In the fertile fields of the Reach, among banners of roses, stags, and golden sheaves, marches the small but storied House Ambrose. Their arms are striking: a yellow field strewn with red ants. According to semi-canon sources, their motto is as relentless as their sigil: “Never Resting.”
Though not as famed as the Hightowers or the Tyrells, the Ambroses have carved their mark in both holy wars and civil strife, sometimes on the wrong side of history, but always remembered.
History
Faith and Fire
In 42 AC, Ser Aegon Ambrose, a knight of the Warrior’s Sons, took part in the fabled Trial of Seven, where seven champions of the Faith faced King Maegor I Targaryen and six loyalists. Ser Aegon was among those who fell in the bloody battle.
The Dance of the Dragons
When dragons fought dragons in the Dance, Marq Ambrose pledged to King Aegon II Targaryen. He joined the secret faction known as the Caltrops, who plotted to remove the treacherous dragonseeds Ulf the White and Hugh Hammer. Marq argued the deed should wait until after they seized King’s Landing, but others claimed delay was dishonorable. Marq’s tale ended at the Second Battle of Tumbleton, where he was slain.
Blackfyre Rebellion
Generations later, during the first rising of the Black Dragon, Ser Aubrey Ambrose was named by Eustace Osgrey as one of the notable supporters of Daemon I Blackfyre’s cause. His fate, like many of Daemon’s followers, is left to speculation.
Recent Events
A Clash of Kings
True to their oath, the Ambroses followed their Tyrell overlords and declared for Renly Baratheon. While marching with his army, Ser Edmund Ambrose disgraced himself by joining the cruel wager on the maidenhood of Brienne of Tarth. Brienne, upon learning of it, challenged him during the melee at Bitterbridge and struck him down.
After Renly’s death, the Ambroses turned once more with House Tyrell, joining the march to King’s Landing. At the Battle of the Blackwater, young Alyn Ambrose, a mere squire, slew a Myrish crossbowman and a Mullendore man-at-arms, a rare deed of note for the house.
A Storm of Swords
Marriage ties were secured when Elinor Tyrell was betrothed to Alyn Ambrose, son of Lord Arthur Ambrose. Their men later marched with Lord Randyll Tarly to subdue the Crownlands after the Battle of the Blackwater.
A Feast for Crows
On the battlefield at Duskendale, Brienne of Tarth once again encountered the Ambroses not in flesh, but in the gear stripped from the fallen, where she recognized horse trappings embroidered with their telltale ants.
House Ambrose in the Late Third Century
- Lord Arthur Ambrose – Head of the house.
- Lady Alysanne Hightower – His wife.
- Alyn Ambrose – Their young son and heir, a squire, betrothed to Elinor Tyrell.
- Ser Edmund Ambrose – A knight of uncertain relation to the main line.
Arms and Allegiance
- Coat of Arms: Or, semé of ants gules (a yellow field strewn with red ants).
- Seat: Not recorded in canon.
- Region: The Reach.
- Words: “Never Resting” (semi-canon, not confirmed).
- Overlord: House Tyrell of Highgarden.
Legacy
Though seldom in the spotlight, the Ambroses embody their sigil well; like ants, they are ever-present, always busy, weaving themselves into the wars of faith, dragons, and kings. Loyal to the Tyrells, remembered by their ants and their restlessness, House Ambrose marches on, never fully at rest.
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