Criston Cole
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| Alias | Criston the Kingmaker |
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130 AC a stony ridge south of Gods Eye |
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Ser Criston Cole was Lord Commander of the Kingsguard at the time of the death of King Viserys I Targaryen, and convinced his son, Aegon, to claim the rule of the Seven Kingdoms as his father lay dying. This led to the Dance of the Dragons, a civil war between Aegon II and his elder sister, Rhaenyra, whom Viserys had long groomed as his successor. For this he became known as Criston the Kingmaker.[1]
History
Ser Criston's motives in supporting Aegon II are unclear; some say that he acted from ambition as Aegon was more controllable[2] than his wilful half-sister Rhaenyra, indeed Aegon II eventually raised Ser Criston to the office of Hand of the King.
It was also rumoured that Cole had an affair with Rhaenyra;[2] before he took the white cloak of the Kingsguard, he wore her favor in a tournament in 111 AL where he unhorsed Ser Gwayne Hightower, brother and champion to King Viserys's second wife and queen, Alicent Hightower.[3] Their affair ended badly, Rhaenyra having spurned him,[2]adding a personal dimension to the conflict.
Others allow Cole nobler motives and claim he was defending ancient Andal custom giving precedence to sons over daughters.[2] In any event, many of the lords of the realm were aware of Viserys's wish to have Rhaenyra succeed him as House Targaryen's first Queen Regent[4], and threw their support behind the princess.[1]
During the meeting of Viserys's small council after the king's death, Cole slit the throat of Lord Lyman Beesbury, the only member of the council to support crowning Princess Rhaenyra instead of Prince Aegon. The rest of the council were greens. Criston later crowned Aegon II with the iron-and-ruby crown of Aegon the Conqueror. However Rhaenyra, who was at Dragonstone at the time of Aegon's coronation, refused to support Aegon, beginning the great armed conflict which engulfed the Seven Kingdoms and became known as the Dance of the Dragons.
As the blacks gathered their forces, Aegon II became frustrated with his Hand of the King, Ser Otto Hightower, and awarded the office to Ser Criston Cole. The Kingmaker's forces quickly took Duskendale and Rook's Rest, the latter after a fierce battle. When Prince Aemond Targaryen became Protector of the Realm and Prince Regent because of Aegon's injuries in the battle, Criston remained Hand.
Aemond and the Kingmaker led an army of 4,000 greens from King's Landing to retake Harrenhal in the Riverlands from Prince Daemon Targaryen, who vacated the castle before Criston arrived. After hearing of the Lannisters' defeat in the Battle by the Lakeshore, Aemond began burning the Riverlands and Cole marched his remaining 3,600 greeens south along the western shore of the Gods Eye, intending to join with the army of Lord Ormund Hightower. However, the Kingmaker's forces were ambushed by the Winter Wolves and river knights south of the Gods Eye, and he died in the battle at the stony ridge in 130 AC.
Recent Events
A Feast for Crows
Trying to gain Ser Arys Oakheart for her plot to crown Myrcella Baratheon, Arianne Martell tells Arys that Lord Anders Yronwood is Criston Cole reborn.[1]
While showing Ser Loras Tyrell the White Book of the Kingsguard, Lord Commander Jaime Lannister mentions the controversial Criston Cole.[5]
Quotes by Criston
- Criston to the small council of Viserys I
Quotes about Criston
- King Aegon II Targaryen
The Kingmaker wrought grave harm and gravely did he pay for it ...[1]
- Ser Arys Oakheart
Loras: The heroes will always be remembered. The best. Jaime: The best and the worst. And a few who were a bit of both. Like him.[5]
- Ser Loras Tyrell and Lord Commander Jaime Lannister
References and Notes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 A Feast for Crows, Chapter 13, The Soiled Knight.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 A Feast for Crows, Chapter 13, The Soiled Knight, p 241.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 The Princess and the Queen
- ↑ A Feast for Crows, Chapter 13, The Soiled Knight, p 240.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 A Feast for Crows, Chapter 16, Jaime II.