Named by many as the most beautiful castle in all of Westeros, Highgarden has been the
seat of power for House Gardener and later Tyrell as they ruled the rich and fertile
lands of the Reach.
Described to possess fields of flowers, groves and fountains, shady courtyards, marble colonnades,
and old buildings covered by grape vines and climbing roses, Highgarden can also boast
to have lush soil which grows melons, peaches, and fireplums.
Known as a center of culture, music and high art, the halls of the mighty fortress often
teem with singers, pipers, fiddlers and harpers.
Built atop a hill and protected by 3 rings of whitestone walls, an elaborate briar maze
was constructed between the outer and middle wall, a labrynth of thorns and hedges which
serve to entertain and delight their people, while also serving as an added layer of defense
in case of invasion.
Originally built by the First Men, Highgarden is home to a godswood, with three ancient
heartrees known as the 3 singers, having grown so large and entangled; they appear to be
a single tree with 3 trunks.
When the rulers of Highgarden chose to submit to the Seven gods of the Andals, they built
a magnificent Sept with stained glass windows, rivalled only by the Starry Sept of Oldtown
and Great Sept of Baelor in King’s Landing.
For most of its history, Highgarden was ruled by House Gardener, claiming direct descent
from Garth Greenhand, the legendary figure from the Age of Heroes some name High King
of the First Men, who taught his people how to farm the land and left behind a great many
sons and daughters.
Stories say his eldest son Garth the Gardener wore a crown of vines and flowers, making
his home atop a high hill overlooking the Mander River, and their built the settlement
that would become Highgarden.
Forming House Gardener, they sat upon the Oakenseat, a legendary living throne supposedly
planted by Garth Greenhand, and came to rule a large portion of the surrounding territory.
The Kingdom of the Reach, as it became known, was rivalled in the area by the Kingdom of
the Arbor, Kingdom of the Hightower and a kingdom in the western marches from Horn Hill
to Nightsong.
Yet in time they too joined the Kingdom of the Reach.
The Kings of Highgarden prospered greatly throughout the years, reaching their golden
age under Garth Gardener VII, known as the Goldenhand, who ruled for 81 largely peaceful
years.
When the Andals of Essos began their migration west, conquering many of the realms of Westeros,
the Houses of the Reach spent decades preparing for invasion, building ships in the Arbor
and defensive walls around Oldtown and Highgarden.
But in the end the Gardener Kings chose a policy of accord and assimilation rather than
open warfare.
This was made possible by the wise rule of the Three Sage Kings, who each maintained
this policy and successfully led the realm through these difficult years.
Beginning with King Garth Gardener IX, he made overtures of friendship and alliance
with some of the Andals migrating into his territory, bringing a septon of their faith
to court and made part of the King’s council.
While King Garth continued to worship the old gods, he allowed the construction of the
first sept in highgarden, claiming that it was better to accept the Andals and use them
to strengthen the Reach, rather than oppose them and risk destruction.
In his own words he stated, "When a wolf descends upon your flocks, all
you gain by killing him is a short respite, for other wolves will come.
If instead you feed the wolf and tame him and turn his pups into your guard dogs, they
will protect the flock when the pack comes ravening."
After the death of the king, his son Merle Gardener I came to power and converted to
the faith of the seven, funding septs, septries and motherhouses, as well as taking an Andal
maiden as his wife.
Then came his own son Gwayne Gardener V, the first king born into their new faith, earning
his knighthood and like his father, married an Andal maiden.
In exchange for oaths of fealty, each of the 3 kings took Andal Knights, nobles and retainers
into their service, granting lands and titles to the most powerful among them.
Under King Gwayne, the Andal knight Alester Tyrell was made champion and sworn shield.
Founding House Tyrell, Alester’s second son Gareth became the royal Steward of House
Gardener.
Gareth and his own son Leo did so well in this position; High Steward of Highgarden
became a hereditary title for the descendants of House Tyrell.
The Gardener Kings also made efforts to acquire Andal craftsmen, blacksmiths and stonemasons,
so they might arm and armor themselves in iron instead of bronze and strengthen their
defenses and fortifications.
Through the intermixing of Andals and First Men, several new houses rose to prominence
in the reach, including the Ormes, parrens, gracefords, cuys, roxtons, ufferings, leygoods
and varners.
With Andals culture now dominating the southern realms of the continent, the Kingdom of the
Reach became known as the land of chivalry, with songs and stories speaking of gallant
knights and fair maids.
Unfortunately the Reach soon declined in power when it fell under a frivolous ruler who surrounded
himself with fools and flatterers.
King Garth Gardener X ruled for 89 years, yet his long reign saw much warfare and the
near collapse of his house and realm.
At the end of his life, the reach was torn apart by war with the Stormlands, Westerlands
and Dorne, as well as a civil war which erupted between House Manderly and Peake.
In the end, a Dornish army sacked highgarden, burning the Oakenseat and slitting the throat
of the senile old king.
With the ruler dead and realm divided, it was Ser Osmund Tyrell, steward of Highgarden
who set out to restore stability and peace, gathering an alliance which defeated House
Manderly and Peake, then placing the deceased rulers second cousin, Mern Gardener VI as
king in Highgarden.
King Mern proved wise and dutiful, rebuilding his families’ ancestral home, and rewarding
Ser Osmund by wedding his son Robert Tyrell to a daughter of House Gardener.
This proved quite useful to House Tyrelll, as they could later claim royal blood, and
descent from Garth Greenhand when they eventually rose to power under the Targaryen conquerors.
When Aegon and his sister-wives invaded the continent in the Conquest of Westeros, House
Gardiner raised a large army of 55000 alongside their allies in House Lannister of the Westerlands
but were soundly defeated in the field of Fire, leading to the death of King Mern Gardener
IX, his sons, grandsons, brothers, and cousins.
With House gardener destroyed, Harlen Tyrell surrendered Highgarden peacefully and swore
fealty to the Targaryens, who then raised House Tyrell to become Lords of the Reach.
Although, the Tyrells did have some claim to the ancient royal line of the territory,
there ascent to power bore jealousy from older Houses like the Florents, Rowans and Oakhearts,
who like the Gardeners claimed direct descent from Garth Greenhand.
With a Targaryen king ruling from the crownlands, the Tyrells of Highgarden prospered greatly,
even hosting a famous Tourney known as the Field of Roses under king Jaehaerys I.
A few decades later during the Dance of the Dragons civil war, the Reach became divided
with Houses Hightower and Redwyne siding with King Aegon, while the Tarlys, Rowans, Grimms
and many others sided with Queen Rhaenyra.
House Tyrell, seeing its territory fractured, chose to remain neutral throughout the conflict.
However during Robert’s Rebellion, Highgarden and the Reach chose to fight for House Targaryen,
and provided one of their greatest victories in the war, defeating Robert Baratheon at
the battle of Ashford before laying siege to Storm’s End.
When violence again erupted in Westeros during the war of the five kings, the Tyrell’s
of Highgarden initially sided with King Renly Baratheon until he was assassinated, then
forming an alliance with King Joffrey and later King Tommen of King’s Landing, marrying
a daughter of their House to the crown.