House Florent of Brightwater Keep are principal bannermen to House Tyrell, being Lords of the Brightwater. One of the most influential Houses of the Reach, they share blood ties with the Tyrells. The Florents are the liege lords of Houses Middlebury and Blackbar, controlling most of the fertile Honeywine River.
History[]
Kingdom of the Reach[]
According to legend, the Florents, the Balls, and the Peakes descend from the three husbands of Florys the Fox.
The Florents, like the Tyrells, claim descent from the extinct House Gardener, the defunct Kings of the Reach. The Florents have a superior line of descent, and believe that they by rights should possess Highgarden.[6]
Targaryen Era[]
Three years before the start of the tourney at Ashford Meadow, Ser Arlan and Dunk (later known as Ser Duncan the Tall) were in service to Lord Florent, who was blind. The Florent arms were spotted by Dunk in the assembled heraldry at the tourney. Ser Aladore Florent and Ser Jon Florent were listed on the rolls. According to Ser Eustace Osgrey, maids of House Osgrey used to marry members of House Florent.
War of the Five Kings[]
Lord Tywin Lannister offered his son Tyrion for marriage to Delena Florent after she had been despoiled by King Robert I Baratheon. Instead, her father, Ser Colin Florent, married her to one of his knights, Hosman Norcross.
Initially declaring for King Renly Baratheon of Storm's End, along with the Tyrells, the Florents were present when Renly died under mysterious circumstances the eve before an upcoming battle with King Stannis Baratheon of Dragonstone. The Florents would subsequently declare their loyalty for Stannis, with Selyse Florent being the wife of Stannis.
Alester Florent is the first of the new lords to discard the Faith of the Seven and take up the worship of R'hllor. After joining with Stannis, he briefly becomes Stannis's Hand of the King.
After Stannis's defeat at the Battle of the Blackwater, it is left to Selyse Florent and Alester to rule in Stannis's name while the king broods. Alester is given the king's seal by Selyse, to speak in Stannis's name. For their support of Stannis, the Florents are stripped of Brightwater Keep by the Iron Throne.
Alester is imprisoned in Dragonstone after he attempts to make peace with House Lannister in hopes of having Brightwater returned to him. His brother, Axell Florent, denounces Alester as having betrayed Stannis.
Aegon's Second Conquest and the War in the Reach[]
After the Fall of Dragonstone and the death of Stannis Baratheon, the Florents remained in exile with few remnants of their forces remaining.
Ser Ector Florent rallies against the Ironborn.
With Aegon, son of Rhaegar, invading the Stormlands and Ironborn reavers torching much of the Reach, the Florents were reinstated as Lords of the Brightwater in return for their loyalty in the wars to come. Lord Jakob Florent served as one of Garlan Tyrell's lieutenants, fighting at the Battle of the Isles, Western Fields, and Oldtown.
War of the Seven Banners[]
At the outbreak of the War of the Seven Banners, Florent forces, under Lord Maynard Florent, were mobilized and attached to Aegor Targaryen's forces - serving notably at the Battle of Corpse Lake and later at the Siege of Myr.
A Brightwater knight at the Battle of Corpse Lake - by Tomasz Jedruszek
The Florents were tasked with managing the siege and breaching weapons at Myr, an unattractive, but crucial task. In one particular assault on the walls of Myr, a hailstorm of flaming barrels of pitch exploded directly on the Florent lines, burning a hundred men at arms and blinding Lord Florent, causing a call for retreat.
Donning his father's helm and two-handed greatsword, Alberet staved off the Myrish counterattack and carried his father back to the trenchlines. For his bravery, his uncle knighted him amidst the smoke and burned flesh of the trenches.
After the long War of Seven Banners had finally come to an end, Ser Alberet himself carried his father, on his back and on a wagon, to the Brightwater. As his father died from his wounds, a year after the ceasefire, Lord Alberet became the Reach's newest Lord Fox.
Present-day (380 AC)[]
Lord Alberet Florent sits as the Lord of the Brightwaters. He is a quiet, solemn individual having not yet chosen a spouse or squire. His brother, Ser Kelley Florent has been recently knighted and his uncle, Ser Garth Florent serves as the Castellan of Brightwater Keep. The Florents share blood ties with the Tyrells, the Rowans, the Karstarks, and the Mallisters.
Lord Alberet leads a patrol of lancers.
Having served as one of his lieutenants at Myr, Alberet has great respect for Prince Aegor Targaryen and considers him a role model and acquaintance.
Having served as one of his principal bannermen and as his first cousin, Alberet is good friends with Lord Paramount Victor Tyrell of Highgarden.
Lord Alberet has been invited to the tourney at Oldtown in 380 AC, but has been delayed due to the death of Maester Lewis.