#The whitewalls tourney

[duchess-of-oldtown]

According to the way they adapted Fire and Blood in House of the Dragon, we can probably expect some changes in Dunk and Egg:

Dunk is actually the long lost son of Daemon Blackfyre and Dornish Daenerys Targaryen (y'know because EVERYONE has to have their parents explained)

Egg will not be loyal to Dunk, he'll be a total scumbag

Maekar DID kill Baelor on purpose.

Before Baelor dies he whispers that Egg should be King and Dunk must immediately be named a Kingsguard.

Aerion will commit like one actrocity and then get a redemption arc.

Bloodraven and Bittersteel are estranged lovers (this could work) and all this is a bitter divorce

Bloodraven gets his info by selling feet pics. The trees told him that's how Alicent did it.

Shiera Seastar DOES actually eat children and bathe in blood.

Daeron the Drunken will take so much fantasy cocaine/LSD that the whole thing was actually all an acid trip

Daemon II Blackfyre will not serve cunt or camp.

The Blackfyre Rebellion? All happened in one big miscommunication Trope.

The dragons aren't dead, they're actually just finding themselves in the wilderness, you know? They're just really getting into their earthy crunch side.

Maekar Targaryen will do nothing all season. Just serve face and say offensive shit

The Dornish will be an integral part of the season. You will only know about it because of Behind the Episode.

Valarr Targaryen is a socialist and that is why they killed him off.

The mastermind behind all the Targaryen deaths? Baby Walder Frey.

Who really stole the dragon egg at Whitewalls? Time Travelling Penny in disguise.

[goodqueenaly]

I’ve never come up with an entirely perfect working theory on Coldhands, but the one I lean toward most is that Coldhands is - somehow - an “ordinary” wight (to the extent the word can be used) whom Bloodraven has skinchanged into, effectively taking over from the Others' control of him, and is using as his agent, so to speak, outside the cave of the children of the forest. Whether or not this sort of skinchanging is even possible, I have no idea - but I gravitate toward this idea because I could see Bloodraven using, and justifying the use of, such a being to achieve his ends. As a wight, Coldhands would presumably raise no suspicions among other wights, and perhaps not the Others either - a useful cover for one who had to travel across many hostile miles between the Wall and the cave (and indeed, when Coldhands shows up to save Sam and Gilly, there doesn't seem to be any indication that the wights are going to attack him). Supernatural agents serving as his spies or as part of his spy network is of course nothing new for Bloodraven, given his actions in his political life: even if the stories Dunk remembers that Bloodraven “could change his face, put on the likeness of a one-eyed dog, even turn into a mist” and command “gaunt gray wolves [to hunt] down his foes” and “carrion crows [to spy] for him and [whisper] secrets in his ear” were not all completely true (though some, I think, undoubtedly were), Bloodraven was certainly willing to use a glamour to disguise himself as a hedge knight at the tourney at Whitewalls. From fabricating an identity, and face, to garb himself as another person, Bloodraven has, perhaps, progressed to taking over another person (or at least, their body) entirely, projecting himself into the world as he no longer physically can. 

More to the point, I like the way that Coldhands as a skinchanged wight controlled by Bloodraven might in a way represent Bloodraven himself (beyond merely serving as his agent). Like Bloodraven, Coldhands is a Night’s Watch ranger, both complete with tattered old blacks that once reflected their Night's Watch membership, seemingly dead “long ago” but in fact alive (or as much as either can be deemed alive, anyway). Coldhands is, like Bloodraven, a figure both sustained and bound by supernatural power. As Bloodraven has “lived beyond his mortal span” thanks to the weirwoods’ magic, so Coldhands, though killed long before his encounters with Sam and Bran, walks and talks like a living being; however, just as Brynden is fated sooner rather than later to “[go] into the trees” completely, to remain permanently in the cave and join that lineage of greenseers on their weirwood seats, so Coldhands is restricted to the wilds beyond the Wall, permitted neither to cross the Wall’s boundaries nor to enter the children’s warded cave. Coldhands no more hesitates to serve Bran, the Reeds, and Hodor the physical flesh of Night’s Watch deserters, despite the horror of cannibalism, than Bloodraven hesitated to serve Daeron II and Aegon V, metaphorically, the flesh of Daemon Blackfyre and his sons and Aenys Blackfyre, respectively, despite the proscriptions against kinslaying and violating guest right (albeit perhaps with some personal qualms for Bloodraven to the former). In the sort of amusing twist Bloodraven himself might appreciate, the man who once spoke with the king’s voice as Hand now perhaps almost literally has another speak with his voice while he himself sits on a mystical throne. Too, as Bloodraven had once appeared to Dunk looking like “a living corpse” as the former rode through King’s Landing, so now a real living corpse, just as pale, would represent Bloodraven as he rode across the lands beyond the Wall. 

What I like about this idea as well is the way in which it adds to the nuance and ethical questions surrounding Bloodraven and the magic he uses. To be clear, I think Bloodraven does care about saving the world: the literally superhuman effort put in to shepherding Bran to becoming his greenseer successor is I believe indicative of this aim. Nevertheless, by skinchanging into a raised wight, Bloodraven may be approaching something close to the rather more nefarious magic employed by the Others; if the very evil of the Others is in their enslaving the reanimated dead for the purposes of destruction, how moral or immoral is Bloodraven’s similar use of a wight, albeit for ultimately positive (or intended to be positive) ends? This potential willingness to take over a human body through magical means, with all the accompanying implications for and discussions on the morality of the actor in question, echoes not only in Varamyr’s disturbing Prologue (with his attempts to seize Thistle) but even in the otherwise very sympathetic Bran and his forcible takeover of Hodor, especially in non-survival or unintentional situations. Obviously, I do not think Bran is malicious or evil, much less on the level of monstrous Varamyr, but I do think the author wants readers to recognize the horror implicit here - through the Others, through these circumstances with Bran, and through, perhaps, Bloodraven’s control of Coldhands (hence the chilling self-identification of Coldhands as “your monster, Brandon Stark). 

[alannybunnue]

Ser Duncan runs into his little noble lady again at the tourney of Whitewalls with a very big baby on her hip 👀👀👀

👀

Oh no, everything is rushing back...

Duncan, you gotta be responsible for that child before the girl is given to some old ass lord.

[dan6085]

"A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms" by George R.R. Martin is a collection of three novellas set in the world of Westeros, nearly a century before the events of "A Song of Ice and Fire" series. The book follows the adventures of Ser Duncan the Tall (Dunk) and his squire, Egg, who later becomes King Aegon V Targaryen. The novellas explore themes of knighthood, honor, and the complexities of loyalty and power.

### Plot Summaries

#### 1. **The Hedge Knight**

The first novella introduces Dunk, a humble hedge knight, who aspires to become a true knight. After the death of his mentor, Ser Arlan of Pennytree, Dunk decides to enter a tourney at Ashford Meadow to prove his worth. Along the way, he encounters a young boy named Egg, who insists on becoming his squire. Unbeknownst to Dunk, Egg is actually Aegon Targaryen, a prince in disguise.

At the tourney, Dunk's life takes a dramatic turn when he defends a puppeteer named Tanselle from Prince Aerion Targaryen. This act of bravery leads to a trial by combat, where Dunk must fight for his life against several knights. With the help of friends he makes along the way, Dunk manages to survive the trial, setting the stage for his ongoing journey.

#### 2. **The Sworn Sword**

The second novella finds Dunk and Egg in service to Ser Eustace Osgrey, a minor lord whose lands are suffering from a drought. Conflict arises when Lady Rohanne Webber, known as the Red Widow, dams the river, depriving Osgrey's lands of water. Dunk is sent to negotiate but finds himself entangled in a deeper feud rooted in the history of the region.

Through a series of events, Dunk learns about the complexities of feudal loyalty and the sometimes murky nature of justice. The novella explores themes of chivalry and the harsh realities of knightly life, as Dunk must navigate his duty to his lord and his own moral compass.

#### 3. **The Mystery Knight**

In the third novella, Dunk and Egg attend a wedding tourney at Whitewalls, hosted by Lord Butterwell. The event is supposed to be a celebration, but Dunk uncovers a conspiracy to put a pretender on the Iron Throne, which is known as the Second Blackfyre Rebellion.

As Dunk navigates the treacherous political landscape, he must protect Egg's true identity and stay true to his knightly vows. The novella highlights the challenges of loyalty and the dangerous machinations of those seeking power.

### Challenges Faced by Dunk and Egg

1. **Identity and Secrecy**: Throughout their travels, Dunk and Egg must keep Egg's true identity as a Targaryen prince a secret. This adds constant tension, as revealing Egg's identity could attract dangerous attention.

2. **Moral Dilemmas**: Dunk is repeatedly faced with situations that challenge his understanding of honor and knighthood. He must balance his personal sense of justice with the demands and expectations of the lords he serves.

3. **Feudal Conflicts**: Dunk and Egg navigate the complex and often brutal world of feudal Westeros. They encounter various conflicts, from land disputes to political conspiracies, each requiring them to carefully choose their allegiances and actions.

4. **Personal Growth**: Both characters experience significant growth. Dunk evolves from a humble hedge knight into a more seasoned and wise warrior, while Egg matures from a headstrong boy into a future king, learning valuable lessons about leadership and responsibility.

### Themes

1. **Knighthood and Chivalry**: The stories explore what it means to be a true knight in a world where the ideals of chivalry are often in conflict with reality.

2. **Loyalty and Honor**: Dunk's unwavering sense of honor often puts him at odds with the more pragmatic and cynical characters he encounters, highlighting the tension between idealism and practicality.

3. **Power and Corruption**: The novellas delve into the corrupting influence of power and the lengths to which people will go to obtain it, as seen in the political machinations of the Targaryen court and the feudal lords.

4. **Social Inequality**: The stories shed light on the stark social hierarchies of Westeros, examining the lives of both the highborn and the smallfolk, and the often harsh realities faced by those at the bottom of the social ladder.

"A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms" offers a rich tapestry of adventure, moral quandaries, and intricate character dynamics, providing a deeper understanding of the world of Westeros and the timeless struggles of honor, loyalty, and power.

[storyswept]

The Wedding Tourney at Whitewalls and The Tourney at Harrenhal

In the Mystery Knight, Dunk and Egg attend a wedding tourney which actually shares a lot of similarities with the Tourney of Harrenhal:

Whitewalls and Harrenhal are both located close to the God’s Eye

"The tourney Lord Whent staged at Harrenhal beside the Gods Eye, in the year of the false spring.

- ASOS, Daenerys IV

The conspiracy came to a head in 211 AC at the wedding tourney at Whitewalls, the great seat that Lord Butterwell had raised near the Gods Eye.

- TWOIAF

Both tourneys are (believed to be) cover for conspiracy

The prince, it is said, had no interest in the tourney as a tourney; his intent was to gather the great lords of the realm together in what amounted to an informal Great Council, in order to discuss ways and means of dealing with the madness of his father, King Aerys II, possibly by means of a regency or a forced abdication.

-TWOIAF

At Whitewalls, under pretense of celebrating Lord Butterwell's marriage and competing in the tournament, many lords and knights had gathered, all of whom shared a desire to place a Blackfyre on the throne.

- TWOIAF

Mystery knights appear, and take no material ransom when they win

“Two fiddles and two swords, a cross engrailed,” [Dunk] said to Egg as they watched the dust of their departure. “What house is that?” (...)

“Enter me as the Gallows Knight.” The smallfolk loved it when a mystery knight appeared at a tourney. Egg fingered his fat lip. “The Gallows Knight, ser?” “For the shield.” (...)

 [The Fiddler] refuses to take ransoms. He wants no more than the dragon’s egg, he says … that and the friendship of his fallen foes. The flower of chivalry, that one.”

- The Mystery Knight

"(...) the mystery knight was short of stature, and clad in ill-fitting armor made up of bits and pieces. The device upon his shield was a heart tree of the old gods, a white weirwood with a laughing red face." (...)

When his fallen foes sought to ransom horse and armor, the Knight of the Laughing Tree spoke in a booming voice through his helm, saying, 'Teach your squires honor, that shall be ransom enough.'  

- ASOS, Bran II

Big prizes are offered

“The dragon’s egg? Is that the champion’s prize? Truly?” (...) “If these eggs are so bloody precious, why is Lord Butterwell giving his away?”

- The Mystery Knight

(...) Lord Whent was offering prizes thrice as large as those given at the great Lannisport tourney of 272 AC, hosted by Lord Tywin Lannister in celebration of Aerys II's tenth year upon the Iron Throne.

- TWOIAF

A knight, also skilled in music, is doing well in the tilts

“They call me John the Fiddler.” “Are you a musician or a warrior?” “I can make sweet song with either lance or resined bow, as it happens. Every wedding needs a singer, and every tourney needs a mystery knight. (...)

Look at that Tom Heddle. Have you seen him joust? He has overthrown every man he’s faced. Fireball’s lad has done the same, though. The Fiddler as well.

- The Mystery Knight

"Under Harren's roof he ate and drank with the wolves, and many of their sworn swords besides, barrowdown men and moose and bears and mermen. The dragon prince sang a song so sad it made the wolf maid sniffle, but when her pup brother teased her for crying she poured wine over his head.

- ASOS, Bran II

The greatest lords and mightiest champions of the Seven Kingdoms rode in that tourney, and the Prince of Dragonstone bested them all."  

- ASOS, Daenerys IV

Someone is wrongfully suspected

“(...) [Glendon Ball] stole the dragon’s egg and slew three good men in the doing.” “He stole nothing and killed no one,” Dunk insisted. “If three men were slain, look elsewhere for their killer. Your Grace knows as well as I that Ser Glendon was in the yard all day, riding one tilt after t’other.”

- The Mystery Knight

King Aerys II was not a man to take any joy in mysteries, however. His Grace became convinced that the tree on the mystery knight's shield was laughing at him, and—with no more proof than that—decided that the mystery knight was Ser Jaime Lannister. His newest Kingsguard had defied him and returned to the tourney, he told every man who would listen.

- TWOIAF

Conspiracy is (thought to be) prevented

Were it not for the fact that Bloodraven had informants among the conspirators, Daemon the Younger could have launched a troubling rebellion from within the heart of the riverlands, but even before the tourney had concluded, the Hand turned up outside Whitewalls with a host of his own, and the Second Blackfyre Rebellion ended before it could truly be said to have begun.

- TWOIAF

With Varys whispering in his ear, King Aerys became convinced that his son was conspiring to depose him, that Whent's tourney was but a ploy to give Rhaegar a pretext for meeting with as many great lords as could be brought together. Aerys had not set foot outside the Red Keep since Duskendale, yet suddenly he announced that he would accompany Prince Rhaegar to Harrenhal, and everything had gone awry from there.

- ADWD, The Kingbreaker

[aegor-bamfsteel]

Gormon Peake: Bittersteel, it is time to avenge the deaths of King Daemon and his oldest sons and place a Blackfyre on the Iron Throne. We need your help.

Aegor Rivers: I'm your man!

Gormon Peake: I've enlisted Lord Butterwell, Lord Costayne, Lord Frey, and Lord Smallwood among others as supporters. With your support, we will see Daemon II on the Iron Throne.

Aegor Rivers: ...all right. I'm kind of your man.

Gormon Peake: So the plan is to have a wedding between Lord Butterwell and Lord Frey's daughter. I'll organize the wedding tourney in such a way that Daemon II will win the joust while in disguise as a hedge knight. That way, when he reveals himself, the wedding attendees will be so convinced he's his father reborn that they will turn their swords to him and start a rebellion in the Riverlands. This will inspire our friends elsewhere to rise up for young King Daemon.

Aegor Rivers: ...I'm a man.

Gormon Peake: And Daemon II is assured our plan will succeed because he saw in his dreams that a dragon would hatch outside a white castle, meaning himself and Whitewalls. We just need the men--

Aegor Rivers: You need another man.

Gormon Peake: But my castles!

Aegor Rivers: ✓ Read 211AC

[warsofasoiaf]

I know you don't like Bloodraven, but do you think Bittersteel might be a rather better guy than he is generally seen as? I find it interesting that GRRM's description of him for the artist is sort of positive, and it seems like he had a fairly interesting life. Also, if you accept his premise about who the rightful king was, isn't he actually pretty good? I know there're people who assume he's homophobic for not backing Daemon II, but maybe it was just that the plan was shit?

Oh, I definitely believe that the reason why Bittersteel didn't back Daemon II is because his plan was shit. Bittersteel is driven by his mission, and he's not going to waste resources on something so slapdash as the Tourney at Whitewalls.

I believe Bittersteel has his good qualities and bad qualities, and many of his qualities would be subjective. A Blackfyre loyalist, for example, would see him as dedicated, a Targaryen loyalist would see him fanatical and bloodthirsty.

Thanks for the question, Anon.

SomethingLikeALawyer, Hand of the King

[maekar-stan-account]

7 Reasons Why YOU Should Hate House Peake

1 - They stole a Valyrian Steel Sword from House Roxton. (That shit is verrry expensive chief)

B - Unwin Peake killed Queen Jaehaera Targaryen and tried to purge the Rogares from the Red Keep. (Racist and Misogynist, double whammy)

Tres - Gormon Peake supported Daemon Blackfyre; and fought against Daeron II (Maekar’s dad, if you didn’t know) (Traitor to the Realm)

Fore - Whitewalls Tourney, need I say more

5 - Their sigil has three castles, THEY DON’T EVEN HAVE THREE. LIARS and FIENDS.

Sex - Uh fuck I guess their colour scheme is pretty shit. black and orange. No bueno.

Se7en - THEY KILLED MAEKAR. THEY FUXKIN CHUCKED A ROCK AT HIM.

[thebluelemontree]

Do you think Butterfly's Ashford Theory and your Three Hedge Knights theory could be connected?

Well, when it comes to Sansa and tourney theories, I think (if they are correct) they should complement the progression of Sansa’s story in the tourneys Sansa has directly been involved in, i.e., The Tourney of the Hand, Joffrey’s name day tourney, and the upcoming Tourney of the Winged Knights.  We have to see how the latter plays out to know for sure.  The tourney I think that has the most parallels to the TotWK is the one at Whitewalls in The Mystery Knight.   

Whitewalls was made from stone quarried in the Vale.  

Both Lord Ambrose Butterwell and Littlefinger are former masters of coin.

Butterwell is celebrating his second marriage.  If the betrothal with HtH is secured, it would be Sansa’s second marriage.

Butterwell and Littlefinger both have ulterior motives for their tourneys.  The tourney at Whitewalls is a ruse for supporters of the Second Blackfyre Rebellion.  LF, at some point, plans to reveal Sansa’s true identity and rally the Vale in her name.   

The Whitewalls tourney is rigged for Daemon II Blackfyre (under the guise of “John the Fiddler”) to win the red dragon egg.  Harry “earned” his knighthood from Yohn Royce in a tourney rigged for him to win to secure political influence over Robert Arryn’s heir after Littlefinger retained custody of his stepson and control of the Vale at the Lord’s Declarant meeting.  Dollars to doughnuts Littlefinger has this tourney rigged for Harry to come out champion or at least seem to perform well enough to completely ice out Yohn Royce from any remaining political power in the Vale.  

Dunk meets and befriends three hedge knights. What we can confirm so far in Sansa's story is that there are three hedge knights present who are there because of her, whether they intend a rescue or kidnapping. In The Mystery Knight, one of those hedge knights is Maynard Plumm, who is actually Bloodraven, a greenseer (Old Gods) magician, under a glamor.  

Now tourneys in the novels do tend toward ending in some kind of upset or unexpected outcome.     

The Hand’s tourney ended with Sandor declared the champion.  Loras forfeits after Sandor saved his life. I would say this is the most relevant one because Sansa was rooting for Sandor.  

Joffrey’s name day tourney ends in no winner.  Ser Dontos was too drunk to compete against Lothor Brune, and Sandor stands on the sidelines on this one.  Technically, Lothor Brune could possibly be considered the winner of that match by forfeit, but this isn’t exactly a win to celebrate.  Sansa, backed by Sandor, saves Dontos’s life.  This will lead to both Dontos and Lothor being involved in Sansa’s escape from KL. No one really wins in this plot except Littlefinger. 

When it comes to the Ashford theory, in the past I have quibbled over Robert Arryn being left out of the order of suitors, because Lysa definitely planned to marry Sansa to her son.  Robert, smitten with Alayne, talks about marrying her one day.  As my opinions evolve and tweak themselves over time, I think if GRRM wants to recycle some ideas, he is definitely not required to do them exactly as before.  In fact, he often does not.  So Robert Arryn is not a make-or-break thing for me anymore.  So does there necessarily have to be a final Targaryen suitor, either?  The current Aegon Targaryen seems slated for a betrothal to Arianne as a Targaryen-Martell restoration after Robert’s Rebellion.  I think if anyone is Jon’s love interest, the build-up for Val, Dany, or both is pretty strong and clear.  There is a little connection between The Hedge Knight and Sansa’s Vale arc in the song “Off to Gulltown,” where Alayne Stone is supposed to hail from.

Off to Gulltown to see the fair maid,heigh-ho, heigh-ho.I'll steal a sweet kiss with the point of my blade,heigh-ho, heigh-ho.I'll make her my love and we'll rest in the shade,heigh-ho, heigh-ho  

In the Hedge Knight, the lyric is changed to “off to Ashford” for the tourney.  Of course, the lyrics are right on the nose for the unkiss and Sandor stealing a song at knifepoint.  So there’s that.        

The Tourney of Ashford doesn’t really end on a Targaryen competitor.  It ends in an upset with Dunk’s trial by combat, which he wins.  Dunk wins.  That, to me, is way more important if the theory proves correct in that the competitor/suitor order is intentionally similar on GRRM’s part, and why it’s probably totally fine to just bypass the Targaryen bit altogether.  In the past, I said pointed to this as a reason I had doubts, but again, an exact one-to-one is not necessary.  Is it similar enough?  Yes?  Maybe?  Could be?  If it’s not coincidental but intentional for the purpose of building up to Sansa’s romantic endgame by linking themes and ideas across stories set in the same universe.  That’s just good writing kung fu.  The repetition and usage of “Off to Gulltown” would suggest we should consider it’s not just a coincidence and that George wants us to make a connection between two storylines, whatever he’s planning to do with it.  And while we know Brienne is descendent of Dunk for sure, the Cleganes very well might be as well for Sandor is also an examination of what it means to be a knight.  (There’s also Sandor’s northern look and the not unfounded speculation that Dunk will hook up with a young Old Nan).  I’m certainly not going to be mad if a Dunk figure throws a monkey wrench into Littlefinger’s plans.  ;)    

I guess I don’t have an answer to your question yet, except a big fat “maybe.”  We really have to see how the TotWK and Sansa’s Vale arc play out first to know if one or both theories are validated or invalidated.  I mean, yeah, the potential for harmoniously complementing each other is there IF the story goes that way.  That would just make for an even more impressive build-up over so many years and books.  LBR, I’m just going to be stupid happy for a Sansan reunion/endgame regardless of how it happens.                                       

[asoiafdrabbles]

Time.2

Daemon II's dragon dreams always come true and he dreamt of a dragon from the future blessing him with a visit on the eve of his rebellion. 

Daemon II Blackfyre/Jon (Time Travel AU)

"I saw this in a dream," a voice broke over him, forcing Jon out of his daze.

He'd fallen through one door and out another, somewhere else (somewhen else) entirely. It was getting to be a depressingly familiar experience. All the peace he'd hoped for after ending the Long Night amounted to nothing.

There was just one person in the room with him, a man with dark hair and familiar eyes. Well-dressed, though in a fashion unfamiliar to Jon. Again, that was nothing new--he wished he'd paid more attention to Sansa's meanderings about clothing, sometimes, if only to try to pinpoint the time period through that means.

"A dream, you say, my lord?"

The man smiled, it was a disarming look. "Oh, yes, I saw a dragon of white and red flying through the ages of men and you, on its back. It fell through the clouds and landed in a castle of white, where two dragons already resided."

"And where might I be now, my lord?"

At least this person seemed willing enough to talk, though Jon couldn't figure out who he might be. So far, he'd always encountered Starks or Targaryens, or both at once. But this man didn't wear a dragon, three headed or otherwise, and there were only a handful of dark haired Targaryens he could think of from his lessons.

"Whitewalls."

That was familiar. There was something about that he thought he knew, perhaps in a song he'd heard in his youth or a story from Old Nan.

"Is some great event happening here, my lord? That is normally what I appear for."

The man smirked. "Simply a tourney, to celebrate a wedding. Though, there's quite a prize to be had."

Purple eyes. Dragons. A tourney at Whitewalls.

Fuck.

The visits weren't in order, there seemed to be no rhyme or reason to them. And this was his very first time meeting a Blackfyre.

"I should let you return to the festivities, my lord."

"Nonsense, it would be rude for me to leave a traveler alone after he's made such a harrowing journey. Please, at least partake of some food."

Food. Guest rights. That was still a thing between there families, wasn't it? Bloodraven doesn't break that for years, yet.

"...If it pleases you, my lord."

Daemon laughed, clapping a hand on Jon's shoulder and gesturing towards a table set for two. If it was any other situation, and maybe not someone's dragon dreams telling him of Jon's visit, it might have seemed romantic.

"There are many things that please me, of course. An evening with such an intriguing man would surely be one of them!"

"Dreams are most likely better at telling of my exploits than I would be."

"Nonsense, I doubt that is true. You are a dragon come from the future! A prince of the blood! Why would I not wish to know all of my victory and how my descendants rule?"

It probably shouldn't have surprised him, but it did. Even someone who saw the future often misinterpreted their visions to favor themselves, he'd seen that often enough. Daemon thought he'd succeed here. He thought he'd usurp Aerys, that he'd become king.

Too bad none of his dragon dreams had warned him about dying in captivity.

Jon ate the food without much thought, knowing better than to deny himself some when he didn't know what would happen next. Sometimes his travels took hours, sometimes days. He thought he was slowly edging closer to his own time, though, and this was the latest of them all so far. His great-great-grandfather lived right now, might even already be here. And once Ghost finally saw fit to join him, he'd start searching for his way out again.

Daemon watched him closely, following every movement Jon made with his eyes, studying his features. "Do you dye your hair as well?"

He shook his head. "No, I received this from my mother. Most of my coloring and features, truly."

As far as he could tell, none of what he did affected the future, so he did not fear giving out pieces of information here or there.

"She must have been lovely."

Jon stared.

Daemon moved close against, bending over Jon's body to refill his goblet of wine. "What is your name?"

"Aemon." Jon watched as Daemon flinched, just a little, and he remembered that one of Daemon's older, dead brothers had shared that name. "And you are?"

The Blackfyre chuckled. "I've been going by John here, but you certainly can call me by my true name, Daemon."

He hadn't really needed the confirmation and now that he had it, Jon didn't really know what to do with it. Continue playing the charade? Reveal himself? Knock Daemon out and go find the boy who would be Aegon V and Ser Duncan?

Daemon slid his hands over both of Jon's shoulders. "You're so tense. Let me help you calm down." That made Jon tense up even more, but Daemon didn't seem to pay it any mind, still giving him a charming smile and leaning over until their faces were very close. "This must be such an auspicious moment in history for you."

Jon bit his lip, glancing over Daemon to confirm he was unarmed. "Don't you mean for you?"

"So you do know what's about to happen! That's good."

One of Daemon's hands was playing with his hair now and Jon's first thought was, Oh, followed by, I can use this.

"It will mean big things for the realm, for certain," he hedged, looking up at Daemon through his eyelashes.

"Very," Daemon agreed, Jon close enough he swore he could hear his pulse speeding up. "And you're here for the gods have truly decided I deserve an early celebration."

"Lucky us," he wheezed, knowing Satin would be berating him if he could see it.

But Daemon didn't seem to care how awkward Jon was. Certainly it didn't stop him from kissing him. And Jon, well, he figured the least he could do would be to distract the Blackfyre and give Bloodraven some more time to get into position.

Notes: Daemon II is the third son of Daemon I Blackfyre. He's a main character in The Mystery Knight and has the hots for Dunk, who is, of course, too dense to realize that even when another character makes it very obvious. Jon is not quite as dense.

[kieraembers]

So I’m going down the list of asoiaf characters alphabetically.

In case you can’t read my handwriting

 Left top Abelar Hightower (Knight at the tourney at Ashford Meadow ) 

Top Center Addam Marbrand (Jaime Lannisters Childhood friend and cousin, fought in the war of the five kings)

Top Right Addam Frey (participant in the Whitewalls tourney and a promising Lance. 

Bottom Left Maester Abelon (an archmaester of the citadel who wrote When Women Ruled: Ladies of the Aftermath. according to the wiki it’s a book about the widows who ruled their husbands lands after the Dance. I drew her as a woman, cause why the hell not.) 

Bottom Center Addam Hightower, Lord of the Hightower during the first Dornish war

Bottom Right Addam Osgrey, Rohanne Webbers first love who died at the Battle of the Redgrass Field. (mah babay)

[goodqueenaly]

Hello! Do you see parallels between Daemon II Blackfyre and Aegon6? They look like the perfect hero-prince-- handsome, well-spoken, great origin story-- but are actually ineffective and unskilled. They also have an unshakeable belief that they are destined to win, which goes splat in Daemon's face and will in Aegon's. Do you think GRRM deliberately set them up as parallels, for a prince who looks great and has a sense of destiny, but is actually ill-suited to their role and doomed for failure?

I don’t think they’re particularly similar, myself. While Daemon the Younger certainly believed - thanks in no small part to his prophetic visions - that he would succeed in hatching a dragon and rallying supporters at Whitewalls, his plan of actually achieving the thorn was, to put it extremely charitably, naively optimistic. If Daemon had accurately observed (or been informed) that Aerys I’s absenteeism and Bloodraven’s police state provided a ready stage for a pro-Blackfyre uprising, the actual operation of that uprising reflected instead the idealistic assumptions of Daemon himself - that his visions promised him a literally newly hatched dragon, that the Blackfyre old guard would quickly rally around him, and that the attendees of a wedding tourney would be ready, willing, and able to follow him into battle. Not for nothing had Bittersteel denied him both the martial backing of the Golden Company and the dynastic symbol of his paternity: Daemon the Younger was no Daemon Blackfyre, and his plan at Whitewalls was less the somewhat close-run thing of the First Blackfyre Rebellion and more “Thanos gets arrested by the local police”. 

By contrast, while our Aegon has certainly benefitted, and will likely continue to benefit, from auspicious timing in his invasion, I would say he has far more ability to establish himself as king. Aegon does not simply launch off to Westeros, as Daemon the Younger did, on a wing and a prayer; instead, it is Aegon who makes the pitch to the Golden Company, proposing a (relatively) reasonable, (immediately) successful plan of invasion (and if Tyrion was the one who had changed Aegon’s mind, in an attempt to suit his own purposes, I still give Aegon credit for recognizing the plan’s (again, immediate) value and arguing its merits to the Golden Company). Nor does Aegon appear content to sit back and watch the war happen in his name: indeed, he is the one to declare that he will lead the attack on Storm’s End after the capture of Griffin’s Roost (apparently victoriously, as Haldon reports to Arianne and her party). If Aegon seems confident in his eventual victory, remember that he seems to have been raised since early childhood with the idea that his life has been a hero’s origin story, complete with a fantastic tale of survival and an obligatory training montage - not quite the same source confidence as Daemon the Younger, who embraced his prophetic superpower as much as his cousin Daeron loathed it. 

To be clear, I don’t think Aegon on the Iron Throne is the endgame of the series. However, while I do think his destiny is to be exploded, along with the rest of King’s Landing, when Daenerys arrives, I do very much expect Aegon to have a period, however brief, of complete triumph - himself on the Iron Throne as King Aegon VI Targaryen, Arianne by his side as queen, and large swaths of Westeros (at least on the continent and south of the Neck) acknowledging him as king. That level of achievement is something Daemon did not achieve, and could not have achieved by doing what he did. 

[phoenixmaiden-reading]

A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms Book Review

A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms by George R. R. Martin

Read: November 4, 2019 - November 20, 2019

I wasn’t planning on getting this book but I saw it at the bookstore and had to get it especially after I read the Game of Thrones books.

It’s set a century before what happens in the series and it follows the adventures of Dunk and Egg. And since it’s set years before, there are a few characters from GOT but a lot younger. Walder Frey makes an appearance as a “squalling ugly baby” which is funny since he’s such a dick. It also shows how old he is. The book also shows what happened during this time and what happened to the other Targaryens.

It was funny and serious at the same time. I really liked it.

Stars: ★★★★

Spoiler Summary Ahead!!!

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The book is about a hedge knight named Duncan “Dunk” the Tall and his squire, Egg. Dunk is an unknown hedge knight and he meets a bald boy named Egg who wants to squire for him. So they go to a nearby tourney so that Dunk can gain some money and recognition. Yet he gains more than he hopes to. In an effort to stop a beating of a traveling puppeteer, he hits the offender who turns out to be Prince Aerion Targaryen!!

It is then revealed to Dunk that his squire Egg is actually Prince Aegon V Targaryen, the youngest son of the previous king, Daeron I. (He had been mentioned by Maester Aemon in GOT while he was dying) Since Egg had tricked him, his brother Prince Baelor gave Dunk a choice. Have his arm and leg cut off or do a trial by combat. Dunk chose the latter and Aerion demands a trial of seven. So seven against seven. So Dunk has to find seven people to help him. It takes some doing but he gets six and the seventh is Prince Baelor who volunteers. During the joust, Dunk is able to win against Prince Aerion and he forfeits the match. Yet even if Dunk won, Prince Baelor was injured by his brother, Prince Maekar, that was on the opposite side and he eventually succumbed to his injuries. Dunk blames himself as does everyone else, so he decides to leave. Prince Maekar asks if Dunk will come work for him, but he declines and instead asks if he could have Egg continue squire for him. Prince Maekar allows it, so long as Egg’s identity stays a secret. So off they go.

A year later find Dunk and Egg at Standfast where Dunk has pledged his sword to Lord Eustance Osgrey. While there Dunk finds out that the Red Widow from Coldmoat across the river is stealing the water by building a dam. Ser Bennis from Standfast lashed out at a worker and drew blood. Dunk tried to treat with her on Lord Osgrey’s behalf but the Red Widow wanted blood for blood. He also found out that Lord Osgrey had supported Daemon I Blackfyre in the Blackfyre Rebellion.

The Blackfyre Rebellion happened because King Aegon IV legitimized all his bastard children on his deathbed. His rightful son, Daeron II ascended the throne after his father’s death. Yet some people didn’t like Daeron and influenced Daemon I Waters, one of King Aegon IV’s bastards (later Daemon I Blackfyre after the sword King Aegon IV gave him) to claim the throne for himself. So Daemon I started a rebellion against his half-brother, taking up the inverse colors of the Targaryen coat of arms, otherwise known as the Black Dragon. (Daeron was the Red Dragon). Yet Daemon I lost and was killed along with s few of his sons. His other children fled with his wife. The ones that had followed him were punished harshly and are still ostracised with siding with the Black Dragon. And Lord Osgrey was one of them.

It was troubling news for Dunk and he wanted to leave, but he wanted to end the fight with the Red Widow. It almost came to a full battle when the forest caught on fire and Lord Osgrey blamed the Red Widow. But there were no proper fighters but Dunk and Ser Bennis couldn’t go because the Red Widow was out for his blood. So Lord Osgrey and Dunk went to talk with the Red Widow where Dunk cut his own face and took credit for the attack against the worker, giving her blood for blood. He then asked for the one who set fire to the forest, yet she denied being responsible. So in order to determine who was right, Dunk had to fight one of her knights. It was a close battle, but Dunk won. While he was unconscious, Lord Osgrey and the Red Widow got married and reconciled their differences. So everything was fine now and Dunk and Egg ended up moving on.

Later on, Dunk and Egg come across a group of people heading to Whitewalls to join a tourney celebrating Lord Butterwell’s wedding. Dunk thinks about going to earn some money yet Egg says they shouldn’t, he has a bad feeling. But Dunk ignores the advice of the of his squire and they go to Whitewalls. Everything is fine in the beginning, but he starts to feel like something is brewing. Dunk ends up losing his jousting match and since it was a winner keep all, he lost his armor and horse. What was a knight without that? Seems Egg thought the same, and while Dunk was unconscious, went to see Lord Butterwell and revealed his identity as Prince Aegon V to keep Dunk a knight.

Meanwhile, Dunk wakes up and finds out that the man he had jousted against had been paid to try and kill him. There had been someone that had been still been upset that Prince Baelor had died. He also found out about a plot that had been going on. One of the riders that had entered the tourney under the name John the Fiddler had been steadily winning each fight to get the Dragon Egg prize that Butterwell had for the winner. He turned out to be Daemon II Blackfyre in disguise, the son of Daemon I that started the Blackfyre Rebellion. He was trying to win the egg so that he could hatch it and take the throne that his father had failed to do. He even had people there with him that was helping him with his ploy. 

Dunk finds his way to where Egg was with Butterwell and one Whitehall’s knights turned traitor and wanted to use Egg as a hostage. Dunk is able to protect Egg and kill the traitor. Then suddenly the castle is surrounded by members of the Kingsguard and the Hand of the King, Bloodraven. They had somehow caught wind of the plot to overthrow the King. So Daemon II was caught and carried away as a traitor. The rest of the conspirators were caught as well. The Bloodraven wanted to take Egg back but Egg didn’t want to. He even had Dunk and the other Hedge Knights who had helped stop everything paid for their heroics, so Dunk could pay off the merchant to get his armor and horse back and he could continue being a knight. Oh, and also the Dragon Egg had been stolen and one of the hedge knights had been accused but the one they found in his bags was a fake. The real one had been stolen by some dwarves. lol.

And that’s it! That was the end of the book. It was a fun read and I hope there is more in the future.

[alaynemoonstone-blog]

John the Fiddler and Three Identity Reveals

John the Fiddler is a character who appears in The Mystery Knight, the third installment in the Dunk and Egg novella series. He presents himself as a hedge knight at the wedding tourney of Whitewalls however he is not who he says he is. He, in fact, Daemon II Blackfyre, the third son of Daemon I Blackfyre, who was trying to build up support for his claim to the Iron Throne through a Second Blackfyre Rebellion.

I believe that this reveal is relevant to three characters currently in the series who are entangled in plots of hidden identity/secret parentage.

“Aegon Targaryen”:

In ADWD we meet a boy known as "Young Griff", the supposed son of a sellsword named “Griff” who dyes his hair blue in memory of his late Tyroshi mother. However, this boy is soon revealed to be Aegon Targaryen, the son of Rhaegar Targaryen and Elia Martell, who was switched out for another baby before the Sack of King’s Landing and survived and is now in the care of Jon Connington, an old friend of Rhaegar Targaryen’s.

However despite his Young Griff’s claims that he is the son of Rhaegar Targaryen, there is evidence to suggest that he is not a Targaryen but in fact a Blackfyre. I’ll refer you to this analysis of the Blackfyre theory.

How is John the Fiddler relevant to “Aegon”?

Both first present themselves in under a disguise to hide their identity - Aegon as Young Griff and Daemon as John the Fiddler

Both dye their hair as a part of this disguise - Young Griff dyes his hair blue and Daemon dyes his a dark color

A Tyroshi mother - Aegon’s supposed mother, Elia Martell was not Tyroshi, however, part of his persona as Young Griff was that his mother was Tyroshi and Daemon II Blackfyre’s mother was Rohanne of Tyrosh

Both launch campaigns to claim to the Iron Throne - Aegon through his invasion of Westeros and Daemon through the Second Blackfyre Rebellion

John the Fiddler’s revealing his identity as Daemon II Blackfyre sets a precedence for the possible reveal of Aegon’s Blackfyre heritage.

Jon Snow:

Jon Snow is the bastard son Eddard Stark and an unknown woman… or is he? There is plenty of evidence to suggest that he is not, in fact, the bastard son of Ned Stark but is actually the secret child of Ned’s sister Lyanna Stark and Rhaegar Targaryen. You can read a summary of the R+L=J theory here.

How is John the Fiddler relevant to Jon?

First and foremost, Daemon’s person of John the Fiddler shares the same name as Jon Snow, though spelled slightly differently

When Daemon II undergoes his persona he hides his Valyrian heritage by dying his hair dark and Jon’s Valyrian heritage his partially hid by his brown hair which he inherited from his mother

House Blackfyre, in general, is heavily associated with bastardry through Daemon I Blackfyre, Daemon II’s father and bastard son of Aegon the Unworthy, and a large part of Jon’s identity derives from his belief that he is Ned Stark’s bastard

Daemon II Blackfyre taking the guise of a dark-haired man named John to hide his Valyrian roots is very reminiscent of Jon Snow in the main series and serves as further foreshadowing of R+L=J.

I would also like to note that in The Mystery Knight, Ser Duncan the Tall asks Daemon II this: "Your dreams don't lie," said Dunk, "but you do. John is not your true name, is it?". Possibly lending credence to the theory that Jon has another name.

Sansa Stark:

Sansa Stark is the firstborn daughter of Eddard Stark and Catelyn Tully and is currently hiding in the Vale under the guise of Petyr Baelish’s bastard daughter, Alayne Stone.

How is John the Fiddler relevant to Sansa?

Both hide their true under a fake persona - Alayne Stone for Sansa and John the Fiddler for Daemon II

Both Sansa Stark and Daemon II Blackfyre dye their hair a dark color in order to conceal their striking hair colors - Sansa’s auburn Tully hair and Daemon II’s silver-gold Valyrian coloring

As mentioned above, House Blackfyre, in general, is heavily associated with bastardry through Daemon I Blackfyre, Daemon II’s father and bastard son of Aegon the Unworthy and Sansa is forced to take up an identity of the bastard, Alayne Stone, in the Vale

Both are considered enemies of the crown, Daemon II as a Blackfyre claimant and Sansa as a member of House Stark in hiding

Daemon II and Sansa share similar beats in their respective stories that could be used as foreshadowing for Sansa.

In The Mystery Knight, we see John the Fiddler reveal his true identity, Daemon II Blackfyre, at the wedding tourney of Whitewalls and in TWOW, Sansa will be attending the Tourney of the Winged Knights. I theorize that despite Littlefinger's plans, the cover of Alayne Stone will be blown and Sansa’s true identity will be revealed at the tourney in some form or another.

[clankingdragoninn-blog]

The point of this post is simple. To show that one of the most hated Houses in all of Westeros is actually one of the Great Houses of Westeros. Love him or hate him, Walder Frey is a very astute politician. Some basic history about House Frey needs to be outlined so we can understand why Lord Frey has constantly felt the need to demand respect. House Frey is an upjumped House of pretty new beginnings as of Westerosi standards. Around for only 600 years or so they can't claim a heritage dating back to the Age of Heros with famous Knights for boys to envy & girls to swoon over. They don't even have the respect of the smallfolk. As Dunk the Lunk dismissively thinks at the Whitewall tourney, "The Freys of the Crossing were no nobler than the Butterwells. They owned a bridge instead of cows, that was the only difference." But they are more noble than most of the other Houses, they worked for they've earned. They haven't just inherited lands passed down for thousands of years. They seized the opportunity to build a bridge across the Green Fork of the Trident and eventually turning it into the stone structure that is known as the Twins today shows a masterful ability for thriving in Westeros. The history of House Frey culminates in Lord Walder Frey. A man never given the proper respect that he is due, but has the wits and foresight to be a real player in the Game. Using the resources at his disposal he aligns himself with the realm in a way to ensure House Frey becomes a Great House. Lord Walder Frey was raised to make sure his House was on the right side of history in every way possible. Brought up during the Second Blackfyre Rebellion, Lord Frey was taught to the best way for his House to excel and ensure victory was to be on both sides of the battle. Having a front row seat of the inner workings at the Whitewall Tourney would send a clear message to the snot nosed little Lord. Honor and tradition mean little and less. Ascension, by any means, is the only way to get ahead in this world. And the easiest way to better yourself and your House in Westeros, marriage. Walder Frey wasted no time seeking to cement his legacy. Through his first wife, a Royce from the Vale, their children and grandchildren, the Freys would marry into five regions of the realm. Almost all of the marriages were to a Great Lord's House, a main noble vassel House to the Great Lords, or Houses represented in legendary battles or served on the small counsel or Kingsguard. The one exception to this, he married his daughter to House Haigh, a House sworn to House Frey. Which ensures plenty of weasel drops are spread throughout the Green Fork. Marrying into House Lannister, with Emmon marrying Genna, was a big win for House Frey. Another notable marriage was Stevron's third marriage to a Waynwood. Their son marries a Hardyng, and a seed will be planted for a Waynwood/Hardyng/Frey alliance in the future. All and all, these are marriages any Lord, let alone Great Lord in the realm would be proud to arrange. Walder's second marriage starts to solidify the Freys in all aspects of Westeros hierarchy. His second wife was a Swann and that serves double down on Stevron's first marriage. A practice Lord Walder will continue throughout his life, double down on alliances. The most note worthy situation of Walder's second marriage would be his fifth son, Luceon. House Frey had already married into very powerful families many times over. It's now time to infiltrate the institutions of the realm. Which Septon Luceon does beautifully. He was nine votes away from being High Septon before the sparrows over ran the Great Sept forcing the High Sparrow into the role. Walder wants respect and having one son almost be the Pope and another son marry into the richest House in the realm from his first two marriages seems to show Walder Frey is a man that knows what he's doing. Walder's third marriage kicks the chess game up another notch. Not only does House Frey end up marrying into two Great Houses in House Lannister again & Bolton. Walder also notices the Arryn family tree has been trimmed down to nothing through the years and he looks to lock down his Waynwood/Hardyng/Frey alliance. Walder's tenth son Geremy married Carolei Waynwood. They had two children, Sandor and Cynthia. Both ending up in very convenient places of power. Sandor is Ser Donnel Waynwood, The Knight of the Gate's squire. While Cynthia became the ward of Anya Waynwood who just happens also to have another ward living with her, Ser Harry the Heir. This puts a Frey in a wonderful position of confidence in the service of the person more than likely taking over the Vale. It also, unknowingly of course, doubles down on Frey ties to the North. If House Bolton prevails, easy enough, a half Frey will be heir to Winterfell. If Sansa marries Harry the North and the Vale will be one power and Sansa will have a new lady in waiting to help advance Frey wishes. With the Frey line secure for the foreseeable future and since the Septon Luceon plan worked so well, Lord Walder sets to expand his horizons. Money is one of the most important things a Great House needs to thrive and the Iron Bank in Braavos literally holds the keys to the Kingdom when it comes to finance. Walder marries his seventh son, a known spymaster, Symond to a Braavosi merchants daughter. This ensures a Frey grandchild will be a ward to a Braavosi merchant, surely creating a contact at the Iron Bank. Lord Frey, keeping his gaze across the Narrow Sea also has a grandson, Malwyn become an apprentice for an alchemist in Lys. Having a working knowledge of wildfire with secrets caches stored all over Kings Landing would probably come in handy one day. Finally, a grandson, Robert, is given over to the maesters of Oldtown. At this point House Frey has to be the most connected family in the realm. Walder's fourth and fifth marriage seems to plug holes he may have missed in the Riverlands while spinning his web of power throughout the world at this point. He marries a Blackwood for his fourth wife and a Whent for his fifth. House Blackwood used to be Kings in the Riverlands and once married into the Targaryen Dynasty. House Whent had the biggest castle in all the Seven Kingdoms, Ser Oswell Whent served on the Kingsguard. Lord Walter Whent also hosted the Tourney at Harrenhal that set in motion the events to Roberts Rebellion. If these Houses think Lord Walder is a worthy match, no one else in the Riverlands could question that House Frey is a respected House. Now that Walder has ties to the North, Vale, Riverlands, Westerlands, the Reach, and Stormlands. Along with family in with the Faith of the Seven, the maesters, alchemists, and Braavosi merchants, it's time to get close to the Iron Throne to take advantage of the all the Freys placed throughout the realm and across the Narrow Sea. Marrying into the Crownlands is the best way to do that. So that's what Walder does for his sixth and seventh marriages. He marries a Rosby for his sixth marriage and a Farring for his seventh. Castle Rosby is the closest castle to the Red Keep in Westeros. Walder also has a bastard, Melwys who is a maester in service at Castle Rosby. So this makes for a great strategic location for its proximity to the capital and the fact another son of Walders' has access to a lot of information coming and going from Kings Landing. Walder's seventeenth son and the third child by Bethany Rosby, Willamen, also becomes a maester and takes up service with House Hunter of the Vale. House Hunter happens to be cousins with the current heir to the Twins, Edwyn Frey. This obviously serves multiple purposes, Walder gets any information on the Vale's political layout and he gets to find out how strong his heir's allies are becoming. Walder's final child by Bethany is Roslin who of course goes on to marry Edmure and is currently carrying his child and heir. So again Walder has a Frey on either side of whoever ends up ruling the Riverlands. If House Lannister prevails, all good, Emmon will keep Riverrun and if House Tully gets put back in power, the Heir to the Riverlands will be half Frey. Walder's seventh marriage is just basically a reflection of his political policy, double down. Another wife to build contacts in the Crownlands and another one of his sons is promised to the Faith of the Seven. His eighth and final wife is from one of House Frey's sworn houses, House Erenford. He isn't scheming at this point as much as surviving. Marry a sworn house that builds more blood ties around the Twins that would be willing to come fight and defend Frey land for than just the sake of honor. Besides a few more weasel drops around the Green Fork can only be good for Walder Frey at this point. After eight wives, Walder Frey has made alliances in six kingdoms plus the Crownlands. Three of those kingdoms had marriages to their Great Lords. He also placed in family in the Faith of the Seven, in with Braavosi merchants, in with the alchemists guild of Lys, and of course three maesters of the Citadel gaining the most valuable tool of all, knowledge. With these connections not only has Walder Frey proven that House Frey is a Great House to be respected, he has ensured that no matter how you rebuild Westeros, the Freys will be apart of the winning side. Final marriage count from Walder and his children: -15 to Riverlands -7 to Westerlands -6 to Vale -5 to Stormlands -2 to Reach -2 to Crownlands -1 to North -3 maesters -2 Septons -1 Braavosi merchant -1 Lynesene alchemists -1 partridge in a pear tree

[racefortheironthrone]

What kind of role do you think the Freys played during First Blackfyre? Did they totally support the Blacks? Or did they hedge their bets & provide half-assed support? Or sat out all together? They are not listed anywhere as one of the top Black Houses, nor did Ser Eustace list them among the half-supporters. Yet Lord Peake seemed very sure of their support during Second Blackfyre.

The Freys’ presence at the Tourney of Whitewalls suggests they had either “fought for the Black Dragon once,” or had “reason to resent Bloodraven's rule, or nurse grievances and ambitions of their own.” Given their prominence in the whole affair, I lean to the former rather than the latter. 

As you say, Ser Eustace doesn’t name them among the Houses that tried “to keep one foot in each camp” or as having outright betrayed Daemon like the Lothstons. So I would guess they fought straight-up and then bent the knee. As for why they’re not numbered as one of the top, they’re a lesser House and nouveau riche to boot.