SEVEN YEARS AGO
Royal Decree of His Grace, King Viserys I TargaryenTo the Lords and Ladies of the Realm, and all those sworn to the Iron Throne, let it be known:
By the grace of the Seven and the will of the gods, I, Viserys of the House Targaryen, the First of My Name, King of the Andals, the Rhoynar, and the First Men, Lord of the Seven Kingdoms and Protector of the Realm, do address this grievous matter to the good and lawful lords of Westeros.
It has come to our attention, through complaints raised by the noble houses of the west and the south, and by the witness of our loyal servants, that the Ironborn, led by Dalton Greyjoy, Lord Reaper of Pyke and pretender to the Seastone Chair, have flagrantly defied their oaths to the Crown and committed grievous offenses against the peace and prosperity of the realm.
On the Matters of Tribute and TaxationThe lords of the Iron Isles, by their ancient fealty to the Iron Throne, are bound by sacred oath and law to render tribute unto the Crown. Yet, for years now, no silver, no iron, no offering of worth has crossed the seas to the royal coffers. The silence of their ships speaks of a betrayal of their sworn duty, for House Greyjoy has withheld the due coin owed to the Crown and the realm at large. Such dereliction not only insults the honor of the Iron Throne but cheats the honest lords of Westeros who labor under the burden of their own obligations.
On the Matters of Piracy and LawlessnessFurther, reports from the coasts of the Westerlands, Riverlands and the North tell a grim tale of indiscriminate piracy and reaving. Fisherfolk and traders alike tremble at the sight of sails bearing the Kraken, knowing that death and ruin follow in its wake. Villages have been burned, ships plundered, and innocents enslaved or slain in numbers too great to ignore. This unchecked lawlessness disrupts the peace of the realm and endangers the prosperity of our merchants, whose trade routes are vital to the flourishing of Westerosi markets.
On the Matters of Military AmbitionLastly, whispers brought before the small council suggests that Dalton Greyjoy has taken the spoils of his unlawful raids and turned them to a dark purpose. In defiance of the Crown's authority, he amasses ships, men, and arms to fashion a fleet of staggering size, one not meant to defend the Iron Isles but to challenge the very dominion of the Iron Throne. Such ambitions are not only a threat to the Westerlands, Riverlands and the North but to the peace of the Seven Kingdoms entire.
The Summons of Dalton GreyjoyFor these grave transgressions, Dalton Greyjoy is hereby summoned to King's Landing to stand trial before the small council and a jury of lords of the Westerlands, Riverlands and the North. Let him come to defend his actions and refute these accusations if he can. The Kraken must answer for the storms it has unleashed, and the blood it has spilled.
Should Lord Dalton refuse this lawful summons, his defiance shall be taken as an admission of guilt, and the full might of the Iron Throne will be brought to bear upon the Iron Isles to restore order, justice, and peace to the realm.
To the Lords of WesterosI call upon the noble lords of Westeros, particularly those who have borne the brunt of these atrocities, to bear witness to this trial. Your voices, your grievances, and your judgment shall shape the justice that the Crown must mete out.
By the blood of my ancestors and the will of the gods, I swear that this matter shall not go unanswered. Let the Ironborn learn that the tides obey the moon, and no man, not even one who claims dominion over the sea, is beyond the reach of the Iron Throne.
In the sight of gods and men,
Signed and Sealed,
Viserys of House Targaryen
First of His Name
King of the Andals, the Rhoynar, and the First Men
Lord of the Seven Kingdoms and Protector of the Realm
✥✥✥
An Excerpt from The King's Justice, by Septon EustaceIn the waning years of King Viserys I Targaryen's reign, when the Iron Throne tottered under the weight of age and infirmity, there arose the matter of the Ironborn's defiance—a storm that would forever mark the histories. The decree issued by His Grace, though signed in his hand, was the work of the small council, who sought to act decisively against the reavers of the western shores. Lords from the Westerlands, Riverlands, and North answered the Crown's call, journeying to King's Landing to testify against the Kraken and its brood.
The testimony of these noblemen painted a grim tapestry of burning villages, stolen treasures, and grieving widows. Yet, on the appointed day of the trial, the conspicuous absence of House Greyjoy cast a shadow over the proceedings. Word soon arrived of the grim fate that had befallen the royal delegation sent to Pyke—slaughtered by Dalton Greyjoy himself, a clear mockery of the Crown's authority. This insult could not go unanswered, and the Greyjoys were tried in absentia. Their crimes were declared not only piracy, but treason and contempt, and their punishment demanded swift and unrelenting justice.
The King's Wrath Takes FlightWith King Viserys unable to act due to his failing health, the burden of command fell to his council. Yet hesitation gripped them, for to move against a great house was to risk a broader war. It was Prince Aemond Targaryen, young but already formidable, who rose to the occasion. As Master of Coin, he had seen firsthand the toll of the Ironborn's lawlessness on trade and the royal treasury. Aemond argued that no realm could long endure while one of its lords openly defied its king.
Armed with the Crown's decree and his own grim resolve, Aemond mounted Vhagar, the mightiest of living dragons, and took to the skies. His task was twofold: to demand reparations and overdue levies from the Greyjoys, and to remind them that no lord, not even the Red Kraken, was above the Iron Throne.
At Pyke, Dalton Greyjoy received him, though it is said the shrewd and savage Lord Reaper greeted Aemond with mockery rather than deference. Words were exchanged, sharp as swords, until one of Greyjoy's men dared to strike at the prince. The fool was slain, his blood soaking the saltstone floor of the Great Hall of Pyke. Aemond, enraged but unshaken, left the hall, climbed Vhagar's back, and unleashed fire and fury upon the Iron Islands.
The Wrath of VhagarFor three days, the skies above the Iron Islands darkened with smoke, and the air was filled with the cries of the dying. Vhagar's shadow swept from island to island, her flames consuming ships, halls, and villages alike. The once-proud Iron Fleet, long the terror of the seas, was broken beneath her wrath, with half its strength reduced to charred and splintered ruin.
Saltcliffe, Pyke, and Harlaw alone withstood the onslaught, their halls blackened but still standing. By the fourth day, as Vhagar descended upon Pyke once more, Dalton Greyjoy and his remaining lords bent the knee. The Red Kraken, defiant to the last, swore fealty only when his people begged him to end the destruction.
The Reaving of the IronbornA week later, the Lannister fleet arrived, carrying the king's justice to the smoldering ruins of the Iron Islands. The coffers of every Greyjoy bannerman were emptied, their wealth taken as reparations for the realm. For the first time in history, the Ironborn, so long the scourge of Westeros, suffered a reaving of their own.
This event, known henceforth as The Fire and Salt Reaping, was met with widespread approval across the realm. The lords of the Reach, Westerlands, and Stormlands sent letters of commendation to the Crown, for the Ironborn had long been hated and feared but rarely challenged. The smallfolk, too, celebrated, for their villages would no longer tremble at the sight of kraken sails.
Aftermath and LegacyThough the Ironborn bent the knee and paid the price for their defiance, the scars left by Aemond's campaign would linger. Saltcliffe, Harlaw, and Pyke rebuilt slowly, and the Iron Fleet never again regained its former glory. Dalton Greyjoy, the Red Kraken, lived to see his people humbled but vowed vengeance in his heart.
For Prince Aemond, this marked the beginning of his reputation as the Iron Throne's most feared enforcer. To some, he was a hero who had restored order to the realm; to others, a tyrant who wielded fire and blood without mercy. In truth, he was both, and it is said that when he departed the Iron Islands, Vhagar's roar echoed for miles, a warning to all who would challenge the Crown.
Thus ended the brief rebellion of the Greyjoys, and with it, the long tale of the Ironborn's unchecked actions. Where once they ruled the seas, they now feared the skies, for even krakens must bow to dragons.