The Velaryon's sent Selmy over to Dragonstone and sneaked him in through a secret entrance where he nearly did rescue the King, but was captured before he could escape the castle. The man who led the planning for this escapade was Ser Barristan Selmy who just five years prior had rescued the King from Duskendale.

Plot to free King Aerys II: With the King successfully captured by Prince Rhaegar and held on the island of Dragonstone, the King's party and his remaining loyal Kingsguard hatched a plot to rescue Aerys II and bring him back to King's Landing.

The most important city of the Vale, Gulltown, was ruled over by House Grafton who declared for Prince Rhaegar's cause and so effectively blockaded the region.

Siege of Gulltown: After the Great Council of Harrenhal ended and the various lords returned to their lands to call up their bannermen, the first bout of fighting began in the Vale of Arryn.

Rhaegar and his companions evaded the King's Party and rode to Maidenpool, managing to use House Mooton's loyalty to take a ship back to Dragonstone before the remaining Kingsguard caught up to them. The defection of Arthur Dayne and Oswell Whent to Rhaegar - their 'True King' - led to the capture of the Mad King when he attempted to flee back to King's Landing. The Great Council of Harrenhal came to an abrupt end when Aerys II's madness took over after Steffon Baratheon's betrayal and he attempted to arrest all the leaders of the Great Houses and his own son Rhaegar, a move which briefly united the two bickering factions as two members of the Kingsguard defected to Rhaegar and they resisted detention. The loyalty of Steffon to Aerys frustrated many in the Northern Alliance, but it was a tenuous loyalty as the King had become increasingly aggressive towards his new Hand.Īs the council went on the three factions grew further apart as the arguments became more visceral, eventually Steffon Baratheon abandoned the lightly supported Aerys II in favour of his own son.

The third candidate, Aerys II, was supported initially only by Steffon Beratheon and a handful of minor houses including House Velaryon.

On the other hand the Northern Alliance, consisting of House Arryn, House Stark and House Tully, wished to push the candidacy of Robert Baratheon, second cousin of Rhaegar.They hoped to use the potential Targaryen split between father and son to push their anti-Targaryen candidate and so gain control over the Seven Kingdom. In early 282 AC the Great Council was convened as was previously arranged, all the Great Houses and minor nobility attended and Prince Rhaegar expected his accession to the Iron Throne to come easily. Prelude Agreement at Harrenhal Great Council of Harrenhal

Gulltown game of thrones