Myles Smallwood

Myles Smallwood was Lord of Acorn Hall and a seasoned warrior whose battlefield record made him an unusual choice for the office of Hand of the King. Jaehaerys selected him to bring military experience and maturity to a council otherwise marked by bookish learning. Smallwood’s appointment rested not only on his reputation for courage but also on the confidence of those who knew his service firsthand.

Identity and Appointment

After considering the great lords and finding none suitable, Jaehaerys turned to their bannermen. The king wanted an older man whose experience could balance his own youth; because several council members were learned men, he also wanted a warrior whose reputation might deter the Crown’s enemies. A dozen names were considered before the choice fell on Smallwood, Lord of Acorn Hall in the riverlands.

Smallwood was serving as Hand by the winter of 56 AC. His appointment followed recommendations from Ser Willam the Wasp, who had served at Acorn Hall, and from Smallwood’s liege lords, Prentys Tully and Lady Lucinda. After receiving their assurances, Jaehaerys assented, and a raven carried the summons. Smallwood reached King’s Landing within a fortnight. Queen Alysanne had no part in the selection: she was away from the capital, having flown to Dragonstone to comfort her sister.

Military Record and Reputation

Smallwood’s credentials came from years of fighting in the service of the Crown. He had fought for the king’s brother, Aegon, beneath the Gods Eye; battled Wat the Hewer at Stonebridge; and ridden with the late Lord Stokeworth to bring Harren the Red to justice during the reign of King Aenys. The record gave the king’s choice a practical basis: Smallwood had experience in several conflicts, not merely the standing of a noble lord.

His face and body bore scars from a dozen savage fights. Ser Willam praised him as exceptionally fierce, courageous, and loyal, while Prentys Tully and Lady Lucinda also spoke in his favor. These endorsements helped establish him as both a proven fighter and a trusted bannerman, qualities Jaehaerys considered valuable in a Hand.

Service as Hand

Smallwood’s recorded service includes advising Jaehaerys after Ser Willam and the men sent with him were killed in the Velvet Hills of Andalos. Septon Barth concluded that the supposed beast they had gone to investigate was only a story used by men stealing sheep; the party had instead been led into a trap by a guide and overwhelmed by brigands. Smallwood urged the king to punish Pentos for the outrage.

Jaehaerys refused to make war on an entire city for the crimes of outlaws. The matter was set aside, and Ser Willam’s fate was entered in the White Book. The king then gave Ser Lucamore Strong the vacant white cloak. The episode records a limit to Smallwood’s influence: as Hand, he could press for a forceful response, but the decision remained the king’s, and Jaehaerys chose not to turn the killings into a war against Pentos.