Fanfic / Wearing Robert's Crown

Wearing Robert's Crown is an A Song of Ice and Fire fanfic diverging from canon after the sack of King's Landing. Although described as a Self-Insertion, with the author avatar playing the role of Robert Baratheon (referred to as Drakbert or Drakebert in some comments), his perspective isn't portrayed, with the point of view circulating between canonical characters.

You can find it on fanfiction.net here. It's also archived on Archive of Our Own here and advance postings are made on spacebattles.com and alternatehistory.com

Has not updated since 2021.

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Wearing Robert's Crown provides examples of the next tropes:

• A Child Shall Lead Them: After Drakebert's passing, the throne was assumed by his young heir Eddard under the regency of Stannis. After Eddard's unfortunate passing, Cassana assumed the throne under the same regent.
• Adopt the Dog: Drakebert's handling of Mance Rayder.
• Adorably Precocious Child: Cassana Baratheon and Daenerys Targaryen.
• Altar Diplomacy:
  • Drakebert's marriage to Alayne Chelsted, solidifying his hold upon the former-Crownlands, and showing a willingness to work with former Targaryan loyalists.
  • Averted by Renly's marriage since rather than resolving the problems between the Baratheons and the Martells it endangered several of Drakebert's other alliances. This lead to the trope being played straight through the engagement of his nephew Orys and Ned's niece Joanna.
  • Mace Tyrell attempted this, but failed.
• Alternate Universe Fic: As above, events diverge from canon during Robert's Rebellion - specifically from Robert's arrival at the Red Keep after the sack of King's Landing. The insertion point may had happened some time before that.
• Ancestral Weapon:
  • Viserys noted that his sword belonged to his brother Rhaegar before him. He also dreams of Blackfyre, sword of his ancestor Aegon the Conqueror and later obtained that sword's mate Dark Sister.
  • Gerion and Tyrion Lannister go looking for the Lannister's long-lost Valyrian steel sword Brightroar but found another Valyrian steel sword instead, which they made an heirloom sword anyway. One which happens to have been named Fire, the twin to Ice.
• And Then What?: Some readers have noted that Drakebert's actions may be all very well with regard to preparing for the Others, but they're also going to destabilise Westeros in the longer term.
• Anyone Can Die: It's ASOIAF so that should go without saying. Several happen unexpectedly and off-screen even.
  • Not even Drakebert is safe. Word of God is that the SI didn't get reincarnated or sent home: his death in the story was final.
  • It becomes a serious problem for the cast as the war with the Others continues, as the death toll is so high, especially for major characters, that people are left scrambling to fill in some pretty important positions.
• Arranged Marriage: Drakebert winds up arranging one between his nephew Orys and Ned's niece Joanna.
• Awesome Moment of Crowning: Inverted. Drakebert starts the fic by taking the throne well, sort of - although the crown isn't mentioned.
• Bold Explorer: Tyrion Lannister, and to a lesser extent his uncle Gerion.
• Book Burning: Shortly after the invention of the printing press, a definitive sex manual was printed. The High Septon proposes banning the book and burning every copy, but since Drakebert wrote it, that didn't happen.
• Can't Kill You, Still Need You: Something the protagonists finds themselves experiencing as the war with the Others progresses. Giving a pardon to Varys, despite his multitude of schemes, is easier to stomach given the man's full understanding that all of Westeros is imperiled. They are much less appreciative of the need to keep Melisandre alive despite her role in the death of King Eddard Baratheon, as she is one of the sole magical experts, and someone who has studied the Long Night, they have.
• Cheerful Child: Eddard Baratheon is particularly notable in this.
• Chekhov's Gun: Drakebert pays Varys for his services with a dragon egg, and a decade later Varys concludes it was Robert telling him he knew about Griff the Younger (a.k.a. Aegon, or 'Egg').
• The Chessmaster: Varys is convinced Robert Baratheon fills this role.
• Cliffhanger: The writer loves them.
• Cool and Unusual Punishment: Drakebert's plan to curb Tywin's more bloodthirsty tendencies and punish him for his 'salt the earth' approach in the war with the Ironborn: when he dissolves the Iron Islands as a Kingdom and divides up their territory among the Lords who supported him, he grants Tywin two of the Iron Islands renowned for their mines. Tywin, having already razed them to the ground and flooded the mines to make them unusable, is now stuck cleaning them up as a matter of pride.
• Cool Crown: Robert wears the same gold circlet as Aegon III, who also succeeded the throne following a civil war, and Aegon V, his nearest royal ancestor. Before his Dying Moment of Awesome, he gives it to Sam Tarly to return to Kings Landing. Later, when his daughter becomes Queen, she chooses a crown that while has a mixed history behind it, is stylized to represent spring, symbolizing what they are fighting for.
• Confusion Fu: Even Bloodraven, who has access to his dreams, isn't sure what to make of Drakebert.
• Daddy's Girl: Cassana, but all his daughters, trueborn, natural, or fostered, all love him dearly.
• Dad the Veteran: Barristan Selmy. To his chagrin, his son Duncan used to play-fight as Barristan The Bold without knowing that he was play-acting as his own father.
• Deadpan Snarker: Olenna Tyrell.
• Deal with the Devil: Bloodraven appears to have made a deal with the Children of the Forest in return for lore he hopes will allow for the return of dragons.
• Death by Adaptation: Many of the cast.
  • Most of the Greyjoys died during their rebellion, with Aeron being the last survivor until Jaime lopped off his head in his Trial by Combat.
  • Tywin Lannister is poisoned by a very ill-conceived plot by some of the younger Martells. Jon Arryn falls down the stairs, and it is implied to be a genuine tragedy.
  • The list of people dying differently skyrockets once the war with the Others gets started.
• Decapitated Army: The loss of Drakebert, Ned and Jaime effectively does this to the war effort in the North. Ned survived with loss of limb, and managed to rejoin the army some time later.
• Demoted to Extra: Ramsay Bolton, as Domeric Bolton has no reason to seek out him out, since he has a legitimate half-brother Barton. After his crimes are found out, he tries to barter for his life or be sent to the Night Watch, but Ned Stark is having none of it.
• Dies Differently in Adaptation: Arthur Dayne is killed by Viserys here in Essos rather than at the Tower of Joy.
• Dirty Business: Drakebert has to deal with the fact he executed a twelve year old for murder, and gets drunk for the first time in years. And earlier with Tywin having had Rhaegar's family killed.
  Drakebert:"It's no secret that two of your knights slew Princess Elia and you know how hot-headed the Dornish can be."
  Tywin:"It needed to be done."
  Drakebert:"The children, yes. And I doubt she'd have stood by for it. But dammit, man! But don't brag about it! Dark deeds are done in the dark where no one can see them."
• Drowning My Sorrows: After years of restraining himself to well-watered wine, Drakebert drinks himself into a stupor after executing Quentyn Martell.
• Dying Moment of Awesome:
  • Drakebert himself died holding the line against wights and White Walkers after reciting the Night Watch's oaths, functionally making him the 999th Lord Commander of The Night's Watch. Alongside him dies Ser Barristan, Brienne Tarth, Roose Bolton, and others. This later plays a significant role as well in actually solidifying his regime, as everyone is well aware the king could have retreated, but instead chose to lay down his life alongside those sworn to him, setting an example for the entire kingdom to follow. Special note that at some point he was stabbed by a dagger of dragonglass to ensure he stayed dead, as did a few other members, including Brienne.
  • At his execution, Quentyn Martell, despite being twelve, bravely accepts his fate in spite of his fear, and makes a point of apologizing to Drakebert for abusing his hospitality, which the king praises him for.
  • Tormund Giantsbane goes out rallying the fighting men of the Freefolk so that the last of their families can escape. It is impressive enough that Ser Alliser Thorne, despite his hatred of Wildlings, resolves to make sure his name and deed are recorded within the annuals of the Night Watch.
• Earn Your Title: Tyrion Lannister becomes known as the Crowslayer after he kills Euron Greyjoy. He is justifiably proud of it.
• Entitled Bastard: Viserys starts out this way, but he progressively gets over it as the story continues.
• Faux Action Girl: An In-Universe example: During the Greyjoy Rebellion Cersei Lannister rides to war with her husband Benjen, wearing armour the whole way. She's packed off to Casterly Rock before any battles take place though.
• Fictional Document:
  • Tyrion Lannister apparently publishes accounts of his voyages with some success.
  • Drakebert is credited with a sex manual that causes some controversy, since it includes chapters for the married to encourage children and the unmarried (to avoid conception). It also appears to discuss Mendelian genetics as a theory.
• Fix Fic: It's been accused of being this on the spacebattles forum. Some readers were quite shocked by later plot twists subverting this.
• Frontline General: Robert very often leads from the front, like the medieval ruler that he is.
• Gentleman Adventurer: Ser Tyrion Lannister.
• Giving Radio to the Romans: With some success - an attempt at a screw-galley is labelled Robert's Folly for its (recoverable) failure.
• Gold Digger: Jeyne Waynwood, at least when contrasted with her sisters.
• The Good King: Drakebert is largely considered this for the Seven Kingdoms leading up to the Other War:
  • The members of the former-Stormlands absolutely love him to bits.
  • He works hard to cultivate a good relationship with the North, sending regular food shipments to them, and supporting the Night Watch. Roose Bolton is put upon the Small Council to represent the North. He also maintains a close relationship with Ned, with them exchanging monthly letters.
  • Works hard to curry peace with former Targaryan loyalists, and even Tywin respects his competence.
• Good Parents:
  • Drakebert and Alayne are devoted to their children. Drakebert also brings in the two bastards Robert conceived to raise them, and essentially adopts Daenerys, and they are all happily raised by the couple. Myra goes on to enjoy a comfortable marriage to a former Targaryan-loyalist Stormland family, who she genuinely loves (although Drakebert still has his hammer present at the wedding as a pointed warning), and indicates how more things are forgiven in the kingdom. Meanwhile, Bella is being tutored to become the next Master of Whispers.
  • More surprisingly Cersei of all people seems to have flourished into this with Benjen.
• Handicapped Badass: Lack of height in no way impairs Tyrion's ability to travel the world, slay pirates, burn wights, catch the eye of a princess (admittedly eight-year old Cassana Baratheon) and recover ancient treasures.
• Happily Adopted: Although she's well aware of her parentage, Daenerys occasionally refers to Drakebert as her father.
• Happily Married: Most of the fic's marriages are content enough, but special mention must be given to Ashara Dayne and Barristan Selmy.
• Hello, Sailor!: Given his canonical counterpart, Renly spending a lot of time on ships away from his wife Obara and children raised fan's suspicions.
• Idiot Ball:
  • Arthur Dayne is a great warrior, but a terrible conspirator, to the point his co-conspirators basically abandon him.
  • Balon Greyjoy's whole rebellion is spelled out as him holding this. The main reason is that not only is he picking a fight with basically the entire continent, a continent much more unified under Drakebert than it was under Robert, but the simple fact that he has little way to replace his losses, while the Baratheons can do so with ease. As Varys puts it, the Greyjoys might win the first few battles, but they were doomed to lose the last one. The idiocy is compounded by refusing favorable terms of surrender after the Iron Fleet was crushed, and his castle was under siege.
  • The assassination of Tywin Lannister is poorly thought out in general by the teens and kids responsible, and it is acknowledged by Doran Martell as carrying massive and preventable risks. It costed the Martells Quentyn Martell's life, and caused a subtle falling out between Doran and Arianne.
  • Related to the above point, former Grand Maester, currently Maester Pycelle, suspects that Tywin has been poisoned. Hoping to regain his former position, he says nothing during the prolonged period it takes the man to die, and then makes a large, public spectacle of claiming it was poison, and (correctly) accusing the Martells of it. This causes a massive political scandal which pits the two houses against one another, and ends in the execution of twelve year old Quentyn Martell. If he had quietly come to Drakebert with his suspicions from the start, Tywin might have been saved, and the situation could have been resolved discretely with Doran quietly yet firmly handling the mess his children and niece had caused, and without burdening Drakebert's conscience, and Pycelle would have been rewarded. Instead he causes a massive crisis, and it is painfully obvious he engineered it to try and regain his old status. Consequently, Pycelle is imprisoned, forcefully removed from King's Landing, and it is heavily implied the Red Viper kills him for his role in his nephew's death.
  • In Obara VII, two different Dornish emissaries approach Aegon Targaryen who's planning to return to Westeros. They anticipated that Aegon and the Golden Company can carry out a lightning assault on the capital, and that most of the Seven Kingdoms will be neutral, favourable, or at least unable to oppose him in taking the crown. At a time when the Wall has fallen, the king died heroically, and Stannis Baratheon is uncontested as Regent to the young heirs; In short, when the realm is more united and galvanized than ever before. Just to make this clear, Viserys Targaryen had concluded that his feud with House Baratheon is less important that fighting the Others! To quote one reviewer: 'Aegon, Jonny C, The GC, and Dorne weren't just holding the Idiot Ball, they were having kinky, filthy sex with it.' They wise up and change their minds when they also learn that Daenerys hatched dragons.
  • Mace Tyrell's holding back the forces of the Reach is initially feared to be outright treason, especially as the lack of the massive Reach forces is considered by many to have played a significant role in the initial heavy losses Westeros has suffered in the war with the Others. In reality, the man genuinely believed taking the time to prepare his men, particularly with a series of tourneys, was the right thing to do so they would be properly ready. In response, the entirety of the Reach was divided up into a series of smaller 'kingdoms,' and he was sent to join the Night Watch.
  • Several of those who try and bond with Daenerys' dragons give that impression, as they are risking their lives largely upon hopes that they have the proper mixture of blood within them. Something which people persist in doing despite the number of people viciously killed in failed attempts.
• In Spite of a Nail: The Greyjoy Rebellion begins right on schedule.
• Instant Book Deal: Both Tyrion and Drakebert seem to have zero difficulty getting published. At least in the latter case it's understandable since he's both the King and the inventor of the printing press.
• In-Universe Nickname: Stannis Ironfoot. He hates it.
• Last-Second Chance: Drakebert gives Balon Greyjoy a chance to end his rebellion on terms. When that's declined, it doesn't end well for the Greyjoys.
• Lesser of Two Evils: The Martells aren't admirers of Jon Arryn, but when the alternative is Tywin Lannister as (permanent) Hand they're willing to work with him.
• Luckily, My Shield Will Protect Me: Viserys only survives the first few moments of his fight against Arthur Dayne because he's very skilled in the use of his shield. And he wins the fight by beating Dayne to death with said shield after his sword snaps.
• The Magic Comes Back: Doran Martell had the same magical glass candles that The Citadel has, had managed to light it, and uses it to communicate with Obara Sand.
• Marriage of Convenience: Drakebert and Alayne Chelsted, Stannis and Aemma Waynwood, Cersei and Benjen Stark.
• Mass "Oh, Crap!": Initially an understated one as Robert calls a Grand Council of all the lords, and spells out how they are looking at a very long winter on the horizon. This becomes progressively larger as summer continues, and thus the implications for the coming snows. When the Others are discovered though, it becomes increasingly frantic and explicit as the entire kingdom throws itself into the war.
• May–December Romance: After being released from Kingsguard duties, Barristan Selmy went on and married Ashara Dayne. By most accounts, their marriage is a happy one.
• Missing Mom: Averted. Drakebert was able to give Ned enough hints to find Lyanna months earlier than canon, leading to her giving birth with considerably more support.
• My Greatest Failure: Drakebert considered the whole debacle of Tywin Lannister dying under his watch to be this. Especially, having to execute Quentyn Martell, a boy who was likely framed into doing this.
• Named Weapons: Beside the usual suspects for the setting, there's also the Lannister's newly obtained Valyrian steel greatsword Fire, sister blade to the Stark's Ice.
• Nice Job Breaking It, Hero: Drakebert has the Wall heavily reinforced. Then the Others brought it down in one night, killing most of the defenders who they can raise to reinforce their army.
• Noble Fugitive: The Tattered Prince. Viserys could also be considered to be an example, although he is considered a grown man and is not really confined to Drakebert's court.
• Noodle Incident: While besieging Pyke, Viserys noted that he heard a freak thunder in the middle of the night. The next morning, the army found one of the towers of Balon Greyjoy's castle in rubbles, taking most of the Greyjoys with it save for Aeron.
• Nostalgia Filter: Bloodraven understandably thinks fondly of his lover and half-sister Shiera, but he also claims that their half-brother Aegor as a friend, even though they were romantic rivals and had a legendary enmity during the Blackfyre Rebellions.
• Nothing Is the Same Anymore: Varys XIII & Alliser III
• O.C. Stand-in: Three of the Waynwood sisters, since none are named or encountered in canon.
• Old Flame: Drakebert meets Lyanna Stark for the first time in ten years. Fortunately for his marriage, he has Cassana along as a witness that nothing happened.
• One-Man Industrial Revolution: Specifically averted. Drakebert has arranged some inventions but with few exceptions these are incremental improvements and he needs craftsmen to handle the technical details. One thing he does to help advance things is make specific requests, and promises gold to whomever can figure out a solution.
• Original Character: Alayne Chelstead, sister of Aerys the Mad's penultimate Hand. She marries Drakebert, and has many kids with him. Initially more of a background character, as the war, and cost, of the war with the Others continues, she takes a larger role, yet is clearly (if understandably) struggling as the losses to her family mount.
• Perfectly Arranged Marriage: Most of them turn out to be this. The only one appearing strained is Jon Arryn and Lisa Tully's, and even then it manages better than canon.
• Pet the Dog: A moment of humour between Tygett and Tywin Lannister as they prepare for the invasion of the Iron Isles.
• Royals Who Actually Do Something: Drakebert's policy encourages this, but the best example is Stannis. At one time or another, he has held upwards of half the positions on the Small Council. Renly also takes a fairly active role, having his own keep with Summerhall, and after he causes a political scandal is given the responsibility of manning a ship and overseeing one of Robert's key pet projects.
• Self-Insert Fic: Yes, although some readers have noted that since Drakebert's perspective isn't shown, it's sometimes hard to tell.
• Shout-Out: Drakebert tells his children stories from fantasy versions of our world's TV shows, including The A-Team and Babylon 5.
• Sins of Our Fathers: Averted. Drakebert raises Aerys' surviving children alongside his own children. Also, absolutely no judgement is held against Lyanna's child for being Rhaegar's.
• Slavery Is a Special Kind of Evil: Drakebert won't put up with Pentoshi weaselling on whether or not they're actually practising slavery - they are and he calls them on it. This also earns him extra favor from Bravos and the Septons. His solution to the Freefolk/Wildings, dumping them on Essos to terrorize the slavers, continues this theme.
• Spared by the Adaptation: Martyn Cassel, Willam Dustin and Arthur Dayne survived the Tower of Joy. Not to mention Lyanna, who also survived the incident.
• Superficial Solution: Drakebert is incredibly hyper-focused on uniting and preparing the realm for the war against the Others, and several of his political maneuvers are well suited to short term alliances during his reign, but the readers have noted and the author acknowledged that a few of his ploys, such as elevating the Houses Stark, Arryn and Lannister to princely houses of their respective kingdoms for services rendered, are likely to cause further instability after the war.
• The Berserker: Drakebert gets called on this during the Battle of Harlaw and had hinted at it previously.
• The Leader: Drakebert is the Mastermind type, but plays the role of a Headstrong type maturing into the Levelheaded type.
• The Stations of the Canon: For the first two books, although events are gradually diverging. Book three takes this well off track.
• Throne Made of X: Very deliberately averted. Drakebert destroys the Iron Throne and replaces it with an ordinary, if well-made, chair draped with his cloak. Pieces of the iron throne are re-forged into the armor of his new guards.
• Token Evil Teammate: While he can't really be considered evil per se, Roose Bolton is one of Drakebert's longtime advisors, and very competent at his job. This also keeps him out of the North, and where Drakebert can keep a close eye on him. A straighter example, Tywin Lannister served a short term as Hand of The King.
• Where Did We Go Wrong?: Tywin is pleased that Jaime is freed to be his heir, but less so as he realises that Jaime isn't likely to follow in his footsteps as politician and administrator.

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