Aegor Rivers

Ser Aegor Rivers, better known as Bittersteel, was a renowned warrior and one of the Great Bastards of King Aegon the Unworthy. His mother was Lady Beard of House Bracken. In his personal sigil he combined the sigils of his parents: the red Bracken stallion with black dragon wings of House Blackfyre, on a gold field. As founder of the Golden Company, he remained steadfast in his support of the Blackfyre Pretenders to the Iron Throne.

Pseudonym(s): Bittersteel Title(s): Sor Captain-General Loyalty: House Bracken Blackfyre House Second Children Golden Company Race: Valyrian Culture: Riverlands Birth: 172 AD, in King's Landing Death: Disputed Lands, 241 AD

Father: King Aegon IV Targaryen Mother: Mrs. Barba Bracken Spouse: Calla Blackfyre

Being half-Targaryen, Aegor had purple eyes but black hair. As an adult, he had a trimmed beard, little more than a shadow on his face. He looked like a warrior, tall and muscular, but was lean and agile as a panther. Aegor's armor was well-made but simple, of grey steel and black rings. On his helm was a crest of a horse's head, with a horse's mane flowing behind it. His shield displayed his personal sigil: a stallion with black dragon wings, on a golden field, snorting fire. Aegor was angry all his life and never smiled. Allegedly, he was a hard man who had little use for anything besides war. Bittersteel was easily angered and offended, sometimes attributed to his Bracken blood. Aegor especially detested his younger half-brother, Brynden Rivers, and Brynden's mother, Melissa Blackwood, who had replaced Aegor's mother, Barba Bracken, as King Aegon IV Targaryen's mistress. He was a choleric man, quick to take offense, with a tongue more bitter than his nickname.[6] Bittersteel never smiled and lived a life filled with rage towards his half-brother Bloodraven and Lady Melissa Blackwood. His shield bears his personal sigil: a red winged stallion on a gold field, but the horse has large black dragon wings instead of the usual Pegasus-style feathered angel wings, and it is breathing fire.

Despite being married to Princess Naerys Targaryen since 153 AC, Prince Aegon showed interest in the young, sixteen-year-old Barba Bracken in 171 AC. When he ascended the Iron Throne in 172 AC, King Aegon IV appointed Barba Bracken's father as Hand of the King and took her as his mistress. A bastard son was born from this extramarital affair: Aegor Rivers was born in King's Landing fifteen days before the birth of Princess Daenerys Targaryen, the legitimate daughter of King Aegon IV and his wife. Queen Naerys Targaryen hovered between life and death, but when she recovered from childbirth, Princes Daeron Targaryen and Aemon the Dragonknight forced the King to banish Barba and his bastard son from the capital. So she returned to her home at Stone Hedge in the Riverlands, taking Aegor with her. There he would spend his childhood and adolescence, before returning to the kingdom's capital years later, already as an adult. It is known that his father, King Aegon IV, visited him at least once in 177 AC, where he met Bethany Bracken, Aegor's aunt and another famous mistress of the King who was murdered for betraying him with Ser Terrence Toyne, a member of the Kingsguard. Aegor was choleric throughout his life, but reserved a special hatred for his half-brother Brynden Rivers, whose mother, Mylessa Blackwood, had replaced his own as the favorite of his father, King Aegon IV. Aegor came to hate Bloodraven even more when Shiera Seastar, their half-sister, chose Brynden instead.

In 184 AC, King Aegon IV died. Shortly before, while still conscious, he legitimized all his bastards. Those of noble birth, like Ser Aegor, became known as the "Great Bastards." Despite his half-brother and close friend, Daemon, wielding the Valyrian steel sword of the Targaryen kings, Blackfyre, and being favored by a handful of nobles (including his father), it was the late King's eldest son, Prince Daeron, who ascended the Iron Throne. King Daeron II Targaryen unified the Seven Kingdoms by annexing Dorne with the marriage agreement between Prince Maron Martell and his younger sister, Princess Daenerys Targaryen. However, many lords were unhappy with Dorne's growing influence in Westeros. Bittersteel knew that Daemon Blackfyre harbored resentment towards his half-brother, King Daeron II, because Daemon had always loved Princess Daenerys and vice versa. So, for years, Bittersteel nurtured the idea that Daemon should rebel against King Daeron the Good and seize the Iron Throne for himself. This pressure increased when, eventually, Ser Aegor married Calla Blackfyre, Daemon's daughter. Over the years, Bittersteel and Ser Quentyn Ball, Fireball, finally managed to convince Daemon Blackfyre to rebel against the Crown.

In 196 AC, the First Blackfyre Rebellion broke out, and Bittersteel sided with his half-brother Daemon Blackfyre. Several battles were fought in the Vale of Arryn, the Westerlands, the Riverlands, and various other places, but the decisive fight would take place at the Battle of the Redgrass Field in 196 AC. Ser Aegor was part of Daemon Blackfyre's rebel forces. Daemon's forces defeated Lord Donnel Arryn's army and Ser Gwayne Corbray's reinforcements of the Kingsguard. Daemon had the chance to advance against Prince Maekar Targaryen's forces (who was trying to reorganize the remainder of Lord Arryn's defeated vanguard), but chose to retreat, attempting to save the life of his wounded enemy, Ser Gwayne Corbray. This decision proved to be a grave mistake, as it gave Bloodraven and his Raven's Teeth time to reach Weeping Peak and rain down arrows upon Daemon and his twin sons, Aegon and Aemon. Immediately after the death of Daemon and his sons, many rebels attempted to flee the battle, but Bittersteel seized the sword Blackfyre and took the lead, rallying the rebels and launching a final, mad assault against the army of Brynden Rivers. In the midst of the battle between the rebel and loyalist armies, Bloodraven was defeated in single combat against Bittersteel, losing an eye to the sword Blackfyre. Just when it seemed the rebels would win, Prince Maekar Targaryen's forces joined the rest of the loyalist army, while Prince Baelor Breakspear and his army, formed with men from Dorne and Storm's End, attacked the rebel rear, crushing them and ending the First Blackfyre Rebellion once and for all. Ser Aegor Rivers' defeat at the Battle of the Redgrass Field was commemorated by the singers with the song "The Hammer and the Anvil," with Prince Baelor being the "Hammer" that crushed the rebels and Prince Maekar the "Anvil" that held back Bittersteel's advance.

It is unknown how Bittersteel managed to escape the battle along with so many other rebels to the Free City of Tyrosh with Rohanne, Daemon's wife, and the rest of their children.

In Essos, the forces supporting House Blackfyre were scattered far and wide, as many joined various mercenary companies, such as the Irregular Standard and the Maiden's Men. Bittersteel served the Second Sons for some years, but felt he needed to unite the supporters of House Blackfyre before it was too late, so he decided to found the Golden Company in 212 AC to unite the exiles. Soon after, the Golden Company established itself as the most important free company in the Disputed Lands and one of the largest mercenary companies in Essos, whose battle cry was "Under the gold, the bitter steel," a reference to his nickname. The Golden Company quickly established its reputation by sacking Qohor when the Free City refused to honor its contract. While alive, Bittersteel was heavily involved in almost all the Blackfyre Rebellions, except for the Second Blackfyre Rebellion in 212 AC, where Daemon the Younger crossed the Narrow Sea disguised under the pseudonym "John the Fiddler," a supposed Hedge Knight, as part of Lord Gormon Peake's plans to start the rebellion at Whitewalls. The Blackfyre conspiracy ended before it began, as Lord Bloodraven, the Hand of the King, knew everything that was happening and arrived at Alvasparedes with a large army. The exact reason why Bittersteel did not support Daemon the Younger in the Second Blackfyre Rebellion is unknown, but there is speculation: some rumors claim that Lord Gormon's plan was not solid enough and failed to convince Ser Aegor, while other rumors claim that Daemon's close relationship with Lord Alyn Cockshaw disturbed Bittersteel.

In 219 AC, Bittersteel and Haegon Blackfyre initiated the Third Blackfyre Rebellion. We don't have enough information about what happened in this Rebellion, but we know there was a second duel between Bittersteel and Bloodraven. The rebellion ended when Haegon Blackfyre was treacherously assassinated after dropping the Blackfyre sword. However, Bittersteel was captured alive and taken to the Red Keep in chains. Lord Bloodraven, the Hand of the King, and Prince Aerion Targaryen argued for Bittersteel's immediate execution. However, King Aerys I condemned him for high treason only after a trial and allowed him to join the Night's Watch at the Wall. King Aerys I's foolish mercy proved to be a grave mistake, as the Blackfyres still had informants at court, and the ship carrying Bittersteel and a dozen other captives was seized by men loyal to House Blackfyre in the Narrow Sea en route to Eastwatch-by-the-Sea. Ser Aegor Rivers was freed, returning to the Golden Company and crowning Haegon's eldest son as King Daemon III Blackfyre in Tyrosh before the year ended. In 236 AC, at the end of a harsh winter, the Fourth Blackfyre Rebellion began when Daemon and Bittersteel crossed the Narrow Sea with the Golden Company. They landed at Massey's Hook, south of Blackwater Bay. King Aegon V Targaryen and his three sons, Princes Daeron, Jaehaerys, and Duncan Targaryen, rode in person to meet the rebels. The Blackfyres suffered a crushing defeat at the Battle of the Bundestag. Ser Duncan of the Kingsguard killed Daemon in combat, but Bittersteel managed to escape to Essos alive once more.

At some point, Lord Torwyn Greyjoy and Bittersteel swore a blood oath against some common enemy, but Ser Aegor Rivers was ultimately betrayed by Lord Torwyn, who joined his enemies. Bittersteel spent the last years of his life in the Disputed Lands of Essos, along with what remained of his mercenary company, settling a major dispute between Tyrosh and Myr, offering their swords to the highest bidder. Ser Aegor Rivers was sixty-nine years old when he died: with a sword in his hand and a blasphemy on his lips. On his deathbed, Bittersteel ordered the men of the Golden Company to boil his skull to remove the flesh, dip it in gold, and carry it before them as they crossed the Narrow Sea to retake Westeros. His successors in the leadership of the Golden Company had followed suit.

A FEAST FOR CROWS - While conversing with Ser Arys Oakheart of the Kingsguard about the Golden Company's recent breach of contract with Myr, Princess Arianne Martell mentions Bittersteel's dream of returning to his homeland in Westeros. A DANCE WITH DRAGONS - While conversing with Illyrio Mopatis about the Golden Company's recent breach of contract with Myr, Tyrion Lannister recalls Bittersteel's past, from the Battle of the Redgrass Field in the First Blackfyre Rebellion to the founding of the Golden Company. Illyrio Mopatis says he believes Queen Daenerys Targaryen will give the members of the Golden Company what Bittersteel never could. Tyrion has a dream where he has two heads and fights alongside Bittersteel and Ser Barristan the Bold, while dragons circle in the sky and the dwarf kills Lord Tywin and Ser Jaime Lannister. Ser Jon Connington observes the golden skull of the former leaders of the Golden Company and wonders why Bittersteel's skull seemed to smile, if he died defeated, alone and broken in a foreign land. When Tyrion Lannister manages to convince Ben Plumm to join the Second Sons, Tybero Istarion informs the dwarf about the ancient tradition of signing the membership book with red ink, mentioning some illustrious and historical figures who were once part of the Mercenary Company, such as Bittersteel and Prince Aerion Brightflame. While thinking about the relationship between Queen Daenerys Targaryen and Daario Naharis, Ser Barristan remembers that Bittersteel and Bloodraven loved Shiera Seastar and the Seven Kingdoms bled for it.