House Estermont of Greenstone

No one can say for certain whether House Estermont descends from the First Men or from Andals who married into the storm kings of House Durrandon and their bannermen. The one dated fact is a marriage: in the year 55 after the Conquest, the daughter of Larissa Velaryon wed the then-aged lord of Greenstone.

Generations later, Ser Duncan the Tall recognized the Estermont sea-turtle among the banners gathered at the Tourney at Ashford, where a Ser Gunthor Estermont rode.

Cassana Estermont married Lord Steffon Baratheon of Storm's End and bore him three sons: Robert, Stannis, and Renly. The couple was returning from a voyage to the Free Cities, where they had failed to find a bride for Prince Rhaegar Targaryen, son of King Aerys II, when a storm caught them in Shipbreaker Bay.

Their ship, the Windproud, went down with both of them aboard. Neither ever set foot on Greenstone again.

As king, Robert Baratheon hosted two Estermont uncles at his court in King's Landing for half a year after his wedding to Cersei Lannister. When the time came to return the visit, the queen and part of her retinue traveled with him to Greenstone, where they spent two weeks.

There Cersei suspected Robert was sleeping with a widowed cousin from his childhood, and set her twin brother, Ser Jaime Lannister of the Kingsguard, to watch him. Jaime and Cersei slept together at Greenstone; she has always liked to believe that was the night she conceived her first child, Prince Joffrey.

Around those same years, the aged Lord Estermont was among the suitors Prince Doran Martell of Dorne considered — and dismissed as insulting — for his daughter Arianne.

When the War of the Five Kings broke out, House Estermont split: some followed Renly Baratheon, others his brother Stannis. Catelyn Tully spotted the sea-turtle among the banners in Renly's camp, and Renly named Lord Estermont commander of his reserve before he was murdered.

After Renly's death the Estermonts turned to Stannis, as did most of the stormlords. During the parley before the siege of Storm's End, Ser Cortnay Penrose noted the presence of the great lords Estermont, Errol, and Varner among Stannis's ranks.

Lord Estermont advised Stannis against storming the castle walls, proposing a duel or a long siege instead; he also refused to convert to the faith of the Lord of Light and asked to fight under the crowned stag rather than the fiery heart. His banner later marched with Stannis's vanguard toward King's Landing, and his men fought in the Battle of the Blackwater.

The house split again: Lord Eldon Estermont, his son, and his grandson swore to King Joffrey, while a brother and nephew of Eldon's stayed with Stannis. Lord Eldon attended Joffrey's royal wedding to Margaery Tyrell and later testified at Tyrion Lannister's trial, claiming he saw Tyrion take the wedding chalice as the king choked and pour the last of the wine onto the floor.

On the other side, Ser Andrew Estermont helped Lord Davos Seaworth spirit the boy Edric Storm out of Dragonstone, sailing off in command of his escort. Later, the Estermont banner was seen flying at Castle Black after Stannis's arrival.

With the war over, Eldon Estermont is now lord of Greenstone. Qyburn informs the regent queen Cersei Lannister that he has married Sylva Santagar.

By mistake, Golden Company men in Volantene service land on the coast of Estermont and end up taking Greenstone, though the island was never one of their objectives. They decide to stay: House Estermont shares blood with two rival kings, which makes its people valuable hostages.