Secret siege

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The secret siege occurred in 135 AC during the regency of Aegon III. When King Aegon III Targaryen and his brother, Prince Viserys defiantly remained in Maegor's Holdfast within the Red Keep for eighteen days in order to protect Viserys' wife from being arrested on the orders of the regents. [1]

It is known as the "secret siege" due to the fact the majority of both the population of King's Landing and the rest of Westeros were unaware of the siege until after its conclusion. [1]

Prelude

It started when Prince Viserys Targaryen's wife, Larra of Lys, and her family from House Rogare were accused of being part of a plot to overthrow King Aegon. Lord Thaddeus Rowan, the Hand of the King was also implicated in the conspiracy and was arrested and taken to the dungeons where the lord confessor, Lord George Graceford began torturing him. Ser Marston Waters, the Lord Commander of the Kingsguard was appointed the new Hand of the King by the council of regents and he ordered the arrest of Larra and her kin. [1]

Ser Amaury Peake of the Kingsguard along with a dozen men-at-arms went to Maegor's Holdfast to arrest her, but Prince Viserys and King Aegon refused to give her up. Viserys planted an axe upon the drawbridge and warned Peake and his men not to cross it, before retreating back into the castle. When Amaury's men passed the axe, Sandoq the Shadow emerged and slew all the guards and Ser Amaury himself. After Sandoq was done, he retreated within the holdfast and the king commanded the portcullis be lowered and the drawbridge raised. King Aegon, prince Viserys, queen Daenaera, Larra Rogare, several ladies in waiting, a few guardsmen and Sandoq would remain within the castle within a castle for eighteen days. Ser Raynard Ruskyn of the Kingsguard was within the holdfast too, but had been overwhelmed by the Lys and made a prisoner. [1]

The Siege

Though Aegon and Viserys had very few men within the holdfast, Ser Marston refused to storm the keep, as he did not wish to dishonor the white cloak by ordering an attack on the king he had sworn to protect. So it was decided to try and persuade the king and prince to leave with words. Ser Marston Waters, Ser Lucas Leygood, grandmaster Munkun, Septon Bernard, even the despised master-at-arms, Ser Gareth Long all tried to persuade the king to end the siege, but to no avail.[1][2]

On the twelfth day of the siege, Lord Thaddeus Rowan was brought before the holdfast. After days of torture Lord Thaddeus falsely confessed to being part of the plot with House Rogare to kill king Aegon. The confession unravelled though when Prince Viserys began asking him a few questions that Lord Rowan, weakened from the torture he experienced all answered yes straight away too in a meek and passive tone. Viserys finally asked him if he had poisoned King Viserys I Targaryen and Lord Rowan answered yes. Viserys and Aegon saw that Thaddeus had been broken, and had said what his torturers wanted to hear to stop the pain, making his confession invalid. King Aegon pointed this out to Ser Marston and ordered him to arrest those responsible for Lord Rowan's torture. [1]

After the false confession of Lord Rowan, Marston recalled his duty and fulfilled his king's command to arrest those who had falsely implicated Thaddeus and the Rogares. Lord George Graceford implicated a dozen of men involved in the conspiracy. Marston was stabbed while trying to apprehend his own sworn brother, Ser Mervyn Flowers, who was later beaten to death by others. [1]

Even as all this was going on, king Aegon and prince Viserys who were mistrustful of the small council, did not leave the safety of Maegor's Holdfast for another six days and that was only after they saw Grandmaester Munkun followed king Aegon's orders and dispatch a flock of ravens to several of Aegon's leal lords. By the time King Aegon and his companions emerged from the holdfast, they had run out of food several days ago and were weak and exhausted from hunger.[1]

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 Fire & Blood, The Lysene Spring and the End of Regency.
  2. The World of Ice & Fire, The Targaryen Kings: Aegon III.