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{{Infobox military conflict
| style		= width:300px; 
| conflict_name	= War of the Ninepenny Kings
| part_of	= the [[Blackfyre Pretenders|Blackfyre Rebellions]]
| image		= [[File:Ninepenny.png|350px]]
| image2	= 
| caption	= Ser [[Barristan Selmy]] and [[Maelys I Blackfyre|Maelys the Monstrous]] locked in combat, as depicted by José Daniel Cabrera Peña<br>in ''[[The World of Ice & Fire]]''
| date		= {{Date|260}}
| battles	= 
| location	= [[Stepstones]], [[Free Cities]]
| result	= [[Band of Nine]] fall from power<br>End of the [[House Blackfyre|Blackfyre]] male line
<!-- combatant 1 --> 
| combatant1	= [[File:House Targaryen.svg|30px]] '''[[Iron Throne]]/<br>[[House Targaryen]]'''
*[[File:House Targaryen.svg|20px]] [[Crownlands]]
*[[File:House Martell.svg|20px]] [[Dorne]], led by [[House Martell]]
*[[File:House Greyjoy.svg|20px]] [[Iron Islands]], led by [[House Greyjoy]]
*[[File:House Stark.svg|20px]] [[North]], led by [[House Stark]]
*[[File:House Tully.svg|20px]] [[Riverlands]], led by [[House Tully]]
*[[File:House Baratheon.svg|20px]] [[Stormlands]], led by [[House Baratheon]]
*[[File:House Arryn.svg|20px]] [[Vale of Arryn]], led by [[House Arryn]]
*[[File:House Lannister.svg|20px]] [[Westerlands]], led by [[House Lannister]]
| commander1	= [[File:House Baratheon.svg|20px]] Lord [[Ormund Baratheon]]†<br>[[File:Kingsguard.svg|20px]] Ser [[Gerold Hightower]]<br>[[File:House Greyjoy.svg|20px]] Lord [[Quellon Greyjoy]]<br>[[File:House Lannister.svg|20px]] Ser [[Jason Lannister (son of Gerold)|Jason Lannister]]†<br>[[File:House Reyne.svg|20px]] Lord [[Roger Reyne]]
| strength1	= [[Iron Islands]]:
*** 100 longships{{Ref|TWOIAF|The Iron Islands: The Old Way and the New}}
[[Westerlands]]:
* 1,000 knights{{Ref|TWOIAF|The Westerlands: House Lannister Under the Dragons}}
* 10,000 men-at-arms{{Ref|TWOIAF|The Westerlands: House Lannister Under the Dragons}}
| losses1	= Lord [[Ormund Baratheon]]<br>Ser [[Jason Lannister (son of Gerold)|Jason Lannister]]
<!-- combatant 2 --> 
| combatant2	= '''[[Band of Nine]]'''
**[[File:House Blackfyre.svg|20px]] [[House Blackfyre]] /<br>[[File:Golden Company.svg|20px]] [[Golden Company]]
**[[File:Coin of Tyrosh.png|20px]] [[Tyrosh]] <small>(under Adarys)</small>
**[[Jolly Fellows]]
**[[Spotted Tom]]'s sellswords
**[[Liomond Lashare]]'s sellswords
**[[Xhobar Qhoqua]]'s sellswords
**[[Old Mother]]'s pirate fleet
**[[Samarro Saan]]'s pirate fleet
| commander2	= [[File:House Blackfyre.svg|20px]] King [[Maelys I Blackfyre]]†<br>Ser [[Derrick Fossoway]]<br>Prince [[Alequo Adarys]]<br>[[Nine Eyes]]<br>[[Spotted Tom]]<br>[[Liomond Lashare]]<br>[[Xhobar Qhoqua]]<br>[[Samarro Saan]]<br>[[The Old Mother]]
| strength2	=
| losses2	= King [[Maelys I Blackfyre]]
}}

The '''War of the Ninepenny Kings''' was a conflict between the [[Band of Nine]], a group of merchants, mercenaries and pirates from the [[Free Cities]], and the [[Seven Kingdoms]] of [[Westeros]]. After the Band of Nine had successfully conquered the [[Stepstones]], King [[Jaehaerys II Targaryen]], aware of the fact that the Band of Nine were set on conquering the Seven Kingdoms for the last remaining [[Blackfyre Pretenders|Blackfyre Pretender]], [[Maelys I Blackfyre]], dispatched an army to the Stepstones to defeat the enemies of the [[Iron Throne]].{{Ref|AWOIAF|Jaehaerys II Targaryen}}{{Ref|TWOIAF|The Targaryen Kings: Jaehaerys II}}

Although it is not called so in the books, this conflict has often been referred to as the '''Fifth Blackfyre Rebellion''' by the fandom since Maelys was the fifth Blackfyre Pretender.{{Ref|TWOIAF|The Targaryen Kings: Jaehaerys II}}

==Background==
Late during the reign of King [[Aegon V Targaryen]], in {{Date|258}}, news reached [[King's Landing]] that the so-called [[Band of Nine]], a group of ambitious power-seekers in Essos, had come together under the [[Tree of Crowns]] where they had vowed to aid one another in carving out kingdoms for each individual member. Among them was [[Maelys I Blackfyre]], better known as Maelys the Monstrous, the last of the [[Blackfyre Pretenders]], who had won the command of the [[Golden Company]] by killing his cousin [[Daemon Blackfyre (cousin of Maelys I)|Daemon]] a few years before. His desired kingdom, as [[Daemon I Blackfyre]]'s last descendant, was the [[Seven Kingdoms]].{{Ref|TWOIAF|The Targaryen Kings: Aegon V}}

When told of these events, Prince [[Duncan Targaryen]] famously quipped that "crowns were being sold nine a penny", and afterwards the Band of Nine became known in the Seven Kingdoms as the Ninepenny Kings.{{Ref|TWOIAF|The Targaryen Kings: Aegon V}} Most men, including King [[Aegon V Targaryen|Aegon V]] and later King [[Jaehaerys II Targaryen]], thought that the threat posed by these pretenders would be countered by the might of the Free Cities, or otherwise founder in Essos.{{Ref|TWOIAF|The Targaryen Kings: Aegon V}}{{Ref|TWOIAF|The Targaryen Kings: Jaehaerys II}} Nonetheless, preparations were made to make sure the Blackfyres could not land on Westerosi soil.{{Ref|TWOIAF|The Targaryen Kings: Aegon V}}

The Band of Nine their goals met with initial success, conquering the [[Disputed Lands]] and [[Sack of Tyrosh|securing]] the Free City of [[Tyrosh]], setting up [[Alequo Adarys]], the Silvertongue, as its ruler. Second, they conquered the [[Stepstones]]. From there, they stood ready to threaten the Seven Kingdoms.{{Ref|TWOIAF|The Targaryen Kings: Jaehaerys II}}

==War==
King [[Jaehaerys II Targaryen]], who had succeeded his father upon the [[Iron Throne]] in {{Date|259}}, recognized the threat the Band of Nine posed and sent a large force to the Stepstones, bringing the war to the Band of Nine. The king wished to personally take command of his forces but was persuaded otherwise by his [[Hand of the King|Hand]], Lord [[Ormund Baratheon]]. Lord Ormund took command of the Targaryen army instead.{{Ref|TWOIAF|The Targaryen Kings: Jaehaerys II}} The task force included a fleet of one hundred longships led by [[Quellon Greyjoy]], [[Lord of the Iron Islands]],{{Ref|TWOIAF|The Iron Islands: The Old Way and the New}} and a force of a thousand knights and ten thousand men-at-arms sent by Lord [[Tytos Lannister]] from the westerlands,{{Ref|TWOIAF|The Westerlands: House Lannister Under the Dragons}} under the leadership of his younger brother, Ser [[Jason Lannister (son of Gerold)|Jason Lannister]].<ref>''[[The World of Ice & Fire]]'', [https://georgerrmartin.com/world-of-ice-and-fire-sample/ The Westerlands (unabridged)]</ref> [[House Martell]] sent spears from [[Dorne]].{{Ref|TWOIAF|Dorne: Dorne Against the Dragons}}

When the Targaryen host landed upon the Stepstones in {{Date|260}}, the fighting began in earnest on land and sea and lasted for most of the year.{{Ref|TWOIAF|The Targaryen Kings: Jaehaerys II}}{{Ref|TWOIAF|The Iron Islands: The Old Way and the New}} Lord Ormund was one of the first casualties of the war, dying in the arms of his young son, Ser [[Steffon Baratheon|Steffon]].{{Ref|TWOIAF|The Targaryen Kings: Jaehaerys II}} Command then passed to [[Gerold Hightower]], [[Lord Commander of the Kingsguard]].{{Ref|TWOIAF|The Targaryen Kings: Jaehaerys II}} After Ser [[Jason Lannister (son of Gerold)|Jason Lannister]] was killed on [[Bloodstone]], Lord [[Roger Reyne]] led the remaining westermen to several victories.{{Ref|TWOIAF|The Westerlands: House Lannister Under the Dragons}}

Many young knights and lords distinguished themselves in battle, including Steffon Baratheon, [[Brynden Tully]], [[Tywin Lannister]] and his brother [[Kevan Lannister|Kevan]], and [[Aerys II Targaryen|Aerys Targaryen]].{{Ref|TWOIAF|The Targaryen Kings: Aerys II}} The great-uncle of Lord [[Willam Dustin]] participated in the war,{{Ref|ADWD|41}} as did [[Meribald]] and his brothers.{{Ref|AFFC|25}} [[Goodwin]]'s friend, a promising young champion, was slain in the war.{{Ref|AFFC|20}} In the end it was the young [[Barristan Selmy]] who cut a bloody path though the [[Golden Company]]'s ranks to slay Maelys the Monstrous in single combat, thereby ending the threat to the Seven Kingdoms.{{Ref|ADWD|55}}{{Ref|ADWD|5}}

==Aftermath==
It took another six years before the [[Band of Nine]]'s holdings in [[Essos]] were lost. [[Alequo Adarys]] was eventually poisoned by his queen and the [[Archon]] returned to power in [[Tyrosh]].{{Ref|TWOIAF|The Targaryen Kings: Jaehaerys II}}

With [[Ormund Baratheon|Ormund]] slain, [[Steffon Baratheon]] became the new [[Lord of Storm's End]]. He remained close friends with both Prince [[Aerys II Targaryen|Aerys Targaryen]] and Ser [[Tywin Lannister]]. Tywin, himself a new-made knight, received the honor of giving Prince Aerys his spurs, after fighting gallantly in the war.{{Ref|TWOIAF|The Targaryen Kings: Aerys II}} Tywin became bitter and hardened, particularly against his ineffectual father [[Tytos Lannister|Tytos]], who had not taken part in the war, rather remaining at home with his mistress. These tensions soon erupted in the [[Reyne-Tarbeck revolt]] in {{Date|261}}.{{Ref|TWOIAF|The Westerlands: House Lannister Under the Dragons}}

Lord [[Hoster Tully]] became acquainted with Lord [[House Baelish|Baelish]] during the war, where they fought side by side. Lord Baelish did a service for Hoster, which was later repayed when Hoster accepted to take Baelish's son, [[Petyr Baelish|Petyr]], as a ward in [[Riverrun]].{{Ref|AWOIAF|Petyr Baelish}}<ref>[[So Spake Martin]]: [https://www.westeros.org/Citadel/SSM/Entry/US_Signing_Tour_Half_Moon_Bay_CA/ US Signing Tour (Half Moon Bay, CA) (November 18, 2005)]</ref> [[Jon Arryn]] also became acquainted with Lord [[Rickard Stark]] of [[Winterfell]] and Lord [[Steffon Baratheon]] of [[Storm's End]], which resulted several years later in Jon taking their sons, [[Eddard Stark]] and [[Robert I Baratheon|Robert Baratheon]], as his wards at the [[Eyrie]].{{Ref|AWOIAF|Jon Arryn}}

The Blackfyres were extinguished in the male line thanks to Ser [[Barristan Selmy]]. When the next opening presented itself, Barristan was named to the [[Kingsguard]],{{Ref|ASOS|67}} an opening he accepted despite being heir to [[Harvest Hall]] and being betrothed.{{Ref|AGOT|57}}

The war is described in ''[[Account of the War of the Ninepenny Kings]]'' by [[Eon]] and ''[[Observations Upon the Recent Blood-Letting on the Stepstones]]'' by [[Pycelle]]. According to Septon [[Meribald]], who participated in the war, many of the [[smallfolk]] who fought in the war became [[broken men]].{{Ref|AFFC|25}}

==Quotes==
{{Quote|'''Hyle''': The War of the Ninepenny Kings?<br>
'''Meribald''': So they called it, though I never saw a king, nor earned a penny. It was a war, though. That it was.{{Ref|AFFC|25}}|[[Hyle Hunt]] and [[Meribald]]}}

==Behind the Scenes==
Before writing ''[[The Hedge Knight]]'' for the ''Legends'' anthology, [[George R. R. Martin]] considered writing a novella about the Ninepenny Kings.<ref>George R. R. Martin (October 10, 2024). [https://georgerrmartin.com/notablog/2024/10/10/a-tourney-at-ashford/ A Tourney at Ashford]. Not A Blog.</ref>

==References==
{{References}}

{{Wars in Westeros}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ninepenny Kings}}
[[Category:War of the Ninepenny Kings| ]]
[[Category:Blackfyre Rebellions]]
[[Category:Essos|War of the Ninepenny Kings]]
[[Category:Free Cities|War of the Ninepenny Kings]]
[[Category:House Baelish wars]]
[[Category:House Baratheon wars]]
[[Category:House Blackfyre wars]]
[[Category:House Dustin wars]]
[[Category:House Greyjoy wars]]
[[Category:House Hightower wars]]
[[Category:House Lannister wars]]
[[Category:House Martell wars]]
[[Category:House Reyne wars]]
[[Category:House Selmy wars]]
[[Category:House Targaryen wars]]
[[Category:House Tully wars]]
[[Category:Wars]]

[[es:Guerra de los Reyes Nuevepeniques]]
[[fr:Guerre des Rois à Neuf Sous]]
[[nl:Oorlog van de Negenpenningskoningen]]
[[pt:Guerra dos Reis de Nove Moedas]]
[[ru:Война Девятигрошевых королей]]
[[zh:九铜板王之战]]
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