After thousands of years spent defeated their rivals and resisting invasion from the South,
the Seas and beyond the Wall, the Kings of Winter faced yet another threat against the
North, when the Dragonlords of House Targaryen landed an army in Blackwater Bay.
Following the Doom of Valyria and Century of Blood, House Targaryen of Dragonstone,
became the last known family to possess living dragons, and used this advantage to organize
the invasion of Westeros, seeking to conquer all seven kingdoms south of the Wall.
Although many resisted, only the territory of Dorne was able to maintain their sovereignty,
though at a cost of many lives during the two Dornish wars that followed the initial
conflict.
After defeating the Kingdom of Isles and Rivers, Westerlands, Reach and Stormlands, the Targaryen
army went North to face King Torrhen Stark of Winterfell, who’d marched 30 000 men
into the Riverlands.
Despite being outnumbered, many Northmen wanted to attack, including the King’s bastard
half-brother Brandon Snow, who offered to sneak into the enemy camp and assassinate
the dragons.
But having heard the stories about the burning of Harrenhal and Field of Fire, King Torrhen
chose peace, sending his brother Brandon and a party of Maesters to negotiate the terms
of their surrender.
Though he saved many lives with his decision, Torrhen Stark was remembered as the King who
knelt, forced to give up his crown and accept the titles Lord of Winterfell and Warden of
the North.
However, not all northmen were will to bend the knee like their King, with some instead
choosing exile, and sailing across the narrow sea to become sellswords and form the Company
of the Rose.
Under the Targaryen Kings, the North was largely allowed to continue ruling themselves so long
as they paid taxes to the Iron Throne and kept the King’s peace.
Yet at times the Northmen found themselves at odds with the Targaryens like with Lord
Ellard Stark objected to the demands of good Queen Alysanne, wife of King Jaehaerys the
Conciliator, when she gifted a portion of the North to the Night’s Watch.
However the pleas of House Stark were ignored, and the New Gift as it was known, went on
to help sustain the black brothers in their continuing service to the realm.
During the Dance of the Dragons civil war, Lord Cregan Stark of Winterfell sided with
the Black Faction fighting for Queen Rhaenyra Targaryen against her younger half brother
Aegon II, negotiating the Pact of Ice and Fire, wherein house Stark was promised a Targaryen
bride in exchange for their support.
With Winter approaching, Lord Cregan Stark started to gather together a massive army,
recruiting childless, homeless, unwed men, and young sons, hoping to spare their families
from the burden of supporting them during the difficult years to come.
However, due to the size of the Northern territory, it took 2 years to properly prepare their
forces, and so Lord Stark also sent a smaller army of 2000 men to march south at once, known
as the Winter Wolves under the command of Roderick Dustin.
Mounted atop shaggy horses, the Winter Wolves proved devastating in battle, defeating Lannister
spearmen at the Battle of the Lakeshore, and killing Ser Criston Cole in the Butcher’s
Ball.
Yet the Northmen were then finally defeated at the First Battle of Tumbleton, when they
were betrayed by the Dragon Riders Ulf the White and Hard Hugh Hammer, two low born men
who’d risen in status due to their ability to bond with a dragon.
Another group hailing from the North, were the Knights of White Harbor, led by the brothers
Ser Medrick and Ser Torrhen Manderly, sent to serve Queen Rhaenyra directly during her
time in the capital.
Yet as the war went on, King’s Landing began to rebel against the Black faction Queen,
and so the Manderly Brothers asked Rhaenyra to come with them to White harbor where she
might be protected.
However the Queen instead chose to leave the Manderlys behind and travelled to Dragonstone,
where she was betrayed, captured and killed by the enemy.
After two years of preparation, the great Northern host under Cregan Stark was at last
ready to march south, but were now facing a far different situation then what they had
originally anticipated.
With the death of Queen Rhaenya, King Aegon II sat atop the Iron Throne, however with
the realm still divided, the extent of his power did not reach much further than the
capital.
Fearing the massive northern army approaching, Aegon’s remaining advisers urged him to
sue for peace, but he refused and so was poisoned to death in order to place Rhaenyra’s first
born son on the throne, known to history as King Aegon III.
Although the Black faction was technically victorious, Cregan Stark was furious that
his men were denied battle and so took charge of King’s Landing, ruling with iron fist
for 6 days in what came to be known as the Hour of the Wolf.
During this time, 22 were arrested for poisoning Aegon II, with Lord Corlys Velaryon negotiating
a pardon, while the others either joined the Night’s Watch or faced execution.
After finishing his business in the south, Cregan stark was held in high regard by the
court of King Aegon III, however a princess of House Targaryen was never actually delivered
to the Starks, leaving the Pact of Ice and Fire ultimately unfulfilled.
Although the Starks remained in power throughout the years of Targaryen rule, they faced a
number of threats against them, like the failed Skagosi rebellion during the reign of King
Daeron II, which went on for years and claimed the lives of many, including Lord Barthogan
Stark.
There was also the ironborn reevers under Lord Dagon Greyjoy who attacked the western
coast during the reign of King Aerys I, only to be repelled by the forces of Lord Beron
Stark.
The North then faced yet another bloody confrontation in 226AC, when the King beyond the wall Raymun
Redbeard, led his people past the Night’s Watch only to be defeated by the combined
army of Lord Willam Stark and Lord Harmond Umber at the battle of the long lake.