, House Targaryen granted Highgarden to the Tyrells after the downfall of the Gardeners at the Field of Fire,[25] which has made other houses in the Reach resent the Tyrells as being "upjumped stewards".[26][27]
King Aegon I Targaryen named stewards and castellans for the lands and castles taken in his name during the First Dornish War. When the Dornishmen rose in rebellion, the royal castellans and stewards were eventually allowed to die after lengthy torture.[28]
In 48 AC, a steward at Storm's End and his barren wife fostered the baseborn son of Coryanne Wylde.[29] King Jaehaerys I Targaryen replaced the chief steward of the Red Keep and all of his understewards in 50 AC.[30]
Ser Criston Cole, who eventually became Lord Commander of the Kingsguard and Hand of the King, was born the son of the steward of Blackhaven.[31]
During the Dance of the Dragons, the Reach was so divided between those who stood firmly behind the king Aegon II Targaryen, and those who declared for Rhaenyra Targaryen, that it caused the castellan, steward and mother of the young Lord Lyonel Tyrell, in their role as regents, to refuse to take part.[32] The steward of Dragonstone was killed during the fall of the castle to the greens.[33]
Plummer, the steward for Lord Ashford, served as master of the games for the tourney at Ashford Meadow,[34] and then Cosgrove, the steward for Lord Ambrose Butterwell, served as master of the games for the wedding tourney at Whitewalls.[1]
Recent history
[edit]Sylas was a former steward for Lord Balon Greyjoy on Pyke.[35]
After Jon Arryn's death, her wife Lysa Arryn fled from King's Landing in the middle of the night with her son Sweetrobin,[36] taking most of her household back to the Vale of Arryn, including Maester Colemon, Jon Arryn's steward, and Vardis Egen, the captain of the guard.[37] Once in the Vale, Sweetrobin played with the sons of the steward of the Eyrie and Vardis's son, but Lysa sent them away, judging them too rough with her son.[4]
Recent Events
[edit]A Game of Thrones
[edit]Vayon Poole, the steward of Winterfell under Lord Eddard Stark,[38] who agrees to become the new Hand of the King to King Robert I Baratheon, so Vayon accompanies his liege lord south toward King's Landing to set up his household, with his position in Winterfell being soon taken over by Robb Stark.[10] Lord Eddard is greeted by the royal steward of King Robert I Baratheon upon arriving at the Red Keep.[15]
Bowen Marsh serves as Lord Steward for the Night's Watch.[22] Jon Snow becomes the personal steward of Jeor Mormont, Lord Commander of the Night's Watch, who hopes to be a mentor to him.[39]
Ser Nestor Royce served House Arryn as High Steward of the Vale during the fourteen years in which Lord Jon Arryn, Lord of the Eyrie and Warden of the East, remained in court at the Red Keep serving as Hand of the King.[[40]
Having been tasked with making all preparations for leaving King's Landing after Lord Eddard has resigned as Hand, Vayon books a passage for Ned's daughters Sansa and Arya on the Wind Witch,[41] but Vayon is killed during the purge of the Stark household following Eddard's arrest.[42]
The royal steward has Eddard brought from the Tower of the Hand to the throne room, where Queen Regent Cersei Lannister has Eddard arrested.[43]
Upon her arrival at Riverrun, Lady Catelyn Stark is informed by Utherydes Wayn, the castle's steward, that Lord Hoster Tully is bedridden.[44]
A Clash of Kings
[edit]Helya is the steward of Pyke.[35]
When the Glovers went south with Robb Stark, they left Lady Sybelle Glover in charge of Deepwood Motte, but she is only in charge nominally since the one who makes all the decisions is the Glover steward, who attends the Harvest feast celebrations in Winterfell in her stead.[12] He later loses one leg when Asha Greyjoy takes the castle, being made prisoner alongside Lady Glover and her people.[45]
Weese, the understeward of Wailing Tower at Harrenhal,[2] is killed by Jaqen H'ghar at Arya Stark's behest.[46]
Utherydes Wayn accompanies Ser Edmure Tully when he greets his sister Lady Catelyn upon her arrival at Riverrun after her mission to secure an alliance with Renly Baratheon has failed due to his untimely death. Utherydes later informs her that Lord Eddard's remains had arrived in Riverrun, courtesy of Tyrion Lannister, the acting Hand of the King, but noted that her husband's greatsword Ice has not been returned; Catelyn then commands Utherydes to arrange for her husband's remains to be transported to Winterfell, escorted by Hallis Mollen.[47]
During the Battle of the Blackwater, the royal steward announces the arrival of Queen Cersei when she enters the Queen's Ballroom.[48]
A Storm of Swords
[edit]
A small group of mutineers led by Chett plot to kill Jeor Mormont and desert, with Chett planning to personally slit Samwell Tarly's throat for having replaced him as Maester Aemon's steward, a position that he had served for four years.[49]
Satisfied by Tobho Mott's work in forging two new Valyrian steel swords from late Lord Stark's Ice, Tywin Lannister informs the smith that the steward will see to his payment.[50]
Lame Lothar Frey has served his father Lord Walder Frey as the steward at the Twins for twelve years.[6]
During his journey to King's Landing, Oberyn Martell hears from Lord Ralph Buckler's steward that Tyrion Lannister has introduced a tax on whoring.[51]
With much of the Watch in the great ranging beyond the Wall, Bowen, as the Lord Steward, remains at Castle Black as castellan.[52] Jon Snow, Jeor's one-time steward, is chosen as the new Lord Commander after the battle beneath the Wall.[53]
When Tyrion Lannister asks his father Tywin Lannister what he had done to his first wife Tysha, Tywin recalls that he did not have her killed, as she'd learned her place, and supposes Casterly Rock's steward sent her on her way. When Tyrion asks where that was, Tywin replies "wherever whores go".[54]
A Feast for Crows
[edit]Three-Tooth is the steward of Ten Towers.[55]
A Dance with Dragons
[edit]Euron Greyjoy, King of the Isles and the North, appoints Erik Ironmaker as Lord Steward of the Iron Islands,[56] who searches for his brother Aeron Greyjoy by hunting down his drowned men, but Tris suspects that Euron slit the Damphair's throat.[45]
Jon Snow, now Lord Commander, orders Greyguard to be re-garrisoned with thirty men under the command of a grizzled steward from the Shadow Tower.[57]
Quotes
[edit]Sansa had never had much of a head for figures. If she did marry Prince Joff, Arya hoped for his sake that he had a good steward.[14]
—thoughts of Arya Stark
She knew there had been fighting, but surely no one would harm a steward. Vayon Poole did not even wear a sword.[42]
—thoughts of Sansa Stark
The Tyrells were only stewards that the dragon-kings had upjumped far above their station. Their vanity was exceeded only by their ambition.[8]
—thoughts of Cersei Lannister
Your father was the steward, he had charge of the whole household.[13]
—thoughts of Theon Greyjoy toward Jeyne Poole
References
[edit]- ↑ 1.0 1.1 The Mystery Knight.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 A Clash of Kings, Chapter 26, Arya VI.
- ↑ A Dance with Dragons, Chapter 33, Tyrion VIII.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 A Storm of Swords, Chapter 68, Sansa VI.
- ↑ A Feast for Crows, Chapter 11, The Kraken's Daughter.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 A Storm of Swords, Chapter 35, Catelyn IV.
- ↑ A Feast for Crows, Chapter 9, Brienne II.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 A Feast for Crows, Chapter 3, Cersei I.
- ↑ A Dance with Dragons, Chapter 41, The Turncloak.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 A Game of Thrones, Chapter 14, Catelyn III.
- ↑ A Game of Thrones, Chapter 55, Catelyn VIII.
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 A Clash of Kings, Chapter 16, Bran II.
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 The Winds of Winter, Theon I
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 A Game of Thrones, Chapter 7, Arya I.
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 A Game of Thrones, Chapter 20, Eddard IV.
- ↑ A Clash of Kings, Chapter 3, Tyrion I.
- ↑ A Storm of Swords, Chapter 14, Catelyn II.
- ↑ A Dance with Dragons, Chapter 57, Tyrion XI.
- ↑ Fire & Blood, Three Heads Had the Dragon - Governance Under King Aegon I.
- ↑ The World of Ice & Fire, The Wall and Beyond: The Night's Watch.
- ↑ A Game of Thrones, Chapter 41, Jon V.
- ↑ 22.0 22.1 A Game of Thrones, Chapter 21, Tyrion III.
- ↑ The World of Ice & Fire, The Iron Islands.
- ↑ The World of Ice & Fire, The Reach: Andals in the Reach.
- ↑ Fire & Blood, Aegon's Conquest.
- ↑ The World of Ice & Fire, The Reach: House Tyrell.
- ↑ A Storm of Swords, Chapter 6, Sansa I.
- ↑ Fire & Blood, Reign of the Dragon - The Wars of King Aegon I.
- ↑ Fire & Blood, A Surfeit of Rulers.
- ↑ Fire & Blood, A Time of Testing - The Realm Remade.
- ↑ Fire & Blood, Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession.
- ↑ Fire & Blood, The Dying of the Dragons - The Red Dragon and the Gold.
- ↑ Fire & Blood, The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Overthrown.
- ↑ The Hedge Knight.
- ↑ 35.0 35.1 A Clash of Kings, Chapter 11, Theon I.
- ↑ A Game of Thrones, Chapter 4, Eddard I.
- ↑ A Game of Thrones, Chapter 25, Eddard V.
- ↑ A Game of Thrones, Appendix.
- ↑ A Game of Thrones, Chapter 48, Jon VI.
- ↑ A Game of Thrones, Chapter 34, Catelyn VI.
- ↑ A Game of Thrones, Chapter 43, Eddard XI.
- ↑ 42.0 42.1 A Game of Thrones, Chapter 51, Sansa IV.
- ↑ A Game of Thrones, Chapter 49, Eddard XIV.
- ↑ A Game of Thrones, Chapter 71, Catelyn XI.
- ↑ 45.0 45.1 A Dance with Dragons, Chapter 26, The Wayward Bride.
- ↑ A Clash of Kings, Chapter 38, Arya VIII.
- ↑ A Clash of Kings, Chapter 39, Catelyn V.
- ↑ A Clash of Kings, Chapter 57, Sansa V.
- ↑ A Storm of Swords, Prologue.
- ↑ A Storm of Swords, Chapter 32, Tyrion IV.
- ↑ A Storm of Swords, Chapter 38, Tyrion V.
- ↑ A Storm of Swords, Chapter 41, Jon V.
- ↑ A Storm of Swords, Chapter 79, Jon XII.
- ↑ A Storm of Swords, Chapter 77, Tyrion XI.
- ↑ A Feast for Crows, Appendix.
- ↑ A Dance with Dragons, Appendix.
- ↑ A Dance with Dragons, Chapter 10, Jon III.