Difference between revisions of "Dance of the Dragons"

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(War: Conquest of the Capital)
(War: fishfeed)
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Aemond and Cole gathered their forces to march on Harrenhal, which left the capital largely defenseless. Seeing the open he had been waiting for, Daemon took flight to King's Landing along with his wife. The Queen Dowager tried to send riders to bring back Aemond and ravens to leal lords, but her efforts were quickly stopped. The[[City Watch of King's Landing| City Watch]] was loyal to Daemon, who had once been their leader, and opened the gates to The Black forces who arrived by ships. The city was firmly in Rhaenyra's hands, but Aegon II had escaped.
 
Aemond and Cole gathered their forces to march on Harrenhal, which left the capital largely defenseless. Seeing the open he had been waiting for, Daemon took flight to King's Landing along with his wife. The Queen Dowager tried to send riders to bring back Aemond and ravens to leal lords, but her efforts were quickly stopped. The[[City Watch of King's Landing| City Watch]] was loyal to Daemon, who had once been their leader, and opened the gates to The Black forces who arrived by ships. The city was firmly in Rhaenyra's hands, but Aegon II had escaped.
  
Rhaenyra came to be put to death as a traitor at the hands of her brother Aegon II, who had her eaten by his dragon [[Sunfyre]] as her son [[Aegon III|Aegon]] watched. However, her followers carried on under the banner of her son, calling him Aegon III. The bloody conflict ended in {{Date|131}} with the death of Aegon II and the ascension of his nephew Aegon III to the throne, presumably because he had no children of his own and/or some compromise between the supporters of the two factions.
+
'''Battle by the Lakeshore/The Fishfeed'''<br>
 +
[[Lannister]] forces marched to back up The Greens, but had slowed due to the infirmity of [[Lord Lefford]]. They were surrounded by Northmen and Rivermen from three sides and forced into the waters of the [[God's Eye]].
  
'''Battle by the Lakeshore/The Fishfeed'''<br>
+
The Fishfeed was technically a loss for The Greens as the Lannister forces were slaughtered, but the casualties were high on The Black side as well. 2000 died. The purpose of the bloody battle seemed to do nothing but feed the fishes of the lake.
 +
 
 +
Rhaenyra was put to death as a traitor at the hands of her brother Aegon II, who had her eaten by his dragon [[Sunfyre]] as her son [[Aegon III|Aegon]] watched. However, her followers carried on under the banner of her son, calling him Aegon III. The bloody conflict ended in {{Date|131}} with the death of Aegon II and the ascension of his nephew Aegon III to the throne, presumably because he had no children of his own and/or some compromise between the supporters of the two factions.
  
 
'''Battle of Crossed Elms'''<br>
 
'''Battle of Crossed Elms'''<br>

Revision as of 02:44, 5 December 2013

For the book, see A Dance with Dragons
Dance of the Dragons
War of succession
Date 129131 AC
Location Westeros
Result Aegon III's ascension to the throne.
Belligerents
House Targaryen (The Blacks).House Targaryen (The Greens).
Notable commanders
Queen Rhaenyra King Aegon II
  • Queen Dowager Alicent Hightower
  • Lord Commander Criston Cole, Hand of the King
  • Prince Aemond Targaryen
  • Lord Ormund Hightower
  • The Dance of the Dragons was a civil war during Targaryen rule. A war of succession between Aegon II and his half-sister Rhaenyra over their father Viserys I's throne, the war was fought from 129 AC to 131 AC. It saw the deaths of both rival monarchs, and the crowning of Rhaenyra's son Aegon III.

    In early 2013 it was announced that the anthology Dangerous Women, previously expected to include the fourth Dunk and Egg story, will instead include a novella by George Martin named The Princess and the Queen which he described as "(...) the true (mostly) story of the origins of the Dance of the Dragons."[1]

    Background

    King Viserys I had three children by his first queen of House Arryn, but only one, Princess Rhaenyra, survived to adulthood. Lacking a son to succeed him, Viserys began to train Princess Rhaenyra to be his heir. Young Rhaenyra was included in discussions of the affairs of state, and was allowed to participate in meetings of the small council. Many of the nobles took note, and Rhaenyra soon acquired a clique of adherents and supporters. However, after his queen died, the king remarried in 106 AC, this time to Alicent Hightower and had four more children, including three sons, the eldest son named Aegon II. Nonetheless, Rhaenyra's strengthened her place in the succession; she married Ser Laenor Velaryon - who himself had Targaryen blood - in her first marriage. She gave birth to three sons during her marriage, although there are rumors that the father of these boys was not Ser Laenor, but Rhaenyra's lover Ser Harwin Strong.

    When Laenor Velaryon passed away Rhaenyra married anew, this time her own uncle, Prince Daemon Targaryen, younger brother to Viserys I. Her sons by him are the future Aegon III (called Aegon the Younger in his youth) and Viserys II. Her father's intention that she should follow him on the Iron Throne was confirmed by proclamation and the will of Viserys I. In 105 AC hundreds of Lords and landed knights had done obeisance to the Princess Rhaenyra.

    In 111 AL, a great tourney was held at King’s Landing on the fifth anniversary of the king’s marriage to Queen Alicent. At the opening feast, the queen wore a green gown, whilst the Princess Rhaenyra dressed dramatically in Targaryen red and black. Note was taken, and thereafter it became the custom to refer to “greens” and “blacks” when talking of the queen’s party and the party of the princess, respectively. In the tourney itself, the blacks had much the better of it when Ser Criston Cole, wearing Princess Rhaenyra’s favor, unhorsed all of the Queen’s champions, including two of her cousins and her youngest brother, Ser Gwayne Hightower. [2]

    War

    Upon Viserys' death in 129 AC, the Lord Commander of the Kingsguard, Ser Criston Cole, later called "the Kingmaker", defied the king's will, and crowned Prince Aegon as Aegon II. Ser Criston's motivations for doing so are unclear, but it was reputed that he and Rhaenyra were lovers, and their affair ended badly, adding a personal dimension to the conflict. He may simply have wished to uphold Andal tradition. In any event, many of the lords of the realm were aware of Viserys' wish to have Rhaenyra succeed him as Westeros's first queen regnant, and threw their support behind the Princess. Doubtless, many of them were also the same supporters who has spent years currying favor with the presumptive future queen. Among Rhaenyra's staunchest supporters were her first husband's family, House Velaryon of Driftmark. Rhaenyra disputed Aegon's claim, resulting in a bloody civil war. The realm was split in half. Even the Kingsguard chose sides, exemplified when the brothers Ser Arryk and Ser Erryk killed each other.[3] [4] Targaryen fought Targaryen and dragon fought dragon, with many lesser branches of House Targaryen and most of the Targaryen dragons being killed in the war, among them Rhaenyra's three eldest sons, who all died fighting.[5]

    In the war, armies marched and met in savage battle, much of the slaughter took place on water, and in the air, as dragon fought dragon with tooth and claw and flame. It was also marked by stealth, murder, and betrayal.[6]

    Master of Coin Lyman Beesbury was noted as the first casualty of the war. He was killed by Criston after speaking for Rhaenyra at the small council meeting discussing succession after King Viserys I's death.[7]

    Aegon II sent Grand Maester Orwyle to plead for peace with generous terms, which Rhaenyra refused.

    Daemon Targaryen took Harrenhal as a toehold in the mainland while the rest of the Blacks held Dragonstone. House Velaryon's fleet, commanded by The Sea Snake, blocked off Blackwater Bay.

    Battle at Storm's End
    Lucerys Velaryon and his dragon Arrax were killed at Storm's End by Aemond Targaryen and Vhagar. In retribution, Daemon sent two thugs named Blood and Cheese to kill Prince Jaehaerys Targaryen. The war turned bloody from this point onward.

    Battle of Rook's Rest
    Aegon named the Commander of his Kingsguard as his new Hand because of Otto Hightower's delays. They sacked Duskendale and set a trap at Rook's Rest. Cole fought against Rhaenys Targaryen and her dragon until Aegon's dragons arrived. Rhaenys and her dragon were slain. Aegon was severely wounded.

    Prince Aemond took Aegon's place as Regent while he recovered for a year.

    Battle in the Gullet
    Jacaerys Velaryon gathered four dragonriders from the seeds on Dragonstone. An alliance set up by Aegon II's first Hand became cemented. The Triarch formed of 3 cities in Essos. Their admiral Sharako Lohar of Lys took a combined fleet of ninety warships from the Stepstones. Jace met them with his dragons.

    The result was the bloodiest sea battles in history. The Blacks' blockade was broken, but only twenty-eight Triarchy ships survived. The Velaryon fleet lost almost a third of its strength. Jaecarys and his dragon were slain. Driftmark was burned. Jace marked the second son of Queen Rhaenyra after Luke to die in the Dance.

    Battle on the Honeywine
    Ormund Hightower was flanked and outnumbered in the Reach. Ormund's squire, Daeron Targaryen, arrived on his dragon and won the battle. Ormund knighted Daeron for saving him. This was a bitter defeat for The Blacks.

    Conquest of the Capital
    Aemond and Cole gathered their forces to march on Harrenhal, which left the capital largely defenseless. Seeing the open he had been waiting for, Daemon took flight to King's Landing along with his wife. The Queen Dowager tried to send riders to bring back Aemond and ravens to leal lords, but her efforts were quickly stopped. The City Watch was loyal to Daemon, who had once been their leader, and opened the gates to The Black forces who arrived by ships. The city was firmly in Rhaenyra's hands, but Aegon II had escaped.

    Battle by the Lakeshore/The Fishfeed
    Lannister forces marched to back up The Greens, but had slowed due to the infirmity of Lord Lefford. They were surrounded by Northmen and Rivermen from three sides and forced into the waters of the God's Eye.

    The Fishfeed was technically a loss for The Greens as the Lannister forces were slaughtered, but the casualties were high on The Black side as well. 2000 died. The purpose of the bloody battle seemed to do nothing but feed the fishes of the lake.

    Rhaenyra was put to death as a traitor at the hands of her brother Aegon II, who had her eaten by his dragon Sunfyre as her son Aegon watched. However, her followers carried on under the banner of her son, calling him Aegon III. The bloody conflict ended in 131 AC with the death of Aegon II and the ascension of his nephew Aegon III to the throne, presumably because he had no children of his own and/or some compromise between the supporters of the two factions.

    Battle of Crossed Elms

    The Treasons of Tumbleston/Battle of Tumbleston

    Battle above the Gods Eye

    Riot at King's Landing

    End

    Since the Dance, House Targaryen has practiced a highly modified version of agnatic primogeniture, placing female claimants in the line of succession behind all possible male ones, even collateral relations. (See also Daena Targaryen, Daeron II). The war is the subject of the song "The Dance of the Dragons", as well as a somewhat inaccurate history by Grand Maester Munkun. Archmaester Gyldayn wrote a history of it called The Princess and the Queen or the Blacks and the Greens.

    Books and Scrolls about the Dance of the Dragons

    References and Notes