House Hollard

From A Wiki of Ice and Fire
Jump to: navigation, search
House Hollard
House Hollard.svg
Coat of arms Barry red and pink, three golden crowns on a blue chief
(Barry gules and rose, on a chief azure three crowns or)[N 1]
Seat Hollard castle
Head Extinct
Region Crownlands
Overlord House Darklyn
Died out 300 AC

House Hollard is a nearly extinct noble house of the crownlands once sworn to House Darklyn of Duskendale. Following the Defiance of Duskendale, almost the entire family was executed by command of King Aerys II Targaryen. Their castle lies in ruin.[1]

The Hollards blazon their arms with barry red and pink, three golden crowns on a blue chief.[2][3][N 1]

History

Age of Heroes

During the Age of Heroes, the Hollards were the bannermen and closest allies of House Darklyn. In these ancient times House Hollard had three daughters wedded to Darklyn kings.[1]

The Defiance of Duskendale

During the Defiance of Duskendale, Lord Denys Darklyn took captive King Aerys II Targaryen, and Ser Symon Hollard slew Ser Gwayne Gaunt of the Kingsguard. The Hand of the King, Lord Tywin Lannister, assembled an army that could easily storm the town, but Lord Denys menaced that he would kill the king as soon as the attack started. Aerys was held prisoner in the Dun Fort for half a year with Tywin's army waiting outside Duskendale. The situation remained invariable until Ser Barristan Selmy of the Kingsguard entered the Dun Fort, slew Symon, and rescued the king. Having lost his hostage, Lord Denys had no other option then to surrender at once. He bent the knee and begged for mercy, but the king demanded his head and all his family's.[4]

House Hollard, which had served House Darklyn during the defiance and had a close relationship with their lords, were attainted and had their lands taken, the castle torn down, and its members also executed. Only young Dontos Hollard, Symon's nephew, was spared because Barristan asked for mercy.[1][4]

Recent Events

A Game of Thrones

Ser Dontos Hollard stays at court in King's Landing when King Joffrey I Baratheon inherits the Iron Throne.[5]

A Clash of Kings

Intending to ride in the tourney on King Joffrey's name day, Dontos the Red's first match is against Lothor Brune. However, Dontos is too drunk, arriving in the lists unarmored and hardly clothed. Joffrey takes this as a personal insult and commands that Dontos be put to death via drowning in a cask of wine. However, the pleading of Sansa Stark saves his life and Dontos is stripped of his knighthood and made a fool in motley instead.[6]

Dontos leaves Sansa a note and promises to help her escape. Drawing inspiration from the tales of Florian and Jonquil, he pleads to serve her and asks for patience for they can only escape at the right time.[7] Dontos tells Sansa that she will be freed the night of Joffrey's wedding and gives her a hairnet laced with amethysts.[8]

A Storm of Swords

After several meetings in the godswood of the Red Keep, Sansa tells Dontos of the plot to marry her to Willas Tyrell.[9] Dontos attends the marriage of Sansa to Tyrion Lannister, where he is used as a footstool by Tyrion when he goes to place his cloak around the shoulders of Sansa.[10]

After the death of King Joffrey - poisoned with the Strangler contained in one of the amethysts of Sansa's hairnet - at his wedding to Margaery Tyrell, Dontos takes Sansa away during the confusion.[2]

Ser Dontos escapes the Red Keep with Sansa and delivers her to Lord Petyr Baelish, who had been waiting for them the Merling King in Blackwater Bay. Once Sansa has been rowed out and delivered onto the ship, Dontos asks for his payment of ten thousand golden dragons, as promised by Petyr. Instead, Petyr orders Dontos killed, and he is shot with crossbows. When it is done, Ser Lothor Brune tosses a torch on top of the corpse, burying the secret with the drunkard and finally ending the Hollard line.[2]

A Feast for Crows

The story of the Defiance of Duskendale is recounted to Brienne of Tarth when she travels to Duskendale in search of Sansa Stark and Dontos Hollard. Later, about an hour's travel north of Duskendale, Brienne sees the ruins of a Hollard castle, and thinks Dontos may have been born there.[1]

House Hollard at the end of the third century

Historical members

Notes

  1. 1.0 1.1 When first described in A Storm of Swords, the blazon has a black chief. Later references, including the Westeros Heraldry section and Chapter 9 of A Feast for Crows have it as a blue chief.

References