House Royce of Runestone

Long before the Andals crossed the narrow sea, the Royces already ruled much of the Vale as kings in their own right, wearing a crown of bronze and armor etched with old runes. Their line is said to run back to the First Men, with roots so old they're placed in the Age of Heroes. Against House Shett, who styled themselves Kings of the True Men, they fought war after war: King Yorwyck VI Royce once penned his enemies inside the walls of Gulltown, and when they called on the newly landed Andals for help, he beat those too.

The fighting dragged on for generations, until Yorwyck's grandson, Robar II Royce, inherited Runestone barely past boyhood. He drew the last First Men lords of the Vale under one banner, and they gave up their own crowns to name him High King of the Vale, the Fingers and the Mountains of the Moon. It wasn't enough: he fell at the Battle of the Seven Stars, and the resistance fell with him. House Royce kept its seat by handing over gold, land and hostages, and knelt to Artys Arryn, the first king of the Vale's new dynasty.

With the Targaryens already ruling Westeros from the Iron Throne, a Lord Royce had to raise men to crush those still loyal to Jonos Arryn after the fall of the King Who Flew. Royce blood ran into the Eyrie's own line: the wife who carried it on after Jonos's death, through Hubert Arryn, was one of theirs. Later, during Lady Jeyne Arryn's minority, it was Lord Yorbert Royce who ruled the Vale in her name, and who stood for her at the Great Council that settled the succession in 101 AC.

Runestone passed to Lady Rhea Royce, who married Prince Daemon Targaryen, brother to King Viserys I. Neither side left the marriage with much fondness for the other, if the record is anything to go by. Years later, in the war that tore the Targaryens apart, Ser Willam Royce died in the storming of the Dragonpit, and with him went Lamentation, the Valyrian steel blade the house had held for generations.

Generations on, a Lord Royce entered the tourney at Maidenpool in 207 AC and lost to Ser Humfrey Hardyng. Marriage carried the house's name further still: Lady Perha Royce wed Lord Walder Frey, and when Lord Tywin Lannister looked for a wife among Lord Yohn Royce's daughters for his son Tyrion, the offer was turned down flat.

The house's name was also caught up in the last days of Targaryen peace: Kyle Royce rode with Brandon Stark to King's Landing to demand Prince Rhaegar Targaryen's head over the abduction of Lyanna Stark. That demand lit the fuse for Robert's Rebellion, the war that ended House Targaryen's rule.

With Robert Baratheon's war already behind them, Lord Yohn Royce traveled north with his son Ser Waymar, who was riding to take the black at the Wall. They stopped at Winterfell, where Yohn proved his house's reputation as fighters was no idle boast, besting both Lord Eddard Stark and Ser Rodrik Cassel in the training yard.

Waymar reached the Wall green, and it cost him: on one of his first rangings beyond the realm's border, the Others killed him. His body didn't stay dead for long — risen as a wight, it turned on his companion Will.

At the great tourney Robert Baratheon called in King's Landing to honor his new Hand, House Royce answered for the Vale even though Lady Lysa Arryn had forbidden her own knights to enter. Lord Yohn brought both his sons into the lists: Andar was unhorsed by Ser Jaime Lannister, and Robar lost his bout to Ser Loras Tyrell.

Away from the lists, Lord Yohn rode out hunting with King Robert in the kingswood, and it was Robar who carried word to the party that Hand of the King Eddard Stark had sent Lord Beric Dondarrion to bring in Ser Gregor Clegane. Not long after, when the crown passed to young Joffrey Baratheon, the Royces were among the lords who swore him their loyalty.

The war that broke out after Robert's death put Robar Royce in the blood-red armor of the Rainbow Guard, the seven knights Renly Baratheon kept at his side. When Renly was murdered in his own camp outside Storm's End, it was Robar who let Catelyn Stark and Brienne of Tarth ride free instead of stopping them.

Word of Renly's death reached Ser Loras Tyrell too, who had loved the fallen king. When he learned what had happened, he sought Robar out and killed him.

As the War of the Five Kings dragged on, Lord Yohn found himself edging toward open defiance of his own liege lady: Lady Lysa Arryn had refused to send the Vale's knights to aid Robb Stark, the King in the North, and Runestone did not take the refusal well.

With Lysa dead and Petyr Baelish ruling the Vale in young Lord Robert Arryn's name, Yohn led the lords who came to be called the Lords Declarant, who signed their demand for Petyr's removal at Runestone. They rode around the Gates of the Moon and confronted him inside the Eyrie itself, set on taking the boy Robert as Yohn's ward. Petyr talked them into giving him one more year.

Before the lords left, Yohn held a squires' competition that Harrold Hardyng won, and knighted him with his own hand. On his father's orders, Ser Mychel Redfort also married one of Yohn's daughters.