The Marshal of the God's Eye?
Though the knights participating in the tourney were puzzled by this title, they paid it little mind. What concerned them were the lands, titles, and bounties of Harrenhal—not some obscure military position.
But Rhaegor, along with the lords surrounding Viserys, reacted differently. While the knights had no grasp of the title's significance, the lords—especially those of the "Silver Dragon faction"—understood exactly what "Marshal of the God's Eye" entailed.
Rhaegor quietly explained the implications to his two companions. In present-day Westeros, there was only one king: the Andal, Rhoynar, and First Men's monarch seated upon the Iron Throne, ruler of the Seven Kingdoms and Protector of the Realm. This title encompassed the scope and authority of the king's rule, particularly the final designation—Protector of the Realm—which represented the most crucial aspect of royal power: military command.
When Aegon first ascended the throne, this title belonged to Daemon. After Daemon's death, it passed to Draezell. Holding this title meant that both Daemon and Draezell could exercise royal military authority—effectively allowing them to mobilize the armies of all Westerosi lords while serving as Protector of the Realm.
After Aegon's Conquest, the former royal houses of the Seven Kingdoms retained their rule over their ancestral domains upon bending the knee. For example:
- The Starks, once Kings of the North, continued to govern as Wardens of the North after Torrhen Stark surrendered his crown.
- The Arryns became Wardens of the East and Defenders of the Vale.
- The Lannisters were named Wardens of the West.
- The Baratheons, inheriting the Durrandons' legacy, ruled the Stormlands as Lords of Storm's End (a title largely unchanged).
- The Tyrells, granted Highgarden, were named Wardens of the south, High Marshal of the Reach.
- The Tullys became Lords Paramount of the Trident, with their authority symbolized by the title "Lord of Riverrun".
Similarly, the Vaelarys held the title "Marshal of the Dornish Marches", and the Daynes were "Lords of the Torrentine". Before Draezell and his brothers arrived in Westeros, much of the Dornish Marches had been contested between the Stormlands and the Reach. The title "Warden of the Marches" had long been a hereditary claim of House Gardener and later House Tyrell, though it held little real power—serving mostly as a pretext for border conflicts.
Beneath these high-ranking positions were other critical military roles. For instance, when Dorne was still an independent kingdom:
- The now-extinct Yronwoods held the hereditary title "Warden of the Stone Way", tasked with defending the pass and mobilizing nearby lords (such as the vanished Wyls) against Stormlander invasions.
- The Fowlers of Skyreach likewise guarded the Prince's Pass.
Yet, when Draezell marched south to crush House Wyl, the Yronwoods—blinded by greed and shortsightedness—failed in their duty, instead scheming to crown themselves. The result? Dorne's utter defeat.
The term "Marshal" appeared most notably in the title held by House Caron: "Lord of the Marches". Maesters speculate that this position may trace back to an ancient era when the Carons ruled the Marches as kings or served as the Durrandons' foremost vassals. Regardless, House Caron was indeed a powerful Marcher house, historically organizing defenses against both the Gardener Kings and Dornish armies advancing from the Prince's Pass.
The "Marshal of the God's Eye" mirrored the "Lord of the Marches". Had the ancient river kings—the Mudds or Teagues—established such a role, its significance would have been immense. Given the God's Eye's strategic location, its commander would have been responsible for:
- Repelling Stormlander incursions across the Blackwater Rush.
- Defending against Vale cavalry surging through the Bloody Gate.
- Controlling east-west movement across the Riverlands via the lake's central position.
This demands a deeper look at the Riverlands' history. The Trident's mighty rivers carved not only fertile plains but also a land as vulnerable as a disrobed maiden—a battleground perpetually fractured among petty kings, each styling themselves "King of the Rivers and the Hills". Houses like the Mootons of Maidenpool, Blackwoods of Raventree Hall, and Brackens of Stone Hedge all once wore crowns. Yet the only ruler truly worthy of the title was Tristifer IV Mudd, the Hammer of Justice. After his death, the Mudd dynasty collapsed, and Andals conquered the land.
The founder of House Tully, Edmyn Tully, was once a vassal to Tristifer IV. After the Mudds fell, Edmyn bent the knee to the Andal conqueror Armistead Vance, who granted him the lands around Riverrun. The castle's strategic position at the western edge of the Riverlands soon elevated the Tullys to prominence.
Every King of the Rivers and Hills needed Riverrun as a bulwark against western invasions—especially with the Golden Tooth, the gateway to the Westerlands, held by the Lannisters. Only the trout, shielded by rivers, could blunt the lion's claws.
Even after the Teague dynasty fell in the bloody War of the Six Kings, the Storm Kings relied on the Tullys. For three centuries under Durrandon rule, Tully lords held key military posts, likely as hereditary "Commanders of Riverrun" or "Marshals of the Red Fork"—roles akin to the newly proposed Marshal of the God's Eye.
Perhaps this was why, during the Durrandon dynasty's rule over the Riverlands, House Tully's name was conspicuously absent from the lists of rebellious river lords.
Of course, the Storm Kings did not place their full trust in the Tullys either. According to maesters' speculations, House Frey was likely planted at the Twins as a thorn—meant to guard against northern invasions while keeping a watchful eye on the western Riverlords, particularly the Blackwoods, Brackens, and even the Tullys themselves.
This might well be the root of House Frey's infamy.
After the Ironborn invasion, House Hoare unified the Riverlands and Iron Islands through bloodshed, forging the Kingdom of the Isles and the Rivers. During the conquest, the Tullys and Blackwoods resisted fiercely—only to be ambushed by the Brackens and defeated. Yet even under Hoare rule, House Tully remained relatively unscathed, thanks to Riverrun's impregnable position.
Harren the Black, wary of the Riverlords' disloyalty—especially the western houses, many of whom had once worn crowns and boasted formidable martial traditions—sought to curb their power. To weaken the region and sate his own ambitions, Harren raised Harrenhal by the Gods' Eye.
"So, Rhaegon, Elarion—do you see now why Harrenhal stands where it does?" Rhaegor frowned. "It's the heart of the Riverlands, the nexus between east and west. By appointing a royal 'Marshal of the God's Eye' here…"
But these were not the days of the Seven Kingdoms' fractious wars. Establishing a military post here couldn't possibly be about defending against invasions from the Stormlands, Crownlands, or Vale.
There was only one explanation.
This position was meant to dilute the authority of the Lord Paramount of the Trident. Through it, the Crown could remotely manipulate the Riverlords under Harrenhal's shadow.
"What is Viserys playing at?" Rhaegor couldn't fathom the king's reasoning. Was he trying to turn the Riverlords against him? Did he truly believe a rootless upstart noble could sway houses with centuries of history?
He could already see the storm brewing. Lord Kermit Tully's face had darkened. So had Lord Frey's and Lord Bennis Bracken's. Even rarer—the Blackwoods and Brackens wore identical scowls.
This was no laughing matter.
Slowly, Rhaegor began to grasp his father's concerns in other realms.
"Then we…" Rhaegon whispered.
"We play along—for now." Rhaegor's expression cooled into detached calm. "This isn't our battle to fight."
---
The Tourney Begins
With no legendary knights or highborn champions competing, the outcome was never in doubt. Even Albin managed to unhorse a Crownlands knight before being unhorsed himself. Cain toppled several opponents before his defeat.
As for Rhaegor's trio? Their victories were utterly one-sided. Yet they wisely withdrew after a single tilt, choosing to observe from the sidelines. Viserys knew them too well—recognition would ruin their plans.
Rhaegor stayed out of the fray for two reasons: pride (he'd rather not embarrass himself in a melee) and stealth (exposure would spoil the spectacle). Instead, he watched with icy detachment.
Ser Lucas proved a true terror, defeating seventeen knights—including Ser Oscar Tully, Lord Kermit's brother—before riding triumphantly around the field, demanding new challengers.
Viserys watched, pleased—until Aegarax, who had been restless beside him, suddenly nudged the king as if struck by realization.
"What is it, Aegarax?"