The Storm

[Westeros]

Ser Orson Baratheon’s wedding to Lady Ryone Prester at Storm’s End would prove to be ill-omened. Attended by many of the court’s great and good—Prince Aegon among the former if not the latter, accompanied by Ser Kenric Darry of the Kingsguard—the festivities began well enough. But the wedding joust would see scandal with Prince Aegon carrying the field and and crowning another man’s wife Queen of Love and Beauty in a manner meant to insult him; Lady Jyana Lannister, married to Ser Jonn, heir to Casterly Rock and a man who had earned the prince’s disfavour.

Far worse than scandal would follow the next day when a great storm swept in off the sea during an archery contest, causing a near stampede and taking lives as it drove people within the safety of Storm’s End’s curtain walls. For a day and a night the storm raged, so fierce that none had seen its like in a generation. Within a day of its ending, ravens from Lord Corwen’s bannermen had begun to reach Storm’s End with dark tidings.

The storm had wrought such a devastation upon the Stormlands that the lives it claimed were a mere prelude to what was to come. Entire villages had been destroyed. Livestock had been scattered. Their bloated corpses dotted fields and woods along with those of smallfolk. Grain reserves had been ruined, a death sentence in winter. Disease and starvation were but days away, the Stranger’s heralds. That those of the court who had sailed for the wedding were now trapped at Storm’s End, their ships greatly damaged at anchor and the road all but impassable now, was a minor trouble in comparison.

Lord Corwen wasted no time in opening his granaries and sending out his men to aid where they could. But more was needed, grain and men beyond his ability to provide, and so the proud lord sent ravens to King’s Landing asking King Baelor for aid.

And received it two weeks hence, for King Baelor had moved swiftly, ordering Admiral Dagur Saltcliffe south with ships hastily loaded with grain and carrying healers, septons, septas and Silent Sisters besides, led by Septon Elwood, to tend to the needs of the devastated smallfolk, both temporal and spiritual.

And he sent word as well, bidding the lordlings and knights of the court trapped at Storm’s End ride out with those of the Faith and earn the favour of the Seven—with his cousin Princess Naerys adding an injunction for the women to show their devotion to the Gods to be no less strong.

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