Lord Alyn's attack
Lord Alyn's attack | |||||||||||||||||
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Conflict | Daughters' War | ||||||||||||||||
Date | 133 AC | ||||||||||||||||
Place | Stepstones | ||||||||||||||||
Result | Iron Throne victory | ||||||||||||||||
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Lord Alyn's attack[1] occurred in the Stepstones during the Daughters' War.[2]
Contents
Prelude
Because the Daughters' War was hampering trade in the narrow sea in 133 AC, Lord Unwin Peake, the Hand of the King to Aegon III Targaryen, desired to defeat Racallio Ryndoon and establish a presence on Bloodstone, one of the Stepstones. Unwin granted command of the rebuilt royal fleet to his inexperienced uncle, Ser Gedmund Peake, and named Ned Bean as Gedmund's second. The Hand instructed the eight warships and twenty cogs and galleys of Gedmund to be joined by House Velaryon. Lord Alyn Velaryon brought sixty war galleys, thirty longships, and more than a hundred cogs to Gedmund's fleet.[2]
The Westerosi fleet was joined by twelve longships led by Lord Bryndemere Tarth. While at Tarth, however, they learned that Racallio had allied with the Sealord of Braavos and the Archon of Tyrosh. Since Braavos was the most powerful of the Free Cities, Gedmund Great-Axe and Blackbean waited for further instructions from Lord Peake. Disregarding orders, Alyn chose not to wait and instead led the Velaryon ships south toward the Stepstones.[2]
Battle
While the Braavosi grand captain and twoscore of his captains were feasting with Racallio Ryndoon and the Tyroshi envoys at Bloodstone, Lord Alyn Velaryon attacked the unsuspecting Braavosi ships among the Stepstones. The Velaryons captured, burned, or sank half of the Braavosi ships while they were anchored, and they fought Braavosi ships which attempted to sail. The great dromond Grand Defiance was able to fight past six Velaryon ships, but it sank in open sea after being struck by Alyn's flagship, Queen Rhaenys.[2]
Alyn lost only three ships in his attack, including the True Heart of his cousin, Daeron Velaryon, and he sank more than thirty Braavosi ships. Alyn captured six galleys, eleven cogs, and eighty-nine hostages. He also claimed food, drink, weapons, currency, and an elephant meant for the Sealord.[2]
Aftermath
Alyn, called Oakenfist for his sinking of Grand Defiance, was celebrated by thousands of smallfolk when he returned to King's Landing. During a lavish ceremony in the throne room, Alyn Oakenfist was knighted by Ser Marston Waters, the Lord Commander of the Kingsguard. Lord Unwin Peake reluctantly draped a gold admiral's chain around Alyn's neck and gave him a silver replica of Queen Rhaenys. King Aegon III Targaryen appointed Alyn as master of ships.[2]
Lord Peake had been outraged at Alyn's attack, since the Westerosi soldiers meant to take Bloodstone had been left behind with Ser Gedmund Peake's ships at Tarth. Racallio Ryndoon remained in power and Alyn had initiated hostilities with powerful Braavos. Desiring to be rid of Alyn, Unwin orchestrated for the Oakenfist to sail to the Sunset Sea and end the predations of Lord Dalton Greyjoy, the Red Kraken. Alyn set sail for the west on Lady Baela, a captured Braavosi galley which he named after his wife, Baela Targaryen.[2]
Lord Peake sent Lord Manfryd Mooton with a delegation to negotiate with the Sealord and prevent open war. Manfryd returned the elephant to the Sealord, who forgave Alyn's "unwarranted transgression" and ended the alliance with Tyrosh and Racallio. In return, the Iron Throne paid a large indemnity to Braavos.[2]
Quotes
—Unwin Peake and Alyn Velaryon
We have already replaced every ship that your boy admiral stole or sank.[2]