House Rowan of Goldengrove

No chronicle fixes the day House Rowan was born: tradition traces it back to Rowan Gold-Tree, one of the daughters legend gives to Garth Greenhand. From that legendary origin comes the house's name and, some say, the golden tree on its shield as well.

During Rhaenys Targaryen's years as queen, a young woman of House Rowan served as one of her handmaidens at King's Landing. When the girl fell pregnant by a kitchen hand, the queen herself settled the scandal: she found the lady a husband among the knights of White Harbor and placed the baseborn child as the ward of a knight from Lannisport.

The lord of Goldengrove of that age stood by Maegor I Targaryen when Prince Aegon raised his banners for the Iron Throne. Alongside Lords Caswell and Merryweather, he led the Reach's forces north to block the prince's path, and the two armies eventually clashed near the Gods Eye. That loyalty cost the house dearly: some time later, the Warrior's Sons, acting on Ser Joffrey Doggett's orders, killed Lord Rowan's heir precisely for having served Maegor.

Late in Maegor's reign, Lord Rowan's men crossed paths again with an armed column, this time Septon Moon and his Poor Fellows, marching across the Reach toward Oldtown alongside Lord Oakheart's forces. Rather than fight them, the Rowans joined their march instead.

When the war that pitted five claimants against each other broke out, the Rowans of Goldengrove sided with Renly Baratheon right from the start, adding their name and their strength to the cause of the dead king's younger brother.