Bad news had a way of propagating in itself, which one would almost say was mythical, much to the chagrin of a Septon or a member of the faith. Within minutes, the news of the events in the small council had spread far and wide throughout the Red Keep.

Hours later, the news had already filtered into the city. By evening, it was the latest point of gossip in every tavern and whorehouse in the city. Ravens flew fast and furiously from spies of all Kingdoms to their masters informing them of the fate of the foolish lord Jasper and the wrath of King Viserys Targaryen.

The execution of Jasper Wylde and the attainting of his house sent a thunder flash down the breeches of all the Lords within the Seven Kingdoms. Too late, all of them realized that King Viserys was not as unaware as he portrayed himself to be with regards to what was actually happening in his court. For all his kindness and joviality, all of them reminded themselves forcefully that Viserys was chosen by the great Jaeherys as his successor for a reason, and not for nothing had the Black Dread permitted him to be its last rider.

Within hours of the execution of Jasper Wylde, Queen Alicent had tried to speak with the King, but it seemed that King Viserys was in no mood to relent. With the exception of the members of the small council, all the Lords and Ladies of all major and minor houses who were in the Red Keep were ordered to return to their homeland's.

Queen Alicent was quick enough to realize that her husband was seriously wroth and silently watched as the King literally banished all the Greens and Blacks from the city completely. This caused quite a stir coupled with the Royal Order for a Great council to be assembled.

The decree of Prince Rhaegar Targaryen's proclamation as heir-apparent followed by Jasper Wylde's execution made it crystal clear to all and sundry that King Viserys intended to crown his daughter's son as his heir. In essence, King Viserys had subtly declared the Blacks as the winner of the battle of succession that had been emerging.

Everyone agreed that such a drastic turn of events would not have come about so rashly, if Jasper Wylde had not foolishly over reached and attempted to prevent the King from issuing his decree. While it was one thing to work assiduously to further the interests of your patron and liege, it was foolhardy to attempt and prevent a King from doing what he wanted in the process in such a blatant and bellicose manner.

All of the efforts that the Greens had put in was at the risk of being undone, because of the over zealousness of a single vassal. The news of what had happened caused much consternation in Oldtown and House Hightower. Otto Hightower realized belatedly that his actions had attracted too much scrutiny and had forced the King to abandon his lethargy and actually take part in the succession row. By now, it was clear that Viserys intended to force the matter of Rhaegar as his heir by any means necessary, and the great council was the one place left where he could stop it from happening. If Rhaenyra's son was acknowledged as the heir by a Great Council, then his legitimacy to the throne would be Iron clad, and nothing short of civil war and outright rebellion would bring the throne to his grandchildren.

The return of Daemon Targaryen and the lifting of his banishment, as well as his appointment as the new Master of Laws left no doubts in his mind that Viserys was now actually working to curtail him and his efforts.

At the same time, Corlys Velaryon too came to the exact same conclusion. To secure his grandson on the throne, he too began to prepare for the Great council. Rhaenyra had been over the moon ever since her father's proclamation had been sent, and the Blacks had seen a resurgence of eager Lords and lordlings flocking to their banner once the proclamation had been sent. In one swift stroke of the executioner's sword, Viserys Targaryen had granted the Blacks an astonishing lead over their rivals. All that was left, was to cement their gains.

Ravens soon began to fly from Oldtown and Driftmark to all the Lords Paramount and their vassals bearing offers and counter-offers.

Meanwhile, majority of the Lords Paramount reacted cautiously to the proclamation and began to prepare to travel to the capital for the Great council. By now, it was clear to everyone that King Viserys intended to crown his grandson and all of them knew that Otto Hightower would not let the throne go to Rhaenyra and her son without a fight. However, the main reason for their caution was two-fold.

One, if they rejected Viserys and his proclamation, the King could still force the issue, and with the Dragons of House Targaryen, there was little they could do to resist. They had no dearth of ambitious relatives who would happily bow down to the King in return for their lands and their seats. On the other hand, allowing the King to run roughshod over the laws and customs of the land seriously roiled their minds and their conscience. If Viserys prevailed, it would forever elevate the Royal family to a status beyond that of theirs. Something which they desperately wanted to prevent at all costs. Despite the conquest, the Lords Paramount had maintained a thin facade publicly to the world that the Royal Family was only the first amongst peers, and not one which lorded over them, despite that exactly being the case. It was now nearly a century since the conquest and the memories of the 'Field of Fire' had already dimmed in their minds.

They knew that they would soon receive offers from Otto Hightower and Corlys Velaryon, and they all elected to ignore them. The only offer that mattered was yet to come. And they would get them from Viserys himself, once they reached Kings Landing.

Account of the The Great Council of Kings Landing

The Great Council of Kings Landing began five months after the call went out from Kings Landing via raven to all the Kingdoms of Westeros. In this matter, there was one unexpected surprise to the rest of the Kingdoms in the fact that the Ironborn decided to participate fully in this council. King Viserys had made it very clear to the Iron Islands that non-participation in the great council would have a rather warm outcome for the Ironborn. And the Ironborn complied. The lessons of Harrenhall were not to be forgotten so soon.

One by one, the Lord Paramount's of all the Kingdoms began to arrive, and owing to tradition, King Viserys granted each of the Lords Paramount a privilege of an individual audience. The details of those conversations remained unknown. What the King discussed individually with each of the Paramount's fueled much speculation in the city.

But the biggest outcry arose when Princess Rhaenyra arrived to the council with the Velaryon delegation, and notably absent from the delegation were Princess Rhaenys and Prince Rhaegar, who had remained on Dragonstone. Though Princess Rhaenyra justified the move by saying that Prince Rhaegar was just four months old, and was not capable of travel, the unspoken insinuation that she did not trust the Hightower's to attempt an assassination of the Crown Prince was heard by all.

Similarly, the Hightower delegation arrived, and made its presence felt. At this point, it was clear that the factions of both sides had already materialized. The Reach, The West and The Stormlands were firmly in step with each other as part of the Greens. Against them, the Blacks could count upon the Crownlands, the Riverlands and the Vale. The North was seen as neutral but there were subtle indications that they were favorable to the Blacks. The Ironborn were wild cards and were not regarded as part of the main-lands of Westeros.

Under this tumultuous atmosphere, the council began.

On the opening day of the council, King Viserys Targaryen made his case. He declared that while he was the beneficiary of the previous council of King Jaehaerys, it was abundantly clear that Jaehaerys had not foreseen the problems that could arise by depriving his female heirs of their birthright because of their gender, even if they were first-born. Even if it was accepted that females could not inherit, he had failed to take into question how the heirs of the female line would be deprived of their rightful inheritance based upon the gender of their parent. If not resolved, this could lead to resentment, and eventually resentment would turn to anger, and finally anger to betrayal. And the end result would be a civil war.

As such, Viserys declared that if the King's firstborn was a daughter and could not inherit, then her son's being descended of the first line would inherit in place of their mother. This would respect primogeniture, and assuage the concerns of the Lords who did not wish to see a woman ascend. He further added that if the daughter could not give birth to any sons until the time of her father's death, then taking it as God's will, the inheritance would pass on to the second child of the King, and this cycle would repeat, so on and so forth. If the King were to pass away before his first-born (if she was a daughter) was married, then the crown would be held in regency, until the daughter came of age and was married. If then also, the daughter could not give birth to a son in two successive cycles, the regency would be abolished, and the next born would inherit.

These measures were intended to safeguard the rights of the descendants of female firstborn of the Kings, and if even after that, if they could not inherit the throne, then that would be considered as God's will. He asked the council to consider all these points and vote for his measures.

At this point, Otto Hightower interceded, and thanking the King for placing these points, noted that the proposals would have everlasting changes and far-reaching consequences for all of Westeros, and requested a day's recess, so that all the lords could consider these points in their full merit. After some talk, the point was conceded, and the recess was granted.

Next day, Otto Hightower took the stage, knowing that what he was about to speak could make or break the future of his descendants. While Otto conceded that what the King had proposed were reasonable laws and safeguards, he argued that in doing so, the King was forcing changes upon the very foundations of the laws of Westeros and in the laws held sacrosanct by the Faith. Andal law, and even the laws of the First Men did not and would not permit what the King was proposing, and to consider them would be a heresy. He argued that the King was blinded by his love for his eldest daughter, and to ensure her happiness he was willing to run roughshod over the very fabric of the society which held Westeros together. He stated in no uncertain terms, that what Jaehaerys had done was right, and that his precedent could not be overturned. A firstborn if she was a daughter, could not inherit, period. Andal and First law did not permit it. The undertone of his declaration, though he did not outright state it, was clear. If King Viserys forced this issue, then there would be rebellion.

At this point, Corlys Velaryon stood up, and again, similarly to what Otto had done the previous day, requested a recess, so that all parties could consider the points in their full and righteous merit. Again, after some talk, the recess was granted.

On the third day, Corlys Velaryon presented his rebuke of Otto Hightower's points, which is nowadays considered as one of the finest political arguments in the history of Westeros. As he began, Corlys acknowledged the points that Otto Hightower had made. He conceded the point that Otto Hightower had made that Andal and First Men law did not permit female inheritance. But this was the point. The Royal family was neither Andal nor of First Men lineage. It was Valyrian. And as per Valyrian law, Princess Rhaenyra did indeed have the right to inherit. However, the fact that the King was considering to exclude her and pass on the right to her son could be counted as the generosity of the King to Westerosi sensibilities. Furthermore, he pointed out that the King was not asking all the houses of Westeros to consider female primogeniture. He was doing it only to his own house, which was Valyrian and had no obligation to adhere to Andal or First men laws. Only because it was the Royal family in question, was this a point of contention. If the Targaryen's were not the royal family, nobody would have cared who would inherit. To this, he made the following declaration. Inheritance and all other internal matters in Westeros for families of Valyrian descent henceforth would be on the basis of Valyrian law, and not on Andal or First Men laws. Just as when the Andals arrived on Westeros and brought their own laws and customs with them, it was fair on the part of the Valyrian families who had come to Westeros since the conquest to adhere to Valyrian customs. If the Andal and First Men families insisted that the Valyrian families not follow their own customs, then the Valyrian families had the right to insist that Andal and First Men lineages not follow their own customs. Neither the Andals and the First Men would tolerate others imposing their beliefs on them, and likewise the same applied to Valyrians as well.

Once this argument was made, all semblance of coherence in the council was lost, as furious arguments and counter-arguments were made. Finally, a very pale and shaken Otto Hightower asked for a recess and a vote on this matter to be held the next day, which was granted.

That night, the Reach contingent furiously reached out to all the participants from the other Kingdom's and held hectic parleys. At the same time, King Viserys sent out a personal note to each of the Lord Paramount's, the contents of which remained unknown at the time.

The next day, in a very tense and nervous atmosphere, the council voted on the proposal made by Corlys Velaryon on behalf of King Viserys. To the extreme shock of the Hightower faction, it passed by an overwhelming majority. As one, all the members of the North, the Vale, the Riverlands, and the Iron Islands voted for the proposal. In a rude surprise to Lord Lannister and Lord Baratheon, nearly a third of their own vassals voted for the proposal. Only the Reach in its entirety voted against it. But even the humongous might of its in-numerous members paled against the collective might of Westeros.

When all the results were tallied, the Archmaesters from the citadel who had arrived to officiate the process declared the results and the proposal of Corlys Velaryon was adopted. Henceforth, all families of Valyrian descent in Westeros would be governed solely by Valyrian law. Based on that precept, the next proposal by King Viserys to declare his grandson, Rhaegar Targaryen, as his heir was overwhelmingly approved and all the lords of Westeros acknowledged him as the next heir to the Iron Throne.

Even as Otto Hightower watched his lifetime ambition burn to ashes in front of him, King Viserys stood up and declared that the Great council was yet to continue, and that they had just cleared the first step.

Next, to the stunned assembly, he declared the annulment of the marriage between Prince Daemon Targaryen and Lady Rhea Royce of Runestone. Furthermore, at the same time, he announced the marriage between Daemon Targaryen and Lady Laena Velaryon to take place in a Sen night's time.

He further compounded the shock by raising House Velaryon to the position of Lords Paramount of the Crownlands. While he acknowledged that the passage of the Valyrian inheritance law had come too late to benefit Princess Rhaenys Targaryen, he declared that this was his intent of righting the wrong that was done to her, and as such, he had raised her family to the ranks of Lord Paramount's and that all her descendants henceforth would be Lord Paramount's.

At the same time, he acknowledged that ruling Kings Landing, the largest city in Westeros itself directly was enough for the Royal family, and declared Kings Landing as the only free city of Westeros owing to it being the capital. The city and its boundaries including up to the Kingswood would be freed of its obligations to the Crownlands and be declared free city territory. The rest would remain part of the Crownlands.

After a moment's discussion, these proposals too were adopted, before King Viserys finally declared the reason as to why the rest of the Lords Paramount's of Westeros had declared their support so overwhelmingly to the Blacks and the reason why the Reach's entreaties to the other Kingdom's the previous night had failed.

After all the hubbub had ended, King Viserys finally laid out his plan to reform the Small Council, which would henceforth be known as the Royal Council. King Viserys explained that owing to the geographical advantage that certain Kingdoms possessed, they had greater access to the Royal court compared to the other Kingdom's and that he intended to correct this imbalance. Having the Royal Council be dominated by Lords who came from the regions close to Kings Landing would automatically lead them to favoring their own lands and people at the expense of others. This was human nature, and he did not intend to blame them.

As such, Viserys outlined his proposal thus. Henceforth, all Hands of the King's would serve only for a term of seven years. Seven being of special significance owing to the faith of the seven. From now on, each Lord Paramount would serve for a term of seven years and would have complete freedom to choose the members of the Royal council as per his wishes. While it was a given that they would favor their own homeland, the caveat was that they could not do it at the expense of weakening other realms. The overall stability of the realm had to be kept in mind. As long as their actions did not weaken Westeros as a whole, their actions would be tolerated. The King would retain the supreme authority of overriding any decision made by the Council if he felt it to be against the well-being of the Kingdom, and could dismiss the council in case of charges of corruption were proven.

From now on, each realm would have seven years to govern the Royal council, and each Lord Paramount would be the 'Hand of the King' at least once in his life, provided he did not die before his turn arrived. Either way, each realm would have its voice heard and its mark made.

To offset the geographical advantages that the Kingdom's closer to Kings Landing had, the order of governance would start from the realms at the farthest end of the Realm.

In this precedence, the first House to have its chance would be to the enormous shock of everyone, House Greyjoy. The sequence of Houses governing the Royal Council to be followed in perpetuity was thus:

House Greyjoy

House Stark

House Arryn

House Tully

House Lannister

House Baratheon

House Tyrell

House Velaryon

Once the cycle was complete, it would start over again, and keep on repeating for perpetuity. At that moment, Otto Hightower realized that he had been completely outplayed and crushed. Against the eternal benefits that these houses would gain in the long-term due to this arrangement compared to the short-term gains they could gain by siding with his faction, anyone would choose the former.

In one stroke, Viserys Targaryen had secured his grandson's position, and undermined the opposition to the boy's rule by emasculating the political power of the Reach so thoroughly, that compared to them an unsullied could be termed as a virile man. The Greens and by association the Reach had not made many friends in their attempt to secure the position of Queen Alicent Hightower's children. This coupled with the disdain with which they treated the other Kingdom's ensured that they would never side with the Green's on this issue. Hell, by the time the Reach, meaning the Tyrell's and by association the Hightower's would come into power in the small council under the terms of this new arrangement, Rhaegar Targaryen himself would be nearly fifty years old!

This was quite clearly designed to break the hold of the southern kingdoms on the Small, no, Royal Council, but it could not be opposed, not when nearly five of the seven great houses stood to gain too much from it.

At the end of the council, King Viserys Targaryen called upon Lord Ulrik Greyjoy, the Lord of the Iron Islands, and Lord Reaper of Pyke forward. He then asked Lord Greyjoy to take over the position of the Hand of the King, and he asked only one thing in return.

For being granted the right to be counted as one of the great houses of Westeros, and from now on having a say in how all of Westeros is run, he demanded that the Ironborn swear a great oath upon the 'Drowned God' to forever forswear from their reaving ways.

As the great council watched with baited breath, Lord Greyjoy was silent for five whole excruciating minutes. Afterwards, Lord Greyjoy replied that the whole reason why the Ironborn resorted to reaving was because after their banishment from the Riverlands to the Iron Islands since the death of House Hoare, reaving was the only way through which they could provide for their lands, since the Iron Islands could not provide anything. The land had no resources and was not arable, and to give this oath would consign his people to death. And unless this problem was addressed, he could not in good faith, comply with the King's demands.

Upon hearing this, King Viserys remained silent for a few minutes, and later on agreed to the point. He said that this too was a historical wrong that needed to be set right. To that extent, he declared that he would hand over the Stepstones which had been conquered in their entirety by Prince Daemon Targaryen to the Iron Islands. Henceforth, the Stepstones would be part of the territories belonging to the Iron Islands, and since they possessed the necessary resources required, the Ironborn would not be forced to reave.

Daemon Targaryen also added that although he had conquered the Stepstones, he was not suited to rule. Besides, he had already gotten what he wanted out of this council, and was therefore not averse to handing over the Stepstones to the Ironborn, provided that they agree to this brother's demands.

At this, Lord Greyjoy knelt in submission and declared the eternal loyalty of the Ironborn to the Iron Throne. Furthermore, he declared that Reaving was a part of Ironborn culture similar to Andal and First Men ways, however, he was willing to swear a great oath on the 'Drowned God' that the Ironborn would no longer reave upon the shores of Westeros, and that none of the Kingdoms of Westeros would ever have to fear an Ironborn raid again, as finally House Greyjoy and the Iron Islands had been given their due by courtesy of King Viserys Targaryen.

To great acclamation and cheers, Ulrik Greyjoy then swore the great oath of the Ironborn (which has held to date), and declared his willingness to accept the terms of King Viserys Targaryen. Then, he became the first among the Lord Hands of Westeros to be sworn as part of the governing cycle, and the lineage and history of 'The Hands of the Kings' is counted as beginning from his reign, before he handed over his term to Cregan Stark.

With this, the Great Council came to an end, and asserted the supremacy of House Targaryen over Westeros. King Viserys Targaryen pushed through a series of reforms which transformed Westeros as a whole, and through skillful compromises and offers, negated the pitfalls which would have arisen otherwise. The issue of succession was also settled without problems. Princess Rhaenyra though disappointed that she would never rule as queen was nevertheless content as the mother of the King-to-be. Like her goodmother, Princess Rhaenys, she too became known as 'The second queen that never was."

House Velaryon saw a great upswing to its fortunes as did House Greyjoy. The rotating ownership of the Royal Council placated all the other great houses who were now assured a guaranteed say in the affairs of running Westeros. Indeed, the seven-year councils became a universally accepted and liked measure, as it guaranteed a form of stability to Westeros as it made certain that no single great house could run roughshod over the others. Indeed, the biggest losers in this debacle were the Lords of the Reach who had thrown in their lot with the Hightower's and now had nothing to show for it. They had gone for wool, but had come shorn instead.

They had been so thoroughly crushed that any chance they had of reclaiming their political fortunes would come only at the end of the cycle of governance, which would mean a forty year wait. For those who were envisioning uncontested supremacy over Westeros upon the ascension of Queen Alicent's children, this came as a rude and terrible shock.

Their resentment and anger at this perceived insult to the Reach would have grave consequences fifteen years down the line, and result in the 'Green Rebellion' which came close to destroying the stability of Westeros as a whole. However, by that time, Prince Rhaegar 'The Red Dragon' was a man grown, and the manner in which he dealt with that rebellion it can be said, changed the course of history.

~ Excerpt from The Great councils of Westeros

By Archmaester Willem Tully