This is a listing of members of House Royce who appear in A Song of Ice and Fire.
For the main character index, see here
For the main Vale entry, see here
House Royce of Runestone
"We Remember"
-Royce House Words
An old noble house seated at the castle of Runestone, north of Gulltown and on the coast of the Narrow Sea. They are one of the most powerful bannermen of House Arryn and predate House Arryn's rule of the Vale, being descended from the First Men who first ruled the region. Before the Andal Invasion, the Royces were one of several houses that claimed Kingship in the Vale, taking the title of the Bronze King and wearing the Runic Crown. The Bronze Kings were the last of the First Men to be defeated by the Andals in the Vale, but survived their defeat and rebuilt themselves once more into a powerful and influential house, noted for their loyalty to House Arryn.
House Royce has a large collection of suits of armor inscribed with runes that supposedly protect the wearer from injury, although a distressingly large number of Royces have died wearing them. Several smaller houses swear fealty to House Royce, including Houses Coldwater, Shett, and Tollett. The sigil of the House consists of black iron studs on a field of bronze, bordered with ancient runes.
Tropes related to House Royce of Runestone:
- Bling of War: The house is well-known for its fancy rune-inscribed sets of bronze armor and all of its members wear some manner of armor along this fashion.
- The Clan: Of First Men ascentry.
- Famous Ancestor
- Lord Allard Royce, who fought against the usurper Jonos Arryn after he deposed Lord Ronnel Arryn.
- His daughter Alayne Royce, a 'close companion' of Princess Rhaena Targaryen who refused to abandon her to her uncle Maegor the Cruel.
- Yorbert Royce was Lord Protector of the Vale during the minority of Lady Jeyne Arryn.
- Ser Willam Royce, a knight who fought for the Blacks during the Dance of the Dragons and wielded the Valyrian sword Lamentation. He was killed and the sword was lost forever during the Storming of the Dragonpit.
- Lord Gunthor Royce, who supported Arnold Arryn against the wishes of the late Jeyne Arryn.
- Lady Alyssa Royce, one of the many maidens presented to King Aegon III Targaryen.
- Lady Lorra Royce, the wife of Lord Beron Stark, mother of seven children and direct ancestor of the current Starks.
- Ser Benedict Royce, who married Jocelyn Stark, the sister of Lord Edwyle Stark.
- Lord Allard Royce, who fought against the usurper Jonos Arryn after he deposed Lord Ronnel Arryn.
- The Ghost: Ryella Royce, the wife of Ser Arwood Frey and mother of Ryella, Androw, Alyn and Hostella Frey.
- Posthumous Character:
- Perra Royce, the first wife of Lord Walder Frey.
- Jeyne Royce, the first wife of Lord Jon Arryn, who died giving birth to a daughter, who was stillborn.
- Kyle Royce, a companion of Brandon Stark who was among those executed by the Mad King when Brandon's party arrived in King's Landing following Lyanna Stark's kidnapping.
- Runic Magic: They own several sets of bronze armor with runes inscribed on them, which are believed to magically protect the wearer from injury. This claim is doubtful since several Royces have died in their rune armor, but the runes are considered important enough that the Royces put runes on their sigil and named their castle Runestone.
- Theme Naming: Although not as obvious or frequent as other families, members of the house tend to have names that start with 'A', 'R', 'W' and 'Y'; Andar, Albar, Allard, Alyssa, Robar, Rhea, Ryella, Waymar, Willam, Yohn, Yorbert, Yorwyck, Ysilla.
- Undying Loyalty: Though they were The Rival to the Arryns during the Andal invasion, the Royces are now very loyal to the Arryns. When Jonos Arryn usurped the throne from his brother, the Royces led the other Lords of the Vale in opposing him. When the heir to the Vale was too young to rule, the Royces took over as guardians and raised her until she was ready to rule in her own right. Even now Yohn Royce leads the faction opposing Littlefinger and trying to get Robert Arryn to raise him to be a knight Jon Arryn could be proud of.
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Lord Yohn Royce
Lord Yohn Royce
Bronze Yohn
- "I like it not, but it would seem you have your year. Best use it well, my lord. Not all of us are fooled."
Head of House Royce, Lord of Runestone and one of the most prominent lords sworn to House Arryn, second to none. He is the leader of the Lords Declarant, who oppose Littlefinger's regency in the Vale. He has at least four children: Andar, Robar, Waymar, and Ysilla.
- Action Dad: As mentioned above, he has at least four children, and is seemingly a more accomplished fighter than any of his sons.
- Asskicking Leads to Leadership: He controls the second or third most powerful house in the Vale and is a capable warrior, which is why he is in charge of the Lords Declarant.
- Big Ol' Eyebrows: Alayne describes them as the "bushiest eyebrows she had ever seen."
- Bling of War: His ancient suit of armor is thousands of years old, made of bronze and inscribed with protective runes.
- Carry a Big Stick: While he's just as capable with a sword, he's mentioned to have wielded a common mace when he beat Thoros of Myr in the melee of a tourney.
- Family Theme Naming: All three of his sons have names that end in "-ar".
- Genius Bruiser: He's noted him to be just as big as Sandor Clegane, with hands that seem capable of snapping younger men in two. He also has a very sharp mind, being able to almost recognize Alayne and seems to also have seen through Littlefinger's plans (Even if he's unable to act against it).
- Have We Met?: When he encounters Alayne Stone at the Eyrie, Yohn thinks she looks familiar. Since Alayne is actually Sansa Stark, he is correct since they met a few years before when Yohn accompanied his son Waymar to the Wall and stopped at Winterfell.
- Icy Gray Eyes: His gray eyes represent the strong and unapproachable aspects of him.
- In-Series Nickname: Called "Bronze Yohn" due to his ancient bronze armor with protective runes carved into it.
- Knuckle Cracking: The first thing he does at the meeting of the Lords Declarant with Littlefinger is to loudly crack his knuckles and declare his intent to depose him.
- Large and in Charge: He's the head of House Royce and the unofficial leader of the Lords Declarant. He's also quite tall and strong, with Alayne considering him to be on the same height as Sandor Clegane.
- The Leader: He is the unofficial leader of the Lords Declarant, since he is the most powerful and respected lord among them.
- Old Master: He's old, but still strong and a very capable fighter to boot. Alayne recalls him easily besting her father and Ser Rodrick Cassel in the training yards at Winterfell when he was visiting there. He also defeated Thoros of Myr in the melee of a tourney before the story began.
- Old Soldier: An accomplished and experienced veteran of both tourneys and battles.
- Outliving One's Offspring: He has lost half his children so far, with Waymar dying while on his first ranging and Robar being slain by Loras Tyrell after he flew into a rage following Renly Baratheon's death.
- The Rival: To Littlefinger, being one of the few nobles in the Vale who recognizes exactly how dangerous Littlefinger is.
- Undying Loyalty: To Jon Arryn, and he is determined to make Robert Arryn a knight and lord Jon would be proud of.
- War Hawk: He was very vocal about wanting The Vale to enter the War of the Five Kings, wanting to ally with Robb Stark to avenge Jon Arryn's death, but he and his supporters were ignored by Lysa Arryn, who kept the region neutral.
- Worthy Opponent: Littlefinger considers him one, noting him as the only Lord Declarant who is a true threat to his rule.
Ser Andar Royce
Ser Andar Royce
Eldest son of Yohn Royce and heir to Runestone.
- Bling of War: Like his brother Robar, at the Hand's Tourney he wears silvered plate armor filigreed with bronze runes.
- Sole Survivor: The only survivor of Yohn Royce's three sons, though he still has his sister Ysilla.
Ser Robar Royce
Ser Robar Royce
Robar the Red
- "A second son must find glory where he can. A man grows weary of tourneys."
The second son of Yohn Royce. He sought out Renly Baratheon after he declared himself king and joined his Rainbow Guard to gain glory. He is killed by Ser Loras Tyrell, who flew into a rage upon discovering Renly dead and Brienne of Tarth gone, believing that Robar must have had a part in it since he let her escape.
- Alliterative Name: Robar Royce.
- Badass Cape: A rainbow cape given to him by Renly when he joined the Rainbow Guard.
- Bling of War: Like his brother Andar, at the Hand's Tourney he wears silvered plate armor filigreed with bronze runes. After becoming a member of the Rainbow Guard, Robar is given a suit of blood red armor as well.
- Curb-Stomp Battle: At the receiving end of one during the Hand's Tourney in King's Landing, where he faced Ser Loras, who knocked him from his horse on the first tilt. Robar hit the ground so hard he had to be carried off the field on a litter, dazed and unmoving.
- Glory Seeker: Despite being from the Vale, he joins Renly's bid to become king, explaining to Catelyn Stark that since he is the second son and not likely to inherit he has to find his own path to glory and fame in life.
- Heroic BSoD: Goes into one briefly upon seeing Renly dead, but Catelyn manages to snap him out of it quickly and get him to help her and Brienne escape.
- In-Series Nickname: Robar the Red, due to the red armor and cape he wears as part of Renly's Rainbow Guard.
- Knight in Shining Armor: A rarity in this series, but Robar is one of the few knights who takes his vows seriously and actually has some brains in his head.
- Master Swordsman: By reputation, but never seen in the series.
- Nice Guy: One of the few knights who is legitimately polite to Brienne of Tarth, and it takes only a few seconds for Catelyn Stark to convince him that Brienne had no part in killing Renly and to allow her to escape.
- Praetorian Guard: As part of Renly's Rainbow Guard.
- Screw the Rules, I'm Doing What's Right!: Even though he knew Brienne didn't kill Renly, he really should have at least taken her and Catelyn into custody to figure out what did happen. However, he knew that would likely get them killed even if they were innocent, so he delayed any pursuit coming after them to give them a chance to escape.
Ser Waymar Royce
Ser Waymar Royce
Ysilla Royce
Ysilla Royce
One of the daughters of Bronze Yohn.
- Arranged Marriage: To Ser Mychel Redfort, who was forced into it by his father.
- The Ghost: She has been mentioned several times, but has yet to actually appear.
Cadet Houses
House Royce of the Gates of the Moon
A cadet branch of House Royce recently raised to Lordship by Lord Protector of the Vale Petyr Baelish. They held the Gates of the Moon, which guards the path to the Eyrie, and now it is their seat. The head of the house now holds the title "Keeper of the Gates of the Moon". Their sigil is a black portcullis over a white crescent moon on purple bordered with runes on bronze.
Lord Nestor Royce
Lord Nestor Royce
- "Whilst Lord Jon ruled the realm as Hand, it fell to me to rule the Vale for him. I did all that he required of me and asked nothing for myself."
Head of House Royce of the Gates of the Moon and Keeper - now Lord - of the Gates of the Moon. He is the father of Ser Albar and Myranda Royce.
- Arranged Marriage: Attempted to make one between his daughter Myranda and Harrold Hardyng, but was rejected by Lady Anya Waynwood, Harrold's guardian.
- The Corruptible: His ambition for his children and desire to have his accomplishments acknowledged leaves him prey to Littlefinger's influence.Littlefinger: He wants more for his son. Men of honor will do things for their children that they would never consider doing for themselves.
- Dude, Where's My Respect?: He managed the Vale extremely well for fourteen years while Lord Jon Arryn was serving as Hand of the King, only to be promptly ignored and pushed aside when Lysa Arryn returns. Nestor is more than a little annoyed by this, a fact which Littlefinger is able to exploit to gain his loyalty.
- Gate Guardian: As Keeper of the Gates of the Moon.
- Number Two: He was this to Jon Arryn as the High Steward of the Vale, governing it while Lord Arryn was serving as King's Hand.
- Pride: He is quite proud of his achievements as High Steward of the Vale, which Littlefinger exploits to gain his loyalty through manipulation and rewards. Littlefinger notes that if he had simply asked what Nestor's price was, that same pride would have made him a enemy instead.
- The Resenter: Slightly towards his cousin Lord Yohn, who he feels has never let him forget that Nestor is part of a lesser branch of House Royce.
- Undying Loyalty: He had this for Jon, and would have had it for Lysa but felt that she did not respect or trust him. He later develops it for Littlefinger after he raises Nestor to permanent Keeper of the Gates of the Moon and makes the title inheritable through his family, with the catch being that since it was granted by Littlefinger as Lord Protector of the Vale, it is only valid so long as Littlefinger is not removed from his position.
- Unwanted Harem: He is part of the group of lords who vie for Lysa's hand after Lord Arryn dies, seeking to gain claim to her control over the Vale.
- Vicariously Ambitious: The fact that he wants a better life for his son is what Littlefinger uses to get an otherwise honorable and honest man on his side. Littlefinger even points out that simply attempting to bribe Nestor with something that would have only benefitted Nestor himself would have likely resulted in Nestor throwing the bribe back in his face.
Ser Albar Royce
Ser Albar Royce
First child and only son of Lord Nestor. He is the heir to House Royce of the Gates of the Moon.
- Brutal Honesty: Known for being quite blunt.
- Strong Family Resemblance: He is said to look like a younger version of his father.
Myranda Royce
Myranda Royce
Randa
- "Kind? How boring that would be. I aspire to be wicked."
Second child and only daughter of Lord Nestor.
- Big-Breast Pride: She is quite proud of being buxom. One of the first things Myranda does after meeting Alayne is comparing their breast size, and she is quite happy that hers are larger.
- Big Beautiful Woman: Very much has this going on, even if she's not the heaviest example you'll find: she practically turns Alayne a beetroot red with her preferred topic of conversation.
- Big Fun: She is described as being short, fleshy, and buxom, and is extremely lively, talkative, and friendly.
- Brainy Brunette: Has brown curly hair and she is very smart, witty, and observant.
- Deadpan Snarker: Most of what comes out of her mouth is snark, although sometimes it is disguised behind courtesy.
- Cool Big Sis: Takes on this role to Alayne.
- Fantastic Racism: Shows a bit towards people from the Three Sisters, dismissing Alayne's suggestion that one of them could prove to be a good suitor by insulting them.Myranda: They're from the Sisters. Did you ever know a Sisterman who could joust? They clean their swords with codfish oil and wash in tubs of cold seawater.
Alayne: Well, at least they're clean.
Myranda: Some of them have webs between their toes. I'd sooner marry Lord Petyr. - Girls Like Musicians: She sleeps with the singer Marillion before he was blamed for killing Lysa. She claims to have been impressed by his musical ability.
- Good Bad Girl: She is a good and jolly person but sleeps around, having even slept with the singer Marillion, although she is rather embarrassed about having done so after the blame was pinned on him for killing Lysa Arryn.
- Hidden Depths: Littlefinger tells Alayne that while Myranda may be very friendly and appears to be just another typical nobleman's daughter, she is also extremely shrewd and adept at finding things out.
- In-Series Nickname: Prefers to be called Randa.
- Missing Mom: Her mother died years before the series began, so Myranda runs the household at the Gates of the Moon. She is said to keep a very lively court.
- Ms. Exposition: Due to her love of gossip, she ends up providing an Info Dump for Alayne, who had received very little news since arriving at the Eyrie, about what is going on around the Seven Kingdoms and the Vale.
- My Nayme Is: Myranda instead of Miranda.
- Old Man Marrying a Child: Was the child in the relationship, and is now a very young widow.
- The Resenter: She did not like having to surrender Harrold Hardyng to Alayne. So far she has been civil about it, but she might not be quite as egalitarian as she appears to be.
- Spirited Young Lady: Myranda is a witty and sociable noblewoman, with quite a bawdy streak, and is possibly much more astute and observant underneath her fun personality. She is contrasted with the naive Proper Lady Alayne and the Tomboy Mya Stone.
Historical Royces
King Yorwyck VI
King Yorwyck Royce, the Sixth of His Name
The Bronze King when the Andal Invasion began, King Yorwyck put up the fiercest resistance to the invaders and started a war that lasted generations.
- All There in the Manual: So far his only mention is in The World of Ice & Fire.
- Decapitation Presentation: When seven Andal longships landed on his shores, Yorwyck slaughtered their crews and put all their heads on the walls of Runestone as a warning to future invaders.
High King Robar II
High King Robar Royce, the Second of His Name
Grandson of King Yorwyck VI, Robar was the last of the Bronze Kings. He united the last of First Men in the Vale against the Andals and was declared High King of the Vale, the Fingers, and the Mountains of the Moon, but fell to the forces of Ser Artys Arryn at the Battle of Seven Stars.
- A Child Shall Lead Them: He inherited the Runic Crown a fortnight before his sixteenth nameday, but managed to come closer than any other First Men leader in the Vale in driving back the Andal Invasion.
- The Ace: The histories paint him as a fierce warrior, able statesman, extremely cunning and charming, as well as an able archer, defeating a Lord Hunter in an archery contest to win his loyalty (however, legend claims that he cheated).
- All There in the Manual: So far his only mention is in The World of Ice & Fire.
- Arch-Enemy: Of Ser Artys Arryn.
- Cool Sword: He took Lady Forlorn, the ancestral sword of House Corbray, after slaying King Qyle Corbray in battle.
- Divide and Conquer: After uniting the First Men, he targeted the Andal kings one at a time, often making short alliances with other Andals to attack their rivals before turning on them and allying with another Andal king. They soon caught onto his strategy and united under one leader as well, Ser Artys Arryn.
- Frontline General: He led his army personally, and led the charge during the First Men's counterattack at the Battle of Seven Stars, where he cut down several Andal leaders, including Torgold and Ser Artys Arryn's Body Double.
- The High King: Many of the First Men houses he united under his banner were led by petty kings, but they set aside their crowns and bent their knee to Robar before bestowing upon him the title of High King.
- Kneel Before Frodo: Many of the houses who he gathered under his banners had never sworn loyalty to House Royce before, but did so for him because of his strength and will to drive the Andals from the Vale.
- "Rashomon"-Style: Died during the Battle of Seven Stars, but only after slaying scores of foes. Who killed him is disputed, with some tales naming Ser Artys Arryn himself as the killer, and others suggesting Lord Ruthermont and Luceon Templeton. House Corbray claims Ser Jaime Corbray was responsible, pointing out as proof that Lady Forlorn reentered their possession after the battle.
- The Social Expert: He was well known for being charming, which helped him unite the remaining First Men under his banner using marriages, land grants, gold, and simple persuasion. The Maesters were most impressed by him convincing Lady Ursula Upcliff to join his cause simply through his "honeyed" tongue.
Lord Allard Royce
Lord Allard Royce
Lord of House Royce during the reign of Aenys I Targaryen, he commanded the Vale loyalists against the rebel forces of Jonos Arryn trying to regain the Vale's independence.
- Curb-Stomp Battle: Inflicted one of these on Jonos and his rebels, forcing them to hole themselves up in the Eyrie to save themselves...at least until Maegor arrived.
- Dragon-in-Chief: When Aenys dithered over how to deal with Jonos Arryn's rebellion, Allard took charge, rallying loyalist forces in the Vale. It's also implied he was one to his son-in-law, Hubert Arryn, who became Lord of the Vale after Jonos was defeated.
- Nice Job Breaking It, Hero: After driving the rebels back to the Eyrie, Allard demanded they surrender and send Ronnel Arryn, the deposed rightful Lord of the Vale, to him. Jonos sent Ronnel to him via the Moon Door.
- Summon Bigger Fish: After Jonos and his supporters barricaded themselves in the Eyrie, rather than besiege the castle, Allard petitioned the crown for reinforcements. Prince Maegor arrived with Balerion, and the rebels hastily surrendered(not that it did them any good).
- What Happened to the Mouse?: His fate following Jonos' defeat and his son-in-law Hubert Arryn becoming Lord of the Vale is unknown.
Lady Rhea Royce
Lady Rhea Royce
The Bronze Bitch
Lady of Runestone and first wife of Prince Daemon Targaryen. Died in a hawking accident in 115 AC.
- Alliterative Name: Rhea Royce.
- Arranged Marriage: To Daemon Targaryen, which neither were particularly pleased with.
- Awful Wedded Life: Both Rhea and Daemon hated each other.
- Embarrassing Nickname: Daemon was fond of referring to her as "my Bronze Bitch".
- The Ghost: Never appears on page because she stayed in the Vale while Daemon travelled.
