House Mythers of Watching Whispers
The Mythers are landed knights sworn to the Hightowers of the Hightower, their seat, the small stone keep of Watching Whispers, is located south-west of Oldtown, half-way between Blackcrown and Oldtown. As a family the Mythers are very energetic, the current Lord is known for going entire weeks without sleep, busying himself with the affairs of his lands and the realm.
Like their overlords from Oldtown, the Mythers rode beneath Renly's banner, doing well in the tourneys which the young king held as he marched on the city. When Renly rode to relieve Storm's End, Dickon remained with his small retinue with the host at Bitterbridge. His youngest uncle rode with the King, and was one of the men who swore fealty to Stannis.
Dickon, against the wishes of his turncloak uncle, aided Randyll Tarly in purging the host at Bitterbridge.
"Not my finest hour," he would later tell his daughter. "But necessary. To protect the family, lives must be taken."
Dickon and his elder uncle would then go on to smash Stannis' host at Kings Landing. As the gods would have it, as the Myther Bear-and-Rose drove in to the Baratheon ranks, Dickon and Ormund chanced upon Aemond, who was furiously holding the ever-crumbling line.
Unwilling to slay their own blood, the two knights allowed their kin to flee with Stannis, "the only man who deserves the throne."
Dickon returned with his levies to Watching Whispers, while Ormund followed Randyll Tarly against the northmen at Duskendale. He took charge of the Reachmen infantry when the northern forces threatened to break through.
For his actions, Mace Tyrell gifted the man a freshly-forged suit of plate.
Upon his return to Watching Whispers, Ormund was named "The Footman." He then, at the insistence of his grand-niece Isabelle, had his own, personal sigil made, replacing the white bear with cross axes, sable and argent.
When the Ironborn launched their assault on the Reach, Dickon dispatched Ormund to Oldtown to aid in the training of the men there. In exchange, twenty Hightower men-at-arms and two galleys were stationed at Watching Whispers, to act as a barrier should the Greyjoy longships attempt to sail up the Whispering Sound.
The Mythers did not always follow their liege lords when it came to supporting a claimant to the Iron Throne. During the bloody Dance of the Dragons, when Oldtown marched beneath the Golden Dragon of Aegon Targaryen, old Ser Jon marched for Rhaenyra, fighting at the Battle on the Honeywine under the command of Alan Beesbury. When Daeron, on the back of Tessarion, arrived to put the Black army to flight, Jon Mythers survived the battle, and found himself at Tumbleton with the Queen's supporters.
The tragedy of the resulting battle was not than the town was burned to the ground by the Two Betrayers, but that old Jon was slain by his sons, who had squired for Bryndon and Hobert Hightower. As he lay in the arms of his eldest, Jon was said to have whispered, "I died as I lived, a Myther of the Black Rose."
With their father's death on their hands, the sons could not stand to see the colours of their father on their shields. They each claimed the epithet: "The Green" and replaced the sable rose with green. Robert, the middle brother, fearing for his life after confronting Hugh Hammer, he returned to Watching Whispers mere days before Addam Velaryon descended on the town.
Mathis and William were killed by the rivermen knights as they tried to protect Prince Daeron the Daring. Their shields were returned to Watching Whispers by a loyal men-at-arms when he deserted the army.
Years after the war was over, Robert told his own son, "I took no part in his death, but the mere fact that I was beneath a different flag makes me a kinslayer. I am damned."
He died at the age of twenty-five after a period of severe illness.
Ever since the crowning of King Aegon III, any member of House Mythers who has spilled the blood of a relative, or fights against the head of the House, is given the name: "The Green" and takes the sigil of the three brothers who killed their father.
The Blackfyre Rebellion saw the militant House Mythers serve beneath the Black Dragon, fighting under Quentyn Ball at the crossing of the Mander and in the Westerlands, although petty rivalry with a rival house saw the Mythers retract from the fighting before the Redgrass Field. Even then, Ser Fergus was heart-broken at the news of the fall of Daemon and his sons, and the defeat of the Blackfyre Rebellion.
The War of the Usurper saw the Mythers, headed by the brothers Andar, Ormund and Aemond, served under Randyll Tarly at the Battle of Ashford, before parting ways. Andar, with Simon and a group of like-minded reachmen joined the Royalist army under Jon Connington. They fought at the Battle of the Bells, where Simon, called the Knight in Black for his armour, was slain. Andar slew the lord responsible, but wrote to his son that he had not felt a great dislike to the man for doing his duty.
"We all do our duty, and if that results in a death, then the Gods decided so."
When Andar was slain during the retreat at the Trident, he written words made it easier for his ten-year-old son to understand why.
"We are all taught duty."
House Mythers of Watching Whispers:
Words: All Need Beasts, All Need Beauty
Known Members at the end of the 3rd century:
Ser Dickon Mythers, 25, Knight of Watching Whispers
-his wife, Lady Cersei of Oldtown, the Beauty of Whispering Sound
their children:
- Isabelle, a girl of eight
- Jon, a boy of three
his father, Andar Mythers, died during the Battle of the Trident at the age of 39
his mother, Jeyne Connington, 46,
his uncles:
- Ormund Mythers, called "The Footman", 40, experienced soldier, currently aiding Baelor Hightower train troops in Oldtown
--His wife, Maega Fossoway, the "Black Apple"
---their child, Rickon Mythers, the "Fruit Rose", 8
- Aemond Mythers, called "The Green", 35, former squire of Monford Velaryon, currently marching under Stannis Baratheon on Winterfell
--his first wife, Lady Tanya Ball, died during childbirth
---their child, Robert Mythers, 3, died of a chill
--his second wife, Lady Megga Mullendore, 21, currently under guard at Watching Whispers
- Simon Mythers, called "The Knight in Black", died at the Battle of the Bells at the age of 16
Historical Members:
Dance of the Dragons:
Jon Mythers, he fought for Rhaenyra during the Dance of the Dragons, being slain at the First Battle of Tumbleton by two of his sons.
Mathis - Jon's eldest son, delivered the blow which killed his father. Started the family tradition of changing the colours of House Myther to show those who went against the head of the house. Died trying to defend Daeron Targaryen during the Second Battle of Tumbleton
Robert - Jon's second son, followed his brothers' examples even though he took no part in the death of his father. Died after a period of illness
William - Jon's youngest son, died trying to defend Daeron the Daring during the Second Battle of Tumbleton
Fergus Mythers, he fought for Daemon Blackfyre during the Blackfyre Rebellions, under the command of Quentyn Ball, he won much respect among the Black loyalists. He returned home after a petty dispute and later died when the ship he was on was boarded by pirates.
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