House Hollard

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House Hollard
House Hollard.PNG
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)
Head Extinct
Region Crownlands
Overlord House Darklyn
Died out 300 AC

House Hollard was an ancient and noble house of the crownlands sworn to House Darklyn of Duskendale. Following the Defiance of Duskendale, almost the entire House was executed at King Aerys II Targaryen's command. They blazoned their arms with barry red and pink, three golden crowns on a black chief.[1][2][3]

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.

The Defiance of Duskendale

The Defiance of Duskendale took place during the reign of King Aerys II Targaryen when, according to the smallfolk, Lord Denys Darklyn was convinced by his wife, Lady Serala of Myr, to take Aerys captive. According to semi-canon sources, the defiance was in fact caused by Lord Denys's refusal to pay taxes after Aerys denied his demands of certain rights for his subjects and a town charter for Duskendale.[4]

During the imprisonment of the king, the master-at-arms of the Dun Fort, 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 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 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.

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 was spared because Ser Barristan asked for mercy.[5]

Recent Events

A Game of Thrones

Dontos Hollard, who has become known as Ser Dontos the Red, stays at court in King's Landing during the War of the Five Kings.[6]

A Clash of Kings

Intending to ride in the tourney on King Joffrey's name day, Dontos's first match is against Lothor Brune. However, Dontos is too drunk, arriving in the lists unarmored and hardly clothed. King Joffrey I Baratheon 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.[7]

After secretly being contacted by Petyr Baelish, 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.[8] Dontos tells Sansa that she will be freed the night of Joffrey's wedding and gives her a hairnet laced with amethysts.[9]

A Storm of Swords

Several meetings in the godswood later, Sansa tells Ser Dontos of the plot to marry her to Willas Tyrell. 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. 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.

Ser Dontos escapes the Red Keep with Sansa and delivers her to Petyr Baelish, who had been waiting for them on a ship in Blackwater Bay. Once Sansa has been rowed out and delivered onto the ship, Dontos asks for his payment of 10,000 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.[1]

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.[5]

House Hollard at the end of the third century

  • Ser Dontos Hollard, known as "Dontos the Red", was the sole survivor of the Defiance of Duskendale.

Historical members

References and Notes

  1. 1.0 1.1 A Storm of Swords, Chapter 61, Sansa V.
  2. The Citadel. Heraldry: the area of King's Landing
  3. 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.
  4. ConJose (San Jose, CA; August 29-September 2) report So Spake Martin
  5. 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 A Feast for Crows, Chapter 9, Brienne II.
  6. A Game of Thrones, Chapter 57, Sansa V.
  7. A Clash of Kings, Chapter 2, Sansa I.
  8. A Clash of Kings, Chapter 18, Sansa II.
  9. A Clash of Kings, Chapter 65, Sansa VIII.