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Daenerys Targaryen

2012-08-17T23:55:26Z

Penelope:

{{Infobox character
| Character_name= [[File:House_Targaryen_crest.PNG|50px|left]]'''Daenerys Targaryen''' [[File:House_Targaryen_crest.PNG|50px|right]]
| image = [[File:Daenerys_by_carrie_best.jpg|300px|Daenerys in a [[Qartheen]] Dress, Art by Carrie Best©]]
| Played_by = Emilia Clarke
| image_caption = Daenerys in a [[Qartheen]] Dress, Art by [http://www.carriebest.com/ Carrie Best©]
| Alias = Dany Daenerys Stormborn The Unburnt Mother of Dragons Mother Mysha The Silver Queen Silver Lady Child of Three {{Ref|aCoK|48}} {{Ref|aCoK|63}} Daughter of Death {{Ref|aCoK|48}} {{Ref|aCoK|63}} Slayer of Lies{{Ref|aCoK|48}} {{Ref|aCoK|63}} Bride of Fire{{Ref|aCoK|48}} {{Ref|aCoK|63}}
| Title = Queen of the Andals and the Rhoynar and the First Men, Lord of the Seven Kingdoms ''Khaleesi'' of the Great Grass Sea Breaker of Shackles/Chains Queen of Meereen Princess of Dragonstone
| Allegiance = [[House Targaryen]]
| Race =
| Culture = [[Valyria]]
| Spouse = [[Khal Drogo]] 1st [[Hizdahr zo Loraq]] 2nd
| Place_of_Birth= [[Dragonstone]]
| Date_of_Birth = {{Date|284}}
| Place_of_Death=
| Date_of_Death =
| Books = [[A Game of Thrones]] (POV) [[A Clash of Kings]] (POV) [[A Storm of Swords]] (POV) [[A Feast for Crows]] (Mentioned) [[A Dance with Dragons]] (POV)
| Played_by = [[w:Emilia Clarke|Emilia Clarke]]
| TV_series = [[Game of Thrones - Season 1|Season 1]]{{!}} [[Game of Thrones - Season 2|Season 2]]
}}

{{See homonyms | Daenerys Targaryen (disambiguation)}}

'''Daenerys Targaryen''', known as '''Daenerys Stormborn''' or '''Dany''', is the last confirmed member of the ancient [[House Targaryen|Targaryen Dynasty]] and one of the primary [[POV Character|POV characters]] in the book series. In the [[Game of Thrones|TV series]], Daenerys is played by Emilia Clarke.<ref name=hbo/>

==Character and Appearance==
Danaerys is a young woman in her early teens. She is short of stature and very beautiful, with the silver-blonde hair and [[purple eyes]] for which [[House Targaryen]] has always been known.{{Ref|aGoT|3}}

In her youth, Dany was a meek, timid girl with little confidence or self-esteem. She knew no life other than one of exile, dependent and in constant fear of her brother [[Viserys Targaryen|Viserys]]. He was the only family she knew, but was often a cruel guardian, prone to mood swings and fits of violence. Her marriage to [[Khal Drogo]] was a turning point for her; adapting to life in the Dothraki ''[[khalasar]]'' was difficult, but it allowed her to begin to achieve independence from her abusive brother, and she emerged from the experience as a strong, confident, courageous woman. Nevertheless, she has not forgotten what it was like to be a victimized child, and her experiences have left her with a compassion that is unusual in a would-be conqueror. She is determined to bring justice through her reign, and has made ending [[slavery]] a particular priority. Despite her strong moral compass, however, she is capable of dealing ruthlessly with her enemies.

It was often said that the Targaryen kings tended to be either madmen or brilliant rulers, and Daenerys seems to have inherited a natural gift for leadership as her birthright. Her followers generally regard her with great respect and love, and she is often compared to her deceased brother [[Rhaegar Targaryen|Rhaegar]], a similarly charismatic leader who was known for his skill, determination, scholarly mind and strong sense of justice. Her primary weakness as a ruler is her youth and relative inexperience; however, she has a keen intellect and learns quickly from her mistakes.

Although she has matured enough to recognize that Viserys was weak, cowardly and cruel, his abiding obsession with regaining the crown he felt was his birthright has instilled in Daenerys a similar belief that reclaiming the [[Seven Kingdoms]] is both her right and her duty as the last of the Targaryens, and it remains the paramount goal of her life. Nevertheless, [[Westeros]] is a foreign land that she has never seen with her own eyes, and she sometimes longs wistfully for the house with a red door in [[Braavos]] that has come to symbolize her lost childhood.

==History==
Daenerys is the only daughter and youngest child of King [[Aerys II Targaryen]] and his sister-wife, Queen [[Rhaella Targaryen|Rhaella]]. Daenerys was conceived during the last month of [[Robert's Rebellion|the rebellion]] that would ultimately end her family's reign over the [[Seven Kingdoms]]. Shortly thereafter, her mother was sent with the young prince Viserys to the family ancestral seat of [[Dragonstone]] to escape the coming [[Sack of King's Landing]]. Daenerys was born while as a great storm raged in the harbor at Dragonstone, sinking what remained of the Targaryen fleet; for this reason she is sometimes known as "Daenerys Stormborn." Her mother died from complications of labor.

By this time, the war was already lost. [[Robert Baratheon]] had claimed the throne and Aerys had already been killed along with the rest of the royal family, leaving Daenerys and her older brother Viserys as the only living Targaryen heirs. The garrison at Dragonstone decided to surrender and turn them over to the rebels in exchange for their lives, but before they could act on this plan, Ser [[Willem Darry]] and several other loyal retainers rescued the children and smuggled them into exile, sailing to the [[Braavos|Free City of Braavos]], where they lived for years in a house with a red door. Ser Willem was old and sickly, but Dany remembers that he always treated her kindly. After his death, the servants drove the young Targaryens from the house. Dany wept as they were forced out.{{Ref|aGoT|3}}

The Targaryen loyalists who raised the two children considered Viserys the rightful ruler of the [[Seven Kingdoms]] despite the family's defeat and exile, as did Viserys himself. He regarded it as his duty to revenge himself on the usurpers who murdered his family and reclaim the birthright that had been stolen from him when he was only a child. In the years that followed Ser Willem's death, Viserys wandered the nine [[Free Cities]] with his sister, trying to raise support to retake the [[Iron Throne]], which earned him the mocking title of "The Beggar King."

As a result of this long humiliation, Viserys grew bitter and obsessed with his long-denied birthright. Dany was the only convenient target for his frustration, and over time he even came to blame her for their mother's death. He took pride in his lack of control of his own temper, regarding it as proof that he was a true heir to the Targaryen kings; he regularly warned Dany not to "wake the dragon" by angering him. He often spoke to her of the importance of preserving the purity of their royal bloodline through the ancient [[Valyria|Valyrian]] practice of dynastic incest, so Dany grew up believing she would one day wed her brother. She was bright enough to realize that most of Viserys' plans for retaking the Seven Kingdoms were unrealistic, and as she had no memory of [[Westeros]] herself, his dream meant little to her; instead she longed to return to the house with the red door, which in her mind became a symbol for the childhood she had lost. With no family other than the abusive Viserys and no expectation of ever escaping his control, Dany grew into a fearful and docile young woman.

The two last Targaryens eventually found the help they sought in the [[Pentos|Free City of Pentos]], in the form of a rich and powerful [[magister]], [[Illyrio Mopatis]], who invited them to stay in his manse and offered his help in reclaiming [[Iron Throne|their throne]].{{Ref|aGoT|3}}

==Recent Events==
[[File:Daenerys and handmaidens.png|200px|thumb|left|Daenerys and her handmaidens Doreah and Irri ([[Game of Thrones|Tv]])]]

===''A Game of Thrones''===
[[File:Viserys Daenerys Targaryen hbo.jpg|thumb|300px|Daenerys and her brother [[Viserys Targaryen|Viserys]] complicated relation]]
[[File:Moon of my life by celestialfrost.jpg|thumb|300px|Moon of my life, Daenerys and her [[Drogo|husband]], Art by Celestialfrost©]]
[[File:GOT_tvseries_Daenerys.png|300px|thumb|Daenerys and [[Jorah Mormont]] defender and companion]]
[[File:Daenerys targareyen by teiiku.jpg|thumb|300px|Dany in the flames, birth of her [[dragon]]s, Art by TeiIku©]]
[[File:Dany dragon.jpg|thumb|300px|Dany [[Dragons]] growing strong]]

While Daenerys and [[Viserys Targaryen|her brother]] were staying at the manse of [[Illyrio Mopatis]] in [[Pentos]], Illyrio arranged a marriage between Dany and the powerful [[Dothraki]] warlord [[Khal Drogo]]. In return, Drogo was to provide Viserys with ten thousand warriors for his campaign to retake the [[Iron Throne]]. Dany's opinion was not consulted, and she realized this “marriage” was little different from being sold into [[slavery]]. She told her brother she did not wish to marry Khal Drogo, but Viserys only threatened that she would “wake the dragon” if she failed to please the ''[[khal]]''. Despairing, Dany saw no choice but to do her best to avoid her brother's wrath, as she always had.{{Ref|aGoT|3}}

At the wedding, the exiled [[Westeros]]i [[knight]] Ser [[Jorah Mormont]] pledged his sword to the Targaryen cause. Dany received three petrified dragon eggs from Illyrio, three handmaidens ([[Irri]], [[Jhiqui]] and [[Doreah]]) from her brother, and [[The Silver|a magnificent silver filly]] from Drogo. She was frightened by the seemingly barbaric Dothraki culture and particularly terrified of her bridegroom, a powerfully built man who shared no common language with her. After the ceremony she wept in terror, waiting for him to rape her, but Drogo proved to be a surprisingly considerate lover. He established that he understood the word “no” and began touching her gently and gradually, only having intercourse with her after she expressed her consent and initiated it.{{Ref|aGoT|11}}

Life in the ''[[khalasar]]'' was difficult at first; Dany was lonely and unaccustomed to spending her days on horseback. Nevertheless, she was determined to embrace her new life. Gradually her body strengthened and she began to enjoy the sense of freedom that came with the nomadic lifestyle. The first real turning point came when Viserys flew into one of his rages at her and Dany, for the first time in her life, fought back, shoving him away – and found herself backed up by [[Jhogo]], who whipped Viserys and asked the ''[[khaleesi]]'' how he ought to be punished. Dany began to realize that Viserys was ultimately a pathetic bully, and that she herself might not be as worthless as her brother had always claimed. From this day forward, she began to assert herself more and more.{{Ref|aGoT|23}} She lost her fear of both the Dothraki and her brother, becoming a strong and confident woman who little resembled the timid girl who had left Pentos. Her growing courage pleased Drogo, and they developed a loving relationship.

Drogo took Daenerys east to [[Vaes Dothrak]] and presented her to the ''[[dosh khaleen]]''. By the time they arrived, Daenerys, now fourteen, was pregnant with Drogo's child.{{Ref|aGoT|23}} She took part in the [[stallion heart]] ceremony, and the ''dosh khaleen'' foretold that her son would be "the [[Stallion Who Mounts the World]]," a long-prophesied leader destined to unite the Dothraki into a single ''khalasar'' and conquer the world. Dany announced that the child would be named [[Rhaego]] in honor of her deceased brother [[Rhaegar Targaryen|Rhaegar]]. Viserys had been growing increasingly impatient for the aid he had been promised, and the situation finally came to a head when he broke Dothraki law by drawing a blade in the sacred city, threatening both Daenerys and her unborn child. Drogo announced that Viserys would have the golden crown he deserved and dumped a pot of molten gold over his head, killing him and making Daenerys the last Targaryen. Dany watched impassively.{{Ref|aGoT|46}}

With Viserys' death, Drogo lost interest in the notion of invading Westeros, despite Dany's attempts to persuade him. This changed, however, when Ser Jorah prevented an assassin from poisoning Daenerys and discovered that [[Robert Baratheon]] had placed a price on her head. Enraged, Drogo vowed before his ''khalasar'' to avenge this insult by conquering Westeros to seat his son on the [[Iron Throne]] that his mother's ancestors had once held.{{Ref|aGoT|56}} The ''khalasar'' continued east, pillaging foreign lands with the intent of selling slaves for ships to make the crossing to Westeros. During one such raid of a [[Lhazareen]] town, Daenerys grew disturbed by the treatment of the defeated and finally gave orders to stop every rape she saw, claiming the victims as her personal slaves and taking them under her protection. The Dothraki were angered by the ''khaleesi'' denying them their traditional right to rape captives, but Daenerys held her ground, prompting Jorah to comment that she reminded him of Rhaegar. Khal Drogo, delighted by his wife's boldness, supported her decision.<ref>[[A Game of Thrones]], [[A Game of Thrones-Chapter 61|Chapter 61]], Daenerys</ref>

Drogo was injured in the raid. A Lhazareen priestess, [[Mirri Maz Duur]], offered to treat him, and although Drogo's [[Bloodrider|bloodriders]] reviled the woman as a ''[[maegi]]'', Dany felt that she could trust her, as Mirri was one of the women she had rescued.<ref>[[A Game of Thrones]], [[A Game of Thrones-Chapter 61|Chapter 61]], Daenerys</ref> However, Drogo did not follow the priestess' advice, and the wound festered, making him too weak to ride. Jorah explained to Dany that her position as ''khaleesi'' had been entirely dependent on Drogo, and without him, both she and her unborn son were likely to be killed. Desperate, she begged Mirri Maz Duur to save her husband, ignoring the possible consequences of [[Magic|blood magic]]. During the rite, Dany went into labor and Ser Jorah carried her into Drogo's tent, where Mirri Maz Duur was in the process of summoning dark spirits.{{Ref|aGoT|64}} When Dany awoke days later, she learned that Rhaego was stillborn, while Drogo lived only as a catatonic husk. Mirri Maz Duur revealed that this was the true price of the blood magic, and that she felt no gratitude toward Dany, who had "rescued" her only after she had been raped multiple times and seen her community destroyed.

Dany euthanized Drogo and was abandoned by most of the ''khalasar'', which broke into rival war-bands.{{Ref|aGoT|68}} Jorah urged her to flee with him into the east, while the men of Dany's ''khas'' offered to escort her to Vaes Dothrak to take her place as a former ''khaleesi'' among the ''dosh khaleen''. Dany, however, decided to finally take control of her destiny. She ordered Mirri Maz Duur bound to Drogo's funeral pyre and placed the three dragon eggs around his corpse, then announced to Drogo's remaining followers that she was freeing those who were enslaved, and would lead them all to glory if they chose to follow her. She offered to [[Aggo]], [[Jhogo]] and [[Rakharo]] the traditional gifts of a ''khal'' to his bloodriders; each refused, saying that to serve as bloodrider to a woman would shame them, but Daenerys ignored their objections. Ser Jorah accepted her offer, and she named him the first of her [[Kingsguard|Queensguard]].

Daenerys then walked unflinchingly into the flames. The resulting magic restored life to the eggs, from which three [[dragon|dragons]] hatched, the first known for centuries. Daenerys emerged from the fire unharmed. Drogo's former ''khalasar'', now hers more surely than they had ever been Drogo's, knelt in awe. Aggo, Jhogo and Rakharo willingly swore themselves as her bloodriders, and Daenerys became the first female Dothraki war-leader, a ''[[khaleesi]]'' in her own right.{{Ref|aGoT|72}}

===''A Clash of Kings''===
[[File:Dany_and_silver_in_the_Dothraki_Sea.jpg|thumb|450px|[[Daenerys Targaryen]] riding her silver in the [[Dothraki Sea]] - © by Nyph-Atzbel]]
Daenerys named the three dragons [[Viserion]], [[Rhaegal]] and [[Drogon]], after her two deceased brothers and her late husband, respectively.

She and the remains of Drogo's ''khalasar'' were stranded in a desolate area known as the [[Red Waste]]. They dared not turn toward the [[Dothraki Sea]], the cities of [[Slavers' Bay]], or even [[Lhazar]], for the group would have made easy prey for any Dothraki ''khalasar'' they encountered. Dany chose instead to follow a red comet that had appeared in the sky following the hatching of her dragons; although the Dothraki viewed the comet as a foreboding omen, Dany believed that it heralded her own rise to power. The comet led them to an ancient, abandoned city, which Dany named [[Vaes Tolorro]]. There they recovered from the ravages of the desert while Dany sent scouts in all directions.

One scout returned with three emissaries, all prominent citizens from the great city of [[Qarth]]: the merchant [[Xaro Xhoan Daxos]], the warlock [[Pyat Pree]], and the mysterious masked Asshai'i [[Quaithe]]. Dany and her people accompanied the Qartheen back to their city, where they stayed as honored guests in the palatial home of Xaro. There Dany learned of King [[Robert Baratheon]]'s death and the civil war in the [[Seven Kingdoms]]. She attempted to seek out Qartheen allies who would provide her with aid in conquering [[Westeros]], but it swiftly became clear that the merchants of Qarth were only interested in obtaining her dragons.{{Ref|aCoK|12}}{{Ref|aCoK|27}}

Daenerys turned to Pyat Pree and the famous warlocks of Qarth. Against the judgment of her friends and counselors, she agreed to visit the [[House of the Undying]], seeking a vision of the warlocks' masters, the [[Undying Ones]]. Although Jorah and her bloodriders begged to accompany her, she insisted on entering alone. After receiving instructions from Pyat Pree, Dany drank [[shade of the evening]] and entered the building. Inside, Dany beheld a number of strange visions, most apparently signifying past, present and future events in [[Westeros]]. Upon finally reaching the chamber of the Undying, Dany heard whispers hailing her as "Mother of Dragons" and prophesying that she would light three fires, ride three mounts, and face three betrayals. The Undying showed Dany several more visions and then attacked her, but with Drogon's help she destroyed the House of the Undying.

Afterward, the people of Qarth turned against Daenerys; the warlocks were rumored to conspire against her life, while Xaro finally requested that Dany and her people leave his mansion. With nowhere else to turn, she finally considered the suggestions of the third emissary, Quaithe, who told her that she must go further east to conquer the west.{{Ref|aCoK|48}} Dany thus visited the docks with Jorah to seek passage out of Qarth. There she noticed two strangers following her. Thus distracted, she was off her guard when a [[Sorrowful Men|Sorrowful Man]] attempted to poison her with a [[manticore]], but one of the strangers interceded and knocked the manticore aside just in time. The two men introduced themselves [[Strong Belwas]], a eunuch and former pit fighter, and [[Barristan Selmy|Arstan Whitebeard]], an older [[Westeros]]i man serving as Belwas' squire. They claimed to be agents sent by [[Illyrio Mopatis|Magister Illyrio]] with three ships to escort Daenerys and her party back to [[Pentos]]. Dany accepted the pair into her service and claimed the three ships and their cargo for her own, renaming them [[Vhagar (ship)|Vhagar]], [[Meraxes (ship)|Meraxes]] and [[Balerion (ship)|Balerion]] after the three dragons that brought her ancestor [[Aegon the Conqueror]] and his sister-wives to Westeros. Dany and her companions thus set sail for Pentos.{{Ref|aCoK|64}}

===''A Storm of Swords''===
Several days into the trip, Ser [[Jorah]] manages to convince Daenerys to go to [[Astapor]], one of the great [[slave]] cities of [[Slaver's Bay]], to purchase [[Unsullied]] so she can return to [[Illyrio]] with an army at her back. He also kisses her and professes his love for her.{{Ref|aSoS|9}} Once in [[Astapor]], Daenerys begins to have doubts about using [[slave]]s, still she agrees to purchases an army of every [[Unsullied]] in the ciry in exchange for her Dragon [[Drogon]]. She is given a slave [[Missandei]] as a gift from the [[Good Masters]]. Dany accepts, but she then frees [[Missandei]]. Dany tells Missandei that she can leave Dany's service whenever she wishes, but Missandei remains close and loyal to Dany.

After taking control of the [[Unsullied]], Dany reclaims [[Drogon]] and commands him to use his fires against the [[Astapor]]i leaders. She then uses the Unsullied to [[Sack of Astapor|conquer the city]]. After the fighting, she proclaims all Astapori slaves free, including her Unsullied, giving her the name ''Breaker of Shackles'', or ''Breaker of Chains''. The [[Unsullied]] and many new [[Freedmen]] choose to follow her in her future battles. After forming a council to rule Astapor, she sets out for the next great slave city [[Yunkai]].{{Ref|aSoS|27}}

[[Yunkai]] hires two sellsword companies, the [[Stormcrows]] and the [[Second Sons]], in addition to conscripting a force of some four thousand slave soldiers. Daenerys parleys with the captains of the companies, hoping to convince them to switch sides. Her arguments convince one of the Stormcrows' commanders, [[Daario Naharis]], to assassinate his colleagues and pledge the company to Daenerys. To the Second Sons, Daenerys offers a great store of wine as tribute then [[Battle of Yunkai|attacks]] them in the night while they are drunk and sleeping. With the Stormcrows' betrayal and the Second Sons' drunkenness, Yunkai's [[slave]] army is unable to withstand Daenerys's Unsullied. The entire Yunkish army is slain, captured, or put to flight, and Yunkai surrenders a few days later.{{Ref|aSoS|42}}

Daenerys next made for [[Meereen]], the last of the great slave cities. Near Meereen, Daenerys is nearly killed by the [[Mero|Titan's Bastard]], the former captain of the Second Sons. [[Barristan Selmy|Arstan Whitebeard]] slays the Bastard, and finally reveals his true identity as [[Barristan Selmy]], a famous knight of her father's [[Kingsguard]] who had served the Usurper [[Robert Baratheon]] after the end of the Rebellion. He claims to have seen the error of his ways and to seeking her out as the true heir to the [[Seven Kingdoms]]. Selmy also reveals that [[Jorah Mormont]], still Daenerys's trusted right arm, has been sending reports on her actions to the spymaster in [[King's Landing]], [[Varys|Lord Varys]], hoping for a pardon from [[Robert Baratheon|King Robert]]. Daenerys feels betrayed by each of them, though both fervently wish to atone for their actions. During her [[Siege of Meereen]], she sends them on a covert suicide mission through the sewers, half hoping that they will die in the attempt. The mission succeeds and wins the city with minimal blood. Barristan humbly submits to his Queen's judgment and is forgiven. [[Jorah]] stubbornly continues to insist that he had done nothing wrong, and Daenerys is forced to banish him from her service, despite her desire to pardon him.{{Ref|aSoS|57}}

Having captured [[Meereen]], Dany turns her eyes toward [[Westeros]]. Through talks with Barristan about her homeland and its history, however, she learns that there is much she does not know about ruling. Upon hearing that Astapor and Yunkai cannot maintain the peace she had hoped to bring, she resolves to bring order to [[Slaver's Bay]] before leaving it behind. By this time, she is close on seventeen years.

===''A Feast for Crows''===
[[File:Daenerys_by_quickreaver.jpg|Daenerys by quickreaver,©Fantasy Flight Games|thumb|right|300px]]
Tales told by sailors reach [[Westeros]], dragons in [[Asshai]], dragons in [[Qarth]], dragons in [[Meereen]], [[Dothraki]] dragons, dragons freeing [[slave]]s … each telling differs from the last, but only in details. All speak of [[dragons]], and a beautiful young queen. {{Ref|aFfC|Prologue}}

===''A Dance with Dragons''===
[[Image:Daenerys.jpg|thumb|300px|Daenerys Targaryen with Dragons, by [http://en.amokanet.ru/gallery/martin/targaryens_1237.html Amoka©]]]
Dany struggles as ruler of [[Meereen]], mainly due to the constant threats surrounding her. A portion of Meereen's former slaving families who call themselves the [[Sons of the Harpy]] fight a shadow war with her followers, attacking lone freedmen or [[Unsullied]] in the black of night and drawing a harpy nearby with the man's blood.{{Ref|aDwD|2}} The sons have also scrawled graffiti on the walls of Meereen in blood promising a death to the families of any who serve the Dragon Queen. In Meereen, men traditionally wear their oiled black and red hair in varying shapes in homage to [[Ghis|Ghiscari]] culture. The Meereenese who now serve Dany shave their heads, symbolizing the abandonment of old Meereen to serve the new. These men are known as [[Shavepates]], and are led by [[Skahaz mo Kandaq]], known as ''the Shavepate''. Another of her Meereenese councilors is the seneschal, [[Reznak mo Reznak]].

Three fighting companies were also formed by Daenerys, their members comprised from her freeman. The company names are [[Mother's Men]]; The Company of the [[Free Brothers]]; and the [[Stalwart Shields]]. They have been receiving their training in arms from [[Grey Worm]].

Daenery's dragons have grown wilder, hunting sheep and livestock. Eventually a petitioner comes to her, presenting the bones of his six-year-old girl daughter "[[Hazzea]]", claiming the "[[Drogon|winged shadow]]" had killed her.{{Ref|aDwD|2}} Prompted by this, Dany has her Unsullied capture the dragons using nets and chains and lock them below ground to prevent any more such killings. In a closed fighting pit, [[Viserion]] and [[Rhaegal]] are captured (though several Unsullied lose their lives in the process), but Drogon escapes and disappears. During this time, she has a vision of [[Quaithe]] that offers her prophetic advice, most specifically warning her not to trust her seneschal.{{Ref|aDwD|11}}

Daenerys has enemies outside Meereen as well as in. Since she ended the slave trade in [[Slaver's Bay]], several of the [[Free Cities]] that rely upon the slave trade of the slave cities to fuel their economy have promised help to the [[Yunkai]] to bring her down. Yunkai has hired sellsword legions such as the [[Long Lances]], the [[Company of the Cat]] and the [[Windblown]]. Legions have also arrived from [[New Ghis]]. The Yunkai host first takes [[Astapor]] from [[Cleon|Cleon the Butcher King]], its most recent ruler, and puts thousands of its inhabitants to the sword or sends them again into slavery.{{Ref|aDwD|25}} An escaped rider who managed to flee in the confusion of the siege brings word of this to Dany in Meereen. Unfortunately word is not the only thing he brings, as he is infected with the [[bloody flux]].{{Ref|aDwD|30}} Several other Astapori citizens flee to Meereen, bringing the disease with them.

The merchant emissary [[Xaro Xhoan Daxos]] arrives from [[Qarth]] bearing a gift of thirteen ships in exchange for Dany's abandon of Slaver's Bay and departure for [[Westeros]]. Dany wishes to go, but the thirteen ships are not enough to take her entire army of Unsullied, Dothraki, sellswords and freedmen. The Shavepates beg her not to go. If she does, they who served her and their families will die by the Sons of the Harpy. She refuses Xaro, which prompts [[Qarth]] to join the Yunkai against her.{{Ref|aDwD|16}} Deaths of freedmen and Unsullied continue to grow nightly, and several former freed slave women are raped by the Sons of the Harpy before having their throats slit open. Daenerys takes the children of several Meereenese families of dubious loyalty as [[Cupbearers of Daenerys Targaryen|Cupbearers]] in name, but hostages in truth in hopes that would stop the killing. The killings only continue though and Daenerys refuses to harm the child hostages. In despair and loneliness, Dany takes [[Daario Naharis]] as a lover. A plan is put to her by the [[Graces|Meereenese priestess]], the Green Grace [[Galazza Galare]], suggesting that Dany should wed the Meereenese noble [[Hizdahr zo Loraq]] to bring peace. Dany agrees, on the condition that Hizdahr can promise her 90 days of peace. Hizdahr agrees.{{Ref|aDwD|23}} [[Ben Plumm|Brown Ben Plumm]], captain of the [[Second Sons]], learns that Dany can no longer control her dragons, and takes his company go over to the Yunkai.

[[File: Drogon in Daznak's Pit.jpg|Daenerys and Drogon in [[Daznak's Pit]] - by Marc Simonetti ©|thumb|350px]]
At this point, [[Quentyn Martell]] of [[Dorne]] arrives to make a marriage claim, but is rejected because Dany has already promised to wed Hizdahr. After Hizdahr zo Loraq succeeds at keeping his promise, Dany weds him.{{Ref|aDwD|43}} Under his direction, Dany, much to her disgust, suggests peace terms with Yunkai. She promises if they leave Meereen and don't enslave any of the former slaves she freed, she won't disrupt the slave trade of Slaver's Bay any further. The Yunkai agree.{{Ref|aDwD|50}} To mark the occasion, the [[fighting pits]] are reopened and several gladiators (who freely agreed to compete) battle in the arena of [[Daznak's Pit]]. During the event, Drogon appears, drawn to the screams of the crowd and the smell of death. He kills a boar in the arena, but is then attacked by the animal handler [[Harghaz]]. Dany, seeing her "child" in pain, runs out in the arena to him as she sees other pit fighters going to kill the dragon. Dany manages to mount the dragon and ride him out of the arena.{{Ref|aDwD|52}} Many in Meereen suspect that she is dead.{{Ref|aDwD|55}} She is alive with Drogon, however, thousands of leagues away. She and her dragon are eventually discovered by the ''khalasar'' of [[Jhaqo|Khal Jhaqo]].{{Ref|aDwD|71}}

==Quotes==
{{Quote|"I am the blood of the dragon" {{Ref|aGoT|11}}}}

{{Quote|"If I look back I am lost" {{Ref|aGoT|72}}}}

==Quotes about Daenerys==
{{Quote|"The Blood of [[Aegon I|Aegon the Dragon]] flows in her veins" {{Ref|aDwD|5}}}} - [[Illyrio Mopatis]]

==Family==
{{Targaryen_tree_now}}

==References and Notes==
{{references|3|refs=
<ref name=hbo>[http://www.hbo.com/game-of-thrones/index.html#/game-of-thrones/cast-and-crew.html/eNrjcmbOYC5kzlfPz0lxzEvMqSzJTA5ITE-1S8xN1SzLTEnNh4k65+eVpFaUsEknlpbkF+QkVtqWFJWmcjIysgEhAGCyFzg= HBO Cast and crew page]</ref>
}}
{{EnWP|Daenerys Targaryen|small=yes}}

{{Template:POV Characters}}
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[[Category:POV characters|Targaryen, Daenerys]]
[[Category:Noblewomen|Targaryen, Daenerys]]
[[Category:Monarchs|Targaryen, Daenerys]]
[[Category:House Targaryen]]

[[es:Daenerys Targaryen]]
[[fr:Daenerys Targaryen]]
[[ru:Дейенерис I Таргариен]]
[[zh:丹妮莉丝·坦格利安]]
[[es:Daenerys Targaryen]]

Daenerys Targaryen

2012-08-17T23:54:15Z

Penelope:

{{Infobox character
| Character_name= [[File:House_Targaryen_crest.PNG|50px|left]]'''Daenerys Targaryen''' [[File:House_Targaryen_crest.PNG|50px|right]]
| image = [[File:Daenerys_by_carrie_best.jpg|300px|Daenerys in a [[Qartheen]] Dress, Art by Carrie Best©]]
| Played_by = Emilia Clarke
| image_caption = Daenerys in a [[Qartheen]] Dress, Art by [http://www.carriebest.com/ Carrie Best©]
| Alias = Dany Daenerys Stormborn The Unburnt Mother of Dragons Mother Mysha The Silver Queen Silver Lady Child of Three {{Ref|aCoK|48}} {{Ref|aCoK|63}} Daughter of Death {{Ref|aCoK|48}} {{Ref|aCoK|63}} Slayer of Lies{{Ref|aCoK|48}} {{Ref|aCoK|63}} Bride of Fire{{Ref|aCoK|48}} {{Ref|aCoK|63}}
| Title = Queen of the Andals and the Rhoynar and the First Men, Lord of the Seven Kingdoms ''Khaleesi'' of the Great Grass Sea Breaker of Shackles/Chains Queen of Meereen Princess of Dragonstone
| Allegiance = [[House Targaryen]]
| Race =
| Culture = [[Valyria]]
| Spouse = [[Khal Drogo]] 1st [[Hizdahr zo Loraq]] 2nd
| Place_of_Birth= [[Dragonstone]]
| Date_of_Birth = {{Date|284}}
| Place_of_Death=
| Date_of_Death =
| Books = [[A Game of Thrones]] (POV) [[A Clash of Kings]] (POV) [[A Storm of Swords]] (POV) [[A Feast for Crows]] (Mentioned) [[A Dance with Dragons]] (POV)
| Played_by = [[w:Emilia Clarke|Emilia Clarke]]
| TV_series = [[Game of Thrones - Season 1|Season 1]]{{!}} [[Game of Thrones - Season 2|Season 2]]
}}

{{See homonyms | Daenerys Targaryen (disambiguation)}}

'''Daenerys Targaryen''', known as '''Daenerys Stormborn''' or '''Dany''', is the last confirmed member of the ancient [[House Targaryen|Targaryen Dynasty]] and one of the primary [[POV Character|POV characters]] in the book series. In the [[Game of Thrones|TV series]], Daenerys is played by Emilia Clarke.<ref name=hbo/>

==Character and Appearance==
Danaerys is a young woman in her early teens. She is short of stature and very beautiful, with the silver-blonde hair and [[purple eyes]] for which [[House Targaryen]] has always been known.{{Ref|aGoT|3}}

In her youth, Dany was a meek, timid girl with little confidence or self-esteem. She knew no life other than one of exile, dependent and in constant fear of her brother [[Viserys Targaryen|Viserys]]. He was the only family she knew, but was often a cruel guardian, prone to mood swings and fits of violence. Her marriage to [[Khal Drogo]] was a turning point for her; adapting to life in the Dothraki ''[[khalasar]]'' was difficult, but it allowed her to begin to achieve independence from her abusive brother, and she emerged from the experience as a strong, confident, courageous woman. Nevertheless, she has not forgotten what it was like to be a victimized child, and her experiences have left her with a compassion that is unusual in a would-be conqueror. She is determined to bring justice through her reign, and has made ending [[slavery]] a particular priority. Despite her strong moral compass, however, she is capable of dealing ruthlessly with her enemies.

It was often said that the Targaryen kings tended to be either madmen or brilliant rulers, and Daenerys seems to have inherited a natural gift for leadership as her birthright. Her followers generally regard her with great respect and love, and she is often compared to her deceased brother [[Rhaegar Targaryen|Rhaegar]], a similarly charismatic leader who was known for his skill, determination, scholarly mind and strong sense of justice. Her primary weakness as a ruler is her youth and relative inexperience; however, she has a keen intellect and learns quickly from her mistakes.

Although she has matured enough to recognize that Viserys was weak, cowardly and cruel, his abiding obsession with regaining the crown he felt was his birthright has instilled in Daenerys a similar belief that reclaiming the [[Seven Kingdoms]] is both her right and her duty as the last of the Targaryens, and it remains the paramount goal of her life. Nevertheless, [[Westeros]] is a foreign land that she has never seen with her own eyes, and she sometimes longs wistfully for the house with a red door in [[Braavos]] that has come to symbolize her lost childhood.

==History==
Daenerys is the only daughter and youngest child of King [[Aerys II Targaryen]] and his sister-wife, Queen [[Rhaella Targaryen|Rhaella]]. Daenerys was conceived during the last month of [[Robert's Rebellion|the rebellion]] that would ultimately end her family's reign over the [[Seven Kingdoms]]. Shortly thereafter, her mother was sent with the young prince Viserys to the family ancestral seat of [[Dragonstone]] to escape the coming [[Sack of King's Landing]]. Daenerys was born while as a great storm raged in the harbor at Dragonstone, sinking what remained of the Targaryen fleet; for this reason she is sometimes known as "Daenerys Stormborn." Her mother died from complications of labor.

By this time, the war was already lost. [[Robert Baratheon]] had claimed the throne and Aerys had already been killed along with the rest of the royal family, leaving Daenerys and her older brother Viserys as the only living Targaryen heirs. The garrison at Dragonstone decided to surrender and turn them over to the rebels in exchange for their lives, but before they could act on this plan, Ser [[Willem Darry]] and several other loyal retainers rescued the children and smuggled them into exile, sailing to the [[Braavos|Free City of Braavos]], where they lived for years in a house with a red door. Ser Willem was old and sickly, but Dany remembers that he always treated her kindly. After his death, the servants drove the young Targaryens from the house. Dany wept as they were forced out.{{Ref|aGoT|3}}

The Targaryen loyalists who raised the two children considered Viserys the rightful ruler of the [[Seven Kingdoms]] despite the family's defeat and exile, as did Viserys himself. He regarded it as his duty to revenge himself on the usurpers who murdered his family and reclaim the birthright that had been stolen from him when he was only a child. In the years that followed Ser Willem's death, Viserys wandered the nine [[Free Cities]] with his sister, trying to raise support to retake the [[Iron Throne]], which earned him the mocking title of "The Beggar King."

As a result of this long humiliation, Viserys grew bitter and obsessed with his long-denied birthright. Dany was the only convenient target for his frustration, and over time he even came to blame her for their mother's death. He took pride in his lack of control of his own temper, regarding it as proof that he was a true heir to the Targaryen kings; he regularly warned Dany not to "wake the dragon" by angering him. He often spoke to her of the importance of preserving the purity of their royal bloodline through the ancient [[Valyria|Valyrian]] practice of dynastic incest, so Dany grew up believing she would one day wed her brother. She was bright enough to realize that most of Viserys' plans for retaking the Seven Kingdoms were unrealistic, and as she had no memory of [[Westeros]] herself, his dream meant little to her; instead she longed to return to the house with the red door, which in her mind became a symbol for the childhood she had lost. With no family other than the abusive Viserys and no expectation of ever escaping his control, Dany grew into a fearful and docile young woman.

The two last Targaryens eventually found the help they sought in the [[Pentos|Free City of Pentos]], in the form of a rich and powerful [[magister]], [[Illyrio Mopatis]], who invited them to stay in his manse and offered his help in reclaiming [[Iron Throne|their throne]].{{Ref|aGoT|3}}

==Recent Events==
[[File:Daenerys and handmaidens.png|200px|thumb|left|Daenerys and her handmaidens Doreah and Irri ([[Game of Thrones|Tv]])]]

===''A Game of Thrones''===
[[File:Viserys Daenerys Targaryen hbo.jpg|thumb|300px|Daenerys and her brother [[Viserys Targaryen|Viserys]] complicated relation]]
[[File:Moon of my life by celestialfrost.jpg|thumb|300px|Moon of my life, Daenerys and her [[Drogo|husband]], Art by Celestialfrost©]]
[[File:GOT_tvseries_Daenerys.png|300px|thumb|Daenerys and [[Jorah Mormont]] defender and companion]]
[[File:Daenerys targareyen by teiiku.jpg|thumb|300px|Dany in the flames, birth of her [[dragon]]s, Art by TeiIku©]]
[[File:Dany dragon.jpg|thumb|300px|Dany [[Dragons]] growing strong]]

While Daenerys and [[Viserys Targaryen|her brother]] were staying at the manse of [[Illyrio Mopatis]] in [[Pentos]], Illyrio arranged a marriage between Dany and the powerful [[Dothraki]] warlord [[Khal Drogo]]. In return, Drogo was to provide Viserys with ten thousand warriors for his campaign to retake the [[Iron Throne]]. Dany's opinion was not consulted, and she realized this “marriage” was little different from being sold into [[slavery]]. She told her brother she did not wish to marry Khal Drogo, but Viserys only threatened that she would “wake the dragon” if she failed to please the ''[[khal]]''. Despairing, Dany saw no choice but to do her best to avoid her brother's wrath, as she always had.{{Ref|aGoT|3}}

At the wedding, the exiled [[Westeros]]i [[knight]] Ser [[Jorah Mormont]] pledged his sword to the Targaryen cause. Dany received three petrified dragon eggs from Illyrio, three handmaidens ([[Irri]], [[Jhiqui]] and [[Doreah]]) from her brother, and [[The Silver|a magnificent silver filly]] from Drogo. She was frightened by the seemingly barbaric Dothraki culture and particularly terrified of her bridegroom, a powerfully built man who shared no common language with her. After the ceremony she wept in terror, waiting for him to rape her, but Drogo proved to be a surprisingly considerate lover. He established that he understood the word “no” and began touching her gently and gradually, only having intercourse with her after she expressed her consent and initiated it.{{Ref|aGoT|11}}

Life in the ''[[khalasar]]'' was difficult at first; Dany was lonely and unaccustomed to spending her days on horseback. Nevertheless, she was determined to embrace her new life. Gradually her body strengthened and she began to enjoy the sense of freedom that came with the nomadic lifestyle. The first real turning point came when Viserys flew into one of his rages at her and Dany, for the first time in her life, fought back, shoving him away – and found herself backed up by [[Jhogo]], who whipped Viserys and asked the ''[[khaleesi]]'' how he ought to be punished. Dany began to realize that Viserys was ultimately a pathetic bully, and that she herself might not be as worthless as her brother had always claimed. From this day forward, she began to assert herself more and more.{{Ref|aGoT|23}} She lost her fear of both the Dothraki and her brother, becoming a strong and confident woman who little resembled the timid girl who had left Pentos. Her growing courage pleased Drogo, and they developed a loving relationship.

Drogo took Daenerys east to [[Vaes Dothrak]] and presented her to the ''[[dosh khaleen]]''. By the time they arrived, Daenerys, now fourteen, was pregnant with Drogo's child.{{Ref|aGoT|23}} She took part in the [[stallion heart]] ceremony, and the ''dosh khaleen'' foretold that her son would be "the [[Stallion Who Mounts the World]]," a long-prophesied leader destined to unite the Dothraki into a single ''khalasar'' and conquer the world. Dany announced that the child would be named [[Rhaego]] in honor of her deceased brother [[Rhaegar Targaryen|Rhaegar]]. Viserys had been growing increasingly impatient for the aid he had been promised, and the situation finally came to a head when he broke Dothraki law by drawing a blade in the sacred city, threatening both Daenerys and her unborn child. Drogo announced that Viserys would have the golden crown he deserved and dumped a pot of molten gold over his head, killing him and making Daenerys the last Targaryen. Dany watched impassively.{{Ref|aGoT|46}}

With Viserys' death, Drogo lost interest in the notion of invading Westeros, despite Dany's attempts to persuade him. This changed, however, when Ser Jorah prevented an assassin from poisoning Daenerys and discovered that [[Robert Baratheon]] had placed a price on her head. Enraged, Drogo vowed before his ''khalasar'' to avenge this insult by conquering Westeros to seat his son on the [[Iron Throne]] that his mother's ancestors had once held.{{Ref|aGoT|56}} The ''khalasar'' continued east, pillaging foreign lands with the intent of selling slaves for ships to make the crossing to Westeros. During one such raid of a [[Lhazareen]] town, Daenerys grew disturbed by the treatment of the defeated and finally gave orders to stop every rape she saw, claiming the victims as her personal slaves and taking them under her protection. The Dothraki were angered by the ''khaleesi'' denying them their traditional right to rape captives, but Daenerys held her ground, prompting Jorah to comment that she reminded him of Rhaegar. Khal Drogo, delighted by his wife's boldness, supported her decision.<ref>[[A Game of Thrones]], [[A Game of Thrones-Chapter 61|Chapter 61]], Daenerys</ref>

Drogo was injured in the raid. A Lhazareen priestess, [[Mirri Maz Duur]], offered to treat him, and although Drogo's [[Bloodrider|bloodriders]] reviled the woman as a ''[[maegi]]'', Dany felt that she could trust her, as Mirri was one of the women she had rescued.<ref>[[A Game of Thrones]], [[A Game of Thrones-Chapter 61|Chapter 61]], Daenerys</ref> However, Drogo did not follow the priestess' advice, and the wound festered, making him too weak to ride. Jorah explained to Dany that her position as ''khaleesi'' had been entirely dependent on Drogo, and without him, both she and her unborn son were likely to be killed. Desperate, she begged Mirri Maz Duur to save her husband, ignoring the possible consequences of [[Magic|blood magic]]. During the rite, Dany went into labor and Ser Jorah carried her into Drogo's tent, where Mirri Maz Duur was in the process of summoning dark spirits.{{Ref|aGoT|64}} When Dany awoke days later, she learned that Rhaego was stillborn, while Drogo lived only as a catatonic husk. Mirri Maz Duur revealed that this was the true price of the blood magic, and that she felt no gratitude toward Dany, who had "rescued" her only after she had been raped multiple times and seen her community destroyed.

Dany euthanized Drogo and was abandoned by most of the ''khalasar'', which broke into rival war-bands.{{Ref|aGoT|68}} Jorah urged her to flee with him into the east, while the men of Dany's ''khas'' offered to escort her to Vaes Dothrak to take her place as a former ''khaleesi'' among the ''dosh khaleen''. Dany, however, decided to finally take control of her destiny. She ordered Mirri Maz Duur bound to Drogo's funeral pyre and placed the three dragon eggs around his corpse, then announced to Drogo's remaining followers that she was freeing those who were enslaved, and would lead them all to glory if they chose to follow her. She offered to [[Aggo]], [[Jhogo]] and [[Rakharo]] the traditional gifts of a ''khal'' to his bloodriders; each refused, saying that to serve as bloodrider to a woman would shame them, but Daenerys ignored their objections. Ser Jorah accepted her offer, and she named him the first of her [[Kingsguard|Queensguard]].

Daenerys then walked unflinchingly into the flames. The resulting magic restored life to the eggs, from which three [[dragon|dragons]] hatched, the first known for centuries. Daenerys emerged from the fire unharmed. Drogo's former ''khalasar'', now hers more surely than they had ever been Drogo's, knelt in awe. Aggo, Jhogo and Rakharo willingly swore themselves as her bloodriders, and Daenerys became the first female Dothraki war-leader, a ''[[khaleesi]]'' in her own right.{{Ref|aGoT|72}}

===''A Clash of Kings''===
[[File:Dany_and_silver_in_the_Dothraki_Sea.jpg|thumb|450px|[[Daenerys Targaryen]] riding her silver in the [[Dothraki Sea]] - © by Nyph-Atzbel]]
Daenerys named the three dragons [[Viserion]], [[Rhaegal]] and [[Drogon]], after her two deceased brothers and her late husband, respectively.

She and the remains of Drogo's ''khalasar'' were stranded in a desolate area known as the [[Red Waste]]. They dared not turn toward the [[Dothraki Sea]], the cities of [[Slavers' Bay]], or even [[Lhazar]], for the group would have made easy prey for any Dothraki ''khalasar'' they encountered. Dany chose instead to follow a red comet that had appeared in the sky following the hatching of her dragons; although the Dothraki viewed the comet as a foreboding omen, Dany believed that it heralded her own rise to power. The comet led them to an ancient, abandoned city, which Dany named [[Vaes Tolorro]]. There they recovered from the ravages of the desert while Dany sent scouts in all directions.

One scout returned with three emissaries, all prominent citizens from the great city of [[Qarth]]: the merchant [[Xaro Xhoan Daxos]], the warlock [[Pyat Pree]], and the mysterious masked Asshai'i [[Quaithe]]. Dany and her people accompanied the Qartheen back to their city, where they stayed as honored guests in the palatial home of Xaro. There Dany learned of King [[Robert Baratheon]]'s death and the civil war in the [[Seven Kingdoms]]. She attempted to seek out Qartheen allies who would provide her with aid in conquering [[Westeros]], but it swiftly became clear that the merchants of Qarth were only interested in obtaining her dragons.{{Ref|aCoK|12}}{{Ref|aCoK|27}}

Daenerys turned to Pyat Pree and the famous warlocks of Qarth. Against the judgment of her friends and counselors, she agreed to visit the [[House of the Undying]], seeking a vision of the warlocks' masters, the [[Undying Ones]]. Although Jorah and her bloodriders begged to accompany her, she insisted on entering alone. After receiving instructions from Pyat Pree, Dany drank [[shade of the evening]] and entered the building. Inside, Dany beheld a number of strange visions, most apparently signifying past, present and future events in [[Westeros]]. Upon finally reaching the chamber of the Undying, Dany heard whispers hailing her as "Mother of Dragons" and prophesying that she would light three fires, ride three mounts, and face three betrayals. The Undying showed Dany several more visions and then attacked her, but with Drogon's help she destroyed the House of the Undying.

Afterward, the people of Qarth turned against Daenerys; the warlocks were rumored to conspire against her life, while Xaro finally requested that Dany and her people leave his mansion. With nowhere else to turn, she finally considered the suggestions of the third emissary, Quaithe, who told her that she must go further east to conquer the west.{{Ref|aCoK|48}} Dany thus visits the docks with Jorah to seek passage out of Qarth. There she notices two strangers following her. Thus distracted, she is off her guard when a [[Sorrowful Men|Sorrowful Man]] attempts to poison her with a [[manticore]], but one of the strangers intercedes and knocks the manticore aside just in time. The two men introduce themselves [[Strong Belwas]], a eunuch and former pit fighter, and [[Barristan Selmy|Arstan Whitebeard]], an older [[Westeros]]i man serving as Belwas' squire. They claim to be agents sent by [[Illyrio Mopatis|Magister Illyrio]] with three ships to escort Daenerys and her party back to [[Pentos]]. Dany accepts the pair into her service and claims the three ships and their cargo for her own, renaming them [[Vhagar (ship)|Vhagar]], [[Meraxes (ship)|Meraxes]] and [[Balerion (ship)|Balerion]] after the three dragons that brought her ancestor [[Aegon the Conqueror]] and his sister-wives to Westeros. Dany and her companions thus set sail for Pentos.{{Ref|aCoK|64}}

===''A Storm of Swords''===
Several days into the trip, Ser [[Jorah]] manages to convince Daenerys to go to [[Astapor]], one of the great [[slave]] cities of [[Slaver's Bay]], to purchase [[Unsullied]] so she can return to [[Illyrio]] with an army at her back. He also kisses her and professes his love for her.{{Ref|aSoS|9}} Once in [[Astapor]], Daenerys begins to have doubts about using [[slave]]s, still she agrees to purchases an army of every [[Unsullied]] in the ciry in exchange for her Dragon [[Drogon]]. She is given a slave [[Missandei]] as a gift from the [[Good Masters]]. Dany accepts, but she then frees [[Missandei]]. Dany tells Missandei that she can leave Dany's service whenever she wishes, but Missandei remains close and loyal to Dany.

After taking control of the [[Unsullied]], Dany reclaims [[Drogon]] and commands him to use his fires against the [[Astapor]]i leaders. She then uses the Unsullied to [[Sack of Astapor|conquer the city]]. After the fighting, she proclaims all Astapori slaves free, including her Unsullied, giving her the name ''Breaker of Shackles'', or ''Breaker of Chains''. The [[Unsullied]] and many new [[Freedmen]] choose to follow her in her future battles. After forming a council to rule Astapor, she sets out for the next great slave city [[Yunkai]].{{Ref|aSoS|27}}

[[Yunkai]] hires two sellsword companies, the [[Stormcrows]] and the [[Second Sons]], in addition to conscripting a force of some four thousand slave soldiers. Daenerys parleys with the captains of the companies, hoping to convince them to switch sides. Her arguments convince one of the Stormcrows' commanders, [[Daario Naharis]], to assassinate his colleagues and pledge the company to Daenerys. To the Second Sons, Daenerys offers a great store of wine as tribute then [[Battle of Yunkai|attacks]] them in the night while they are drunk and sleeping. With the Stormcrows' betrayal and the Second Sons' drunkenness, Yunkai's [[slave]] army is unable to withstand Daenerys's Unsullied. The entire Yunkish army is slain, captured, or put to flight, and Yunkai surrenders a few days later.{{Ref|aSoS|42}}

Daenerys next made for [[Meereen]], the last of the great slave cities. Near Meereen, Daenerys is nearly killed by the [[Mero|Titan's Bastard]], the former captain of the Second Sons. [[Barristan Selmy|Arstan Whitebeard]] slays the Bastard, and finally reveals his true identity as [[Barristan Selmy]], a famous knight of her father's [[Kingsguard]] who had served the Usurper [[Robert Baratheon]] after the end of the Rebellion. He claims to have seen the error of his ways and to seeking her out as the true heir to the [[Seven Kingdoms]]. Selmy also reveals that [[Jorah Mormont]], still Daenerys's trusted right arm, has been sending reports on her actions to the spymaster in [[King's Landing]], [[Varys|Lord Varys]], hoping for a pardon from [[Robert Baratheon|King Robert]]. Daenerys feels betrayed by each of them, though both fervently wish to atone for their actions. During her [[Siege of Meereen]], she sends them on a covert suicide mission through the sewers, half hoping that they will die in the attempt. The mission succeeds and wins the city with minimal blood. Barristan humbly submits to his Queen's judgment and is forgiven. [[Jorah]] stubbornly continues to insist that he had done nothing wrong, and Daenerys is forced to banish him from her service, despite her desire to pardon him.{{Ref|aSoS|57}}

Having captured [[Meereen]], Dany turns her eyes toward [[Westeros]]. Through talks with Barristan about her homeland and its history, however, she learns that there is much she does not know about ruling. Upon hearing that Astapor and Yunkai cannot maintain the peace she had hoped to bring, she resolves to bring order to [[Slaver's Bay]] before leaving it behind. By this time, she is close on seventeen years.

===''A Feast for Crows''===
[[File:Daenerys_by_quickreaver.jpg|Daenerys by quickreaver,©Fantasy Flight Games|thumb|right|300px]]
Tales told by sailors reach [[Westeros]], dragons in [[Asshai]], dragons in [[Qarth]], dragons in [[Meereen]], [[Dothraki]] dragons, dragons freeing [[slave]]s … each telling differs from the last, but only in details. All speak of [[dragons]], and a beautiful young queen. {{Ref|aFfC|Prologue}}

===''A Dance with Dragons''===
[[Image:Daenerys.jpg|thumb|300px|Daenerys Targaryen with Dragons, by [http://en.amokanet.ru/gallery/martin/targaryens_1237.html Amoka©]]]
Dany struggles as ruler of [[Meereen]], mainly due to the constant threats surrounding her. A portion of Meereen's former slaving families who call themselves the [[Sons of the Harpy]] fight a shadow war with her followers, attacking lone freedmen or [[Unsullied]] in the black of night and drawing a harpy nearby with the man's blood.{{Ref|aDwD|2}} The sons have also scrawled graffiti on the walls of Meereen in blood promising a death to the families of any who serve the Dragon Queen. In Meereen, men traditionally wear their oiled black and red hair in varying shapes in homage to [[Ghis|Ghiscari]] culture. The Meereenese who now serve Dany shave their heads, symbolizing the abandonment of old Meereen to serve the new. These men are known as [[Shavepates]], and are led by [[Skahaz mo Kandaq]], known as ''the Shavepate''. Another of her Meereenese councilors is the seneschal, [[Reznak mo Reznak]].

Three fighting companies were also formed by Daenerys, their members comprised from her freeman. The company names are [[Mother's Men]]; The Company of the [[Free Brothers]]; and the [[Stalwart Shields]]. They have been receiving their training in arms from [[Grey Worm]].

Daenery's dragons have grown wilder, hunting sheep and livestock. Eventually a petitioner comes to her, presenting the bones of his six-year-old girl daughter "[[Hazzea]]", claiming the "[[Drogon|winged shadow]]" had killed her.{{Ref|aDwD|2}} Prompted by this, Dany has her Unsullied capture the dragons using nets and chains and lock them below ground to prevent any more such killings. In a closed fighting pit, [[Viserion]] and [[Rhaegal]] are captured (though several Unsullied lose their lives in the process), but Drogon escapes and disappears. During this time, she has a vision of [[Quaithe]] that offers her prophetic advice, most specifically warning her not to trust her seneschal.{{Ref|aDwD|11}}

Daenerys has enemies outside Meereen as well as in. Since she ended the slave trade in [[Slaver's Bay]], several of the [[Free Cities]] that rely upon the slave trade of the slave cities to fuel their economy have promised help to the [[Yunkai]] to bring her down. Yunkai has hired sellsword legions such as the [[Long Lances]], the [[Company of the Cat]] and the [[Windblown]]. Legions have also arrived from [[New Ghis]]. The Yunkai host first takes [[Astapor]] from [[Cleon|Cleon the Butcher King]], its most recent ruler, and puts thousands of its inhabitants to the sword or sends them again into slavery.{{Ref|aDwD|25}} An escaped rider who managed to flee in the confusion of the siege brings word of this to Dany in Meereen. Unfortunately word is not the only thing he brings, as he is infected with the [[bloody flux]].{{Ref|aDwD|30}} Several other Astapori citizens flee to Meereen, bringing the disease with them.

The merchant emissary [[Xaro Xhoan Daxos]] arrives from [[Qarth]] bearing a gift of thirteen ships in exchange for Dany's abandon of Slaver's Bay and departure for [[Westeros]]. Dany wishes to go, but the thirteen ships are not enough to take her entire army of Unsullied, Dothraki, sellswords and freedmen. The Shavepates beg her not to go. If she does, they who served her and their families will die by the Sons of the Harpy. She refuses Xaro, which prompts [[Qarth]] to join the Yunkai against her.{{Ref|aDwD|16}} Deaths of freedmen and Unsullied continue to grow nightly, and several former freed slave women are raped by the Sons of the Harpy before having their throats slit open. Daenerys takes the children of several Meereenese families of dubious loyalty as [[Cupbearers of Daenerys Targaryen|Cupbearers]] in name, but hostages in truth in hopes that would stop the killing. The killings only continue though and Daenerys refuses to harm the child hostages. In despair and loneliness, Dany takes [[Daario Naharis]] as a lover. A plan is put to her by the [[Graces|Meereenese priestess]], the Green Grace [[Galazza Galare]], suggesting that Dany should wed the Meereenese noble [[Hizdahr zo Loraq]] to bring peace. Dany agrees, on the condition that Hizdahr can promise her 90 days of peace. Hizdahr agrees.{{Ref|aDwD|23}} [[Ben Plumm|Brown Ben Plumm]], captain of the [[Second Sons]], learns that Dany can no longer control her dragons, and takes his company go over to the Yunkai.

[[File: Drogon in Daznak's Pit.jpg|Daenerys and Drogon in [[Daznak's Pit]] - by Marc Simonetti ©|thumb|350px]]
At this point, [[Quentyn Martell]] of [[Dorne]] arrives to make a marriage claim, but is rejected because Dany has already promised to wed Hizdahr. After Hizdahr zo Loraq succeeds at keeping his promise, Dany weds him.{{Ref|aDwD|43}} Under his direction, Dany, much to her disgust, suggests peace terms with Yunkai. She promises if they leave Meereen and don't enslave any of the former slaves she freed, she won't disrupt the slave trade of Slaver's Bay any further. The Yunkai agree.{{Ref|aDwD|50}} To mark the occasion, the [[fighting pits]] are reopened and several gladiators (who freely agreed to compete) battle in the arena of [[Daznak's Pit]]. During the event, Drogon appears, drawn to the screams of the crowd and the smell of death. He kills a boar in the arena, but is then attacked by the animal handler [[Harghaz]]. Dany, seeing her "child" in pain, runs out in the arena to him as she sees other pit fighters going to kill the dragon. Dany manages to mount the dragon and ride him out of the arena.{{Ref|aDwD|52}} Many in Meereen suspect that she is dead.{{Ref|aDwD|55}} She is alive with Drogon, however, thousands of leagues away. She and her dragon are eventually discovered by the ''khalasar'' of [[Jhaqo|Khal Jhaqo]].{{Ref|aDwD|71}}

==Quotes==
{{Quote|"I am the blood of the dragon" {{Ref|aGoT|11}}}}

{{Quote|"If I look back I am lost" {{Ref|aGoT|72}}}}

==Quotes about Daenerys==
{{Quote|"The Blood of [[Aegon I|Aegon the Dragon]] flows in her veins" {{Ref|aDwD|5}}}} - [[Illyrio Mopatis]]

==Family==
{{Targaryen_tree_now}}

==References and Notes==
{{references|3|refs=
<ref name=hbo>[http://www.hbo.com/game-of-thrones/index.html#/game-of-thrones/cast-and-crew.html/eNrjcmbOYC5kzlfPz0lxzEvMqSzJTA5ITE-1S8xN1SzLTEnNh4k65+eVpFaUsEknlpbkF+QkVtqWFJWmcjIysgEhAGCyFzg= HBO Cast and crew page]</ref>
}}
{{EnWP|Daenerys Targaryen|small=yes}}

{{Template:POV Characters}}
{{Template:Kings of Westeros}}

[[Category:POV characters|Targaryen, Daenerys]]
[[Category:Noblewomen|Targaryen, Daenerys]]
[[Category:Monarchs|Targaryen, Daenerys]]
[[Category:House Targaryen]]

[[es:Daenerys Targaryen]]
[[fr:Daenerys Targaryen]]
[[ru:Дейенерис I Таргариен]]
[[zh:丹妮莉丝·坦格利安]]
[[es:Daenerys Targaryen]]

Jorah Mormont

2012-08-17T23:08:54Z

Penelope:

{{Infobox character
| Character_name = [[File:House_Mormont2.PNG|50px|left]] '''Jorah Mormont''' [[File:House_Mormont2.PNG|50px|right]]
| image = [[File:Jorah Mormont.jpg|250px]]
| image_caption =
| Alias = Jorah the Andal
| Title = Ser
| Allegiance = [[House Mormont]]
[[House Targaryen]]
[[Second Sons]]
| Race =
| Culture = [[Bear Island]]
| Spouse = 1st: Unknown [[House Glover|Glover]] 2nd: [[Lynesse Hightower]]
| Place_of_Birth =
| Date_of_Birth = Around {{Date|255}} <ref>Jorah says to [[Daenerys Targaryen]] he is thrice her age. [[A Storm of Swords]], [[A Storm of Swords-Chapter 42|Chapter 42]], Daenerys</ref>
| Place_of_Death =
| Date_of_Death =
| Books = [[A Game of Thrones]] (Appears) [[A Clash of Kings]] (Appears) [[A Storm of Swords]] (Appears) [[A Dance with Dragons]] (Appears)
| coat-of-arms =
| Played_by = [[List of actors of the televised series#Iain Glen,Jorah Mormont|Iain Glen]]
| TV_series = [[Game of Thrones - Season 1|Season 1]] {{!}} [[Game of Thrones - Season 2|Season 2]]
}}

Ser '''Jorah Mormont''' is an exiled [[knight]], the former head of [[House Mormont]] and lord of [[Bear Island]]. He fled [[Westeros]] to escape execution for [[Slavery|trading in slaves]] and took up work as a [[Mercenary|mercenary]] in the [[Free Cities]], eventually entering the service of the last [[House Targaryen|Targaryens]]. He becomes one of the most trusted companions of [[Daenerys Targaryen]].

==Appearance==
Jorah is a large middle-aged man, swarthy and very hairy.<ref>[[A Storm of Swords]], [[A Storm of Swords-Chapter 8|Chapter 8]], page 77, Daenerys</ref> <ref>[[A Storm of Swords]], [[A Storm of Swords-Chapter 42|Chapter 42]], page 388, Daenerys</ref> He is balding, but still strong and fit.<ref>[[A Storm of Swords]], [[A Storm of Swords-Chapter 42|Chapter 42]], page 388, Daenerys</ref> Daenerys considers him not particularly handsome.<ref>[[A Game of Thrones]], Chapter 23, Daenerys</ref>

==History==
When Jorah matured, his father [[Jeor Mormont]] joined the [[Night's Watch]] in order to give his son the lordship of [[House Mormont]]. Jorah fought in the [[Greyjoy Rebellion]], during which he distinguished himself by showing exemplary courage on the battlefield, being one of the first men through the breach during the siege of [[Pyke]]. He received a [[Knight|knighthood]] in recognition of his bravery.

In contrast to his successful military career, Jorah has been unlucky in love. His first marriage was plagued by infertility. Jorah's wife, a member of [[House Glover]], was unable to carry a child to term throughout their ten years of marriage, and died after her third miscarriage.

During the [[Tourney at Lannisport]] celebrating the victory over the Greyjoy rebels, Jorah met the woman who would be his second wife: [[Lynesse Hightower]]. He was immediately smitten with her beauty, asking and receiving her permission to wear her favor in the tournament. Jorah fought remarkably well, winning an improbable victory over all challengers to name Lynesse his [[Queen of Love and Beauty]]. That very night he asked Lynesse's father [[Leyton Hightower|Lord Leyton]] for her hand in marriage, and Leyton agreed.

Although both had married for love, the marriage did not remain happy for long. Having spent her life up to that point as part of [[House Hightower|a wealthy family]] in the mild, prosperous and densely populated [[The Reach|Reach]], Lynesse was unprepared for life on the harsh and isolated [[Bear Island]] and quickly grew miserable. Jorah attempted to reproduce the lifestyle his wife was accustomed to by lavishing her with expensive gifts, but only succeeded in driving himself into financial ruin.

Desperate to pay off his debts, he resorted to breaking one of the [[Seven Kingdoms]]' oldest taboos: participating in [[Slavery|the slave trade]]. When House Mormont's overlord, [[Eddard Stark]], learned that Ser Jorah had sold convicted poachers to a [[Tyrosh|Tyroshi]] slaver, he condemned Jorah to the traditional penalty: death. Rather than join his father in taking the black, Jorah fled with Lynesse to [[Lys]], where he attempted to make his living as a [[Mercenary|sellsword]]. With the relationship already strained by their exile and Jorah still unable to afford the lifestyle his wife desired, Lynesse finally left him while he was fighting the [[Braavos|Braavosi]] on the [[Rhoyne]]. Heartbroken and exiled from his homeland, Jorah remained in the [[Free Cities]] and continued to work as an unaffiliated mercenary, selling his sword to the highest bidder.<ref>[[A Clash of Kings]], [[A Clash of Kings-Chapter 12|Chapter 12]], page 119, Daenerys</ref>

==Recent Events==
===''A Game of Thrones''===
[[File:Jorah_Mormont.PNG|300px|thumb|Iain Glen as Ser Jorah Mormont ([[Game of Thrones|TV series]])]]
[[File:Jorah Fights Quotho.png|thumb|300px|Ser Jorah fights Qotho.]]

At the wedding of [[Daenerys Targaryen]] to [[Khal Drogo]] in [[Pentos]], [[Viserys Targaryen]] took Ser Jorah into his service. Hoping to earn a royal pardon, Jorah secretly reported all the Targaryens' movements to [[Varys]]. He held Viserys in contempt, saying that [[Rhaegar Targaryen|Rhaegar]] was the last true dragon, while Viserys was "less than the shadow of a snake." However, he increasingly came to admire Daenerys for her courage and integrity. He stood by and watched when Viserys was killed by Khal Drogo, but acted to prevent an assassination attempt against Daenerys by a wineseller and reported to Daenerys and Drogo that [[Robert Baratheon]] had set a price on her head.

He stayed loyal when Khal Drogo was near death, urging Dany to flee with him to the east in order to save herself and her unborn child, and slew Drogo's [[bloodrider]] [[Qotho]] in single combat when he rebelled against Daenerys' orders. When Dany refused to flee, he feared that she planned to commit suicide upon Drogo's pyre, and begged her to promise him that she would not. Jorah was the only one of Daenerys' followers to willingly swear fealty to her even before the birth of her [[dragons]], and she named him the first of her [[Kingsguard|Queensguard]], promising to give him a sword of [[Valyrian steel]] upon their return to Westeros. He was the first to come and find her after the fires of Drogo's pyre died down, and fell to his knees in shock upon seeing her nursing the dragons.

===''A Clash of Kings''===
In [[Vaes Tolorro]], for the first time, Jorah told Daenerys of his ill-fated marriage to Lynesse Hightower. He mentioned that Daenerys resembled his dead wife, and Dany realized for the first time that Jorah loved her romantically, although she did not speak of her realization. Nevertheless, she increasingly began to worry that Jorah saw her primarily as either the child she once was or as a potential romantic partner, rather than truly respecting her as a queen.

Falling more and more in love with Daenerys, Jorah eventually stopped sending reports,<ref>[[A Storm of Swords]], [[A Storm of Swords-Chapter 71|Chapter 71]], Daenerys</ref> sending the final one from [[Qarth]]. There he attempted to dissuade Dany from placing too much trust in the Qartheen, particularly [[Xaro Xhoan Daxos]] and the [[warlocks]] of the [[House of the Undying]]. When Dany declared her intention to enter the House of the Undying against his advice, Jorah begged her to allow him to accompany her, as did her bloodriders, but Daenerys refused them and entered alone.

Afterward, Dany discussed the visions she had in the House of the Undying with Jorah. He accompanied her to the city docks, seeking a ship that would take them to [[Westeros]]. In the market near the docks a [[Sorrowful Men|Sorrowful Man]] made an attempt on Dany's life, but it was thwarted by two strangers. The pair introduced themselves as [[Barristan Selmy|Arstan Whitebeard]] and [[Strong Belwas]], and claimed that they had been sent by [[Illyrio Mopatis]] with three ships to escort Daenerys and all her companions back to [[Pentos]]. Whitebeard, a Westerosi, mentioned having seen Jorah fight at Pyke and Lannisport; Jorah found him vaguely familiar, but was unable to recognize him as Ser [[Barristan Selmy]]. Jorah distrusted the duo, particularly Whitebeard; nevertheless, Daenerys accepted them into her service.

===''A Storm of Swords''===
Jorah finally makes his move, kissing Daenerys when they are alone. He confesses his love and repeatedly suggests they marry, but she always refuses. Although Dany still treasures Jorah's friendship and advice, his advances begin to make her uncomfortable.

Jorah suggests they sail for [[Slaver's Bay]] to buy [[Unsullied]]. He commands her army to victory against [[Yunkai]].

When "Arstan Whitebeard" is revealed to be [[Barristan Selmy]], he reveals Jorah's former status as an informer to Daenerys. Ser Jorah pleads that he stopped sending reports long ago when he fell in love with her, and Daenerys decides to send them both on a dangerous mission into the sewers of [[Meereen]] as punishment and a chance at redemption. The mission succeeds, and upon their return to court, Ser Barristan begs Daenerys' forgiveness and she gladly gives it. Jorah, however, insists that she ''owes'' him forgiveness on account of his love and history of faithful service. Although Dany wishes to forgive him, she knows that as long as he maintains this attitude she cannot do so without undermining her own authority. She banishes Jorah from her service, swearing to kill him if she ever sees him again. Crushed by her rejection, Jorah leaves.

===''A Feast of Crows''===
Heartbroken and exiled, Ser Jorah travels east toward [[Volantis]].

===''A Dance with Dragons''===
While in a brothel in Volantis, Jorah hired a beautiful whore with silver hair and he later spotted the dwarf [[Tyrion Lannister]], taking him prisoner. Ser Jorah planned to bring Tyrion to Daenerys to regain her favor and forgiveness. He arranged passage to [[Meereen]] with the help of the [[Widow of the waterfront]]. During the journey, a dwarf woman named [[Penny]] joins the pair as they travel to [[Meereen]] to reach Daenerys. However, the ship is captured by slavers and the trio are bought at auction outside Meereen by [[Yezzan zo Qaggaz]]. Upon being captured and enslaved by the [[Yunkai]], the slavers had a demon's face tattooed on Mormont's cheeks, to show him as an unruly and fierce slave.

Brown [[Ben Plumm]] attempted to buy Ser Jorah so he could present his head as a "wedding gift" to Daenerys but was outbid as was [[Zahrina]], a Yunkai slaver who purchased slaves to die in the [[fighting pits]]. Ser Jorah was devastated when he learned Daenerys is remarried.

After Qaggaz died of "The [[Pale Mare]]", the trio escapes. Tyrion arranged for the three to join the sellsword company the [[Second Sons]], under the command of Brown [[Ben Plumm]]. Mormont stated to [[Tyrion Lannister]] that they needed to bring the [[Second Sons]] back over to the side [[Meereen]] as the [[Yunkai]] had lost the war, they just didn't know it yet. Tyrion agreed.

==Quotes==
{{Quote|''{{:Feature quote/7}}''}}

{{Quote|''The common people pray for rain, healthy children, and a summer that never ends. It is no matter to them if the high lords play their game of thrones, so long as they are left in peace. They never are.'' <ref>[[A Game of Thrones]], [[A Game of Thrones-Chapter 23|Chapter 23]], Daenerys</ref>}}

==Family==
{{Mormont tree}}

==References and Notes==
{{References|3}}
{{EnWP|Minor houses in A Song of Ice and Fire|small=yes}}

[[Category:Nobles|Mormont, Jorah]]
[[Category:Knights|Mormont, Jorah]]
[[Category:Outlaws|Mormont, Jorah]]
[[Category:Slaves and freedmen|Mormont, Jorah]]
[[Category:Characters from the North|Mormont, Jorah]]
[[Category:House Mormont]]
[[Category:Mercenaries]]
[[Category:Second Sons]]
[[Category:Courtiers and followers of Daenerys|Mormont, Jorah]]

[[fr:Jorah Mormont]][[ru:Джорах Мормонт]]
[[zh:乔拉·莫尔蒙]]
[[es:Jorah Mormont]][[zh:乔拉·莫尔蒙]]

Aerys II Targaryen

2012-07-25T18:22:11Z

Penelope:

{{Infobox monarch
| name = [[File:House_Targaryen_crest.PNG|50px|left]] '''Aerys II''' [[File:House_Targaryen_crest.PNG|50px|right]]
| image = [[Image:AERYS II.jpg|350px]]
| image_caption = Aerys II by [http://en.amokanet.ru/gallery/martin/ Amoka©]
| reign = {{Date|262}} - {{Date|283}}
| coronation =
| othertitles = King of the Seven Kingdoms
| alias = The Mad King King Scab
| fullname = Aerys Targaryen Second of His Name
| predecessor = [[Jaehaerys II]]
| successor = [[Robert Baratheon]]
| suc-type =
| heir = [[Rhaegar Targaryen]]
| queen = [[Rhaella Targaryen]]
| consort =
| spouse =
| issue = [[Rhaegar Targaryen|Rhaegar]], [[Viserys Targaryen|Viserys]], [[Daenerys Targaryen|Daenerys]].
| royalhouse = [[House Targaryen]]
| dynasty =
| royalanthem =
| father = [[Jaehaerys II]]
| mother =
| dateofbirth = {{Date|243}}
| placeofbirth =
| dateofdeath = {{Date|283}}
| placeofdeath = The [[Red Keep]] in [[King's Landing]]
| dateofburial =
| placeofburial =
| Books =
| Played_by =
| TV_series =
}}
[[File:Tywin and Aerys.jpg|thumb|350px|[[Tywin Lannister]] Aerys [[King's Hand|Hand]]]]
[[File:Ilyn Payne loosing his tongue.jpg|thumb|350px|Aerys deals with disturbing rumours - taking Ser [[Ilyn Payne]] tongue with hot pincers]]

'''Aerys II Targaryen''', also called '''Aerys the Mad''', '''the Mad King''', and '''King Scab''', was the seventeenth and last member of the [[House Targaryen|Targaryen]] dynasty to sit the [[Iron Throne]], ruling from {{Date|262}} to {{Date|283}}.

Aerys showed great promise at the start of his reign, bringing peace and prosperity to the [[Seven Kingdoms]], but later descended into insanity following the brief uprising known as the [[Defiance of Duskendale]], in which he was held prisoner for several months by a rebellious lord. After that, his paranoia and cruelty grew out of control.

==Character and appearance==
In his youth, Aerys II was charming, generous, handsome and resolute, although somewhat quick to anger. As he grew older, he became increasingly jealous, suspicious and cruel, prone to furious outbursts. After the Defiance of Duskendale, these characteristics became more pronounced. He began to see every unexplained event or act of minor defiance as evidence of fearful conspiracies against him, and devised sadistic punishments for those he imagined to be his enemies. He developed a fascination with fire, which eventually grew so consuming that he could only become sexually aroused by watching someone burn to death. His marriage to his sister-wife [[Rhaella Targaryen|Rhaella]], while never happy, became sexually abusive late in his reign.

By the end of his life, Aerys' madness had taken a serious toll on his appearance, so that although only forty years old at the time of his death, he looked much older. He ate little and became gaunt as a result of his fear of poison. After repeatedly cutting himself on the [[Iron Throne]] he developed a phobia about blades, and forbade any sharp implements in his presence other than the swords of his [[Kingsguard]], refusing even to trim his nails or hair. His fingernails grew to nearly a foot long, and his hair and beard hung far past his shoulders in wild tangles. He wore the elaborate dragon-emblazoned crown of Aegon IV.{{Ref|aFfC|16}} <ref> Targaryen Kings. (November 1, 2005) [http://www.westeros.org/Citadel/SSM/Category/C91/ So Spake Martin]</ref>

==Early life==
Aerys was born to Prince [[Jaehaerys II Targaryen|Jaehaerys]], the second son of King [[Aegon V Targaryen|Aegon V]]. While still a teenager, Aerys was married to his sister [[Rhaella Targaryen|Rhaella]] in accordance with the family tradition of dynastic incest. The marriage was arranged by their grandfather the king, who was motivated by a prophecy that he interpreted to mean the [[Azor Ahai|Prince that was Promised]] would be born of their line. According to Ser [[Barristan Selmy]], who was present at the wedding, there was no fondness between the two siblings.

In {{Date|259}}, Rhaella gave birth to their firstborn son and heir, [[Rhaegar Targaryen|Rhaegar]]. He was "born in blood and grief" during the disaster known as the [[Tragedy of Summerhall]], which killed King Aegon V, his heir Prince [[Duncan Targaryen|Duncan]], and many others. Aerys' father Jaehaerys ruled for only three years before passing away, and Aerys became King Aerys II. He and Rhaella would later have a second son, [[Viserys Targaryen|Viserys]], and eventually a daughter, [[Daenerys Targaryen|Daenerys]], although the latter would not be born until after her father's death.

==Early reign==
Aerys' reign began in {{Date|262}} with great promise. Over the peaceful first dozen years, the realm recovered from the tragic events at Summerhall, growing strong and prosperous. However, problems would arise that eventually transformed the character of Aerys' reign into something very different.

Under his father and grandfather, the royal court at [[King's Landing]] had grown stuffy and conservative, filled with hidebound old men. Aerys brought sweeping changes, replacing many prominent officials with younger faces. Impressed by the ruthlessness of the young Lord [[Tywin Lannister]] in dealing with [[Reyne-Tarbeck Rebellion|rebellion]] against [[Casterly Rock]], he named Tywin as the [[King's Hand]].

However, Aerys came to regret this choice - not because of any lack of competence on Tywin's part, but rather the opposite. He proved to be a brilliant administrator, and as Hand his reputation for brutal effectiveness became so well-known and so widely respected that popular rumor held it was Tywin, not Aerys, who truly ruled the realm. (Lord Tywin's captain of the guard, Ser [[Ilyn Payne]], would eventually lose his tongue at Aerys' command for repeating this boast.) Jealous of the respect and fear accorded to Tywin, Aerys resolved to rely less on his Hand.

In {{Date|276}}, Lord Tywin staged a [[Tourney at Lannisport|tourney]] in the king's honor. There he proposed a marriage between his daughter [[Cersei Lannister|Cersei]] and Prince Rhaegar. However, Aerys' fear of Tywin's power and ambition led him to reject the offer rudely, saying that Tywin was a mere servant of the crown, and no servant's daughter was fit to marry a prince of royal blood. Tywin would not forget the insult.

==The Defiance of Duskendale==
:{{See also|Defiance of Duskendale}}
In late {{Date|276}}, Lord [[Denys Darklyn]] of [[Duskendale]], possibly influenced by his [[Myr|Myrish]] [[Serala|wife]], withheld port taxes from the crown. Eager to demonstrate his ability to handle the situation without the help of his Hand, Aerys decided to settle the issue personally, a decision that would backfire horribly. Taking a small force that included only one [[Kingsguard]] knight, Aerys personally marched to Duskendale to arrest and execute Lord Denys. Denys panicked and took the king prisoner. Lord Tywin was left to resolve the crisis himself, amassing an army and laying siege to the town in what became known as the [[Defiance of Duskendale]]. The situation remained in a stalemate for six months, with Denys threatening to execute the king at the first sign that Tywin intended to storm the town. Finally, Ser [[Barristan Selmy]] of the Kingsguard staged a daring infiltration and managed to rescue the king.

Lord Denys immediately surrendered and begged for mercy, but in his fury Aerys had him immediately beheaded. His rage still not sated, the king ordered [[House Darklyn]] utterly destroyed, along with [[House Hollard]], which had sided with them. Every last member of both families was tortured at excruciating length before being burned alive, with the sole exception of the child [[Dontos Hollard]], who was spared only at Ser Barristan's pleading.

These events marked the beginning of Aerys' descent into madness. Deeply shaken by his imprisonment, he refused to leave the [[Red Keep]] for many years afterward . His jealous and suspicious nature deepened into paranoia and eventually outright delusions, seeing evidence of treachery everywhere. The king no longer trusted his wife or his heir, and especially not his Hand, all of whom he perceived as having gladly abandoned him to rot away in Duskendale. Hearing word of [[Varys]]' talents as an information broker from across the [[Narrow Sea]], he appointed the eunuch his Master of Whispers, believing that only a foreigner with no competing loyalties in [[Westeros]] could be trusted to alert him of potential threats. Aerys grew brutal, capricious and increasingly fascinated with fire, especially the highly flammable substance known as [[wildfire]].

Aerys' relations with Lord Tywin deteriorated rapidly. According to Ser Barristan Selmy's account decades later, the situation was exacerbated by Aerys' well-known lust for Tywin's wife, [[Joanna Lannister]]. Although Tywin had continued to hope for a marriage between Cersei and Prince Rhaegar after Aerys' insult at Lannisport, two years later Aerys chose to tie [[Dorne]] more closely to the [[Iron Throne]] by marrying Rhaegar to [[Elia Martell]]. Later, Aerys appointed Tywin's eldest (and [[Tyrion Lannister|only able-bodied]]) son [[Jaime Lannister|Jaime]] as the youngest knight ever to join the Kingsguard. Both Tywin and Jaime came to believe that Aerys had intended this not as an honor but a slight to [[House Lannister]], meant to deprive Tywin of his heir and allow Aerys to hold Jaime hostage for his father's loyalty. Furious, Tywin found a thin pretext to resign his position and returned to Casterly Rock. Aerys appointed as his replacement Lord [[Owen Merryweather]], an amiable but not especially competent old man whose main qualifications as Hand were his willingness to throw lavish feasts and offer the king constant flattery.

==The War of the Usurper==
:{{See also|War of the Usurper}}
The first time Aerys finally left the Red Keep again would be to attend the [[Tourney at Harrenhal]] in {{Date|281}}. He did so only at the urging of Varys, who claimed Prince Rhaegar planned to use the [[Tourneys in Westeros|tournament]] as a pretext to recruit lords with the intent of taking his father's throne.{{Ref|aDwD|67}} A [[mystery knight]], the [[Knight of the Laughing Tree]], competed in the tournament. Certain the knight had concealed his identity because he was an enemy of the crown, Aerys ordered Rhaegar to discover his identity, but no evidence was found. Rhaegar went on to win the tournament and shocked all present by crowning [[Lyanna Stark]], rather than Princess Elia, his [[Queen of Love and Beauty]].

Some time afterward, Prince Rhaegar disappeared with Lyanna, apparently having kidnapped her. Her eldest brother [[Brandon Stark|Brandon]] rode to King's Landing with several friends, all the sons of prominent [[The North|northern lords]]. Arriving at the Red Keep, Brandon roared for Rhaegar to "come out and die." As it turned out, Rhaegar was not present -- but Aerys was. The king had Brandon and his companions arrested on charges of conspiring against the life of the crown prince, demanding that their fathers present themselves at court to answer for their sons' crimes. When they did so, Aerys had them all executed without trial. Lord [[Rickard Stark]] was burned alive by wildfire as Brandon watched, strapped into a torture device that caused him to strangle himself in his struggles to save his father. His paranoia still unsatisfied, the king ordered Lord [[Jon Arryn]] to send him the heads of his two wards, [[Eddard Stark]] and Lyanna's fiance [[Robert Baratheon]], both of whom he believed to be guilty of participating in the "conspiracy" on account of their ties with the [[House Stark|Stark family]]. Arryn refused, and the king's brutal acts triggered a chain of events that would become known as the [[War of the Usurper]] to Targaryen loyalists and [[Robert's Rebellion]] to those who fought on the other side. [[House Arryn]], House Stark, [[House Baratheon]] and [[House Tully]] all rebelled against the [[Iron Throne]], uniting behind the claim of Robert Baratheon, who was descended from royal blood through his grandmother [[Rhaelle Targaryen]], the king's aunt.

Aerys' [[Hand of the King|Hand]] at the start of the rebellion was still Owen Merryweather, but he was quickly replaced for his failure to act to contain the unrest in its early stages. Aerys next turned to Lord [[Jon Connington]], a close friend of Rhaegar's, but he lost to rebel forces at [[Stoney Sept]] in the [[Battle of the Bells]] and was replaced by Lord [[Qarlton Chelsted]]. By this point the king was becoming fearful of a rebel victory, and hatched a [[The Wildfire Plot|plan]] to gain a final revenge against his enemies in the event that they took the capital. He ordered pyromancers to create a massive reserve of wildfire and secrete it around King's Landing, plotting to burn down the entire city and kill all its half a million inhabitants rather than allow Robert to have it intact. Upon discovering the plot, Lord Chelsted confronted Aerys and, when he realized the king could not be dissuaded, resigned his positon in disgust, flinging his chain of office at the king's feet. Aerys had him burned alive. The [[Alchemists' Guild]] had enjoyed royal favor ever since the Defiance of Duskendale owing to the king's obsession with wildfire, and Aerys appointed the head of the guild, [[Rossart]], his final Hand.

After the [[Battle of the Trident]], in which Prince [[Rhaegar]] was slain and the royal army defeated, a rebel victory was all but certain. Aerys sent Queen Rhaella (then newly pregnant with Princess Daenerys) and Prince Viserys to [[Dragonstone]] to escape the coming [[Sack of King's Landing]]. However, he kept Princess Elia and her young children [[Rhaenys daughter of Rhaegar Targaryen|Rhaenys]] and [[Aegon Targaryen|Aegon]] with him at the Red Keep, believing they were necessary as hostages to ensure the loyalty of [[House Martell]] and [[Dorne]]. This decision would ultimately lead to their brutal deaths at the hands of Ser [[Amory Lorch]] and Ser [[Gregor Clegane]].

==Death==
Hours before the vanguard of Eddard Stark's rebel host would arrive, twelve thousand [[The Westerlands|Westerland]] troops under Tywin Lannister reached King's Landing and pledged their loyalty to King Aerys. Varys advised the king not to admit them to the city, but Grand [[Maester]] [[Pycelle]] argued that the Lannisters should be trusted. Aerys made the fateful choice to listen to Pycelle, and opened the city gates. The Lannister forces promptly began [[Sack of King's Landing|sacking the city]] in the name of [[Robert Baratheon|King Robert]].

Realizing this was the end, Aerys summoned Lord Rossart and Ser Jaime Lannister, the last remaining Kingsguard [[Knighthood|knight]]. He commanded Ser Jaime to kill his father, then gave Rossart the long-awaited order to ignite the wildfire caches and burn the city to the ground, saying, "Let [Robert] be king over charred bones and cooked meat. Let him be king of ashes." Jaime later suggested that much like his mad great-uncle [[Aerion Targaryen|Aerion the Monstrous]] before him, Aerys held the delusional belief that he would not die in the inferno, but rather would be transformed by the flames into a [[Dragons|dragon]], giving him the power to crush his enemies. However, before the plot could be carried out, Jaime slew Lord Rossart and then King Aerys, preventing the orders from reaching anyone else and thus saving the entire population of King's Landing. Robert Baratheon claimed the Iron Throne, and the reign of the Targaryen dynasty was ended.{{Ref|aGoT|3}}

==Genealogy==
{{Template:Targaryen_tree_now}}

==TV series==
The [[Game of Thrones]] TV series deviated from the books by removing Aerys's father [[Jaehaerys II Targaryen]] and making him son of King [[Aegon V Targaryen]], rather than his grandson. The reason for this appears to be to simplify the relationship between Maester Aemon and the other Targaryens.

Additionally, an actor was cast to play Aerys II in a flashback in [[Game of Thrones - Season 1|Season 1]], but the scene was cut for time and pacing.

==Quotes==
{{Quote|The traitors want [[King's Landing|my city]] ... but I’ll give them naught but ashes. Let [[Robert Baratheon|Robert]] be king over charred bones and cooked meat.}}

==References and Notes==
{{references|2}}

{{Template:Kings of Westeros}}

[[Category:Nobles|Targaryen, Aerys II]]
[[Category:Monarchs|Targaryen, Aerys II]]
[[Category:House Targaryen]]
[[fr:Aerys II Targaryen]][[ru:Эйрис II Таргариен]]
[[es:Aerys II Targaryen]][[zh:伊里斯·坦格利安二世]]

Aerys II Targaryen

2012-07-25T18:12:02Z

Penelope:

{{Infobox monarch
| name = [[File:House_Targaryen_crest.PNG|50px|left]] '''Aerys II''' [[File:House_Targaryen_crest.PNG|50px|right]]
| image = [[Image:AERYS II.jpg|350px]]
| image_caption = Aerys II by [http://en.amokanet.ru/gallery/martin/ Amoka©]
| reign = {{Date|262}} - {{Date|283}}
| coronation =
| othertitles = King of the Seven Kingdoms
| alias = The Mad King King Scab
| fullname = Aerys Targaryen Second of His Name
| predecessor = [[Jaehaerys II]]
| successor = [[Robert Baratheon]]
| suc-type =
| heir = [[Rhaegar Targaryen]]
| queen = [[Rhaella Targaryen]]
| consort =
| spouse =
| issue = [[Rhaegar Targaryen|Rhaegar]], [[Viserys Targaryen|Viserys]], [[Daenerys Targaryen|Daenerys]].
| royalhouse = [[House Targaryen]]
| dynasty =
| royalanthem =
| father = [[Jaehaerys II]]
| mother =
| dateofbirth = {{Date|243}}
| placeofbirth =
| dateofdeath = {{Date|283}}
| placeofdeath = The [[Red Keep]] in [[King's Landing]]
| dateofburial =
| placeofburial =
| Books =
| Played_by =
| TV_series =
}}
[[File:Tywin and Aerys.jpg|thumb|350px|[[Tywin Lannister]] Aerys [[King's Hand|Hand]]]]
[[File:Ilyn Payne loosing his tongue.jpg|thumb|350px|Aerys deals with disturbing rumours - taking Ser [[Ilyn Payne]] tongue with hot pincers]]

'''Aerys II Targaryen''', also called '''Aerys the Mad''', '''the Mad King''', and '''King Scab''', was the seventeenth and last member of the [[House Targaryen|Targaryen]] dynasty to sit the [[Iron Throne]], ruling from {{Date|262}} to {{Date|283}}.

Aerys showed great promise at the start of his reign, bringing peace and prosperity to the [[Seven Kingdoms]], but later descended into insanity following the brief uprising known as the [[Defiance of Duskendale]], in which he was held prisoner for several months by a rebellious lord. After that, his paranoia and cruelty grew out of control.

==Character and appearance==
In his youth, Aerys II was charming, generous, handsome and resolute, although somewhat quick to anger. As he grew older, he became increasingly jealous, suspicious and cruel, prone to furious outbursts. After the Defiance of Duskendale, these characteristics became more pronounced. He began to see every unexplained event or act of minor defiance as evidence of fearful conspiracies against him, and devised sadistic punishments for those he imagined to be his enemies. He developed a fascination with fire, which eventually grew so consuming that he could only become sexually aroused by watching someone burn to death. His marriage to his sister-wife [[Rhaella Targaryen|Rhaella]], while never happy, became sexually abusive late in his reign.

By the end of his life, Aerys' madness had taken a serious toll on his appearance, so that although only forty years old at the time of his death, he looked much older. He ate little and became gaunt as a result of his fear of poison. After repeatedly cutting himself on the [[Iron Throne]] he developed a phobia about blades, and forbade any sharp implements in his presence other than the swords of his [[Kingsguard]], refusing even to trim his nails or hair. His fingernails grew to nearly a foot long, and his hair and beard hung far past his shoulders in wild tangles. He wore the elaborate dragon-emblazoned crown of Aegon IV.{{Ref|aFfC|16}} <ref> Targaryen Kings. (November 1, 2005) [http://www.westeros.org/Citadel/SSM/Category/C91/ So Spake Martin]</ref>

==Early life==
Aerys was born to Prince [[Jaehaerys II Targaryen|Jaehaerys]], the second son of King [[Aegon V Targaryen|Aegon V]]. While still a teenager, Aerys was married to his sister [[Rhaella Targaryen|Rhaella]] in accordance with the family tradition of dynastic incest. The marriage was arranged by their grandfather the king, who was motivated by a prophecy that he interpreted to mean the [[Azor Ahai|Prince that was Promised]] would be born of their line. According to Ser [[Barristan Selmy]], who was present at the wedding, there was no fondness between the two siblings.

In {{Date|259}}, Rhaella gave birth to their firstborn son and heir, [[Rhaegar Targaryen|Rhaegar]]. He was "born in blood and grief" during the disaster known as the [[Tragedy of Summerhall]], which killed King Aegon V, his heir Prince [[Duncan Targaryen|Duncan]], and many others. Aerys' father Jaehaerys ruled for only three years before passing away, and Aerys became King Aerys II. He and Rhaella would later have a second son, [[Viserys Targaryen|Viserys]], and eventually a daughter, [[Daenerys Targaryen|Daenerys]], although the latter would not be born until after her father's death.

==Early reign==
Aerys' reign began in {{Date|262}} with great promise. Over the peaceful first dozen years, the realm recovered from the tragic events at Summerhall, growing strong and prosperous. However, problems would arise that eventually transformed the character of Aerys' reign into something very different.

Under his father and grandfather, the royal court at [[King's Landing]] had grown stuffy and conservative, filled with hidebound old men. Aerys brought sweeping changes, replacing many prominent officials with younger faces. Impressed by the ruthlessness of the young Lord [[Tywin Lannister]] in dealing with [[Reyne-Tarbeck Rebellion|rebellion]] against [[Casterly Rock]], he named Tywin as the [[King's Hand]].

However, Aerys came to regret this choice - not because of any lack of competence on Tywin's part, but rather the opposite. He proved to be a brilliant administrator, and as Hand his reputation for brutal efficiency became so well-known and so widely respected that popular rumor held it was Tywin, not Aerys, who truly ruled the realm. (Lord Tywin's captain of the guard, Ser [[Ilyn Payne]], would eventually lose his tongue at Aerys' command for repeating this boast.) Jealous of the respect and fear accorded to Tywin, Aerys resolved to rely less on his Hand.

In {{Date|276}}, Lord Tywin staged a [[Tourney at Lannisport|tourney]] in the king's honor. There he proposed a marriage between his daughter [[Cersei Lannister|Cersei]] and Prince Rhaegar. However, Aerys' fear of Tywin's power and ambition led him to reject the offer rudely, saying that Tywin was a mere servant of the crown, and no servant's daughter was fit to marry a prince of royal blood. Tywin would not forget the insult.

==The Defiance of Duskendale==
:{{See also|Defiance of Duskendale}}
In late {{Date|276}}, Lord [[Denys Darklyn]] of [[Duskendale]], possibly influenced by his [[Myr|Myrish]] [[Serala|wife]], withheld port taxes from the crown. Eager to demonstrate his ability to handle the situation without the help of his Hand, Aerys decided to settle the issue personally, a decision that would backfire horribly. Taking a small force that included only one [[Kingsguard]] knight, Aerys personally marched to Duskendale to arrest and execute Lord Denys. Denys panicked and took the king prisoner. Lord Tywin was left to resolve the crisis himself, amassing an army and laying siege to the town in what became known as the [[Defiance of Duskendale]]. The situation remained in a stalemate for six months, with Denys threatening to execute the king at the first sign that Tywin intended to storm the town. Finally, Ser [[Barristan Selmy]] of the Kingsguard staged a daring infiltration and managed to rescue the king.

Lord Denys immediately surrendered and begged for mercy, but in his fury Aerys had him immediately beheaded. His rage still not sated, the king ordered [[House Darklyn]] utterly destroyed, along with [[House Hollard]], which had sided with them. Every last member of both families was tortured at excruciating length before being burned alive, with the sole exception of the child [[Dontos Hollard]], who was spared only at Ser Barristan's pleading.

These events marked the beginning of Aerys' descent into madness. Deeply shaken by his imprisonment, he refused to leave the [[Red Keep]] for many years afterward . His jealous and suspicious nature deepened into paranoia and eventually outright delusions, seeing evidence of treachery everywhere. The king no longer trusted his wife or his heir, and especially not his Hand, all of whom he perceived as having gladly abandoned him to rot away in Duskendale. Hearing word of [[Varys]]' talents as an information broker from across the [[Narrow Sea]], he appointed the eunuch his Master of Whispers, believing that only a foreigner with no competing loyalties in [[Westeros]] could be trusted to alert him of potential threats. Aerys grew brutal, capricious and increasingly fascinated with fire, especially the highly flammable substance known as [[wildfire]].

Aerys' relations with Lord Tywin deteriorated rapidly. According to Ser Barristan Selmy's account decades later, the situation was exacerbated by Aerys' well-known lust for Tywin's wife, [[Joanna Lannister]]. Although Tywin had continued to hope for a marriage between Cersei and Prince Rhaegar after Aerys' insult at Lannisport, two years later Aerys chose to tie [[Dorne]] more closely to the [[Iron Throne]] by marrying Rhaegar to [[Elia Martell]]. Later, Aerys appointed Tywin's eldest (and [[Tyrion Lannister|only able-bodied]]) son [[Jaime Lannister|Jaime]] as the youngest knight ever to join the Kingsguard. This had been secretly arranged by Cersei, who was unaware of the growing tensions between her father and the king; however, both Tywin and Jaime came to believe that Aerys had agreed to name Jaime to the Kingsguard not as an honor but a slight to [[House Lannister]], intended to deprive Tywin of his heir and allow Aerys to hold Jaime hostage for his father's loyalty. Furious, Tywin found a thin pretext to resign his position and returned to Casterly Rock. Aerys appointed as his replacement Lord [[Owen Merryweather]], an amiable but not especially competent old man whose main qualifications as Hand were his willingness to throw lavish feasts and offer the king constant flattery.

==The War of the Usurper==
:{{See also|War of the Usurper}}
The first time Aerys finally left the Red Keep again would be to attend the [[Tourney at Harrenhal]] in {{Date|281}}. He did so only at the urging of Varys, who claimed Prince Rhaegar planned to use the [[Tourneys in Westeros|tournament]] as a pretext to recruit lords with the intent of taking his father's throne.{{Ref|aDwD|67}} A [[mystery knight]], the [[Knight of the Laughing Tree]], competed in the tournament. Certain the knight had concealed his identity because he was an enemy of the crown, Aerys ordered Rhaegar to discover his identity, but no evidence was found. Rhaegar went on to win the tournament and shocked all present by crowning [[Lyanna Stark]], rather than Princess Elia, his [[Queen of Love and Beauty]].

Some time afterward, Prince Rhaegar disappeared with Lyanna, apparently having kidnapped her. Her eldest brother [[Brandon Stark|Brandon]] rode to King's Landing with several friends, all the sons of prominent [[The North|northern lords]]. Arriving at the Red Keep, Brandon roared for Rhaegar to "come out and die." As it turned out, Rhaegar was not present -- but Aerys was. The king had Brandon and his companions arrested on charges of conspiring against the life of the crown prince, demanding that their fathers present themselves at court to answer for their sons' crimes. When they did so, Aerys had them all executed without trial. Lord [[Rickard Stark]] was burned alive by wildfire as Brandon watched, strapped into a torture device that caused him to strangle himself in his struggles to save his father. His paranoia still unsatisfied, the king ordered Lord [[Jon Arryn]] to send him the heads of his two wards, [[Eddard Stark]] and Lyanna's fiance [[Robert Baratheon]], both of whom he believed to be guilty of participating in the "conspiracy" on account of their ties with the [[House Stark|Stark family]]. Arryn refused, and the king's brutal acts triggered a chain of events that would become known as the [[War of the Usurper]] to Targaryen loyalists and [[Robert's Rebellion]] to those who fought on the other side. [[House Arryn]], House Stark, [[House Baratheon]] and [[House Tully]] all rebelled against the [[Iron Throne]], uniting behind the claim of Robert Baratheon, who was descended from royal blood through his grandmother [[Rhaelle Targaryen]], the king's great aunt.

Aerys' [[Hand of the King|Hand]] at the start of the rebellion was still Owen Merryweather, but he was quickly replaced for his failure to act to contain the unrest in its early stages. Aerys next turned to Lord [[Jon Connington]], a close friend of Rhaegar's, but he lost to rebel forces at [[Stoney Sept]] in the [[Battle of the Bells]] and was replaced by Lord [[Qarlton Chelsted]]. By this point the king was becoming fearful of a rebel victory, and hatched a [[The Wildfire Plot|plan]] to gain a final revenge against his enemies in the event that they took the capital. He ordered pyromancers to create a massive reserve of wildfire and secrete it around King's Landing, plotting to burn down the entire city and kill all its half a million inhabitants rather than allow Robert to have it intact. Upon discovering the plot, Lord Chelsted confronted Aerys and, when he realized the king could not be dissuaded, resigned his positon in disgust, flinging his chain of office at the king's feet. Aerys had him burned alive. The [[Alchemists' Guild]] had enjoyed royal favor ever since the Defiance of Duskendale owing to the king's obsession with wildfire, and Aerys appointed the head of the guild, [[Rossart]], his final Hand.

After the [[Battle of the Trident]], in which Prince [[Rhaegar]] was slain and the royal army defeated, a rebel victory was all but certain. Aerys sent Queen Rhaella (then newly pregnant with Princess Daenerys) and Prince Viserys to [[Dragonstone]] to escape the coming [[Sack of King's Landing]]. However, he kept Princess Elia and her young children [[Rhaenys daughter of Rhaegar Targaryen|Rhaenys]] and [[Aegon Targaryen|Aegon]] with him at the Red Keep, believing they were necessary as hostages to ensure the loyalty of [[House Martell]] and [[Dorne]]. This decision would ultimately lead to their brutal deaths at the hands of Ser [[Amory Lorch]] and Ser [[Gregor Clegane]].

==Death==
Hours before the vanguard of Eddard Stark's rebel host would arrive, twelve thousand [[The Westerlands|Westerland]] troops under Tywin Lannister reached King's Landing and pledged their loyalty to King Aerys. Varys advised the king not to admit them to the city, but Grand [[Maester]] [[Pycelle]] argued that the Lannisters should be trusted. Aerys made the fateful choice to listen to Pycelle, and opened the city gates. The Lannister forces promptly began [[Sack of King's Landing|sacking the city]] in the name of [[Robert Baratheon|King Robert]].

Realizing this was the end, Aerys summoned Lord Rossart and Ser Jaime Lannister, the last remaining Kingsguard [[Knighthood|knight]]. He commanded Ser Jaime to kill his father, then gave Rossart the long-awaited order to ignite the wildfire caches and burn the city to the ground, saying, "Let [Robert] be king over charred bones and cooked meat. Let him be king of ashes." Jaime later suggested that much like his mad great uncle [[Aerion Targaryen|Aerion the Monstrous]] before him, Aerys held the delusional belief that he would not die in the inferno, but rather would be transformed by the flames into a [[Dragons|dragon]], giving him the power to crush his enemies. However, before the plot could be carried out, Jaime slew Lord Rossart and then King Aerys, preventing the orders from reaching anyone else and thus saving the entire population of King's Landing. Robert Baratheon claimed the Iron Throne, and the reign of the Targaryen dynasty was ended.{{Ref|aGoT|3}}

==Genealogy==
{{Template:Targaryen_tree_now}}

==TV series==
The [[Game of Thrones]] TV series deviated from the books by removing Aerys's father [[Jaehaerys II Targaryen]] and making him son of King [[Aegon V Targaryen]], rather than his grandson. The reason for this appears to be to simplify the relationship between Maester Aemon and the other Targaryens.

Additionally, an actor was cast to play Aerys II in a flashback in [[Game of Thrones - Season 1|Season 1]], but the scene was cut for time and pacing.

==Quotes==
{{Quote|The traitors want [[King's Landing|my city]] ... but I’ll give them naught but ashes. Let [[Robert Baratheon|Robert]] be king over charred bones and cooked meat.}}

==References and Notes==
{{references|2}}

{{Template:Kings of Westeros}}

[[Category:Nobles|Targaryen, Aerys II]]
[[Category:Monarchs|Targaryen, Aerys II]]
[[Category:House Targaryen]]
[[fr:Aerys II Targaryen]][[ru:Эйрис II Таргариен]]
[[es:Aerys II Targaryen]][[zh:伊里斯·坦格利安二世]]

Aerys II Targaryen

2012-07-25T18:01:48Z

Penelope:

{{Infobox monarch
| name = [[File:House_Targaryen_crest.PNG|50px|left]] '''Aerys II''' [[File:House_Targaryen_crest.PNG|50px|right]]
| image = [[Image:AERYS II.jpg|350px]]
| image_caption = Aerys II by [http://en.amokanet.ru/gallery/martin/ Amoka©]
| reign = {{Date|262}} - {{Date|283}}
| coronation =
| othertitles = King of the Seven Kingdoms
| alias = The Mad King King Scab
| fullname = Aerys Targaryen Second of His Name
| predecessor = [[Jaehaerys II]]
| successor = [[Robert Baratheon]]
| suc-type =
| heir = [[Rhaegar Targaryen]]
| queen = [[Rhaella Targaryen]]
| consort =
| spouse =
| issue = [[Rhaegar Targaryen|Rhaegar]], [[Viserys Targaryen|Viserys]], [[Daenerys Targaryen|Daenerys]].
| royalhouse = [[House Targaryen]]
| dynasty =
| royalanthem =
| father = [[Jaehaerys II]]
| mother =
| dateofbirth = {{Date|243}}
| placeofbirth =
| dateofdeath = {{Date|283}}
| placeofdeath = The [[Red Keep]] in [[King's Landing]]
| dateofburial =
| placeofburial =
| Books =
| Played_by =
| TV_series =
}}
[[File:Tywin and Aerys.jpg|thumb|350px|[[Tywin Lannister]] Aerys [[King's Hand|Hand]]]]
[[File:Ilyn Payne loosing his tongue.jpg|thumb|350px|Aerys deals with disturbing rumours - taking Ser [[Ilyn Payne]] tongue with hot pincers]]

'''Aerys II Targaryen''', also called '''Aerys the Mad''', '''the Mad King''', and '''King Scab''', was the seventeenth and last member of the [[House Targaryen|Targaryen]] dynasty to sit the [[Iron Throne]], ruling from {{Date|262}} to {{Date|283}}.

Aerys showed great promise at the start of his reign, bringing peace and prosperity to the [[Seven Kingdoms]], but later descended into insanity following the brief uprising known as the [[Defiance of Duskendale]], in which he was held prisoner for several months by a rebellious lord. After that, his paranoia and cruelty grew out of control.

==Character and appearance==
In his youth, Aerys II was charming, generous, handsome and resolute, although somewhat quick to anger. As he grew older, he became increasingly jealous, suspicious and cruel, prone to furious outbursts. After the Defiance of Duskendale, these characteristics became more pronounced. He began to see every unexplained event or act of minor defiance as evidence of fearful conspiracies against him, and devised sadistic punishments for those he imagined to be his enemies. He developed a fascination with fire, which eventually grew so consuming that he could only become sexually aroused by watching someone burn to death. His marriage to his sister-wife [[Rhaella Targaryen|Rhaella]], while never happy, became sexually abusive late in his reign.

By the end of his life, Aerys' madness had taken a serious toll on his appearance, so that although only forty years old at the time of his death, he looked much older. He ate little and became gaunt as a result of his fear of poison. After repeatedly cutting himself on the [[Iron Throne]] he developed a phobia about blades, and forbade any sharp implements in his presence other than the swords of his [[Kingsguard]], refusing even to trim his nails or hair. His fingernails grew to nearly a foot long, and his hair and beard hung far past his shoulders in wild tangles. He wore the elaborate dragon-emblazoned crown of Aegon IV.{{Ref|aFfC|16}} <ref> Targaryen Kings. (November 1, 2005) [http://www.westeros.org/Citadel/SSM/Category/C91/ So Spake Martin]</ref>

==Early life==
Aerys was born to Prince [[Jaehaerys II Targaryen|Jaehaerys]], the second son of King [[Aegon V Targaryen|Aegon V]]. While still a teenager, Aerys was married to his sister [[Rhaella Targaryen|Rhaella]] in accordance with the family tradition of dynastic incest. The marriage was arranged by their grandfather the king, who was motivated by a prophecy that he interpreted to mean the [[Azor Ahai|Prince that was Promised]] would be born of their line. According to Ser [[Barristan Selmy]], who was present at the wedding, there was no fondness between the two siblings.

In {{Date|259}}, Rhaella gave birth to their firstborn son and heir, [[Rhaegar Targaryen|Rhaegar]]. He was "born in blood and grief" during the disaster known as the [[Tragedy of Summerhall]], which killed King Aegon V, his heir Prince [[Duncan Targaryen|Duncan]], and many others. Aerys' father Jaehaerys ruled for only three years before passing away, and Aerys became King Aerys II. He and Rhaella would later have a second son, [[Viserys Targaryen|Viserys]], and eventually a daughter, [[Daenerys Targaryen|Daenerys]], although the latter would not be born until after her father's death.

==Early reign==
Aerys' reign began in {{Date|262}} with great promise. Over the peaceful first dozen years, the realm recovered from the tragic events at Summerhall, growing strong and prosperous. However, problems would arise that eventually transformed the character of Aerys' reign into something very different.

Under his father and grandfather, the royal court at [[King's Landing]] had grown stuffy and conservative, filled with hidebound old men. Aerys brought sweeping changes, replacing many prominent officials with younger faces. Impressed by the ruthlessness of the young Lord [[Tywin Lannister]] in dealing with [[Reyne-Tarbeck Rebellion|rebellion]] against [[Casterly Rock]], he named Tywin as the [[King's Hand]].

However, Aerys came to regret this choice - not because of any lack of competence on Tywin's part, but rather the opposite. He proved to be a brilliant administrator, and as Hand his reputation for brutal efficiency became so well-known and so widely respected that popular rumor held it was Tywin, not Aerys, who truly ruled the realm. (Lord Tywin's captain of the guard, Ser [[Ilyn Payne]], would eventually lose his tongue at Aerys' command for repeating this boast.) Jealous of the respect and fear accorded to Tywin, Aerys resolved to rely less on his Hand.

In {{Date|276}}, Lord Tywin staged a [[Tourney at Lannisport|tourney]] in the king's honor. There he proposed a marriage between his daughter [[Cersei Lannister|Cersei]] and Prince Rhaegar. However, Aerys' fear of Tywin's power and ambition led him to reject the offer rudely, saying that Tywin was a mere servant of the crown, and no servant's daughter was fit to marry a prince of royal blood. Tywin would not forget the insult.

==The Defiance of Duskendale==
:{{See also|Defiance of Duskendale}}
In late {{Date|276}}, Lord [[Denys Darklyn]] of [[Duskendale]], possibly influenced by his [[Myr|Myrish]] [[Serala|wife]], withheld port taxes from the crown. Eager to demonstrate his ability to handle the situation without the help of his Hand, Aerys decided to settle the issue personally, a decision that would backfire horribly. Taking a small force that included only one [[Kingsguard]] knight, Aerys personally marched to Duskendale to arrest and execute Lord Denys. Denys panicked and took the king prisoner. Lord Tywin was left to resolve the crisis himself, amassing an army and laying siege to the town in what became known as the [[Defiance of Duskendale]]. The situation remained in a stalemate for six months, with Denys threatening to execute the king at the first sign that Tywin intended to storm the town. Finally, Ser [[Barristan Selmy]] of the Kingsguard staged a daring infiltration and managed to rescue the king.

Lord Denys immediately surrendered and begged for mercy, but in his fury Aerys had him immediately beheaded. His rage still not sated, the king ordered [[House Darklyn]] utterly destroyed, along with [[House Hollard]], which had sided with them. Every last member of both families was tortured at excruciating length before being burned alive, with the sole exception of the child [[Dontos Hollard]], who was spared only at Ser Barristan's pleading.

These events marked the beginning of Aerys' descent into madness. Deeply shaken by his imprisonment, he refused to leave the [[Red Keep]] for many years afterward . His jealous and suspicious nature deepened into paranoia and eventually outright delusions, seeing evidence of treachery everywhere. The king no longer trusted his wife or his heir, and especially not his Hand, all of whom he perceived as having gladly abandoned him to rot away in Duskendale. Hearing word of [[Varys]]' talents as an information broker from across the [[Narrow Sea]], he appointed the eunuch his Master of Whispers, believing that only a foreigner with no competing loyalties in [[Westeros]] could be trusted to alert him of potential threats. Aerys grew brutal, capricious and increasingly fascinated with fire, especially the highly flammable substance known as [[wildfire]].

Aerys' relations with Lord Tywin deteriorated rapidly. According to Ser Barristan Selmy's account decades later, the situation was exacerbated by Aerys' well-known lust for Tywin's wife, [[Joanna Lannister]]. Although Tywin had continued to hope for a marriage between Cersei and Prince Rhaegar after Aerys' insult at Lannisport, two years later Aerys chose to tie [[Dorne]] more closely to the [[Iron Throne]] by marrying Rhaegar to [[Elia Martell]]. Later, Aerys appointed Tywin's eldest (and [[Tyrion Lannister|only able-bodied]]) son [[Jaime Lannister|Jaime]] as the youngest knight ever to join the Kingsguard. This had been secretly arranged by Cersei, who was unaware of the growing tensions between her father and the king; however, both Tywin and Jaime came to believe that Aerys had agreed to name Jaime to the Kingsguard not as an honor but a slight to [[House Lannister]], intended to deprive Tywin of his heir and allow Aerys to hold Jaime hostage for his father's loyalty. Furious, Tywin found a thin pretext to resign his position and returned to Casterly Rock. Aerys appointed as his replacement Lord [[Owen Merryweather]], an amiable but not especially competent old man whose main qualifications as Hand were his willingness to throw lavish feasts and offer the king constant flattery.

==The War of the Usurper==
:{{See also|War of the Usurper}}
The first time Aerys finally left the Red Keep again would be to attend the [[Tourney at Harrenhal]] in {{Date|281}}. He did so only at the urging of Varys, who claimed Prince Rhaegar planned to use the [[Tourneys in Westeros|tournament]] as a pretext to recruit lords with the intent of taking his father's throne.{{Ref|aDwD|67}} A [[mystery knight]], the [[Knight of the Laughing Tree]], competed in the tournament. Certain the knight had concealed his identity because he was an enemy of the crown, Aerys ordered Rhaegar to discover his identity, but no evidence was found. Rhaegar went on to win the tournament and shocked all present by crowning [[Lyanna Stark]], rather than Princess Elia, his [[Queen of Love and Beauty]].

Some time afterward, Prince Rhaegar disappeared with Lyanna, apparently having kidnapped her. Her eldest brother [[Brandon Stark|Brandon]] rode to King's Landing with several friends, all the sons of prominent [[The North|northern lords]]. Arriving at the Red Keep, Brandon roared for Rhaegar to "come out and die." As it turned out, Rhaegar was not present -- but Aerys was. The king had Brandon and his companions arrested on charges of conspiring against the life of the crown prince, demanding that their fathers present themselves at court to answer for their sons' crimes. When they did so, Aerys had them all executed without trial. Lord [[Rickard Stark]] was burned alive by wildfire as Brandon watched, strapped into a torture device that caused him to strangle himself in his struggles to free his father. His paranoia still unsatisfied, the king ordered Lord [[Jon Arryn]] to send him the heads of his two wards, [[Eddard Stark]] and Lyanna's fiance [[Robert Baratheon]], both of whom he believed to be guilty of participating in the "conspiracy" on account of their ties with the [[House Stark|Stark family]]. Arryn refused, and the king's brutal acts triggered a chain of events that would become known as the [[War of the Usurper]] to Targaryen loyalists and [[Robert's Rebellion]] to those who fought on the other side. [[House Arryn]], House Stark, [[House Baratheon]] and [[House Tully]] all rebelled against the [[Iron Throne]], uniting behind the claim of Robert Baratheon, who was descended from royal blood through his grandmother [[Rhaelle Targaryen]], the king's great aunt.

Aerys' [[Hand of the King|Hand]] at the start of the rebellion was still Owen Merryweather, but he was quickly replaced for his failure to act to contain the unrest in its early stages. Aerys next turned to Lord [[Jon Connington]], a close friend of Rhaegar's, but he lost to rebel forces at [[Stoney Sept]] in the [[Battle of the Bells]] and was replaced by Lord [[Qarlton Chelsted]]. By this point the king was becoming fearful of a rebel victory, and hatched a [[The Wildfire Plot|plan]] to gain a final revenge against his enemies in the event that they took the capital. He ordered pyromancers to create a huge reserve of wildfire and secrete it around King's Landing, plotting to burn down the entire city and kill all its half a million inhabitants rather than allow Robert to have it intact. Upon discovering the plot, Lord Chelsted confronted Aerys and, when he realized the king could not be dissuaded, resigned his positon in disgust, flinging his chain of office at the king's feet. Aerys had him burned alive. The [[Alchemists' Guild]] had enjoyed royal favor ever since the Defiance of Duskendale owing to the king's obsession with wildfire, and during this period they attained unprecedented power and authority. Aerys appointed the head of the guild, [[Rossart]], his final Hand.

After the [[Battle of the Trident]], in which Prince [[Rhaegar]] was slain and the royal army defeated, a rebel victory was all but certain. Aerys sent Queen Rhaella (then newly pregnant with Princess Daenerys) and Prince Viserys to [[Dragonstone]] to escape the coming [[Sack of King's Landing]]. However, he kept Princess Elia and her young children [[Rhaenys daughter of Rhaegar Targaryen|Rhaenys]] and [[Aegon Targaryen|Aegon]] with him at the Red Keep, believing they were necessary as hostages to ensure the loyalty of [[House Martell]] and [[Dorne]]. This decision would ultimately lead to their brutal deaths at the hands of Ser [[Amory Loach]] and Ser [[Gregor Clegane]].

==Death==
Hours before the vanguard of Eddard Stark's rebel host would arrive, twelve thousand [[The Westerlands|Westerland]] troops under Tywin Lannister reached King's Landing and pledged their loyalty to King Aerys. Varys advised the king not to admit them to the city, but Grand [[Maester]] [[Pycelle]] argued that the Lannisters should be trusted. Aerys made the fateful choice to listen to Pycelle, and opened the city gates. The Lannister forces promptly began [[Sack of King's Landing|sacking the city]] in the name of [[Robert Baratheon|King Robert]].

Realizing this was the end, Aerys summoned Lord Rossart and Ser Jaime Lannister, the last remaining Kingsguard [[Knighthood|knight]]. He commanded Ser Jaime to kill his father, then gave Rossart the long-awaited order to ignite the wildfire caches and burn the city to the ground, saying, "Let [Robert] be king over charred bones and cooked meat. Let him be king of ashes." Jaime later suggested that much like his mad great uncle [[Aerion Targaryen|Aerion the Monstrous]] before him, Aerys held the delusional belief that he would not die in the inferno, but rather would be transformed by the flames into a [[Dragons|dragon]], giving him the power to crush his enemies. However, before the orders could be taken out, Jaime slew Lord Rossart and then King Aerys, preventing the orders from reaching anyone else and thus saving the entire population of King's Landing. Robert Baratheon claimed the Iron Throne, and the reign of the Targaryen dynasty was ended.{{Ref|aGoT|3}}

==Genealogy==
{{Template:Targaryen_tree_now}}

==TV series==
The [[Game of Thrones]] TV series deviated from the books by removing Aerys's father [[Jaehaerys II Targaryen]] and making him son of King [[Aegon V Targaryen]], rather than his grandson. The reason for this appears to be to simplify the relationship between Maester Aemon and the other Targaryens.

Additionally, an actor was cast to play Aerys II in a flashback in [[Game of Thrones - Season 1|Season 1]], but the scene was cut for time and pacing.

==Quotes==
{{Quote|The traitors want [[King's Landing|my city]] ... but I’ll give them naught but ashes. Let [[Robert Baratheon|Robert]] be king over charred bones and cooked meat.}}

==References and Notes==
{{references|2}}

{{Template:Kings of Westeros}}

[[Category:Nobles|Targaryen, Aerys II]]
[[Category:Monarchs|Targaryen, Aerys II]]
[[Category:House Targaryen]]
[[fr:Aerys II Targaryen]][[ru:Эйрис II Таргариен]]
[[es:Aerys II Targaryen]][[zh:伊里斯·坦格利安二世]]

Cersei Lannister

2012-07-24T23:02:02Z

Penelope:

{{Infobox character
| Character_name = [[File:House Lannister.png|50px|left]][[File:House Baratheon.PNG|50px|right]] '''Cersei Lannister'''
| image = [[Image:Cersei.jpg|300px]]
| image_caption = by [http://en.amokanet.ru/gallery/martin/ Amoka©]
| Alias = Light of the West
| Title = Queen Dowager Protector of the Realm Lady of Casterly Rock [[Regent|Queen Regent]]
| Allegiance = [[House Lannister]]
| Race =
| Culture = [[Westerlands]]
| Spouse = [[Robert Baratheon]] (deceased)
| Place_of_Birth = [[Casterly Rock]]
| Date_of_Birth = {{Date|266}}
| Place_of_Death =
| Date_of_Death =
| Books = [[A Game of Thrones]] (Appears) [[A Clash of Kings]] (Appears) [[A Storm of Swords]] (Appears) [[A Feast for Crows]] (POV) [[A Dance with Dragons]] (POV)
| coat-of-arms =
| Played_by = [[List of actors of the televised series#Lena Heady,Cersei Lannister|Lena Heady]]<ref name=HBO/>
| TV_series = [[Game of Thrones - Season 1|Season 1]] {{!}} [[Game of Thrones - Season 2|Season 2]]
}}
[[File:Cersei lannister by teiiku.jpg|thumb|300px|Young beautiful queen Cersei, in her chambers. Art by TeiIku©]]
[[File:Cersei Robert.jpg|thumb|300px|Cersei and her husband King [[Robert Baratheon]]]]
[[File:Cersei and jaime Lannister.jpg|thumb|300px|Cersei and [[Jaime Lannister|Jaime's]] relationship.]]
[[File:Cersei Joffrey Sansa Eddard beheading.jpg|thumb|300px|Cersei, Joffrey and Sansa at Eddard Stark's beheading]]

'''Cersei Lannister''' is the eldest child of [[Tywin Lannister|Tywin]] and [[Joanna Lannister]] by mere moments, and the twin sister of [[Jaime Lannister]]. After [[Robert's Rebellion]] she married the new king, [[Robert Baratheon]], and became Queen of the [[Seven Kingdoms]]; she is the mother of [[Joffrey Baratheon|Joffrey]], [[Myrcella Baratheon|Myrcella]], and [[Tommen Baratheon]]. She becomes a [[POV Character]] in [[A Feast for Crows]]. In the [[Game of Thrones|TV series]] she is played by Lena Headey.<ref name=HBO/>

==Character and Appearance==

Cersei is profoundly narcissistic, ruthless, treacherous, ambitious, and cruel. She will stop at nothing to achieve power and prestige for herself and her children, and shows little or no regard for others. She is filled with bitterness over past injustices she has suffered, particularly her loveless marriage with [[Robert Baratheon]]. She resents the restrictions that the patriarchal culture of [[Westeros]] has placed on her because of her gender, yet she seems to have internalized a great deal of this sexism; Cersei hates women, viewing them as weak and contemptible, but believes herself to be an exception.{{Ref|aGoT|67}} Rather than openly rebelling against Westerosi gender roles, she plots to gain power through political intrigue.

Early in the series, Cersei displays some real cunning in handling the political turmoil and intrigues surrounding the death of King Robert and the outbreak of the [[War of the Five Kings]]. As the series progresses, however, the more power Cersei obtains, the more she proves herself to be incompetent at handling it; although she has spent most of her life scheming to gain power, she seems to have little idea of what to do with it once she has it. Her quick temper and her easily wounded pride frequently lead her to make rash decisions, and she rarely considers what unintended consequences her actions might have. She lacks the patience for dealing with the tedious yet vital details of administration, and increasingly tends to avoid facing unpleasant facts, surrounding herself with sycophants rather than honest and competent advisers; ironically, despite her contempt for Robert's hedonistic lifestyle and physical deterioration, she is unconsciously coming to mimic his habit of overindulging in food, alcohol and sex as distractions from the pressures of leadership. Although she shares [[Tywin Lannister|her father]]'s philosophy of ruling through fear rather than love, she lacks his ability to temper ruthlessness with caution, pragmatism, and sound, objective judgment.

Cersei's feelings toward her father are complex; she resents him for marrying her off to Robert Baratheon and for never granting her as much power and respect as she craved, but also admires and seeks to emulate his brutal effectiveness as a politician. She has loathed her younger brother [[Tyrion Lannister|Tyrion]] ever since his birth killed [[Joanna Lannister|their mother]]. Although once optimistic about her royal marriage to Robert Baratheon, she quickly grew to despise him as a drunken fool who remained too infatuated with the memory of [[Lyanna Stark]] to give her a second glance. The only people she can truly be said to love are her twin brother [[Jaime Lannister|Jaime]], with whom she has carried on an incestuous relationship since their adolescence, and her children (all of whom carry the surname Baratheon, but were in fact fathered by Jaime). However, she seems to love Jaime and the children more as extensions of herself than anything else, and can turn on them suddenly: while she protects her children fiercely from any others who would harm them, she provides them with little in the way of sound guidance or consistent discipline, and can react abusively when they defy or disappoint her.

Cersei is a strikingly beautiful woman with classic [[House Lannister|Lannister]] looks: blonde hair, brilliant green eyes, fair skin, and a slender, graceful figure. However, time and motherhood are beginning to take their toll on her body, and as of ''A Feast for Crows'' she has begun to gain weight as a result of alcohol abuse. Like many other characters in the series, she occasionally has dreams that seem to be prophetic.

==History==
Cersei is technically her parents' oldest child, although her twin [[Jaime Lannister|Jaime]] was born mere moments later, clutching her heel. The twins were nine years old when their brother [[Tyrion Lannister|Tyrion]] was born, killing [[Joanna Lannister|their mother]] and causing [[Tywin Lannister|their father]] to become cold and bitter.

Cersei has been haunted since childhood by a prophecy made by a wise woman, [[Maggy the Frog]], who was reputed to have magical powers. The woman correctly predicted Cersei's marriage and mutual infidelity with a king. She went on to prophesy that Cersei would outlive all her children, who would die as kings and queens, and that after everything she had was taken away by a younger and more beautiful queen, the ''valonqar'' ([[High Valyrian]] for “little brother”) would come to end her life. Young Cersei was so terrified by this prophecy that she murdered her close friend [[Melara Hetherspoon]], who had been present, shortly afterward to prevent her from speaking of it. She has always identified the ''valonqar'' as Tyrion, and eventually comes to worry that [[Margaery Tyrell]] might be the younger and more beautiful queen.{{Ref|aFfC|24}}

When Cersei was a girl, her father promised her that she would marry [[Rhaegar Targaryen|Prince Rhaegar]], and would one day become queen. She was delighted by this news, and became infatuated with Rhaegar upon their first meeting. However, [[Aerys II Targaryen|King Aerys]] rebuffed Tywin's offer, later marrying Rhaegar to [[Elia Martell]].

Cersei and Jaime experimented sexually with one another during childhood. At one point they were discovered by a servant, and their mother moved their rooms to separate sides of the castle in an attempt to prevent such behavior.{{Ref|aSoS|21}} Later, Cersei was taken to [[King's Landing]] with her father, then [[Hand of the King]]. She missed Jaime, and was jealous of Tywin's proposal to marry him to [[Lysa Tully]]. When Jaime visited his father and sister after being [[Knighthood|knighted]], she seduced him and persuaded him to join the [[Kingsguard]], which would require him to remain unmarried and live near her in King's Landing. Cersei orchestrated the arrangements behind the scenes over the course of the next month, but although she was successful in securing Jaime's place in the Kingsguard, her plan backfired. Unbeknownst to her, tensions had been growing in Lord Tywin's relationship with the king, and he perceived Jaime's appointment to the Kingsguard as a slight intended to rob him of his heir. Furious, he resigned as Hand and moved back to [[Casterly Rock]] with Cersei, separating the twins once more.{{Ref|aSoS|11}}

Shortly after the conclusion of [[Robert's Rebellion]], a marriage was arranged between Cersei and [[Robert Baratheon|the new king]] in order to seal [[House Baratheon|the royal house]]'s alliance with [[House Lannister]]. She was at first enthralled by the happy crowds at the royal wedding, but her enthusiasm for the match ended abruptly when Robert called her “[[Lyanna Stark|Lyanna]]” during their first night together. The marriage rapidly deteriorated, and Cersei resumed her incestuous relationship with Jaime. She bore him three children ([[Joffrey Baratheon|Joffrey]], [[Myrcella Baratheon|Myrcella]] and [[Tommen Baratheon|Tommen]]), all of whom she successfully passed off as the king's trueborn heirs. Having grown to hate Robert, she took care to ensure he did not impregnate her, and would later reveal to [[Eddard Stark]] that she [[moon tea|aborted]] a pregnancy fathered by him early in their marriage.{{Ref|aGoT|45}}

The true parentage of Cersei's children remained a closely guarded secret until [[Stannis Baratheon]], who was familiar with the appearance of his brother's bastard offspring, grew suspicious of the royal children's lack of resemblance to their supposed father. He confided in then-Hand of the King [[Jon Arryn]], and the two investigated the matter together. Arryn was killed by [[Tears of Lys|poison]] before he could act on their discoveries, prompting Stannis to flee King's Landing. However, their activities would leave behind a trail of clues for others to follow.

==Recent Events==
===A Game of Thrones===

After the death of [[Jon Arryn]], Cersei accompanies her husband, King [[Robert Baratheon]], to [[Winterfell]]. When [[Robert Baratheon|Robert]] and most of the castle go on a hunting trip, Cersei remains behind, as does her brother Ser [[Jaime Lannister|Jaime]]. The two are caught having sex by [[Bran Stark]], and when Cersei insists that they must do something to prevent the boy from telling anyone, Jaime immediately pushes him off a tower.{{Ref|aGoT|8}} She later berates Jaime for his impulsiveness, arguing that attempting to kill the boy was foolish when they could have simply intimidated him into silence.

While the royal procession travels back to [[King's Landing]], [[Joffrey Baratheon|Prince Joffrey]] bullies a common boy, [[Mycah]], prompting [[Arya Stark]] and [[Nymeria (direwolf)|her direwolf]] to attack and disarm him. Joffrey tells his parents that Arya and her wolf attacked him without provocation. Cersei takes his side and argues that the girl should lose a hand in accordance with the ancient penalty for striking a prince of royal blood, while the animal should be killed. Robert refuses to allow her to have Arya maimed, and the girl's direwolf cannot be found, but Cersei successfully pressures him into ordering the execution of [[Lady (direwolf)|another direwolf]] as a proxy.{{Ref|aGoT|16}}

Having appointed [[Eddard Stark]] Jon Arryn's replacement as [[Hand of the King]], Robert orders [[Tourney of the Hand|a great tourney]] held in honor of the new Hand. Cersei forbids Robert from fighting in the melee, inciting a public argument between king and queen. Robert intends to fight anyway, but Eddard and [[Barristan Selmy|Ser Barristan]] succeed in dissuading him. Later, [[Varys]] claims that Cersei had known publicly forbidding Robert from participating in the melee was the most effective way of convincing him to do so, and had been planning to have him "accidentally" killed in the melee. He also suggests that Ser [[Hugh]] of the Vale, who had been killed by Ser [[Gregor Clegane]] earlier in the tournament, could have poisoned Jon Arryn at the Lannisters' instigation, only to have them arrange his death in order to ensure his silence afterward.{{Ref|aGoT|30}}

When [[Tyrion Lannister|Tyrion]] is abducted by [[Catelyn Stark]], Cersei argues with Robert, insulting his manhood for his failure to immediately avenge the insult to her family. The king strikes her in response, but Cersei tells him she intends to wear the bruise "as a badge of honor." Eddard Stark, who is present, does not approve of his friend's action; Robert admits that it was "not kingly," but blames Cersei for provoking him. Eddard, who has been appointed the [[Hand of the King]], investigates Jon Arryn's death and discovers the truth about the royal children's parentage. He confronts Cersei, and she admits that his accusation is true. She promises to make it worth his while if Eddard allies with her and keeps her secret, but he refuses. Not wanting to see the children harmed, Eddard warns her that he intends to tell Robert the truth and urges her to flee with the princes and princess. Cersei's reply is:{{Ref|aGoT|45}}

{{Quote|"When you play the game of thrones, you win or you die. There is no middle ground."}}

She instead uses the time to arrange a hunting "accident" for Robert. She provides his squire [[Lancel Lannister|Lancel]], one of her lovers, with fortified strongwine, telling him it is Robert's favorite vintage. Lancel serves it to the king during the hunt, and as the wine is far stronger than Robert expects, he becomes drunk and is fatally injured by a boar. On his deathbed Robert names Eddard Stark regent until his 13-year-old heir Joffrey comes of age, but the morning after Robert's death, Cersei seizes power, denouncing Lord Eddard as a traitor who conspired against King Joffrey. She has Eddard imprisoned and is named Queen Regent, heading Joffrey's [[small council]].{{Ref|aGoT|49}}

Cersei intends to have Eddard convicted of treason but allowed to [[Night's Watch#Recruitment|take the black]], thus discrediting him and removing him as a factor in the political arena without antagonizing [[the North]]. She arranges a public confession for him on the steps of the [[Great Sept of Baelor]], assuring the [[High Septon]] that he will be offered forgiveness and the holy ground will not be profaned with blood. However, she underestimates Joffrey's willfulness and taste for cruelty. He foolishly ignores her advice and instead orders Lord Stark's immediate execution. [[Janos Slynt]] and Ser [[Ilyn Payne]] carry out the king's imprudent command before Cersei can intervene, deeply offending [[Faith of the Seven|the Faith]] and rendering peace between [[House Stark|Stark]] and [[House Lannister|Lannister]] impossible.{{Ref|aGoT|65}}

===A Clash of Kings===

To end the foolish edicts made by [[Joffrey Baratheon|King Joffrey]] and Cersei, [[Tywin Lannister|Tywin]] promptly puts [[Tyrion Lannister|Tyrion]] in the position of [[Hand of the King]] until he can claim the seat himself. When Tyrion arrives in King's Landing, bearing a letter from their father naming him Hand of the King, Cersei nearly has him thrown in the dungeon before he placates her by saying he could rescue Jaime.{{Ref|aCoK|3}} As Hand, Tyrion struggles to wrest control from her, finally resorting to poisoning her to ger her out of the way for a few days. He nullifies most of Cersei's decisions, recalling the Gold Cloaks who are killing off Robert's bastards at her behest.

In Jaime's absence, Cersei begins taking other lovers into her bed.{{Ref|aCoK|29}} After Tyrion sends away her [[Vylarr|personal guard]], she tries to employ three sellswords to replace them - [[Osney Kettleblack|Osney]], [[Osmund Kettleblack|Osmund]] and [[Osfryd Kettleblack]] - but Tyrion finds out and buys their loyalty.{{Ref|aCoK|41}} The Kettleblacks are actually loyal to Petyr Baelish, but neither Cersei nor Tyrion figure this out.

Tyrion sends off Princess Myrcella to [[Sunspear]] in an effort to win over the [[House Martell|Martells]]. Before doing so, his counter intelligence methods mean that Cersei's agent, Grand Maester [[Pycelle]], is no longer a useful source against him. After Myrcella is sent off, Cersei is among those who is caught up in the [[Riot of King's Landing]] provoked by a thoughtless comment she makes to King Joffrey about a dead baby. Jaime later wonders if [[Varys]] had advance knowledge of the riot, since he wasn't there for it.

As King [[Stannis Baratheon]] moves on [[King's Landing]], Cersei decided to get her son Tommen out of the city for safety, but Tyrion's men intercept the party and take Tommen into his custody. Fed up with Tyrion's efforts to rule, Cersei had [[Alayaya]], a whore she believed Tyrion was sleeping with, arrested and beaten, and used her as a hostage in return for Tommen's safe return. She also removes Ser [[Boros Blount]] from the [[Kingsguard]] for his failure to resist Tyrion's men, although removing the cowardly Blount from the [[Kingsguard]] was considered one of her few wiser decision she replaces him with [[Osmund Kettleblack]] a man just as hollow {{Ref|aCoK|54}}.

As the [[Battle of the Blackwater|battle for King's Landing]] begins, Cersei hosts a banquet for all the noblewomen in the [[Red Keep]] in an effort to keep their minds off the fighting, she says, but she invites Ser Ilyn the headman to be on hand to kill them off if the city is taken, to prevent them from becoming hostages. When she hears that the [[River Gate|Mud Gate]] is under attack, she has Joffrey summoned back to the Red Keep.{{Ref|aCoK|60}} Seeing the king flee back to the castle damaged morale and caused the men to rout, nearly costing her the city. This outrages [[Lancel Lannister]], who feels they could have held the gates if Cersei hadn't recalled the King.{{Ref|aCoK|62}} If not for the timely arrival and attack on [[Stannis Baratheon|Stannis]]'s flank by the army of Tywin Lannister and [[Mace Tyrell]], the battle would have been lost for the Lannisters.{{Ref|aCoK|65}} Due to Tyrion's wounds, she is able to lie to her father and turn her father's prejudice against Tyrion to her advantage, all but completely stripping Tyrion's power from him by the time her brother's convalescence is over.

===A Storm of Swords===

[[Tywin Lannister|Tywin]] bends Cersei to his will and later makes it clear she is no longer wanted on the [[small council|council]] and plans to marry her off again, either to [[Willas Tyrell]], [[Balon Greyjoy]] (whose wife was elderly and had failing health) or [[Oberyn Martell]]. After Joffrey offends Tywin through his ungracious behaviour, Tywin is furious and asks where the boy could have learnt such amoral sentiments. Cersei tries to place the blame on Robert but it is clear to all in the room, including Kevan, that it is Cersei's belief system too {{Ref|aSoS|19}}. Joff is killed at his own wedding feast and Cersei accuses her brother [[Tyrion Lannister|Tyrion]] and his wife, [[Sansa Stark]], falsely believing them responsible {{Ref|aSoS|60}}. Cersei names Ser [[Gregor Clegane]] champion if there is to be a trial by combat. This move, however, leads [[Oberyn Martell]], whose sister was murdered by Gregor over a dozen years ago, to champion Tyrion {{Ref|aSoS|66}}. Oberyn is killed in the duel, and Ser Gregor is fatally wounded {{Ref|aSoS|70}}.

===A Feast for Crows===
[[File:Skirts and dignity by cabepfir.jpg|thumb|300px|Cersei framed [[Margaery Tyrell]] leading to her arrest]]

When her father [[Tywin Lannister|Tywin]] is murdered, the checks on her claim to power are cleared. She resumes her position as [[Regent]] over her son, the eight-year-old King [[Tommen Baratheon|Tommen]], who is entirely obedient to her will. As the eldest child of Tywin, she is also acknowledged as the Lady of [[Casterly Rock]] by her uncle [[Kevan Lannister|Kevan]]. Thus empowered and unrestricted, Cersei feels she has the opportunity to prove herself an even better ruler than her father. She begins her new regime by filling all of the positions on Tommen's [[small council]] with her own supporters and agents, disregarding the previous arrangements made by Tywin and the well-meant, if blunt, advice from Kevan. She becomes a restless sleeper, troubled by nightmares of the Imp and the Iron Throne consuming her. {{Ref|aFfC|3}}

Cersei grows to suspect that her powerful [[House Tyrell|Tyrell]] allies, now relatives through Tommen's marriage to [[Margaery Tyrell|Margaery]], are trying to seize control of the kingdom. This suspicion grows from a Tyrell coin found by Maester [[Qyburn]] in the dungeon where Tyrion was being held before his escape{{Ref|aFfC|7}}. Since the reader knows the Tyrells had nothing to do with Tyrion's escape, the coin was likely planted by someone else - i.e., [[Varys]] - in the hopes of spreading discord in the Tyrell/Lannister alliance. If so, the plot seems to have worked, as Cersei commences a campaign of intrigue to remove all the Tyrells in [[King's Landing]] from positions of influence and authority, including her son's wife, [[Margaery Tyrell|Margaery]], and Ser [[Loras Tyrell|Loras]], a member of the [[Kingsguard]].{{Ref|aFfC|24}}
She befriends [[Taena Merryweather]] who informs Cersei that her maid [[Senelle]] is spying on her for Margaery. This leads Senelle to be given over to Qyburn for his twisted experiments. Taena becomes her bedwarmer and confidant.

Cersei's paranoia alienates [[Jaime Lannister|Jaime]], who abandons her to her political machinations.{{Ref|aFfC|8}} She refuses to honor the debts owed by the Crown, angering powerful institutions such as the [[Iron Bank of Braavos]] and the [[Faith of the Seven]].{{Ref|aFfC|17}} This results in the Faith refusing to bless King Tommen, and the Iron Bank calling in all their debts throughout [[Westeros]] and refusing all new loans.{{Ref|aFfC|28}} This causes economic chaos throughout the [[Seven Kingdoms]]. With the monies owed, Cersei constructs a new royal fleet of warships and gives command to [[Aurane Waters]], the Bastard of [[Driftmark]] and a sellsail of questionable expertise and loyalty.{{Ref|aFfC|17}} In an attempt to alleviate the crown's debts, gain the Faith's blessing, and gain more protection from her purported enemies, she allows the new [[High Septon]] (known as the [[High Sparrow]]) to revive the Faith Militant, ignorant of its history of [[Faith Militant uprising|causing trouble]] for monarchs.{{Ref|aFfC|28}} She also takes the disgraced former [[maester]] Qyburn into her service, using him as a torturer, and allowing him to conduct immoral experiments on human subjects.{{Ref|aFfC|7}} She also begins drinking heavily. She tries to manipulate [[Falyse Stokeworth]] and her husband into killing Tyrion's friend, the sellsword Bronn, who was knighted and married off to simple [[Lollys Stokeworth]] to pry him away from Tyrion. The plan goes horribly wrong however when Falyse's husband foolishly challenges Bronn to single combat, Falyse flees to Kings Landing to report that Bronn has killed her husband in a duel. Cersei responds by sending Falyse to Qyburn so nothing is found out about her machinations. Cersei's difficulty coping with the pressure of ruling lead to her beginning to drink heavily (something she often loathed her late husband [[Robert Baratheon|Robert]] for) and begins to gain weight due to this but instead of realizing this blames the washer women for shrinking her gowns.

Cersei plans a plot to frame [[Margaery Tyrell]] for adultery and treason,and after seducing [[Osney Kettleblack]] has him falsely confess to the new High Septon that he had intercourse with Margaery and two of her three cousins. The High Septon acts on the information and has Margaery arrested when she visits the Sept. Cersei feigns concern publicly and visits the High Sept in order to appear to the population that she wishes Margaery released where in actual fact she does everything in her power to make sure Margaery will be found guilty.

However all of Cersei plans to remove the Tyrell influence at court backfire when the High Sparrow arrests her for several crimes, including the murder of the previous High Septon. The High Septon was suspicious of the confession of [[Osney Kettleblack]] and had him tortured till Osney revealed the actual truth. Her own ministers seize control of the government while she awaits trial in the [[Great Sept of Baelor]]. They recall her uncle Kevan to fill her position as [[Regent]], while her new [[Master of Ships|Lord Admiral]], [[Aurane Waters]] absconds with the costly new fleet. Accused of capital crimes, her only hope lies in a [[Kingsguard]] champion to stand for her in a trial by combat. She sends an emotional summons to Jaime, which he burns and to which he does not reply.{{Ref|aFfC|43}}

===A Dance with Dragons===

Cersei still remains a prisoner of the Faith. To try and gain access to visitors, Cersei decides to confess to the High Septon that she did have relations with her cousin [[Lancel Lannister]] and all three of the [[House Kettleblack|Kettleblack]] brothers, knowing that such sins would not earn her an execution. She continues to deny having ordered [[Osney Kettleblack]] to kill the previous High Septon, or that she was involved in King [[Robert Baratheon|Robert]]'s death. The High Septon agrees to allow her one visitor a day. Cersei then learns about [[Myrcella Baratheon|Myrcella]]'s injury and of [[Arys Oakheart]]'s death, which leaves a vacancy in the Kingsguard. Cersei then sends word to [[Qyburn|Lord Qyburn]] that the time has come.{{Ref|ADWD|54}}

Before her trial, the Faith requires Cersei to submit to a penance walk from the Great Sept of Baelor to the [[Red Keep]]. Cersei is shaved of hair from her entire body, then stripped naked. An escort of [[Warrior's Sons]], [[Poor Fellows]], and several septas protect her from the leering and jeering crowds that flocked to see her shame. Cersei breaks down in tears just before finishing and entering the Keep. Upon her entrance, [[Jocelyn Swyft]] has her body covered. Cersei is then carried into the castle by a silent eight-foot-tall knight covered head to heel in thick enamelled white plate, with a great helm concealing his face. [[Qyburn]] then appears and introduces Cersei to the newest member of the [[Kingsguard]], "Ser [[Robert Strong]]," her champion.{{Ref|ADWD|65}}

Cersei dines with her uncle, [[Kevan Lannister|Ser Kevan]], on the night of his death. She requests that Lady [[Taena Merryweather]] attend again her once her innocence is proved. When Kevan has no news of Jaime, Cersei seems certain of his safety. She believes that if he were dead, she would know it.{{Ref|ADWD|Epilogue}}

==Quotes about Cersei==
{{Quote|Cersie is as gentle as [[Maegor I|King Maegor]], as selfless as [[Aegon IV|Aegon the Unworthy]], as wise as [[Aerys II|Mad Aerys]]. She never forgets a slight, real or imagined. She takes caution for cowardice and dissent for defiance. And she is greedy. Greedy for power, for honour, for love.}} [[Tyrion Lannister|Tyrion]], on his sister, to [[Young Griff]]

{{Quote|His Sister liked to think of herself as Lord [[Tywin Lannister|Tywin]] with teats, but she was wrong. Their father had been as relentless and implacable as a glacier, where Cersei was all wildfire, especially when thwarted...She does not lack for wits but she has no judgement, and no patience.}} [[Jaime Lannister]], on his sisters leadership skills.

{{Quote|She's been fucking [[Lancel Lannister|Lancel]] and [[Osmund Kettleblack]] and probably [[Moon Boy]] for all I know.}} Tyrion to Jaime.

==Family==
{{Lannister tree}}

==References and Notes==
{{references|3|refs=
<ref name=HBO>[http://www.hbo.com/game-of-thrones/index.html#/game-of-thrones/cast-and-crew.html/eNrjcmbOYC5kzlfPz0lxzEvMqSzJTA5ITE-1S8xN1SzLTEnNh4k65+eVpFaUsEknlpbkF+QkVtqWFJWmcjIysgEhAGCyFzg= HBO: Game of Thrones: cast and crew]</ref>
}}

{{POV Characters}}
{{Template:Royal consorts of Westeros}}


[[Category:House Lannister]]
[[Category:Noblewomen|Lannister, Cersei]]
[[Category:Characters from the Westerlands|Lannister, Cersei]]
[[Category:Members of the Small council|Lannister, Cersei]]
[[Category:POV characters|Lannister, Cersei]]


[[fr:Cersei Lannister]]
[[ru:Серсея Ланнистер]]
[[Zh:瑟曦·兰尼斯特]]
[[pt:Cersei Lannister]]
[[es:Cersei Lannister]]

Cersei Lannister

2012-07-24T22:54:33Z

Penelope:

{{Infobox character
| Character_name = [[File:House Lannister.png|50px|left]][[File:House Baratheon.PNG|50px|right]] '''Cersei Lannister'''
| image = [[Image:Cersei.jpg|300px]]
| image_caption = by [http://en.amokanet.ru/gallery/martin/ Amoka©]
| Alias = Light of the West
| Title = Queen Dowager Protector of the Realm Lady of Casterly Rock [[Regent|Queen Regent]]
| Allegiance = [[House Lannister]]
| Race =
| Culture = [[Westerlands]]
| Spouse = [[Robert Baratheon]] (deceased)
| Place_of_Birth = [[Casterly Rock]]
| Date_of_Birth = {{Date|266}}
| Place_of_Death =
| Date_of_Death =
| Books = [[A Game of Thrones]] (Appears) [[A Clash of Kings]] (Appears) [[A Storm of Swords]] (Appears) [[A Feast for Crows]] (POV) [[A Dance with Dragons]] (POV)
| coat-of-arms =
| Played_by = [[List of actors of the televised series#Lena Heady,Cersei Lannister|Lena Heady]]<ref name=HBO/>
| TV_series = [[Game of Thrones - Season 1|Season 1]] {{!}} [[Game of Thrones - Season 2|Season 2]]
}}
[[File:Cersei lannister by teiiku.jpg|thumb|300px|Young beautiful queen Cersei, in her chambers. Art by TeiIku©]]
[[File:Cersei Robert.jpg|thumb|300px|Cersei and her husband King [[Robert Baratheon]]]]
[[File:Cersei and jaime Lannister.jpg|thumb|300px|Cersei and [[Jaime Lannister|Jaime's]] relationship.]]
[[File:Cersei Joffrey Sansa Eddard beheading.jpg|thumb|300px|Cersei, Joffrey and Sansa at Eddard Stark's beheading]]

'''Cersei Lannister''' is the eldest child of [[Tywin Lannister|Tywin]] and [[Joanna Lannister]] by mere moments, and the twin sister of [[Jaime Lannister]]. After [[Robert's Rebellion]] she married the new king, [[Robert Baratheon]], and became Queen of the [[Seven Kingdoms]]; she is the mother of [[Joffrey Baratheon|Joffrey]], [[Myrcella Baratheon|Myrcella]], and [[Tommen Baratheon]]. She becomes a [[POV Character]] in [[A Feast for Crows]]. In the [[Game of Thrones|TV series]] she is played by Lena Headey.<ref name=HBO/>

==Character and Appearance==

Cersei is profoundly narcissistic, ruthless, treacherous, ambitious, and cruel. She will stop at nothing to achieve power and prestige for herself and her children, and shows little or no regard for others. She is filled with bitterness over past injustices she has suffered, particularly her loveless marriage with [[Robert Baratheon]]. She resents the restrictions that the patriarchal culture of [[Westeros]] has placed on her because of her gender, yet she seems to have internalized a great deal of this sexism; Cersei hates women, viewing them as weak and contemptible, but believes herself to be an exception.{{Ref|aGoT|67}} Rather than openly rebelling against Westerosi gender roles, she plots to gain power through political intrigue.

Early in the series, Cersei displays some real cunning in handling the political turmoil and intrigues surrounding the death of King Robert and the outbreak of the [[War of the Five Kings]]. As the series progresses, however, the more power Cersei obtains, the more she proves herself to be incompetent at handling it; although she has spent most of her life scheming to gain power, she seems to have little idea of what to do with it once she has it. Her quick temper and her easily wounded pride frequently lead her to make rash decisions, and she rarely considers what unintended consequences her actions might have. She lacks the patience for dealing with the tedious yet vital details of administration, and increasingly tends to avoid facing unpleasant facts, surrounding herself with sycophants rather than honest and competent advisers; ironically, despite her contempt for Robert's hedonistic lifestyle and physical deterioration, she is unconsciously coming to mimic his habit of overindulging in food, alcohol and sex as distractions from the pressures of leadership. Although she shares [[Tywin Lannister|her father]]'s philosophy of ruling through fear rather than love, she lacks his ability to temper ruthlessness with caution, pragmatism, and sound, objective judgment.

Cersei's feelings toward her father are complex; she resents him for marrying her off to Robert Baratheon and for never granting her as much power and respect as she craved, but also admires and seeks to emulate his brutal effectiveness as a politician. She has loathed her younger brother [[Tyrion Lannister|Tyrion]] ever since his birth killed [[Joanna Lannister|their mother]]. Although once optimistic about her royal marriage to Robert Baratheon, she quickly grew to despise him as a drunken fool who remained too infatuated with the memory of [[Lyanna Stark]] to give her a second glance. The only people she can truly be said to love are her twin brother [[Jaime Lannister|Jaime]], with whom she has carried on an incestuous relationship since their adolescence, and her children (all of whom carry the surname Baratheon, but were in fact fathered by Jaime). However, she seems to love Jaime and the children more as extensions of herself than anything else, and can turn on them suddenly: while she protects her children fiercely from any others who would harm them, she provides them with little in the way of sound guidance or consistent discipline, and can react abusively when they defy or disappoint her.

Cersei is a strikingly beautiful woman with classic [[House Lannister|Lannister]] looks: blonde hair, brilliant green eyes, fair skin, and a slender, graceful figure. However, time and motherhood are beginning to take their toll on her body, and as of ''A Feast for Crows'' she has begun to gain weight as a result of alcohol abuse. Like many other characters in the series, she occasionally has dreams that seem to be prophetic.

==History==
Cersei is technically her parents' oldest child, although her twin [[Jaime Lannister|Jaime]] was born mere moments later, clutching her heel. The twins were nine years old when their brother [[Tyrion Lannister|Tyrion]] was born, killing [[Joanna Lannister|their mother]] and causing [[Tywin Lannister|their father]] to become cold and bitter.

Cersei has been haunted since childhood by a prophecy made by a wise woman, [[Maggy the Frog]], who was reputed to have magical powers. The woman correctly predicted Cersei's marriage and mutual infidelity with a king. She went on to prophesy that Cersei would outlive all her children, who would die as kings and queens, and that after everything she had was taken away by a younger and more beautiful queen, the ''valonqar'' ([[High Valyrian]] for “little brother”) would come to end her life. Young Cersei was so terrified by this prophecy that she murdered her close friend [[Melara Hetherspoon]], who had been present, shortly afterward to prevent her from speaking of it. She has always identified the ''valonqar'' as Tyrion, and eventually comes to worry that [[Margaery Tyrell]] might be the younger and more beautiful queen.{{Ref|aFfC|24}}

When Cersei was a girl, her father promised her that she would marry [[Rhaegar Targaryen|Prince Rhaegar]], and would one day become queen. She was delighted by this news, and became infatuated with Rhaegar upon their first meeting. However, [[Aerys II Targaryen|King Aerys]] rebuffed Tywin's offer, later marrying Rhaegar to [[Elia Martell]].

Cersei and Jaime experimented sexually with one another during childhood. At one point they were discovered by a servant, and their mother moved their rooms to separate sides of the castle in an attempt to prevent such behavior.{{Ref|aSoS|21}} Later, Cersei was taken to [[King's Landing]] with her father, then [[Hand of the King]]. She missed Jaime, and was jealous of Tywin's proposal to marry him to [[Lysa Tully]]. When Jaime visited his father and sister after being [[Knighthood|knighted]], she seduced him and persuaded him to join the [[Kingsguard]], which would require him to remain unmarried and live near her in King's Landing. Cersei orchestrated the arrangements behind the scenes over the course of the next month, but although she was successful in securing Jaime's place in the Kingsguard, her plan backfired. Unbeknownst to her, tensions had been growing in Lord Tywin's relationship with the king, and he perceived Jaime's appointment to the Kingsguard as a slight intended to rob him of his heir. Furious, he resigned as Hand and moved back to [[Casterly Rock]] with Cersei, separating the twins once more.{{Ref|aSoS|11}}

Shortly after the conclusion of [[Robert's Rebellion]], a marriage was arranged between Cersei and [[Robert Baratheon|the new king]] in order to seal [[House Baratheon|the royal house]]'s alliance with [[House Lannister]]. She was at first enthralled by the happy crowds at the royal wedding, but her enthusiasm for the match ended abruptly when Robert called her “[[Lyanna Stark|Lyanna]]” during their first night together. The marriage rapidly deteriorated, and Cersei resumed her incestuous relationship with Jaime. She bore him three children ([[Joffrey Baratheon|Joffrey]], [[Myrcella Baratheon|Myrcella]] and [[Tommen Baratheon|Tommen]]), all of whom she successfully passed off as the king's trueborn heirs. Having grown to hate Robert, she took care to ensure he did not impregnate her, and would later reveal to [[Eddard Stark]] that she [[moon tea|aborted]] a pregnancy fathered by him early in their marriage.{{Ref|aGoT|45}}

The true parentage of Cersei's children remained a closely guarded secret until [[Stannis Baratheon]], who was familiar with the appearance of his brother's bastard offspring, grew suspicious of the royal children's lack of resemblance to their supposed father. He confided in then-Hand of the King [[Jon Arryn]], and the two investigated the matter together. Arryn was killed by [[Tears of Lys|poison]] before he could act on their discoveries, prompting Stannis to flee King's Landing. However, their activities would leave behind a trail of clues for others to follow.

==Recent Events==
===A Game of Thrones===

After the death of [[Jon Arryn]], Cersei accompanies her husband, King [[Robert Baratheon]], to [[Winterfell]]. When [[Robert Baratheon|Robert]] and most of the castle go on a hunting trip, Cersei remains behind, as does her brother Ser [[Jaime Lannister|Jaime]]. The two are caught having sex by [[Bran Stark]], and when Cersei insists that they must do something to prevent the boy from telling anyone, Jaime immediately pushes him off a tower.{{Ref|aGoT|8}} She later berates Jaime for his impulsiveness, arguing that attempting to kill the boy was foolish when they could have simply intimidated him into silence.

While the royal procession travels back to [[King's Landing]], [[Joffrey Baratheon|Prince Joffrey]] bullies a common boy, [[Mycah]], prompting [[Arya Stark]] and [[Nymeria (direwolf)|her direwolf]] to attack and disarm him. Joffrey tells his parents that Arya and her wolf attacked him without provocation. Cersei takes his side and argues that the girl should lose a hand in accordance with the ancient penalty for striking a prince of royal blood, while the animal should be killed. Robert refuses to allow her to have Arya maimed, and the girl's direwolf cannot be found, but Cersei successfully pressures him into ordering the execution of [[Lady (direwolf)|another direwolf]] as a proxy.{{Ref|aGoT|16}}

Having appointed [[Eddard Stark]] Jon Arryn's replacement as [[Hand of the King]], Robert orders [[Tourney of the Hand|a great tourney]] held in honor of the new Hand. Cersei forbids Robert from fighting in the melee, inciting a public argument between king and queen. Robert intends to fight anyway, but Eddard and [[Barristan Selmy|Ser Barristan]] succeed in dissuading him. Later, [[Varys]] claims that Cersei had known publicly forbidding Robert from participating in the melee was the most effective way of convincing him to do so, and had been planning to have him "accidentally" killed in the melee. He also suggests that Ser [[Hugh]] of the Vale, who had been killed by Ser [[Gregor Clegane]] earlier in the tournament, could have poisoned Jon Arryn at the Lannisters' instigation, only to have them arrange his death in order to ensure his silence afterward.{{Ref|aGoT|30}}

When [[Tyrion Lannister|Tyrion]] is abducted by [[Catelyn Stark]], Cersei argues with Robert, insulting his manhood for his failure to immediately avenge the insult to her family. The king strikes her in response, but Cersei tells him she intends to wear the bruise "as a badge of honor." Eddard Stark, who is present, does not approve of his friend's action; Robert admits that it was "not kingly," but blames Cersei for provoking him. Eddard, who has been appointed the [[Hand of the King]], investigates Jon Arryn's death and discovers the truth about the royal children's parentage. He confronts Cersei, and she admits that his accusation is true. She promises to make it worth his while if Eddard allies with her and keeps her secret, but he refuses. Not wanting to see the children harmed, however, Eddard warns her that he intends to tell Robert the truth and urges her to flee with the princes and princess. Cersei's reply is:{{Ref|aGoT|45}}

{{Quote|"When you play the game of thrones, you win or you die. There is no middle ground."}}

She instead uses the time to arrange a hunting "accident" for Robert. She provides his squire [[Lancel Lannister|Lancel]], one of her lovers, with fortified strongwine, telling him it is Robert's favorite vintage. Lancel serves it to the king during the hunt, and as the wine is far stronger than Robert expects, he becomes drunk and is fatally injured by a boar. On his deathbed Robert names Eddard Stark regent until his 13-year-old heir Joffrey comes of age, but the morning after Robert's death, Cersei seizes power, denouncing Lord Eddard as a traitor who conspired against King Joffrey. She has Eddard imprisoned and is named Queen Regent, heading Joffrey's [[small council]].{{Ref|aGoT|49}}

Cersei intends to have Eddard convicted of treason but allowed to [[Night's Watch#Recruitment|take the black]], thus discrediting him and removing him as a factor in the political arena without antagonizing [[the North]]. She arranges a public confession for him on the steps of the [[Great Sept of Baelor]], assuring the [[High Septon]] that he will be offered forgiveness and the holy ground will not be profaned with blood. However, she underestimates Joffrey's willfulness and taste for cruelty. He foolishly ignores her advice and instead orders Lord Stark's immediate execution. [[Janos Slynt]] and Ser [[Ilyn Payne]] carry out the king's imprudent command before Cersei can intervene, deeply offending [[Faith of the Seven|the Faith]] and rendering peace between [[House Stark|Stark]] and [[House Lannister|Lannister]] impossible.{{Ref|aGoT|65}}

===A Clash of Kings===

To end the foolish edicts made by [[Joffrey Baratheon|King Joffrey]] and Cersei, [[Tywin Lannister|Tywin]] promptly puts [[Tyrion Lannister|Tyrion]] in the position of [[Hand of the King]] until he can claim the seat himself. When Tyrion arrives in King's Landing, bearing a letter from their father naming him Hand of the King, Cersei nearly has him thrown in the dungeon before he placates her by saying he could rescue Jaime.{{Ref|aCoK|3}} As Hand, Tyrion struggles to wrest control from her, finally resorting to poisoning her to ger her out of the way for a few days. He nullifies most of Cersei's decisions, recalling the Gold Cloaks who are killing off Robert's bastards at her behest.

In Jaime's absence, Cersei begins taking other lovers into her bed.{{Ref|aCoK|29}} After Tyrion sends away her [[Vylarr|personal guard]], she tries to employ three sellswords to replace them - [[Osney Kettleblack|Osney]], [[Osmund Kettleblack|Osmund]] and [[Osfryd Kettleblack]] - but Tyrion finds out and buys their loyalty.{{Ref|aCoK|41}} The Kettleblacks are actually loyal to Petyr Baelish, but neither Cersei nor Tyrion figure this out.

Tyrion sends off Princess Myrcella to [[Sunspear]] in an effort to win over the [[House Martell|Martells]]. Before doing so, his counter intelligence methods mean that Cersei's agent, Grand Maester [[Pycelle]], is no longer a useful source against him. After Myrcella is sent off, Cersei is among those who is caught up in the [[Riot of King's Landing]] provoked by a thoughtless comment she makes to King Joffrey about a dead baby. Jaime later wonders if [[Varys]] had advance knowledge of the riot, since he wasn't there for it.

As King [[Stannis Baratheon]] moves on [[King's Landing]], Cersei decided to get her son Tommen out of the city for safety, but Tyrion's men intercept the party and take Tommen into his custody. Fed up with Tyrion's efforts to rule, Cersei had [[Alayaya]], a whore she believed Tyrion was sleeping with, arrested and beaten, and used her as a hostage in return for Tommen's safe return. She also removes Ser [[Boros Blount]] from the [[Kingsguard]] for his failure to resist Tyrion's men, although removing the cowardly Blount from the [[Kingsguard]] was considered one of her few wiser decision she replaces him with [[Osmund Kettleblack]] a man just as hollow {{Ref|aCoK|54}}.

As the [[Battle of the Blackwater|battle for King's Landing]] begins, Cersei hosts a banquet for all the noblewomen in the [[Red Keep]] in an effort to keep their minds off the fighting, she says, but she invites Ser Ilyn the headman to be on hand to kill them off if the city is taken, to prevent them from becoming hostages. When she hears that the [[River Gate|Mud Gate]] is under attack, she has Joffrey summoned back to the Red Keep.{{Ref|aCoK|60}} Seeing the king flee back to the castle damaged morale and caused the men to rout, nearly costing her the city. This outrages [[Lancel Lannister]], who feels they could have held the gates if Cersei hadn't recalled the King.{{Ref|aCoK|62}} If not for the timely arrival and attack on [[Stannis Baratheon|Stannis]]'s flank by the army of Tywin Lannister and [[Mace Tyrell]], the battle would have been lost for the Lannisters.{{Ref|aCoK|65}} Due to Tyrion's wounds, she is able to lie to her father and turn her father's prejudice against Tyrion to her advantage, all but completely stripping Tyrion's power from him by the time her brother's convalescence is over.

===A Storm of Swords===

[[Tywin Lannister|Tywin]] bends Cersei to his will and later makes it clear she is no longer wanted on the [[small council|council]] and plans to marry her off again, either to [[Willas Tyrell]], [[Balon Greyjoy]] (whose wife was elderly and had failing health) or [[Oberyn Martell]]. After Joffrey offends Tywin through his ungracious behaviour, Tywin is furious and asks where the boy could have learnt such amoral sentiments. Cersei tries to place the blame on Robert but it is clear to all in the room, including Kevan, that it is Cersei's belief system too {{Ref|aSoS|19}}. Joff is killed at his own wedding feast and Cersei accuses her brother [[Tyrion Lannister|Tyrion]] and his wife, [[Sansa Stark]], falsely believing them responsible {{Ref|aSoS|60}}. Cersei names Ser [[Gregor Clegane]] champion if there is to be a trial by combat. This move, however, leads [[Oberyn Martell]], whose sister was murdered by Gregor over a dozen years ago, to champion Tyrion {{Ref|aSoS|66}}. Oberyn is killed in the duel, and Ser Gregor is fatally wounded {{Ref|aSoS|70}}.

===A Feast for Crows===
[[File:Skirts and dignity by cabepfir.jpg|thumb|300px|Cersei framed [[Margaery Tyrell]] leading to her arrest]]

When her father [[Tywin Lannister|Tywin]] is murdered, the checks on her claim to power are cleared. She resumes her position as [[Regent]] over her son, the eight-year-old King [[Tommen Baratheon|Tommen]], who is entirely obedient to her will. As the eldest child of Tywin, she is also acknowledged as the Lady of [[Casterly Rock]] by her uncle [[Kevan Lannister|Kevan]]. Thus empowered and unrestricted, Cersei feels she has the opportunity to prove herself an even better ruler than her father. She begins her new regime by filling all of the positions on Tommen's [[small council]] with her own supporters and agents, disregarding the previous arrangements made by Tywin and the well-meant, if blunt, advice from Kevan. She becomes a restless sleeper, troubled by nightmares of the Imp and the Iron Throne consuming her. {{Ref|aFfC|3}}

Cersei grows to suspect that her powerful [[House Tyrell|Tyrell]] allies, now relatives through Tommen's marriage to [[Margaery Tyrell|Margaery]], are trying to seize control of the kingdom. This suspicion grows from a Tyrell coin found by Maester [[Qyburn]] in the dungeon where Tyrion was being held before his escape{{Ref|aFfC|7}}. Since the reader knows the Tyrells had nothing to do with Tyrion's escape, the coin was likely planted by someone else - i.e., [[Varys]] - in the hopes of spreading discord in the Tyrell/Lannister alliance. If so, the plot seems to have worked, as Cersei commences a campaign of intrigue to remove all the Tyrells in [[King's Landing]] from positions of influence and authority, including her son's wife, [[Margaery Tyrell|Margaery]], and Ser [[Loras Tyrell|Loras]], a member of the [[Kingsguard]].{{Ref|aFfC|24}}
She befriends [[Taena Merryweather]] who informs Cersei that her maid [[Senelle]] is spying on her for Margaery. This leads Senelle to be given over to Qyburn for his twisted experiments. Taena becomes her bedwarmer and confidant.

Cersei's paranoia alienates [[Jaime Lannister|Jaime]], who abandons her to her political machinations.{{Ref|aFfC|8}} She refuses to honor the debts owed by the Crown, angering powerful institutions such as the [[Iron Bank of Braavos]] and the [[Faith of the Seven]].{{Ref|aFfC|17}} This results in the Faith refusing to bless King Tommen, and the Iron Bank calling in all their debts throughout [[Westeros]] and refusing all new loans.{{Ref|aFfC|28}} This causes economic chaos throughout the [[Seven Kingdoms]]. With the monies owed, Cersei constructs a new royal fleet of warships and gives command to [[Aurane Waters]], the Bastard of [[Driftmark]] and a sellsail of questionable expertise and loyalty.{{Ref|aFfC|17}} In an attempt to alleviate the crown's debts, gain the Faith's blessing, and gain more protection from her purported enemies, she allows the new [[High Septon]] (known as the [[High Sparrow]]) to revive the Faith Militant, ignorant of its history of [[Faith Militant uprising|causing trouble]] for monarchs.{{Ref|aFfC|28}} She also takes the disgraced former [[maester]] Qyburn into her service, using him as a torturer, and allowing him to conduct immoral experiments on human subjects.{{Ref|aFfC|7}} She also begins drinking heavily. She tries to manipulate [[Falyse Stokeworth]] and her husband into killing Tyrion's friend, the sellsword Bronn, who was knighted and married off to simple [[Lollys Stokeworth]] to pry him away from Tyrion. The plan goes horribly wrong however when Falyse's husband foolishly challenges Bronn to single combat, Falyse flees to Kings Landing to report that Bronn has killed her husband in a duel. Cersei responds by sending Falyse to Qyburn so nothing is found out about her machinations. Cersei's difficulty coping with the pressure of ruling lead to her beginning to drink heavily (something she often loathed her late husband [[Robert Baratheon|Robert]] for) and begins to gain weight due to this but instead of realizing this blames the washer women for shrinking her gowns.

Cersei plans a plot to frame [[Margaery Tyrell]] for adultery and treason,and after seducing [[Osney Kettleblack]] has him falsely confess to the new High Septon that he had intercourse with Margaery and two of her three cousins. The High Septon acts on the information and has Margaery arrested when she visits the Sept. Cersei feigns concern publicly and visits the High Sept in order to appear to the population that she wishes Margaery released where in actual fact she does everything in her power to make sure Margaery will be found guilty.

However all of Cersei plans to remove the Tyrell influence at court backfire when the High Sparrow arrests her for several crimes, including the murder of the previous High Septon. The High Septon was suspicious of the confession of [[Osney Kettleblack]] and had him tortured till Osney revealed the actual truth. Her own ministers seize control of the government while she awaits trial in the [[Great Sept of Baelor]]. They recall her uncle Kevan to fill her position as [[Regent]], while her new [[Master of Ships|Lord Admiral]], [[Aurane Waters]] absconds with the costly new fleet. Accused of capital crimes, her only hope lies in a [[Kingsguard]] champion to stand for her in a trial by combat. She sends an emotional summons to Jaime, which he burns and to which he does not reply.{{Ref|aFfC|43}}

===A Dance with Dragons===

Cersei still remains a prisoner of the Faith. To try and gain access to visitors, Cersei decides to confess to the High Septon that she did have relations with her cousin [[Lancel Lannister]] and all three of the [[House Kettleblack|Kettleblack]] brothers, knowing that such sins would not earn her an execution. She continues to deny having ordered [[Osney Kettleblack]] to kill the previous High Septon, or that she was involved in King [[Robert Baratheon|Robert]]'s death. The High Septon agrees to allow her one visitor a day. Cersei then learns about [[Myrcella Baratheon|Myrcella]]'s injury and of [[Arys Oakheart]]'s death, which leaves a vacancy in the Kingsguard. Cersei then sends word to [[Qyburn|Lord Qyburn]] that the time has come.{{Ref|ADWD|54}}

Before her trial, the Faith requires Cersei to submit to a penance walk from the Great Sept of Baelor to the [[Red Keep]]. Cersei is shaved of hair from her entire body, then stripped naked. An escort of [[Warrior's Sons]], [[Poor Fellows]], and several septas protect her from the leering and jeering crowds that flocked to see her shame. Cersei breaks down in tears just before finishing and entering the Keep. Upon her entrance, [[Jocelyn Swyft]] has her body covered. Cersei is then carried into the castle by a silent eight-foot-tall knight covered head to heel in thick enamelled white plate, with a great helm concealing his face. [[Qyburn]] then appears and introduces Cersei to the newest member of the [[Kingsguard]], "Ser [[Robert Strong]]," her champion.{{Ref|ADWD|65}}

Cersei dines with her uncle, [[Kevan Lannister|Ser Kevan]], on the night of his death. She requests that Lady [[Taena Merryweather]] attend again her once her innocence is proved. When Kevan has no news of Jaime, Cersei seems certain of his safety. She believes that if he were dead, she would know it.{{Ref|ADWD|Epilogue}}

==Quotes about Cersei==
{{Quote|Cersie is as gentle as [[Maegor I|King Maegor]], as selfless as [[Aegon IV|Aegon the Unworthy]], as wise as [[Aerys II|Mad Aerys]]. She never forgets a slight, real or imagined. She takes caution for cowardice and dissent for defiance. And she is greedy. Greedy for power, for honour, for love.}} [[Tyrion Lannister|Tyrion]], on his sister, to [[Young Griff]]

{{Quote|His Sister liked to think of herself as Lord [[Tywin Lannister|Tywin]] with teats, but she was wrong. Their father had been as relentless and implacable as a glacier, where Cersei was all wildfire, especially when thwarted...She does not lack for wits but she has no judgement, and no patience.}} [[Jaime Lannister]], on his sisters leadership skills.

{{Quote|She's been fucking [[Lancel Lannister|Lancel]] and [[Osmund Kettleblack]] and probably [[Moon Boy]] for all I know.}} Tyrion to Jaime.

==Family==
{{Lannister tree}}

==References and Notes==
{{references|3|refs=
<ref name=HBO>[http://www.hbo.com/game-of-thrones/index.html#/game-of-thrones/cast-and-crew.html/eNrjcmbOYC5kzlfPz0lxzEvMqSzJTA5ITE-1S8xN1SzLTEnNh4k65+eVpFaUsEknlpbkF+QkVtqWFJWmcjIysgEhAGCyFzg= HBO: Game of Thrones: cast and crew]</ref>
}}

{{POV Characters}}
{{Template:Royal consorts of Westeros}}


[[Category:House Lannister]]
[[Category:Noblewomen|Lannister, Cersei]]
[[Category:Characters from the Westerlands|Lannister, Cersei]]
[[Category:Members of the Small council|Lannister, Cersei]]
[[Category:POV characters|Lannister, Cersei]]


[[fr:Cersei Lannister]]
[[ru:Серсея Ланнистер]]
[[Zh:瑟曦·兰尼斯特]]
[[pt:Cersei Lannister]]
[[es:Cersei Lannister]]

Cersei Lannister

2012-07-24T22:27:11Z

Penelope:

{{Infobox character
| Character_name = [[File:House Lannister.png|50px|left]][[File:House Baratheon.PNG|50px|right]] '''Cersei Lannister'''
| image = [[Image:Cersei.jpg|300px]]
| image_caption = by [http://en.amokanet.ru/gallery/martin/ Amoka©]
| Alias = Light of the West
| Title = Queen Dowager Protector of the Realm Lady of Casterly Rock [[Regent|Queen Regent]]
| Allegiance = [[House Lannister]]
| Race =
| Culture = [[Westerlands]]
| Spouse = [[Robert Baratheon]] (deceased)
| Place_of_Birth = [[Casterly Rock]]
| Date_of_Birth = {{Date|266}}
| Place_of_Death =
| Date_of_Death =
| Books = [[A Game of Thrones]] (Appears) [[A Clash of Kings]] (Appears) [[A Storm of Swords]] (Appears) [[A Feast for Crows]] (POV) [[A Dance with Dragons]] (POV)
| coat-of-arms =
| Played_by = [[List of actors of the televised series#Lena Heady,Cersei Lannister|Lena Heady]]<ref name=HBO/>
| TV_series = [[Game of Thrones - Season 1|Season 1]] {{!}} [[Game of Thrones - Season 2|Season 2]]
}}
[[File:Cersei lannister by teiiku.jpg|thumb|300px|Young beautiful queen Cersei, in her chambers. Art by TeiIku©]]
[[File:Cersei Robert.jpg|thumb|300px|Cersei and her husband King [[Robert Baratheon]]]]
[[File:Cersei and jaime Lannister.jpg|thumb|300px|Cersei and [[Jaime Lannister|Jaime's]] relationship.]]
[[File:Cersei Joffrey Sansa Eddard beheading.jpg|thumb|300px|Cersei, Joffrey and Sansa at Eddard Stark's beheading]]

'''Cersei Lannister''' is the eldest child of [[Tywin Lannister|Tywin]] and [[Joanna Lannister]] by mere moments, and the twin sister of [[Jaime Lannister]]. After [[Robert's Rebellion]] she married the new king, [[Robert Baratheon]], and became Queen of the [[Seven Kingdoms]]; she is the mother of [[Joffrey Baratheon|Joffrey]], [[Myrcella Baratheon|Myrcella]], and [[Tommen Baratheon]]. She becomes a [[POV Character]] in [[A Feast for Crows]]. In the [[Game of Thrones|TV series]] she is played by Lena Headey.<ref name=HBO/>

==Character and Appearance==

Cersei is profoundly narcissistic, ruthless, treacherous, ambitious, and cruel. She will stop at nothing to achieve power and prestige for herself and her children, and shows little or no regard for others. She is filled with bitterness over past injustices she has suffered, particularly her loveless marriage with [[Robert Baratheon]]. She resents the restrictions that the patriarchal culture of [[Westeros]] has placed on her because of her gender, yet she seems to have internalized a great deal of this sexism; Cersei hates women, viewing them as weak and contemptible, but believes herself to be an exception.{{Ref|aGoT|67}} Rather than openly rebelling against Westerosi gender roles, she plots to gain power through political intrigue.

Early in the series, Cersei displays some real cunning in handling the political turmoil and intrigues surrounding the death of King Robert and the outbreak of the [[War of the Five Kings]]. As the series progresses, however, the more power Cersei obtains, the more she proves herself to be incompetent at handling it; although she has spent most of her life scheming to gain power, she seems to have little idea of what to do with it once she has it. Her quick temper and her easily wounded pride frequently lead her to make rash decisions, and she rarely considers what unintended consequences her actions might have. She lacks the patience for dealing with the tedious yet vital details of administration, and increasingly tends to avoid facing unpleasant facts, surrounding herself with sycophants rather than honest and competent advisers; ironically, despite her contempt for Robert's hedonistic lifestyle and physical deterioration, she is unconsciously coming to mimic his habit of overindulging in food, alcohol and sex as distractions from the pressures of leadership. Although she shares [[Tywin Lannister|her father]]'s philosophy of ruling through fear rather than love, she lacks his ability to temper ruthlessness with caution, pragmatism, and sound, objective judgment.

Cersei's feelings toward her father are complex; she resents him for marrying her off to Robert Baratheon and for never granting her as much power and respect as she craved, but also admires and seeks to emulate his brutal effectiveness as a politician. She has loathed her younger brother [[Tyrion Lannister|Tyrion]] ever since his birth killed [[Joanna Lannister|their mother]]. Although once optimistic about her royal marriage to Robert Baratheon, she quickly grew to despise him as a drunken fool who remained too infatuated with the memory of [[Lyanna Stark]] to give her a second glance. The only people she can truly be said to love are her twin brother [[Jaime Lannister|Jaime]], with whom she has carried on an incestuous relationship since their adolescence, and her children (all of whom carry the surname Baratheon, but were in fact fathered by Jaime). However, she seems to love Jaime and the children more as extensions of herself than anything else, and can turn on them suddenly: while she protects her children fiercely from any others who would harm them, she provides them with little in the way of sound guidance or consistent discipline, and can react abusively when they defy or disappoint her.

Cersei is a strikingly beautiful woman with classic [[House Lannister|Lannister]] looks: blonde hair, brilliant green eyes, fair skin, and a slender, graceful figure. However, time and motherhood are beginning to take their toll on her body, and as of ''A Feast for Crows'' she has begun to gain weight as a result of alcohol abuse. Like many other characters in the series, she occasionally has dreams that seem to be prophetic.

==History==
Cersei is technically her parents' oldest child, although her twin [[Jaime Lannister|Jaime]] was born mere moments later, clutching her heel. The twins were nine years old when their brother [[Tyrion Lannister|Tyrion]] was born, killing [[Joanna Lannister|their mother]] and causing [[Tywin Lannister|their father]] to become cold and bitter.

Cersei has been haunted since childhood by a prophecy made by a wise woman, [[Maggy the Frog]], who was reputed to have magical powers. The woman correctly predicted Cersei's marriage and mutual infidelity with a king. She went on to prophesy that Cersei would outlive all her children, who would die as kings and queens, and that after everything she had was taken away by a younger and more beautiful queen, the ''valonqar'' ([[High Valyrian]] for “little brother”) would come to end her life. Young Cersei was so terrified by this prophecy that she murdered her close friend [[Melara Hetherspoon]], who had been present, shortly afterward to prevent her from speaking of it. She has always identified the ''valonqar'' as Tyrion, and eventually comes to worry that [[Margaery Tyrell]] might be the younger and more beautiful queen.{{Ref|aFfC|24}}

When Cersei was a girl, her father promised her that she would marry [[Rhaegar Targaryen|Prince Rhaegar]], and would one day become queen. She was delighted by this news, and became infatuated with Rhaegar upon their first meeting. However, [[Aerys II Targaryen|King Aerys]] rebuffed Tywin's offer, later marrying Rhaegar to [[Elia Martell]].

Cersei and Jaime experimented sexually with one another during childhood. At one point they were discovered by a servant, and their mother moved their rooms to separate sides of the castle in an attempt to prevent such behavior.{{Ref|aSoS|21}} Later, Cersei was taken to [[King's Landing]] with her father, then [[Hand of the King]]. She missed Jaime, and was jealous of Tywin's proposal to marry him to [[Lysa Tully]]. When Jaime visited his father and sister after being [[Knighthood|knighted]], she seduced him and persuaded him to join the [[Kingsguard]], which would require him to remain unmarried and live near her in King's Landing. Cersei orchestrated the arrangements behind the scenes over the course of the next month, but although she was successful in securing Jaime's place in the Kingsguard, her plan backfired. Unbeknownst to her, tensions had been growing in Lord Tywin's relationship with the king, and he perceived Jaime's appointment to the Kingsguard as a slight intended to rob him of his heir. Furious, he resigned as Hand and moved back to [[Casterly Rock]] with Cersei, separating the twins once more.{{Ref|aSoS|11}}

Shortly after the conclusion of [[Robert's Rebellion]], a marriage was arranged between Cersei and [[Robert Baratheon|the new king]] in order to seal [[House Baratheon|the royal house]]'s alliance with [[House Lannister]]. She was at first enthralled by the happy crowds at the royal wedding, but her enthusiasm for the match ended abruptly when Robert called her “[[Lyanna Stark|Lyanna]]” during their first night together. The marriage rapidly deteriorated, and Cersei resumed her incestuous relationship with Jaime. She bore him three children ([[Joffrey Baratheon|Joffrey]], [[Myrcella Baratheon|Myrcella]] and [[Tommen Baratheon|Tommen]]), all of whom she successfully passed off as the king's trueborn heirs. Having grown to hate Robert, she took care to ensure he did not impregnate her, and would later reveal to [[Eddard Stark]] that she [[moon tea|aborted]] a pregnancy fathered by him early in their marriage.{{Ref|aGoT|45}}

The true parentage of Cersei's children remained a closely guarded secret until [[Stannis Baratheon]], who was familiar with the appearance of his brother's bastard offspring, grew suspicious of the royal children's lack of resemblance to their supposed father. He confided in then-Hand of the King [[Jon Arryn]], and the two investigated the matter together. Arryn was killed by [[Tears of Lys|poison]] before he could act on their discoveries, prompting Stannis to flee King's Landing. However, their activities would leave behind a trail of clues for others to follow.

==Recent Events==
===A Game of Thrones===

After the death of [[Jon Arryn]], Cersei accompanies her husband, King [[Robert Baratheon]], to [[Winterfell]]. When [[Robert Baratheon|Robert]] and most of the castle go on a hunting trip, Cersei remains behind, as does her brother Ser [[Jaime Lannister|Jaime]]. The two are caught having sex by [[Bran Stark]], and when Cersei insists that they must do something to prevent the boy from telling anyone, Jaime immediately pushes him off a tower.{{Ref|aGoT|8}} She later berates Jaime for his impulsiveness, arguing that attempting to kill the boy was foolish when they could have simply intimidated him into silence.

While the royal procession travels back to [[King's Landing]], [[Joffrey Baratheon|Prince Joffrey]] bullies a common boy, [[Mycah]], prompting [[Arya Stark]] and [[Nymeria (direwolf)|her direwolf]] to attack and disarm him. Joffrey tells his parents that Arya and her wolf attacked him without provocation. Cersei takes his side and argues that the girl should lose a hand in accordance with the ancient penalty for striking a prince of royal blood, while the animal should be killed. Robert refuses to allow her to have Arya maimed, and the girl's direwolf cannot be found, but Cersei successfully pressures him into ordering the execution of [[Lady (direwolf)|another direwolf]] as a proxy.{{Ref|aGoT|16}}

Having appointed [[Eddard Stark]] Jon Arryn's replacement as [[Hand of the King]], Robert orders [[Tourney of the Hand|a great tourney]] held in honor of the new Hand. Cersei forbids Robert from fighting in the melee, inciting a public argument between king and queen. Robert intends to fight anyway, but Eddard and [[Barristan Selmy|Ser Barristan]] succeed in dissuading him. Later, [[Varys]] claims that Cersei had known publicly forbidding Robert from participating in the melee was the most effective way of convincing him to do so, and had been planning to have him "accidentally" killed in the melee. He also suggests that Ser [[Hugh]] of the Vale, who had been killed by Ser [[Gregor Clegane]] earlier in the tournament, could have poisoned Jon Arryn at the Lannisters' instigation, only to have them arrange his death in order to ensure his silence afterward.{{Ref|aGoT|30}}

When [[Tyrion Lannister|Tyrion]] is abducted by [[Catelyn Stark]], Cersei argues with Robert, insulting his manhood for his failure to immediately avenge the insult to her family. The king strikes her in response, but Cersei tells him she intends to wear the bruise "as a badge of honor." Eddard Stark, who is present, does not approve of his friend's action; Robert admits that it was "not kingly," but blames Cersei for provoking him. Eddard, who has been appointed the [[Hand of the King]], investigates Jon Arryn's death and discovers the truth about the royal children's parentage. He confronts Cersei, and she admits that his accusation is true. She promises to make it worth his while if Eddard allies with her and keeps her secret, but he refuses. Not wanting to see the children harmed, however, Eddard warns her that he intends to tell Robert the truth and urges her to flee with the princes and princess. Cersei's reply is:{{Ref|aGoT|45}}

{{Quote|"When you play the Game of Thrones, you win or you die. There is no middle ground."}}

She instead uses the time to arrange a hunting "accident" for Robert. She provides his squire [[Lancel Lannister|Lancel]], one of her lovers, with fortified strongwine, telling him it is Robert's favorite vintage. Lancel serves it to the king during the hunt, and as the wine is far stronger than Robert expects, he becomes drunk and is fatally injured by a boar. On his deathbed Robert names Eddard Stark regent until his 13-year-old heir Joffrey comes of age, but the morning after Robert's death, Cersei seizes power, denouncing Lord Eddard as a traitor who conspired against King Joffrey. She has Eddard imprisoned and is named Queen Regent, heading Joffrey's [[small council]].{{Ref|aGoT|49}}

Cersei intends to have Eddard convicted of treason but allowed to [[Night's Watch#Recruitment|take the black]], thus discrediting him and removing him as a factor in the political arena without antagonizing [[the North]]. She arranges a public confession for him on the steps of the [[Great Sept of Baelor]], assuring the [[High Septon]] that he will be offered forgiveness and the holy ground will not be profaned with blood. However, she underestimates Joffrey's willfulness and taste for cruelty. He foolishly ignores her advice and instead orders Lord Stark's immediate execution. [[Janos Slynt]] and Ser [[Ilyn Payne]] carry out the king's imprudent command before Cersei can intervene, deeply offending [[Faith of the Seven|the Faith]] and rendering peace between [[House Stark|Stark]] and [[House Lannister|Lannister]] impossible.{{Ref|aGoT|65}}

===A Clash of Kings===

To end the foolish edicts made by [[Joffrey Baratheon|King Joffrey]] and Cersei, [[Tywin Lannister|Tywin]] promptly puts [[Tyrion Lannister|Tyrion]] in the position of [[Hand of the King]] until he can claim the seat himself. When Tyrion arrives in King's Landing, bearing a letter from their father naming him Hand of the King, Cersei nearly has him thrown in the dungeon before he placates her by saying he could rescue Jaime.{{Ref|aCoK|3}} As Hand, Tyrion struggles to wrest control from her, finally resorting to poisoning her to ger her out of the way for a few days. He nullifies most of Cersei's decisions, recalling the Gold Cloaks who are killing off Robert's bastards at her behest.

In Jaime's absence, Cersei begins taking other lovers into her bed.{{Ref|aCoK|29}} After Tyrion sends away her [[Vylarr|personal guard]], she tries to employ three sellswords to replace them - [[Osney Kettleblack|Osney]], [[Osmund Kettleblack|Osmund]] and [[Osfryd Kettleblack]] - but Tyrion finds out and buys their loyalty.{{Ref|aCoK|41}} The Kettleblacks are actually loyal to Petyr Baelish, but neither Cersei nor Tyrion figure this out.

Tyrion sends off Princess Myrcella to [[Sunspear]] in an effort to win over the [[House Martell|Martells]]. Before doing so, his counter intelligence methods mean that Cersei's agent, Grand Maester [[Pycelle]], is no longer a useful source against him. After Myrcella is sent off, Cersei is among those who is caught up in the [[Riot of King's Landing]] provoked by a thoughtless comment she makes to King Joffrey about a dead baby. Jaime later wonders if [[Varys]] had advance knowledge of the riot, since he wasn't there for it.

As King [[Stannis Baratheon]] moves on [[King's Landing]], Cersei decided to get her son Tommen out of the city for safety, but Tyrion's men intercept the party and take Tommen into his custody. Fed up with Tyrion's efforts to rule, Cersei had [[Alayaya]], a whore she believed Tyrion was sleeping with, arrested and beaten, and used her as a hostage in return for Tommen's safe return. She also removes Ser [[Boros Blount]] from the [[Kingsguard]] for his failure to resist Tyrion's men, although removing the cowardly Blount from the [[Kingsguard]] was considered one of her few wiser decision she replaces him with [[Osmund Kettleblack]] a man just as hollow {{Ref|aCoK|54}}.

As the [[Battle of the Blackwater|battle for King's Landing]] begins, Cersei hosts a banquet for all the noblewomen in the [[Red Keep]] in an effort to keep their minds off the fighting, she says, but she invites Ser Ilyn the headman to be on hand to kill them off if the city is taken, to prevent them from becoming hostages. When she hears that the [[River Gate|Mud Gate]] is under attack, she has Joffrey summoned back to the Red Keep.{{Ref|aCoK|60}} Seeing the king flee back to the castle damaged morale and caused the men to rout, nearly costing her the city. This outrages [[Lancel Lannister]], who feels they could have held the gates if Cersei hadn't recalled the King.{{Ref|aCoK|62}} If not for the timely arrival and attack on [[Stannis Baratheon|Stannis]]'s flank by the army of Tywin Lannister and [[Mace Tyrell]], the battle would have been lost for the Lannisters.{{Ref|aCoK|65}} Due to Tyrion's wounds, she is able to lie to her father and turn her father's prejudice against Tyrion to her advantage, all but completely stripping Tyrion's power from him by the time her brother's convalescence is over.

===A Storm of Swords===

[[Tywin Lannister|Tywin]] bends Cersei to his will and later makes it clear she is no longer wanted on the [[small council|council]] and plans to marry her off again, either to [[Willas Tyrell]], [[Balon Greyjoy]] (whose wife was elderly and had failing health) or [[Oberyn Martell]]. After Joffrey offends Tywin through his ungracious behaviour, Tywin is furious and asks where the boy could have learnt such amoral sentiments. Cersei tries to place the blame on Robert but it is clear to all in the room, including Kevan, that it is Cersei's belief system too {{Ref|aSoS|19}}. Joff is killed at his own wedding feast and Cersei accuses her brother [[Tyrion Lannister|Tyrion]] and his wife, [[Sansa Stark]], falsely believing them responsible {{Ref|aSoS|60}}. Cersei names Ser [[Gregor Clegane]] champion if there is to be a trial by combat. This move, however, leads [[Oberyn Martell]], whose sister was murdered by Gregor over a dozen years ago, to champion Tyrion {{Ref|aSoS|66}}. Oberyn is killed in the duel, and Ser Gregor is fatally wounded {{Ref|aSoS|70}}.

===A Feast for Crows===
[[File:Skirts and dignity by cabepfir.jpg|thumb|300px|Cersei framed [[Margaery Tyrell]] leading to her arrest]]

When her father [[Tywin Lannister|Tywin]] is murdered, the checks on her claim to power are cleared. She resumes her position as [[Regent]] over her son, the eight-year-old King [[Tommen Baratheon|Tommen]], who is entirely obedient to her will. As the eldest child of Tywin, she is also acknowledged as the Lady of [[Casterly Rock]] by her uncle [[Kevan Lannister|Kevan]]. Thus empowered and unrestricted, Cersei feels she has the opportunity to prove herself an even better ruler than her father. She begins her new regime by filling all of the positions on Tommen's [[small council]] with her own supporters and agents, disregarding the previous arrangements made by Tywin and the well-meant, if blunt, advice from Kevan. She becomes a restless sleeper, troubled by nightmares of the Imp and the Iron Throne consuming her. {{Ref|aFfC|3}}

Cersei grows to suspect that her powerful [[House Tyrell|Tyrell]] allies, now relatives through Tommen's marriage to [[Margaery Tyrell|Margaery]], are trying to seize control of the kingdom. This suspicion grows from a Tyrell coin found by Maester [[Qyburn]] in the dungeon where Tyrion was being held before his escape{{Ref|aFfC|7}}. Since the reader knows the Tyrells had nothing to do with Tyrion's escape, the coin was likely planted by someone else - i.e., [[Varys]] - in the hopes of spreading discord in the Tyrell/Lannister alliance. If so, the plot seems to have worked, as Cersei commences a campaign of intrigue to remove all the Tyrells in [[King's Landing]] from positions of influence and authority, including her son's wife, [[Margaery Tyrell|Margaery]], and Ser [[Loras Tyrell|Loras]], a member of the [[Kingsguard]].{{Ref|aFfC|24}}
She befriends [[Taena Merryweather]] who informs Cersei that her maid [[Senelle]] is spying on her for Margaery. This leads Senelle to be given over to Qyburn for his twisted experiments. Taena becomes her bedwarmer and confidant.

Cersei's paranoia alienates [[Jaime Lannister|Jaime]], who abandons her to her political machinations.{{Ref|aFfC|8}} She refuses to honor the debts owed by the Crown, angering powerful institutions such as the [[Iron Bank of Braavos]] and the [[Faith of the Seven]].{{Ref|aFfC|17}} This results in the Faith refusing to bless King Tommen, and the Iron Bank calling in all their debts throughout [[Westeros]] and refusing all new loans.{{Ref|aFfC|28}} This causes economic chaos throughout the [[Seven Kingdoms]]. With the monies owed, Cersei constructs a new royal fleet of warships and gives command to [[Aurane Waters]], the Bastard of [[Driftmark]] and a sellsail of questionable expertise and loyalty.{{Ref|aFfC|17}} In an attempt to alleviate the crown's debts, gain the Faith's blessing, and gain more protection from her purported enemies, she allows the new [[High Septon]] (known as the [[High Sparrow]]) to revive the Faith Militant, ignorant of its history of [[Faith Militant uprising|causing trouble]] for monarchs.{{Ref|aFfC|28}} She also takes the disgraced former [[maester]] Qyburn into her service, using him as a torturer, and allowing him to conduct immoral experiments on human subjects.{{Ref|aFfC|7}} She also begins drinking heavily. She tries to manipulate [[Falyse Stokeworth]] and her husband into killing Tyrion's friend, the sellsword Bronn, who was knighted and married off to simple [[Lollys Stokeworth]] to pry him away from Tyrion. The plan goes horribly wrong however when Falyse's husband foolishly challenges Bronn to single combat, Falyse flees to Kings Landing to report that Bronn has killed her husband in a duel. Cersei responds by sending Falyse to Qyburn so nothing is found out about her machinations. Cersei's difficulty coping with the pressure of ruling lead to her beginning to drink heavily (something she often loathed her late husband [[Robert Baratheon|Robert]] for) and begins to gain weight due to this but instead of realizing this blames the washer women for shrinking her gowns.

Cersei plans a plot to frame [[Margaery Tyrell]] for adultery and treason,and after seducing [[Osney Kettleblack]] has him falsely confess to the new High Septon that he had intercourse with Margaery and two of her three cousins. The High Septon acts on the information and has Margaery arrested when she visits the Sept. Cersei feigns concern publicly and visits the High Sept in order to appear to the population that she wishes Margaery released where in actual fact she does everything in her power to make sure Margaery will be found guilty.

However all of Cersei plans to remove the Tyrell influence at court backfire when the High Sparrow arrests her for several crimes, including the murder of the previous High Septon. The High Septon was suspicious of the confession of [[Osney Kettleblack]] and had him tortured till Osney revealed the actual truth. Her own ministers seize control of the government while she awaits trial in the [[Great Sept of Baelor]]. They recall her uncle Kevan to fill her position as [[Regent]], while her new [[Master of Ships|Lord Admiral]], [[Aurane Waters]] absconds with the costly new fleet. Accused of capital crimes, her only hope lies in a [[Kingsguard]] champion to stand for her in a trial by combat. She sends an emotional summons to Jaime, which he burns and to which he does not reply.{{Ref|aFfC|43}}

===A Dance with Dragons===

Cersei still remains a prisoner of the Faith. To try and gain access to visitors, Cersei decides to confess to the High Septon that she did have relations with her cousin [[Lancel Lannister]] and all three of the [[House Kettleblack|Kettleblack]] brothers, knowing that such sins would not earn her an execution. She continues to deny having ordered [[Osney Kettleblack]] to kill the previous High Septon, or that she was involved in King [[Robert Baratheon|Robert]]'s death. The High Septon agrees to allow her one visitor a day. Cersei then learns about [[Myrcella Baratheon|Myrcella]]'s injury and of [[Arys Oakheart]]'s death, which leaves a vacancy in the Kingsguard. Cersei then sends word to [[Qyburn|Lord Qyburn]] that the time has come.{{Ref|ADWD|54}}

Before her trial, the Faith requires Cersei to submit to a penance walk from the Great Sept of Baelor to the [[Red Keep]]. Cersei is shaved of hair from her entire body, then stripped naked. An escort of [[Warrior's Sons]], [[Poor Fellows]], and several septas protect her from the leering and jeering crowds that flocked to see her shame. Cersei breaks down in tears just before finishing and entering the Keep. Upon her entrance, [[Jocelyn Swyft]] has her body covered. Cersei is then carried into the castle by a silent eight-foot-tall knight covered head to heel in thick enamelled white plate, with a great helm concealing his face. [[Qyburn]] then appears and introduces Cersei to the newest member of the [[Kingsguard]], "Ser [[Robert Strong]]," her champion.{{Ref|ADWD|65}}

Cersei dines with her uncle, [[Kevan Lannister|Ser Kevan]], on the night of his death. She requests that Lady [[Taena Merryweather]] attend again her once her innocence is proved. When Kevan has no news of Jaime, Cersei seems certain of his safety. She believes that if he were dead, she would know it.{{Ref|ADWD|Epilogue}}

==Quotes about Cersei==
{{Quote|Cersie is as gentle as [[Maegor I|King Maegor]], as selfless as [[Aegon IV|Aegon the Unworthy]], as wise as [[Aerys II|Mad Aerys]]. She never forgets a slight, real or imagined. She takes caution for cowardice and dissent for defiance. And she is greedy. Greedy for power, for honour, for love.}} [[Tyrion Lannister|Tyrion]], on his sister, to [[Young Griff]]

{{Quote|His Sister liked to think of herself as Lord [[Tywin Lannister|Tywin]] with teats, but she was wrong. Their father had been as relentless and implacable as a glacier, where Cersei was all wildfire, especially when thwarted...She does not lack for wits but she has no judgement, and no patience.}} [[Jaime Lannister]], on his sisters leadership skills.

{{Quote|She's been fucking [[Lancel Lannister|Lancel]] and [[Osmund Kettleblack]] and probably [[Moon Boy]] for all I know.}} Tyrion to Jaime.

==Family==
{{Lannister tree}}

==References and Notes==
{{references|3|refs=
<ref name=HBO>[http://www.hbo.com/game-of-thrones/index.html#/game-of-thrones/cast-and-crew.html/eNrjcmbOYC5kzlfPz0lxzEvMqSzJTA5ITE-1S8xN1SzLTEnNh4k65+eVpFaUsEknlpbkF+QkVtqWFJWmcjIysgEhAGCyFzg= HBO: Game of Thrones: cast and crew]</ref>
}}

{{POV Characters}}
{{Template:Royal consorts of Westeros}}


[[Category:House Lannister]]
[[Category:Noblewomen|Lannister, Cersei]]
[[Category:Characters from the Westerlands|Lannister, Cersei]]
[[Category:Members of the Small council|Lannister, Cersei]]
[[Category:POV characters|Lannister, Cersei]]


[[fr:Cersei Lannister]]
[[ru:Серсея Ланнистер]]
[[Zh:瑟曦·兰尼斯特]]
[[pt:Cersei Lannister]]
[[es:Cersei Lannister]]

Cersei Lannister

2012-07-24T22:01:28Z

Penelope:

{{Infobox character
| Character_name = [[File:House Lannister.png|50px|left]][[File:House Baratheon.PNG|50px|right]] '''Cersei Lannister'''
| image = [[Image:Cersei.jpg|300px]]
| image_caption = by [http://en.amokanet.ru/gallery/martin/ Amoka©]
| Alias = Light of the West
| Title = Queen Dowager Protector of the Realm Lady of Casterly Rock [[Regent|Queen Regent]]
| Allegiance = [[House Lannister]]
| Race =
| Culture = [[Westerlands]]
| Spouse = [[Robert Baratheon]] (deceased)
| Place_of_Birth = [[Casterly Rock]]
| Date_of_Birth = {{Date|266}}
| Place_of_Death =
| Date_of_Death =
| Books = [[A Game of Thrones]] (Appears) [[A Clash of Kings]] (Appears) [[A Storm of Swords]] (Appears) [[A Feast for Crows]] (POV) [[A Dance with Dragons]] (POV)
| coat-of-arms =
| Played_by = [[List of actors of the televised series#Lena Heady,Cersei Lannister|Lena Heady]]<ref name=HBO/>
| TV_series = [[Game of Thrones - Season 1|Season 1]] {{!}} [[Game of Thrones - Season 2|Season 2]]
}}
[[File:Cersei lannister by teiiku.jpg|thumb|300px|Young beautiful queen Cersei, in her chambers. Art by TeiIku©]]
[[File:Cersei Robert.jpg|thumb|300px|Cersei and her husband King [[Robert Baratheon]]]]
[[File:Cersei and jaime Lannister.jpg|thumb|300px|Cersei and [[Jaime Lannister|Jaime's]] relationship.]]
[[File:Cersei Joffrey Sansa Eddard beheading.jpg|thumb|300px|Cersei, Joffrey and Sansa at Eddard Stark's beheading]]

'''Cersei Lannister''' is the eldest child of [[Tywin Lannister|Tywin]] and [[Joanna Lannister]] by mere moments, and the twin sister of [[Jaime Lannister]]. After [[Robert's Rebellion]] she married the new king, [[Robert Baratheon]], and became Queen of the [[Seven Kingdoms]]; she is the mother of [[Joffrey Baratheon|Joffrey]], [[Myrcella Baratheon|Myrcella]], and [[Tommen Baratheon]]. She becomes a [[POV Character]] in [[A Feast for Crows]]. In the [[Game of Thrones|TV series]] she is played by Lena Headey.<ref name=HBO/>

==Character and Appearance==

Cersei is profoundly narcissistic, ruthless, treacherous, ambitious, and cruel. She will stop at nothing to achieve power and prestige for herself and her children, and shows little or no regard for others. She is filled with bitterness over past injustices she has suffered, particularly her loveless marriage with [[Robert Baratheon]]. She resents the restrictions that the patriarchal culture of [[Westeros]] has placed on her because of her gender, yet she seems to have internalized a great deal of this sexism; Cersei hates women, viewing them as weak and contemptible, but believes herself to be an exception.{{Ref|aGoT|67}} Rather than openly rebelling against Westerosi gender roles, she plots to gain power through political intrigue.

Early in the series, Cersei displays some real cunning in handling the political turmoil and intrigues surrounding the death of King Robert and the outbreak of the [[War of the Five Kings]]. As the series progresses, however, the more power Cersei obtains, the more she proves herself to be incompetent at handling it; although she has spent most of her life scheming to gain power, she seems to have little idea of what to do with it once she has it. Her quick temper and her easily wounded pride frequently lead her to make rash decisions, and she rarely considers what unintended consequences her actions might have. She lacks the patience for dealing with the tedious yet vital details of administration, and increasingly tends to avoid facing unpleasant facts, surrounding herself with sycophants rather than honest and competent advisers; ironically, despite her contempt for Robert's hedonistic lifestyle and physical deterioration, she is unconsciously coming to mimic his habit of overindulging in food, alcohol and sex as distractions from the pressures of leadership. Although she shares [[Tywin Lannister|her father]]'s philosophy of ruling through fear rather than love, she lacks his ability to temper ruthlessness with caution, pragmatism, and sound, objective judgment.

Cersei's feelings toward her father are complex; she resents him for marrying her off to Robert Baratheon and for never granting her as much power and respect as she craved, but also admires and seeks to emulate his brutal effectiveness as a politician. She has loathed her younger brother [[Tyrion Lannister|Tyrion]] ever since his birth killed [[Joanna Lannister|their mother]]. Although once optimistic about her royal marriage to Robert Baratheon, she quickly grew to despise him as a drunken fool who remained too infatuated with the memory of [[Lyanna Stark]] to give her a second glance. The only people she can truly be said to love are her twin brother [[Jaime Lannister|Jaime]], with whom she has carried on an incestuous relationship since their adolescence, and her children (all of whom carry the surname Baratheon, but were in fact fathered by Jaime). However, she seems to love Jaime and the children more as extensions of herself than anything else, and can turn on them suddenly: while she protects her children fiercely from any others who would harm them, she provides them with little in the way of sound guidance or consistent discipline, and can react abusively when they defy or disappoint her.

Cersei is a strikingly beautiful woman with classic [[House Lannister|Lannister]] looks: blonde hair, brilliant green eyes, fair skin, and a slender, graceful figure. However, time and motherhood are beginning to take their toll on her body, and as of ''A Feast for Crows'' she has begun to gain weight as a result of alcohol abuse. Like many other characters in the series, she occasionally has dreams that seem to be prophetic.

==History==
Cersei is technically her parents' oldest child, although her twin [[Jaime Lannister|Jaime]] was born mere moments later, clutching her heel. The twins were nine years old when their brother [[Tyrion Lannister|Tyrion]] was born, killing [[Joanna Lannister|their mother]] and causing [[Tywin Lannister|their father]] to become cold and bitter.

Cersei has been haunted since childhood by a prophecy made by a wise woman, [[Maggy the Frog]], who was reputed to have magical powers. The woman correctly predicted Cersei's marriage and mutual infidelity with a king. She went on to prophesy that Cersei would outlive all her children, who would die as kings and queens, and that after everything she had was taken away by a younger and more beautiful queen, the ''valonqar'' ([[High Valyrian]] for “little brother”) would come to end her life. Young Cersei was so terrified by this prophecy that she murdered her close friend [[Melara Hetherspoon]], who had been present, shortly afterward to prevent her from speaking of it. She has always identified the ''valonqar'' as Tyrion, and eventually comes to worry that [[Margaery Tyrell]] might be the younger and more beautiful queen.{{Ref|aFfC|24}}

When Cersei was a girl, her father promised her that she would marry [[Rhaegar Targaryen|Prince Rhaegar]], and would one day become queen. She was delighted by this, and became infatuated with Rhaegar upon their first meeting. However, [[Aerys II Targaryen|King Aerys]] rebuffed Tywin's offer, later marrying Rhaegar to [[Elia Martell]].

Cersei and Jaime experimented sexually with one another during childhood. At one point they were discovered by a servant, and their mother moved their rooms to separate sides of the castle in an attempt to prevent such behavior.{{Ref|aSoS|21}} Later, Cersei was taken to [[King's Landing]] with her father, then [[Hand of the King]]. She missed Jaime, and was jealous of Tywin's proposal to marry him to [[Lysa Tully]]. When Jaime visited King's Landing after being [[Knighthood|knighted]], she seduced him and persuaded him to join the [[Kingsguard]], which would require that he remain unmarried and live near her in King's Landing. Cersei orchestrated the arrangements behind the scenes over the course of the next month, but although she was successful in securing Jaime's place in the Kingsguard, her plan backfired. Unbeknownst to her, tensions had been growing in Lord Tywin's relationship with the king, and he perceived Jaime's acceptance into the Kingsguard as a slight intended to rob him of his heir. Furious, he resigned as Hand and moved back to [[Casterly Rock]] with Cersei, separating the twins once more.{{Ref|aSoS|11}}

Shortly after the conclusion of [[Robert's Rebellion]], a marriage was arranged between Cersei and [[Robert Baratheon|the new king]] in order to seal [[House Baratheon|the royal house]]'s alliance with [[House Lannister]]. She was at first enthralled by the happy crowds at the royal wedding, but her enthusiasm for the match ended abruptly when Robert called her “[[Lyanna Stark|Lyanna]]” during their first night together. The marriage rapidly deteriorated, and Cersei resumed her incestuous relationship with Jaime. She bore him three children ([[Joffrey Baratheon|Joffrey]], [[Myrcella Baratheon|Myrcella]] and [[Tommen Baratheon|Tommen]]), all of whom she successfully passed off as the king's trueborn heirs. Having grown to hate Robert, she took care to ensure he did not impregnate her, and would later reveal to [[Eddard Stark]] that she [[moon tea|aborted]] a pregnancy fathered by him early in their marriage.{{Ref|aGoT|45}}

The true parentage of Cersei's children remained a closely guarded secret until [[Stannis Baratheon]], who was familiar with the appearance of his brother's bastard offspring, grew suspicious of the royal children's lack of resemblance to their supposed father. He confided in then-Hand of the King [[Jon Arryn]], and the two investigated the matter together. Arryn was killed by [[Tears of Lys|poison]] before he could act on their discoveries, prompting Stannis to flee King's Landing. However, their activities would leave behind a trail of clues for others to follow.

==Recent Events==
===A Game of Thrones===

After the death of [[Jon Arryn]], Cersei accompanies her husband, King [[Robert Baratheon]], to [[Winterfell]]. When [[Robert Baratheon|Robert]] and most of the castle go on a hunting trip, Cersei remains behind, as does her brother Ser [[Jaime Lannister|Jaime]]. The two are caught having sex by [[Bran Stark]], and when Cersei insists that they must do something to prevent the boy from telling anyone, Jaime immediately pushes him off a tower.{{Ref|aGoT|8}} She later berates Jaime for his impulsiveness, arguing that attempting to kill the boy was foolish when they could have simply intimidated him into silence.

While the royal procession travels back to [[King's Landing]], [[Joffrey Baratheon|Prince Joffrey]] bullies a common boy, [[Mycah]], prompting [[Arya Stark]] and [[Nymeria (direwolf)|her direwolf]] to attack and disarm him. Joffrey tells his parents that Arya and her wolf attacked him without provocation. Cersei takes his side and argues that the girl should lose a hand in accordance with the ancient penalty for striking a prince of royal blood, while the animal should be killed. Robert refuses to allow her to have Arya maimed, and the girl's direwolf cannot be found, but Cersei successfully pressures him into ordering the execution of [[Lady (direwolf)|another direwolf]] as a proxy.{{Ref|aGoT|16}}

Having appointed [[Eddard Stark]] Jon Arryn's replacement as [[Hand of the King]], Robert orders [[Tourney of the Hand|a great tourney]] held in honor of the new Hand. Cersei forbids Robert from fighting in the melee, inciting a public argument between king and queen. Robert intends to fight anyway, but Eddard and [[Barristan Selmy|Ser Barristan]] succeed in dissuading him. Later, [[Varys]] claims that Cersei had known publicly forbidding Robert from participating in the melee was the most effective way of convincing him to do so, and had been planning to have him "accidentally" killed in the melee. He also suggests that Ser [[Hugh]] of the Vale, who had been killed by Ser [[Gregor Clegane]] earlier in the tournament, could have poisoned Jon Arryn at the Lannisters' instigation, only to have them arrange his death in order to ensure his silence afterward.{{Ref|aGoT|30}}

When [[Tyrion Lannister|Tyrion]] is abducted by [[Catelyn Stark]], Cersei argues with Robert, insulting his manhood for his failure to immediately avenge the insult to her family. The king strikes her in response, but Cersei tells him she intends to wear the bruise "as a badge of honor." Eddard Stark, who is present, does not approve of his friend's action; Robert admits that it was "not kingly," but blames Cersei for provoking him. Eddard, who has been appointed the [[Hand of the King]], investigates Jon Arryn's death and discovers the truth about the royal children's parentage. He confronts Cersei, and she admits that his accusation is true. She promises to make it worth his while if Eddard allies with her and keeps her secret, but he refuses. Not wanting to see the children harmed, however, Eddard warns her that he intends to tell Robert the truth and urges her to flee with the princes and princess. Cersei's reply is:{{Ref|aGoT|45}}

{{Quote|"When you play the Game of Thrones, you win or you die. There is no middle ground."}}

She instead uses the time to arrange a hunting "accident" for Robert. She provides his squire [[Lancel Lannister|Lancel]], one of her lovers, with fortified strongwine, telling him it is Robert's favorite vintage. Lancel serves it to the king during the hunt, and as the wine is far stronger than Robert expects, he becomes drunk and is fatally injured by a boar. On his deathbed Robert names Eddard Stark regent until his 13-year-old heir Joffrey comes of age, but the morning after Robert's death, Cersei seizes power, denouncing Lord Eddard as a traitor who conspired against King Joffrey. She has Eddard imprisoned and is named Queen Regent, heading Joffrey's [[small council]].{{Ref|aGoT|49}}

Cersei intends to have Eddard convicted of treason but allowed to [[Night's Watch#Recruitment|take the black]], thus discrediting him and removing him as a factor in the political arena without antagonizing [[the North]]. She arranges a public confession for him on the steps of the [[Great Sept of Baelor]], assuring the [[High Septon]] that he will be offered forgiveness and the holy ground will not be profaned with blood. However, she underestimates Joffrey's willfulness and taste for cruelty. He foolishly ignores her advice and instead orders Lord Stark's immediate execution. [[Janos Slynt]] and Ser [[Ilyn Payne]] carry out the king's imprudent command before Cersei can intervene, deeply offending [[Faith of the Seven|the Faith]] and rendering peace between [[House Stark|Stark]] and [[House Lannister|Lannister]] impossible.{{Ref|aGoT|65}}

===A Clash of Kings===

To end the foolish edicts made by [[Joffrey Baratheon|King Joffrey]] and Cersei, [[Tywin Lannister|Tywin]] promptly puts [[Tyrion Lannister|Tyrion]] in the position of [[Hand of the King]] until he can claim the seat himself. When Tyrion arrives in King's Landing, bearing a letter from their father naming him Hand of the King, Cersei nearly has him thrown in the dungeon before he placates her by saying he could rescue Jaime.{{Ref|aCoK|3}} As Hand, Tyrion struggles to wrest control from her, finally resorting to poisoning her to ger her out of the way for a few days. He nullifies most of Cersei's decisions, recalling the Gold Cloaks who are killing off Robert's bastards at her behest.

In Jaime's absence, Cersei begins taking other lovers into her bed.{{Ref|aCoK|29}} After Tyrion sends away her [[Vylarr|personal guard]], she tries to employ three sellswords to replace them - [[Osney Kettleblack|Osney]], [[Osmund Kettleblack|Osmund]] and [[Osfryd Kettleblack]] - but Tyrion finds out and buys their loyalty.{{Ref|aCoK|41}} The Kettleblacks are actually loyal to Petyr Baelish, but neither Cersei nor Tyrion figure this out.

Tyrion sends off Princess Myrcella to [[Sunspear]] in an effort to win over the [[House Martell|Martells]]. Before doing so, his counter intelligence methods mean that Cersei's agent, Grand Maester [[Pycelle]], is no longer a useful source against him. After Myrcella is sent off, Cersei is among those who is caught up in the [[Riot of King's Landing]] provoked by a thoughtless comment she makes to King Joffrey about a dead baby. Jaime later wonders if [[Varys]] had advance knowledge of the riot, since he wasn't there for it.

As King [[Stannis Baratheon]] moves on [[King's Landing]], Cersei decided to get her son Tommen out of the city for safety, but Tyrion's men intercept the party and take Tommen into his custody. Fed up with Tyrion's efforts to rule, Cersei had [[Alayaya]], a whore she believed Tyrion was sleeping with, arrested and beaten, and used her as a hostage in return for Tommen's safe return. She also removes Ser [[Boros Blount]] from the [[Kingsguard]] for his failure to resist Tyrion's men, although removing the cowardly Blount from the [[Kingsguard]] was considered one of her few wiser decision she replaces him with [[Osmund Kettleblack]] a man just as hollow {{Ref|aCoK|54}}.

As the [[Battle of the Blackwater|battle for King's Landing]] begins, Cersei hosts a banquet for all the noblewomen in the [[Red Keep]] in an effort to keep their minds off the fighting, she says, but she invites Ser Ilyn the headman to be on hand to kill them off if the city is taken, to prevent them from becoming hostages. When she hears that the [[River Gate|Mud Gate]] is under attack, she has Joffrey summoned back to the Red Keep.{{Ref|aCoK|60}} Seeing the king flee back to the castle damaged morale and caused the men to rout, nearly costing her the city. This outrages [[Lancel Lannister]], who feels they could have held the gates if Cersei hadn't recalled the King.{{Ref|aCoK|62}} If not for the timely arrival and attack on [[Stannis Baratheon|Stannis]]'s flank by the army of Tywin Lannister and [[Mace Tyrell]], the battle would have been lost for the Lannisters.{{Ref|aCoK|65}} Due to Tyrion's wounds, she is able to lie to her father and turn her father's prejudice against Tyrion to her advantage, all but completely stripping Tyrion's power from him by the time her brother's convalescence is over.

===A Storm of Swords===

[[Tywin Lannister|Tywin]] bends Cersei to his will and later makes it clear she is no longer wanted on the [[small council|council]] and plans to marry her off again, either to [[Willas Tyrell]], [[Balon Greyjoy]] (whose wife was elderly and had failing health) or [[Oberyn Martell]]. After Joffrey offends Tywin through his ungracious behaviour, Tywin is furious and asks where the boy could have learnt such amoral sentiments. Cersei tries to place the blame on Robert but it is clear to all in the room, including Kevan, that it is Cersei's belief system too {{Ref|aSoS|19}}. Joff is killed at his own wedding feast and Cersei accuses her brother [[Tyrion Lannister|Tyrion]] and his wife, [[Sansa Stark]], falsely believing them responsible {{Ref|aSoS|60}}. Cersei names Ser [[Gregor Clegane]] champion if there is to be a trial by combat. This move, however, leads [[Oberyn Martell]], whose sister was murdered by Gregor over a dozen years ago, to champion Tyrion {{Ref|aSoS|66}}. Oberyn is killed in the duel, and Ser Gregor is fatally wounded {{Ref|aSoS|70}}.

===A Feast for Crows===
[[File:Skirts and dignity by cabepfir.jpg|thumb|300px|Cersei framed [[Margaery Tyrell]] leading to her arrest]]

When her father [[Tywin Lannister|Tywin]] is murdered, the checks on her claim to power are cleared. She resumes her position as [[Regent]] over her son, the eight-year-old King [[Tommen Baratheon|Tommen]], who is entirely obedient to her will. As the eldest child of Tywin, she is also acknowledged as the Lady of [[Casterly Rock]] by her uncle [[Kevan Lannister|Kevan]]. Thus empowered and unrestricted, Cersei feels she has the opportunity to prove herself an even better ruler than her father. She begins her new regime by filling all of the positions on Tommen's [[small council]] with her own supporters and agents, disregarding the previous arrangements made by Tywin and the well-meant, if blunt, advice from Kevan. She becomes a restless sleeper, troubled by nightmares of the Imp and the Iron Throne consuming her. {{Ref|aFfC|3}}

Cersei grows to suspect that her powerful [[House Tyrell|Tyrell]] allies, now relatives through Tommen's marriage to [[Margaery Tyrell|Margaery]], are trying to seize control of the kingdom. This suspicion grows from a Tyrell coin found by Maester [[Qyburn]] in the dungeon where Tyrion was being held before his escape{{Ref|aFfC|7}}. Since the reader knows the Tyrells had nothing to do with Tyrion's escape, the coin was likely planted by someone else - i.e., [[Varys]] - in the hopes of spreading discord in the Tyrell/Lannister alliance. If so, the plot seems to have worked, as Cersei commences a campaign of intrigue to remove all the Tyrells in [[King's Landing]] from positions of influence and authority, including her son's wife, [[Margaery Tyrell|Margaery]], and Ser [[Loras Tyrell|Loras]], a member of the [[Kingsguard]].{{Ref|aFfC|24}}
She befriends [[Taena Merryweather]] who informs Cersei that her maid [[Senelle]] is spying on her for Margaery. This leads Senelle to be given over to Qyburn for his twisted experiments. Taena becomes her bedwarmer and confidant.

Cersei's paranoia alienates [[Jaime Lannister|Jaime]], who abandons her to her political machinations.{{Ref|aFfC|8}} She refuses to honor the debts owed by the Crown, angering powerful institutions such as the [[Iron Bank of Braavos]] and the [[Faith of the Seven]].{{Ref|aFfC|17}} This results in the Faith refusing to bless King Tommen, and the Iron Bank calling in all their debts throughout [[Westeros]] and refusing all new loans.{{Ref|aFfC|28}} This causes economic chaos throughout the [[Seven Kingdoms]]. With the monies owed, Cersei constructs a new royal fleet of warships and gives command to [[Aurane Waters]], the Bastard of [[Driftmark]] and a sellsail of questionable expertise and loyalty.{{Ref|aFfC|17}} In an attempt to alleviate the crown's debts, gain the Faith's blessing, and gain more protection from her purported enemies, she allows the new [[High Septon]] (known as the [[High Sparrow]]) to revive the Faith Militant, ignorant of its history of [[Faith Militant uprising|causing trouble]] for monarchs.{{Ref|aFfC|28}} She also takes the disgraced former [[maester]] Qyburn into her service, using him as a torturer, and allowing him to conduct immoral experiments on human subjects.{{Ref|aFfC|7}} She also begins drinking heavily. She tries to manipulate [[Falyse Stokeworth]] and her husband into killing Tyrion's friend, the sellsword Bronn, who was knighted and married off to simple [[Lollys Stokeworth]] to pry him away from Tyrion. The plan goes horribly wrong however when Falyse's husband foolishly challenges Bronn to single combat, Falyse flees to Kings Landing to report that Bronn has killed her husband in a duel. Cersei responds by sending Falyse to Qyburn so nothing is found out about her machinations. Cersei's difficulty coping with the pressure of ruling lead to her beginning to drink heavily (something she often loathed her late husband [[Robert Baratheon|Robert]] for) and begins to gain weight due to this but instead of realizing this blames the washer women for shrinking her gowns.

Cersei plans a plot to frame [[Margaery Tyrell]] for adultery and treason,and after seducing [[Osney Kettleblack]] has him falsely confess to the new High Septon that he had intercourse with Margaery and two of her three cousins. The High Septon acts on the information and has Margaery arrested when she visits the Sept. Cersei feigns concern publicly and visits the High Sept in order to appear to the population that she wishes Margaery released where in actual fact she does everything in her power to make sure Margaery will be found guilty.

However all of Cersei plans to remove the Tyrell influence at court backfire when the High Sparrow arrests her for several crimes, including the murder of the previous High Septon. The High Septon was suspicious of the confession of [[Osney Kettleblack]] and had him tortured till Osney revealed the actual truth. Her own ministers seize control of the government while she awaits trial in the [[Great Sept of Baelor]]. They recall her uncle Kevan to fill her position as [[Regent]], while her new [[Master of Ships|Lord Admiral]], [[Aurane Waters]] absconds with the costly new fleet. Accused of capital crimes, her only hope lies in a [[Kingsguard]] champion to stand for her in a trial by combat. She sends an emotional summons to Jaime, which he burns and to which he does not reply.{{Ref|aFfC|43}}

===A Dance with Dragons===

Cersei still remains a prisoner of the Faith. To try and gain access to visitors, Cersei decides to confess to the High Septon that she did have relations with her cousin [[Lancel Lannister]] and all three of the [[House Kettleblack|Kettleblack]] brothers, knowing that such sins would not earn her an execution. She continues to deny having ordered [[Osney Kettleblack]] to kill the previous High Septon, or that she was involved in King [[Robert Baratheon|Robert]]'s death. The High Septon agrees to allow her one visitor a day. Cersei then learns about [[Myrcella Baratheon|Myrcella]]'s injury and of [[Arys Oakheart]]'s death, which leaves a vacancy in the Kingsguard. Cersei then sends word to [[Qyburn|Lord Qyburn]] that the time has come.{{Ref|ADWD|54}}

Before her trial, the Faith requires Cersei to submit to a penance walk from the Great Sept of Baelor to the [[Red Keep]]. Cersei is shaved of hair from her entire body, then stripped naked. An escort of [[Warrior's Sons]], [[Poor Fellows]], and several septas protect her from the leering and jeering crowds that flocked to see her shame. Cersei breaks down in tears just before finishing and entering the Keep. Upon her entrance, [[Jocelyn Swyft]] has her body covered. Cersei is then carried into the castle by a silent eight-foot-tall knight covered head to heel in thick enamelled white plate, with a great helm concealing his face. [[Qyburn]] then appears and introduces Cersei to the newest member of the [[Kingsguard]], "Ser [[Robert Strong]]," her champion.{{Ref|ADWD|65}}

Cersei dines with her uncle, [[Kevan Lannister|Ser Kevan]], on the night of his death. She requests that Lady [[Taena Merryweather]] attend again her once her innocence is proved. When Kevan has no news of Jaime, Cersei seems certain of his safety. She believes that if he were dead, she would know it.{{Ref|ADWD|Epilogue}}

==Quotes about Cersei==
{{Quote|Cersie is as gentle as [[Maegor I|King Maegor]], as selfless as [[Aegon IV|Aegon the Unworthy]], as wise as [[Aerys II|Mad Aerys]]. She never forgets a slight, real or imagined. She takes caution for cowardice and dissent for defiance. And she is greedy. Greedy for power, for honour, for love.}} [[Tyrion Lannister|Tyrion]], on his sister, to [[Young Griff]]

{{Quote|His Sister liked to think of herself as Lord [[Tywin Lannister|Tywin]] with teats, but she was wrong. Their father had been as relentless and implacable as a glacier, where Cersei was all wildfire, especially when thwarted...She does not lack for wits but she has no judgement, and no patience.}} [[Jaime Lannister]], on his sisters leadership skills.

{{Quote|She's been fucking [[Lancel Lannister|Lancel]] and [[Osmund Kettleblack]] and probably [[Moon Boy]] for all I know.}} Tyrion to Jaime.

==Family==
{{Lannister tree}}

==References and Notes==
{{references|3|refs=
<ref name=HBO>[http://www.hbo.com/game-of-thrones/index.html#/game-of-thrones/cast-and-crew.html/eNrjcmbOYC5kzlfPz0lxzEvMqSzJTA5ITE-1S8xN1SzLTEnNh4k65+eVpFaUsEknlpbkF+QkVtqWFJWmcjIysgEhAGCyFzg= HBO: Game of Thrones: cast and crew]</ref>
}}

{{POV Characters}}
{{Template:Royal consorts of Westeros}}


[[Category:House Lannister]]
[[Category:Noblewomen|Lannister, Cersei]]
[[Category:Characters from the Westerlands|Lannister, Cersei]]
[[Category:Members of the Small council|Lannister, Cersei]]
[[Category:POV characters|Lannister, Cersei]]


[[fr:Cersei Lannister]]
[[ru:Серсея Ланнистер]]
[[Zh:瑟曦·兰尼斯特]]
[[pt:Cersei Lannister]]
[[es:Cersei Lannister]]

Cersei Lannister

2012-07-24T21:56:36Z

Penelope:

{{Infobox character
| Character_name = [[File:House Lannister.png|50px|left]][[File:House Baratheon.PNG|50px|right]] '''Cersei Lannister'''
| image = [[Image:Cersei.jpg|300px]]
| image_caption = by [http://en.amokanet.ru/gallery/martin/ Amoka©]
| Alias = Light of the West
| Title = Queen Dowager Protector of the Realm Lady of Casterly Rock [[Regent|Queen Regent]]
| Allegiance = [[House Lannister]]
| Race =
| Culture = [[Westerlands]]
| Spouse = [[Robert Baratheon]] (deceased)
| Place_of_Birth = [[Casterly Rock]]
| Date_of_Birth = {{Date|266}}
| Place_of_Death =
| Date_of_Death =
| Books = [[A Game of Thrones]] (Appears) [[A Clash of Kings]] (Appears) [[A Storm of Swords]] (Appears) [[A Feast for Crows]] (POV) [[A Dance with Dragons]] (POV)
| coat-of-arms =
| Played_by = [[List of actors of the televised series#Lena Heady,Cersei Lannister|Lena Heady]]<ref name=HBO/>
| TV_series = [[Game of Thrones - Season 1|Season 1]] {{!}} [[Game of Thrones - Season 2|Season 2]]
}}
[[File:Cersei lannister by teiiku.jpg|thumb|300px|Young beautiful queen Cersei, in her chambers. Art by TeiIku©]]
[[File:Cersei Robert.jpg|thumb|300px|Cersei and her husband King [[Robert Baratheon]]]]
[[File:Cersei and jaime Lannister.jpg|thumb|300px|Cersei and [[Jaime Lannister|Jaime's]] relationship.]]
[[File:Cersei Joffrey Sansa Eddard beheading.jpg|thumb|300px|Cersei, Joffrey and Sansa at Eddard Stark's beheading]]

'''Cersei Lannister''' is the eldest child of [[Tywin Lannister|Tywin]] and [[Joanna Lannister]] by mere moments, and the twin sister of [[Jaime Lannister]]. After [[Robert's Rebellion]] she married the new king, [[Robert Baratheon]], and became Queen of the [[Seven Kingdoms]]; she is the mother of [[Joffrey Baratheon|Joffrey]], [[Myrcella Baratheon|Myrcella]], and [[Tommen Baratheon]]. She becomes a [[POV Character]] in [[A Feast for Crows]]. In the [[Game of Thrones|TV series]] she is played by Lena Headey.<ref name=HBO/>

==Character and Appearance==

Cersei is profoundly narcissistic, ruthless, treacherous, ambitious, and cruel. She will stop at nothing to achieve power and prestige for herself and her children, and shows little or no regard for others. She is filled with bitterness over past injustices she has suffered, particularly her loveless marriage with [[Robert Baratheon]]. She resents the restrictions that the patriarchal culture of [[Westeros]] has placed on her because of her gender, yet she seems to have internalized a great deal of this sexism; Cersei hates women, viewing them as weak and contemptible, but believes herself to be an exception.{{Ref|aGoT|67}} Rather than openly rebelling against Westerosi gender roles, she plots to gain power through political intrigue.

Early in the series, Cersei displays some real cunning in handling the political turmoil and intrigues surrounding the death of King Robert and the outbreak of the [[War of the Five Kings]]. As the series progresses, however, the more power Cersei obtains, the more she proves herself to be incompetent at handling it; although she has spent most of her life scheming to gain power, she seems to have little idea of what to do with it once she has it. Her quick temper and her easily wounded pride frequently lead her to make rash decisions, and she rarely considers what unintended consequences her actions might have. She lacks the patience for dealing with the tedious yet vital details of administration, and increasingly tends to avoid facing unpleasant facts, surrounding herself with sycophants rather than honest and competent advisers; ironically, despite her contempt for Robert's hedonistic lifestyle and physical deterioration, she is unconsciously coming to mimic his habit of overindulging in food, alcohol and sex as distractions from the pressures of leadership. Although she shares [[Tywin Lannister|her father]]'s philosophy of ruling through fear rather than love, she lacks his ability to temper ruthlessness with caution, pragmatism, and sound, objective judgment.

Cersei's feelings toward her father are complex; she resents him for marrying her off to Robert Baratheon and for never granting her as much power and respect as she craved, but also admires and seeks to emulate his brutal effectiveness as a politician. She has loathed her younger brother [[Tyrion Lannister|Tyrion]] ever since his birth killed [[Joanna Lannister|their mother]]. Although once optimistic about her royal marriage to Robert Baratheon, she quickly grew to despise him as a drunken fool who remained too infatuated with the memory of [[Lyanna Stark]] to give her a second glance. The only people she can truly be said to love are her twin brother [[Jaime Lannister|Jaime]], with whom she has carried on an incestuous relationship since their adolescence, and her children (all of whom carry the surname Baratheon, but were in fact fathered by Jaime). However, she seems to love Jaime and the children more as extensions of herself than anything else, and can turn on them suddenly: while she protects her children fiercely from any others who would harm them, she provides them with little in the way of sound guidance or consistent discipline, and can react abusively when they defy or disappoint her.

Cersei is a strikingly beautiful woman with classic [[House Lannister|Lannister]] looks: blonde hair, brilliant green eyes, fair skin, and a slender, graceful figure. However, time and motherhood are beginning to take their toll on her body, and as of ''A Feast for Crows'' she has begun to gain weight as a result of alcohol abuse. Like many other characters in the series, she occasionally has dreams that seem to be prophetic.

==History==
Cersei is technically her parents' oldest child, although her twin [[Jaime Lannister|Jaime]] was born mere moments later, clutching her heel. The twins were nine years old when their brother [[Tyrion Lannister|Tyrion]] was born, killing [[Joanna Lannister|their mother]] and causing [[Tywin Lannister|their father]] to become cold and bitter.

Cersei has been haunted since childhood by a prophecy made by a wise woman, [[Maggy the Frog]], who was reputed to have magical powers. The woman correctly predicted Cersei's marriage and mutual infidelity with a king. She went on to prophesy that Cersei would outlive all her children, who would die as kings and queens, and that once everything she had was taken away by a younger and more beautiful queen, the ''valonqar'' ([[High Valyrian]] for “little brother”) would come to end her life. Young Cersei was so terrified by this prophecy that she murdered her friend [[Melara Hetherspoon]], who had been present, shortly afterward to prevent her from speaking of it. She has always identified the ''valonqar'' as Tyrion, and eventually comes to worry that [[Margaery Tyrell]] might be the younger and more beautiful queen.{{Ref|aFfC|24}}

When Cersei was a girl, her father promised her that she would marry [[Rhaegar Targaryen|Prince Rhaegar]], and would one day become queen. She was delighted by this, and became infatuated with Rhaegar upon their first meeting. However, [[Aerys II Targaryen|King Aerys]] rebuffed Tywin's offer, later marrying Rhaegar to [[Elia Martell]].

Cersei and Jaime experimented sexually with one another during childhood. At one point they were discovered by a servant, and their mother moved their rooms to separate sides of the castle in an attempt to prevent such behavior.{{Ref|aSoS|21}} Later, Cersei was taken to [[King's Landing]] with her father, then [[Hand of the King]]. She missed Jaime, and was jealous of Tywin's proposal to marry him to [[Lysa Tully]]. When Jaime visited King's Landing after being [[Knighthood|knighted]], she seduced him and persuaded him to join the [[Kingsguard]], which would require that he remain unmarried and live near her in King's Landing. Cersei orchestrated the arrangements behind the scenes over the course of the next month, but although she was successful in securing Jaime's place in the Kingsguard, her plan backfired. Unbeknownst to her, tensions had been growing in Lord Tywin's relationship with the king, and he perceived Jaime's acceptance into the Kingsguard as a slight intended to rob him of his heir. Furious, he resigned as Hand and moved back to [[Casterly Rock]] with Cersei, separating the twins once more.{{Ref|aSoS|11}}

Shortly after the conclusion of [[Robert's Rebellion]], a marriage was arranged between Cersei and [[Robert Baratheon|the new king]] in order to seal [[House Baratheon|the royal house]]'s alliance with [[House Lannister]]. She was at first enthralled by the happy crowds at the royal wedding, but her enthusiasm for the match ended abruptly when Robert called her “[[Lyanna Stark|Lyanna]]” during their first night together. The marriage rapidly deteriorated, and Cersei resumed her incestuous relationship with Jaime. She bore him three children ([[Joffrey Baratheon|Joffrey]], [[Myrcella Baratheon|Myrcella]] and [[Tommen Baratheon|Tommen]]), all of whom she successfully passed off as the king's trueborn heirs. Having grown to hate Robert, she took care to ensure he did not impregnate her, and would later reveal to [[Eddard Stark]] that she [[moon tea|aborted]] a pregnancy fathered by him early in their marriage.{{Ref|aGoT|45}}

The true parentage of Cersei's children remained a closely guarded secret until [[Stannis Baratheon]], who was familiar with the appearance of his brother's bastard offspring, grew suspicious of the royal children's lack of resemblance to their supposed father. He confided in then-Hand of the King [[Jon Arryn]], and the two investigated the matter together. Arryn was killed by [[Tears of Lys|poison]] before he could act on their discoveries, prompting Stannis to flee King's Landing. However, their activities would leave behind a trail of clues for others to follow.

==Recent Events==
===A Game of Thrones===

After the death of [[Jon Arryn]], Cersei accompanies her husband, King [[Robert Baratheon]], to [[Winterfell]]. When [[Robert Baratheon|Robert]] and most of the castle go on a hunting trip, Cersei remains behind, as does her brother Ser [[Jaime Lannister|Jaime]]. The two are caught having sex by [[Bran Stark]], and when Cersei insists that they must do something to prevent the boy from telling anyone, Jaime immediately pushes him off a tower.{{Ref|aGoT|8}} She later berates Jaime for his impulsiveness, arguing that attempting to kill the boy was foolish when they could have simply intimidated him into silence.

While the royal procession travels back to [[King's Landing]], [[Joffrey Baratheon|Prince Joffrey]] bullies a common boy, [[Mycah]], prompting [[Arya Stark]] and [[Nymeria (direwolf)|her direwolf]] to attack and disarm him. Joffrey tells his parents that Arya and her wolf attacked him without provocation. Cersei takes his side and argues that the girl should lose a hand in accordance with the ancient penalty for striking a prince of royal blood, while the animal should be killed. Robert refuses to allow her to have Arya maimed, and the girl's direwolf cannot be found, but Cersei successfully pressures him into ordering the execution of [[Lady (direwolf)|another direwolf]] as a proxy.{{Ref|aGoT|16}}

Having appointed [[Eddard Stark]] Jon Arryn's replacement as [[Hand of the King]], Robert orders [[Tourney of the Hand|a great tourney]] held in honor of the new Hand. Cersei forbids Robert from fighting in the melee, inciting a public argument between king and queen. Robert intends to fight anyway, but Eddard and [[Barristan Selmy|Ser Barristan]] succeed in dissuading him. Later, [[Varys]] claims that Cersei had known publicly forbidding Robert from participating in the melee was the most effective way of convincing him to do so, and had been planning to have him "accidentally" killed in the melee. He also suggests that Ser [[Hugh]] of the Vale, who had been killed by Ser [[Gregor Clegane]] earlier in the tournament, could have poisoned Jon Arryn at the Lannisters' instigation, only to have them arrange his death in order to ensure his silence afterward.{{Ref|aGoT|30}}

When [[Tyrion Lannister|Tyrion]] is abducted by [[Catelyn Stark]], Cersei argues with Robert, insulting his manhood for his failure to immediately avenge the insult to her family. The king strikes her in response, but Cersei tells him she intends to wear the bruise "as a badge of honor." Eddard Stark, who is present, does not approve of his friend's action; Robert admits that it was "not kingly," but blames Cersei for provoking him. Eddard, who has been appointed the [[Hand of the King]], investigates Jon Arryn's death and discovers the truth about the royal children's parentage. He confronts Cersei, and she admits that his accusation is true. She promises to make it worth his while if Eddard allies with her and keeps her secret, but he refuses. Not wanting to see the children harmed, however, Eddard warns her that he intends to tell Robert the truth and urges her to flee with the princes and princess. Cersei's reply is:{{Ref|aGoT|45}}

{{Quote|"When you play the Game of Thrones, you win or you die. There is no middle ground."}}

She instead uses the time to arrange a hunting "accident" for Robert. She provides his squire [[Lancel Lannister|Lancel]], one of her lovers, with fortified strongwine, telling him it is Robert's favorite vintage. Lancel serves it to the king during the hunt, and as the wine is far stronger than Robert expects, he becomes drunk and is fatally injured by a boar. On his deathbed Robert names Eddard Stark regent until his 13-year-old heir Joffrey comes of age, but the morning after Robert's death, Cersei seizes power, denouncing Lord Eddard as a traitor who conspired against King Joffrey. She has Eddard imprisoned and is named Queen Regent, heading Joffrey's [[small council]].{{Ref|aGoT|49}}

Cersei intends to have Eddard convicted of treason but allowed to [[Night's Watch#Recruitment|take the black]], thus discrediting him and removing him as a factor in the political arena without antagonizing [[the North]]. She arranges a public confession for him on the steps of the [[Great Sept of Baelor]], assuring the [[High Septon]] that he will be offered forgiveness and the holy ground will not be profaned with blood. However, she underestimates Joffrey's willfulness and taste for cruelty. He foolishly ignores her advice and instead orders Lord Stark's immediate execution. [[Janos Slynt]] and Ser [[Ilyn Payne]] carry out the king's imprudent command before Cersei can intervene, deeply offending [[Faith of the Seven|the Faith]] and rendering peace between [[House Stark|Stark]] and [[House Lannister|Lannister]] impossible.{{Ref|aGoT|65}}

===A Clash of Kings===

To end the foolish edicts made by [[Joffrey Baratheon|King Joffrey]] and Cersei, [[Tywin Lannister|Tywin]] promptly puts [[Tyrion Lannister|Tyrion]] in the position of [[Hand of the King]] until he can claim the seat himself. When Tyrion arrives in King's Landing, bearing a letter from their father naming him Hand of the King, Cersei nearly has him thrown in the dungeon before he placates her by saying he could rescue Jaime.{{Ref|aCoK|3}} As Hand, Tyrion struggles to wrest control from her, finally resorting to poisoning her to ger her out of the way for a few days. He nullifies most of Cersei's decisions, recalling the Gold Cloaks who are killing off Robert's bastards at her behest.

In Jaime's absence, Cersei begins taking other lovers into her bed.{{Ref|aCoK|29}} After Tyrion sends away her [[Vylarr|personal guard]], she tries to employ three sellswords to replace them - [[Osney Kettleblack|Osney]], [[Osmund Kettleblack|Osmund]] and [[Osfryd Kettleblack]] - but Tyrion finds out and buys their loyalty.{{Ref|aCoK|41}} The Kettleblacks are actually loyal to Petyr Baelish, but neither Cersei nor Tyrion figure this out.

Tyrion sends off Princess Myrcella to [[Sunspear]] in an effort to win over the [[House Martell|Martells]]. Before doing so, his counter intelligence methods mean that Cersei's agent, Grand Maester [[Pycelle]], is no longer a useful source against him. After Myrcella is sent off, Cersei is among those who is caught up in the [[Riot of King's Landing]] provoked by a thoughtless comment she makes to King Joffrey about a dead baby. Jaime later wonders if [[Varys]] had advance knowledge of the riot, since he wasn't there for it.

As King [[Stannis Baratheon]] moves on [[King's Landing]], Cersei decided to get her son Tommen out of the city for safety, but Tyrion's men intercept the party and take Tommen into his custody. Fed up with Tyrion's efforts to rule, Cersei had [[Alayaya]], a whore she believed Tyrion was sleeping with, arrested and beaten, and used her as a hostage in return for Tommen's safe return. She also removes Ser [[Boros Blount]] from the [[Kingsguard]] for his failure to resist Tyrion's men, although removing the cowardly Blount from the [[Kingsguard]] was considered one of her few wiser decision she replaces him with [[Osmund Kettleblack]] a man just as hollow {{Ref|aCoK|54}}.

As the [[Battle of the Blackwater|battle for King's Landing]] begins, Cersei hosts a banquet for all the noblewomen in the [[Red Keep]] in an effort to keep their minds off the fighting, she says, but she invites Ser Ilyn the headman to be on hand to kill them off if the city is taken, to prevent them from becoming hostages. When she hears that the [[River Gate|Mud Gate]] is under attack, she has Joffrey summoned back to the Red Keep.{{Ref|aCoK|60}} Seeing the king flee back to the castle damaged morale and caused the men to rout, nearly costing her the city. This outrages [[Lancel Lannister]], who feels they could have held the gates if Cersei hadn't recalled the King.{{Ref|aCoK|62}} If not for the timely arrival and attack on [[Stannis Baratheon|Stannis]]'s flank by the army of Tywin Lannister and [[Mace Tyrell]], the battle would have been lost for the Lannisters.{{Ref|aCoK|65}} Due to Tyrion's wounds, she is able to lie to her father and turn her father's prejudice against Tyrion to her advantage, all but completely stripping Tyrion's power from him by the time her brother's convalescence is over.

===A Storm of Swords===

[[Tywin Lannister|Tywin]] bends Cersei to his will and later makes it clear she is no longer wanted on the [[small council|council]] and plans to marry her off again, either to [[Willas Tyrell]], [[Balon Greyjoy]] (whose wife was elderly and had failing health) or [[Oberyn Martell]]. After Joffrey offends Tywin through his ungracious behaviour, Tywin is furious and asks where the boy could have learnt such amoral sentiments. Cersei tries to place the blame on Robert but it is clear to all in the room, including Kevan, that it is Cersei's belief system too {{Ref|aSoS|19}}. Joff is killed at his own wedding feast and Cersei accuses her brother [[Tyrion Lannister|Tyrion]] and his wife, [[Sansa Stark]], falsely believing them responsible {{Ref|aSoS|60}}. Cersei names Ser [[Gregor Clegane]] champion if there is to be a trial by combat. This move, however, leads [[Oberyn Martell]], whose sister was murdered by Gregor over a dozen years ago, to champion Tyrion {{Ref|aSoS|66}}. Oberyn is killed in the duel, and Ser Gregor is fatally wounded {{Ref|aSoS|70}}.

===A Feast for Crows===
[[File:Skirts and dignity by cabepfir.jpg|thumb|300px|Cersei framed [[Margaery Tyrell]] leading to her arrest]]

When her father [[Tywin Lannister|Tywin]] is murdered, the checks on her claim to power are cleared. She resumes her position as [[Regent]] over her son, the eight-year-old King [[Tommen Baratheon|Tommen]], who is entirely obedient to her will. As the eldest child of Tywin, she is also acknowledged as the Lady of [[Casterly Rock]] by her uncle [[Kevan Lannister|Kevan]]. Thus empowered and unrestricted, Cersei feels she has the opportunity to prove herself an even better ruler than her father. She begins her new regime by filling all of the positions on Tommen's [[small council]] with her own supporters and agents, disregarding the previous arrangements made by Tywin and the well-meant, if blunt, advice from Kevan. She becomes a restless sleeper, troubled by nightmares of the Imp and the Iron Throne consuming her. {{Ref|aFfC|3}}

Cersei grows to suspect that her powerful [[House Tyrell|Tyrell]] allies, now relatives through Tommen's marriage to [[Margaery Tyrell|Margaery]], are trying to seize control of the kingdom. This suspicion grows from a Tyrell coin found by Maester [[Qyburn]] in the dungeon where Tyrion was being held before his escape{{Ref|aFfC|7}}. Since the reader knows the Tyrells had nothing to do with Tyrion's escape, the coin was likely planted by someone else - i.e., [[Varys]] - in the hopes of spreading discord in the Tyrell/Lannister alliance. If so, the plot seems to have worked, as Cersei commences a campaign of intrigue to remove all the Tyrells in [[King's Landing]] from positions of influence and authority, including her son's wife, [[Margaery Tyrell|Margaery]], and Ser [[Loras Tyrell|Loras]], a member of the [[Kingsguard]].{{Ref|aFfC|24}}
She befriends [[Taena Merryweather]] who informs Cersei that her maid [[Senelle]] is spying on her for Margaery. This leads Senelle to be given over to Qyburn for his twisted experiments. Taena becomes her bedwarmer and confidant.

Cersei's paranoia alienates [[Jaime Lannister|Jaime]], who abandons her to her political machinations.{{Ref|aFfC|8}} She refuses to honor the debts owed by the Crown, angering powerful institutions such as the [[Iron Bank of Braavos]] and the [[Faith of the Seven]].{{Ref|aFfC|17}} This results in the Faith refusing to bless King Tommen, and the Iron Bank calling in all their debts throughout [[Westeros]] and refusing all new loans.{{Ref|aFfC|28}} This causes economic chaos throughout the [[Seven Kingdoms]]. With the monies owed, Cersei constructs a new royal fleet of warships and gives command to [[Aurane Waters]], the Bastard of [[Driftmark]] and a sellsail of questionable expertise and loyalty.{{Ref|aFfC|17}} In an attempt to alleviate the crown's debts, gain the Faith's blessing, and gain more protection from her purported enemies, she allows the new [[High Septon]] (known as the [[High Sparrow]]) to revive the Faith Militant, ignorant of its history of [[Faith Militant uprising|causing trouble]] for monarchs.{{Ref|aFfC|28}} She also takes the disgraced former [[maester]] Qyburn into her service, using him as a torturer, and allowing him to conduct immoral experiments on human subjects.{{Ref|aFfC|7}} She also begins drinking heavily. She tries to manipulate [[Falyse Stokeworth]] and her husband into killing Tyrion's friend, the sellsword Bronn, who was knighted and married off to simple [[Lollys Stokeworth]] to pry him away from Tyrion. The plan goes horribly wrong however when Falyse's husband foolishly challenges Bronn to single combat, Falyse flees to Kings Landing to report that Bronn has killed her husband in a duel. Cersei responds by sending Falyse to Qyburn so nothing is found out about her machinations. Cersei's difficulty coping with the pressure of ruling lead to her beginning to drink heavily (something she often loathed her late husband [[Robert Baratheon|Robert]] for) and begins to gain weight due to this but instead of realizing this blames the washer women for shrinking her gowns.

Cersei plans a plot to frame [[Margaery Tyrell]] for adultery and treason,and after seducing [[Osney Kettleblack]] has him falsely confess to the new High Septon that he had intercourse with Margaery and two of her three cousins. The High Septon acts on the information and has Margaery arrested when she visits the Sept. Cersei feigns concern publicly and visits the High Sept in order to appear to the population that she wishes Margaery released where in actual fact she does everything in her power to make sure Margaery will be found guilty.

However all of Cersei plans to remove the Tyrell influence at court backfire when the High Sparrow arrests her for several crimes, including the murder of the previous High Septon. The High Septon was suspicious of the confession of [[Osney Kettleblack]] and had him tortured till Osney revealed the actual truth. Her own ministers seize control of the government while she awaits trial in the [[Great Sept of Baelor]]. They recall her uncle Kevan to fill her position as [[Regent]], while her new [[Master of Ships|Lord Admiral]], [[Aurane Waters]] absconds with the costly new fleet. Accused of capital crimes, her only hope lies in a [[Kingsguard]] champion to stand for her in a trial by combat. She sends an emotional summons to Jaime, which he burns and to which he does not reply.{{Ref|aFfC|43}}

===A Dance with Dragons===

Cersei still remains a prisoner of the Faith. To try and gain access to visitors, Cersei decides to confess to the High Septon that she did have relations with her cousin [[Lancel Lannister]] and all three of the [[House Kettleblack|Kettleblack]] brothers, knowing that such sins would not earn her an execution. She continues to deny having ordered [[Osney Kettleblack]] to kill the previous High Septon, or that she was involved in King [[Robert Baratheon|Robert]]'s death. The High Septon agrees to allow her one visitor a day. Cersei then learns about [[Myrcella Baratheon|Myrcella]]'s injury and of [[Arys Oakheart]]'s death, which leaves a vacancy in the Kingsguard. Cersei then sends word to [[Qyburn|Lord Qyburn]] that the time has come.{{Ref|ADWD|54}}

Before her trial, the Faith requires Cersei to submit to a penance walk from the Great Sept of Baelor to the [[Red Keep]]. Cersei is shaved of hair from her entire body, then stripped naked. An escort of [[Warrior's Sons]], [[Poor Fellows]], and several septas protect her from the leering and jeering crowds that flocked to see her shame. Cersei breaks down in tears just before finishing and entering the Keep. Upon her entrance, [[Jocelyn Swyft]] has her body covered. Cersei is then carried into the castle by a silent eight-foot-tall knight covered head to heel in thick enamelled white plate, with a great helm concealing his face. [[Qyburn]] then appears and introduces Cersei to the newest member of the [[Kingsguard]], "Ser [[Robert Strong]]," her champion.{{Ref|ADWD|65}}

Cersei dines with her uncle, [[Kevan Lannister|Ser Kevan]], on the night of his death. She requests that Lady [[Taena Merryweather]] attend again her once her innocence is proved. When Kevan has no news of Jaime, Cersei seems certain of his safety. She believes that if he were dead, she would know it.{{Ref|ADWD|Epilogue}}

==Quotes about Cersei==
{{Quote|Cersie is as gentle as [[Maegor I|King Maegor]], as selfless as [[Aegon IV|Aegon the Unworthy]], as wise as [[Aerys II|Mad Aerys]]. She never forgets a slight, real or imagined. She takes caution for cowardice and dissent for defiance. And she is greedy. Greedy for power, for honour, for love.}} [[Tyrion Lannister|Tyrion]], on his sister, to [[Young Griff]]

{{Quote|His Sister liked to think of herself as Lord [[Tywin Lannister|Tywin]] with teats, but she was wrong. Their father had been as relentless and implacable as a glacier, where Cersei was all wildfire, especially when thwarted...She does not lack for wits but she has no judgement, and no patience.}} [[Jaime Lannister]], on his sisters leadership skills.

{{Quote|She's been fucking [[Lancel Lannister|Lancel]] and [[Osmund Kettleblack]] and probably [[Moon Boy]] for all I know.}} Tyrion to Jaime.

==Family==
{{Lannister tree}}

==References and Notes==
{{references|3|refs=
<ref name=HBO>[http://www.hbo.com/game-of-thrones/index.html#/game-of-thrones/cast-and-crew.html/eNrjcmbOYC5kzlfPz0lxzEvMqSzJTA5ITE-1S8xN1SzLTEnNh4k65+eVpFaUsEknlpbkF+QkVtqWFJWmcjIysgEhAGCyFzg= HBO: Game of Thrones: cast and crew]</ref>
}}

{{POV Characters}}
{{Template:Royal consorts of Westeros}}


[[Category:House Lannister]]
[[Category:Noblewomen|Lannister, Cersei]]
[[Category:Characters from the Westerlands|Lannister, Cersei]]
[[Category:Members of the Small council|Lannister, Cersei]]
[[Category:POV characters|Lannister, Cersei]]


[[fr:Cersei Lannister]]
[[ru:Серсея Ланнистер]]
[[Zh:瑟曦·兰尼斯特]]
[[pt:Cersei Lannister]]
[[es:Cersei Lannister]]

Cersei Lannister

2012-07-24T21:48:54Z

Penelope:

{{Infobox character
| Character_name = [[File:House Lannister.png|50px|left]][[File:House Baratheon.PNG|50px|right]] '''Cersei Lannister'''
| image = [[Image:Cersei.jpg|300px]]
| image_caption = by [http://en.amokanet.ru/gallery/martin/ Amoka©]
| Alias = Light of the West
| Title = Queen Dowager Protector of the Realm Lady of Casterly Rock [[Regent|Queen Regent]]
| Allegiance = [[House Lannister]]
| Race =
| Culture = [[Westerlands]]
| Spouse = [[Robert Baratheon]] (deceased)
| Place_of_Birth = [[Casterly Rock]]
| Date_of_Birth = {{Date|266}}
| Place_of_Death =
| Date_of_Death =
| Books = [[A Game of Thrones]] (Appears) [[A Clash of Kings]] (Appears) [[A Storm of Swords]] (Appears) [[A Feast for Crows]] (POV) [[A Dance with Dragons]] (POV)
| coat-of-arms =
| Played_by = [[List of actors of the televised series#Lena Heady,Cersei Lannister|Lena Heady]]<ref name=HBO/>
| TV_series = [[Game of Thrones - Season 1|Season 1]] {{!}} [[Game of Thrones - Season 2|Season 2]]
}}
[[File:Cersei lannister by teiiku.jpg|thumb|300px|Young beautiful queen Cersei, in her chambers. Art by TeiIku©]]
[[File:Cersei Robert.jpg|thumb|300px|Cersei and her husband King [[Robert Baratheon]]]]
[[File:Cersei and jaime Lannister.jpg|thumb|300px|Cersei and [[Jaime Lannister|Jaime's]] relationship.]]
[[File:Cersei Joffrey Sansa Eddard beheading.jpg|thumb|300px|Cersei, Joffrey and Sansa at Eddard Stark's beheading]]

'''Cersei Lannister''' is the eldest child of [[Tywin Lannister|Tywin]] and [[Joanna Lannister]] by mere moments, and the twin sister of [[Jaime Lannister]]. After [[Robert's Rebellion]] she married the new king, [[Robert Baratheon]], and became Queen of the [[Seven Kingdoms]]; she is the mother of [[Joffrey Baratheon|Joffrey]], [[Myrcella Baratheon|Myrcella]], and [[Tommen Baratheon]]. She becomes a [[POV Character]] in [[A Feast for Crows]]. In the [[Game of Thrones|TV series]] she is played by Lena Headey.<ref name=HBO/>

==Character and Appearance==

Cersei is profoundly narcissistic, ruthless, treacherous, ambitious, and cruel. She will stop at nothing to achieve power and prestige for herself and her children, and shows little or no regard for others. She is filled with bitterness over past injustices she has suffered, particularly her loveless marriage with [[Robert Baratheon]]. She resents the restrictions that the patriarchal culture of [[Westeros]] has placed on her because of her gender, yet she seems to have internalized a great deal of this sexism; Cersei hates women, viewing them as weak and contemptible, but believes herself to be an exception.{{Ref|aGoT|67}} Rather than openly rebelling against Westerosi gender roles, she plots to gain power through political intrigue.

Early in the series, Cersei displays some real cunning in handling the political turmoil and intrigues surrounding the death of King Robert and the outbreak of the [[War of the Five Kings]]. As the series progresses, however, the more power Cersei obtains, the more she proves herself to be incompetent at handling it; although she has spent most of her life scheming to gain power, she seems to have little idea of what to do with it once she has it. Her quick temper and her easily wounded pride frequently lead her to make rash decisions, and she rarely considers what unintended consequences her actions might have. She lacks the patience for dealing with the tedious yet vital details of administration, and increasingly tends to avoid facing unpleasant facts, surrounding herself with sycophants rather than honest and competent advisers; ironically, despite her contempt for Robert's hedonistic lifestyle and physical deterioration, she is unconsciously coming to mimic his habit of overindulging in food, alcohol and sex as distractions from the pressures of leadership. Although she shares [[Tywin Lannister|her father]]'s philosophy of ruling through fear rather than love, she lacks his ability to temper ruthlessness with caution, pragmatism, and sound, objective judgment.

Cersei's feelings toward her father are complex; she resents him for marrying her off to Robert Baratheon and for never granting her as much power and respect as she craved, but also admires and seeks to emulate his brutal effectiveness as a politician. She has loathed her younger brother [[Tyrion Lannister|Tyrion]] ever since his birth killed [[Joanna Lannister|their mother]]. Although once optimistic about her royal marriage to Robert Baratheon, she quickly grew to despise him as a drunken fool who remained too infatuated with the memory of [[Lyanna Stark]] to give her a second glance. The only people she can truly be said to love are her twin brother [[Jaime Lannister|Jaime]], with whom she has carried on an incestuous relationship since their adolescence, and her children (all of whom carry the surname Baratheon, but were in fact fathered by Jaime). However, she seems to love Jaime and the children more as extensions of herself than anything else, and can turn on them suddenly: while she protects her children fiercely from any others who would harm them, she provides them with little in the way of sound guidance or consistent discipline, and can react abusively when they defy or disappoint her.

Cersei is a strikingly beautiful woman with classic [[House Lannister|Lannister]] looks: blonde hair, brilliant green eyes, fair skin, and a slender, graceful figure. However, time and motherhood are beginning to take their toll on her body, and as of ''A Feast for Crows'' she has begun to gain weight as a result of alcohol abuse. Like many other characters in the series, she occasionally has dreams that seem to be prophetic.

==History==
Cersei is technically her parents' oldest child, although her twin [[Jaime Lannister|Jaime]] was born mere moments later, clutching her heel. The twins were nine years old when their brother [[Tyrion Lannister|Tyrion]] was born, killing [[Joanna Lannister|their mother]] and causing [[Tywin Lannister|their father]] to become cold and bitter.

Cersei has been haunted since childhood by a prophecy made by a wise woman, [[Maggy the Frog]], who was reputed to have magical powers. The woman correctly predicted Cersei's marriage and mutual infidelity with a king. She went on to prophesy that Cersei would outlive all her children, who would die as kings and queens, and that once everything she had was taken away by a younger and more beautiful queen, the ''valonqar'' ([[High Valyrian]] for “little brother”) would come to end her life. Young Cersei was so terrified by this prophecy that she murdered her friend [[Melara Hetherspoon]], who had been present, shortly afterward to prevent her from speaking of it. She has always identified the ''valonqar'' as Tyrion, and eventually comes to worry that [[Margaery Tyrell]] might be the younger and more beautiful queen.{{Ref|aFfC|24}}

When Cersei was a girl, her father promised her that she would marry [[Rhaegar Targaryen|Prince Rhaegar]], and would one day become queen. She was delighted by this, and became infatuated with Rhaegar upon their first meeting. However, [[Aerys II Targaryen|King Aerys]] rebuffed Tywin's offer, later marrying Rhaegar to [[Elia Martell]].

Cersei and Jaime experimented sexually with one another during childhood. At one point they were discovered by a servant, and their mother moved their rooms to separate sides of the castle in an attempt to prevent such behavior.{{Ref|aSoS|21}} Later, Cersei was taken to [[King's Landing]] with her father, then [[Hand of the King]]. She missed Jaime, and was jealous of Tywin's proposal to marry him to [[Lysa Tully]]. When Jaime visited King's Landing after being [[Knighthood|knighted]], she seduced him and persuaded him to join the [[Kingsguard]], which would require that he remain unmarried and live near her in King's Landing. Cersei orchestrated the arrangements behind the scenes over the course of the next month, but although she was successful in securing Jaime's place in the Kingsguard, her plan backfired. Unbeknownst to her, tensions had been growing in Tywin's relationship with the king, and he perceived Jaime's acceptance into the Kingsguard as a slight intended to rob him of his heir. Furious, Tywin resigned as Hand and moved back to [[Casterly Rock]], separating the twins once more.{{Ref|aSoS|11}}

Shortly after the conclusion of [[Robert's Rebellion]], a marriage was arranged between Cersei and [[Robert Baratheon|the new king]] in order to seal [[House Baratheon|the royal house]]'s alliance with [[House Lannister]]. She was at first enthralled by the happy crowds at the royal wedding, but her enthusiasm for the match ended abruptly when Robert called her “[[Lyanna Stark|Lyanna]]” during their first night together. The marriage rapidly deteriorated, and Cersei resumed her incestuous relationship with Jaime, bearing three children ([[Joffrey Baratheon|Joffrey]], [[Myrcella Baratheon|Myrcella]] and [[Tommen Baratheon|Tommen]]) of his and successfully passing them off as Robert's offspring. Having grown to hate Robert, she took care to ensure he did not impregnate her, and would later reveal to [[Eddard Stark]] that she [[moon tea|aborted]] a pregnancy fathered by him early in their marriage.{{Ref|aGoT|45}}

The true parentage of Cersei's children remained a closely guarded secret until [[Stannis Baratheon]], who was familiar with the appearance of his brother's bastard offspring, grew suspicious of the royal children's Lannister looks. He confided in then-Hand of the King [[Jon Arryn]], and the two investigated the matter together. Arryn was killed by [[Tears of Lys|poison]] before he could act on their discoveries, prompting Stannis to flee King's Landing. However, their activities would leave behind a trail of clues for others to follow.

==Recent Events==
===A Game of Thrones===

After the death of [[Jon Arryn]], Cersei accompanies her husband, King [[Robert Baratheon]], to [[Winterfell]]. When [[Robert Baratheon|Robert]] and most of the castle go on a hunting trip, Cersei remains behind, as does her brother Ser [[Jaime Lannister|Jaime]]. The two are caught having sex by [[Bran Stark]], and when Cersei insists that they must do something to prevent the boy from telling anyone, Jaime immediately pushes him off a tower.{{Ref|aGoT|8}} She later berates Jaime for his impulsiveness, arguing that attempting to kill the boy was foolish when they could have simply intimidated him into silence.

While the royal procession travels back to [[King's Landing]], [[Joffrey Baratheon|Prince Joffrey]] bullies a common boy, [[Mycah]], prompting [[Arya Stark]] and [[Nymeria (direwolf)|her direwolf]] to attack and disarm him. Joffrey tells his parents that Arya and her wolf attacked him without provocation. Cersei takes his side and argues that the girl should lose a hand in accordance with the ancient penalty for striking a prince of royal blood, while the animal should be killed. Robert refuses to allow her to have Arya maimed, and the girl's direwolf cannot be found, but Cersei successfully pressures him into ordering the execution of [[Lady (direwolf)|another direwolf]] as a proxy.{{Ref|aGoT|16}}

Having appointed [[Eddard Stark]] Jon Arryn's replacement as [[Hand of the King]], Robert orders [[Tourney of the Hand|a great tourney]] held in honor of the new Hand. Cersei forbids Robert from fighting in the melee, inciting a public argument between king and queen. Robert intends to fight anyway, but Eddard and [[Barristan Selmy|Ser Barristan]] succeed in dissuading him. Later, [[Varys]] claims that Cersei had known publicly forbidding Robert from participating in the melee was the most effective way of convincing him to do so, and had been planning to have him "accidentally" killed in the melee. He also suggests that Ser [[Hugh]] of the Vale, who had been killed by Ser [[Gregor Clegane]] earlier in the tournament, could have poisoned Jon Arryn at the Lannisters' instigation, only to have them arrange his death in order to ensure his silence afterward.{{Ref|aGoT|30}}

When [[Tyrion Lannister|Tyrion]] is abducted by [[Catelyn Stark]], Cersei argues with Robert, insulting his manhood for his failure to immediately avenge the insult to her family. The king strikes her in response, but Cersei tells him she intends to wear the bruise "as a badge of honor." Eddard Stark, who is present, does not approve of his friend's action; Robert admits that it was "not kingly," but blames Cersei for provoking him. Eddard, who has been appointed the [[Hand of the King]], investigates Jon Arryn's death and discovers the truth about the royal children's parentage. He confronts Cersei, and she admits that his accusation is true. She promises to make it worth his while if Eddard allies with her and keeps her secret, but he refuses. Not wanting to see the children harmed, however, Eddard warns her that he intends to tell Robert the truth and urges her to flee with the princes and princess. Cersei's reply is:{{Ref|aGoT|45}}

{{Quote|"When you play the Game of Thrones, you win or you die. There is no middle ground."}}

She instead uses the time to arrange a hunting "accident" for Robert. She provides his squire [[Lancel Lannister|Lancel]], one of her lovers, with fortified strongwine, telling him it is Robert's favorite vintage. Lancel serves it to the king during the hunt, and as the wine is far stronger than Robert expects, he becomes drunk and is fatally injured by a boar. On his deathbed Robert names Eddard Stark regent until his 13-year-old heir Joffrey comes of age, but the morning after Robert's death, Cersei seizes power, denouncing Lord Eddard as a traitor who conspired against King Joffrey. She has Eddard imprisoned and is named Queen Regent, heading Joffrey's [[small council]].{{Ref|aGoT|49}}

Cersei intends to have Eddard convicted of treason but allowed to [[Night's Watch#Recruitment|take the black]], thus discrediting him and removing him as a factor in the political arena without antagonizing [[the North]]. She arranges a public confession for him on the steps of the [[Great Sept of Baelor]], assuring the [[High Septon]] that he will be offered forgiveness and the holy ground will not be profaned with blood. However, she underestimates Joffrey's willfulness and taste for cruelty. He foolishly ignores her advice and instead orders Lord Stark's immediate execution. [[Janos Slynt]] and Ser [[Ilyn Payne]] carry out the king's imprudent command before Cersei can intervene, deeply offending [[Faith of the Seven|the Faith]] and rendering peace between [[House Stark|Stark]] and [[House Lannister|Lannister]] impossible.{{Ref|aGoT|65}}

===A Clash of Kings===

To end the foolish edicts made by [[Joffrey Baratheon|King Joffrey]] and Cersei, [[Tywin Lannister|Tywin]] promptly puts [[Tyrion Lannister|Tyrion]] in the position of [[Hand of the King]] until he can claim the seat himself. When Tyrion arrives in King's Landing, bearing a letter from their father naming him Hand of the King, Cersei nearly has him thrown in the dungeon before he placates her by saying he could rescue Jaime.{{Ref|aCoK|3}} As Hand, Tyrion struggles to wrest control from her, finally resorting to poisoning her to ger her out of the way for a few days. He nullifies most of Cersei's decisions, recalling the Gold Cloaks who are killing off Robert's bastards at her behest.

In Jaime's absence, Cersei begins taking other lovers into her bed.{{Ref|aCoK|29}} After Tyrion sends away her [[Vylarr|personal guard]], she tries to employ three sellswords to replace them - [[Osney Kettleblack|Osney]], [[Osmund Kettleblack|Osmund]] and [[Osfryd Kettleblack]] - but Tyrion finds out and buys their loyalty.{{Ref|aCoK|41}} The Kettleblacks are actually loyal to Petyr Baelish, but neither Cersei nor Tyrion figure this out.

Tyrion sends off Princess Myrcella to [[Sunspear]] in an effort to win over the [[House Martell|Martells]]. Before doing so, his counter intelligence methods mean that Cersei's agent, Grand Maester [[Pycelle]], is no longer a useful source against him. After Myrcella is sent off, Cersei is among those who is caught up in the [[Riot of King's Landing]] provoked by a thoughtless comment she makes to King Joffrey about a dead baby. Jaime later wonders if [[Varys]] had advance knowledge of the riot, since he wasn't there for it.

As King [[Stannis Baratheon]] moves on [[King's Landing]], Cersei decided to get her son Tommen out of the city for safety, but Tyrion's men intercept the party and take Tommen into his custody. Fed up with Tyrion's efforts to rule, Cersei had [[Alayaya]], a whore she believed Tyrion was sleeping with, arrested and beaten, and used her as a hostage in return for Tommen's safe return. She also removes Ser [[Boros Blount]] from the [[Kingsguard]] for his failure to resist Tyrion's men, although removing the cowardly Blount from the [[Kingsguard]] was considered one of her few wiser decision she replaces him with [[Osmund Kettleblack]] a man just as hollow {{Ref|aCoK|54}}.

As the [[Battle of the Blackwater|battle for King's Landing]] begins, Cersei hosts a banquet for all the noblewomen in the [[Red Keep]] in an effort to keep their minds off the fighting, she says, but she invites Ser Ilyn the headman to be on hand to kill them off if the city is taken, to prevent them from becoming hostages. When she hears that the [[River Gate|Mud Gate]] is under attack, she has Joffrey summoned back to the Red Keep.{{Ref|aCoK|60}} Seeing the king flee back to the castle damaged morale and caused the men to rout, nearly costing her the city. This outrages [[Lancel Lannister]], who feels they could have held the gates if Cersei hadn't recalled the King.{{Ref|aCoK|62}} If not for the timely arrival and attack on [[Stannis Baratheon|Stannis]]'s flank by the army of Tywin Lannister and [[Mace Tyrell]], the battle would have been lost for the Lannisters.{{Ref|aCoK|65}} Due to Tyrion's wounds, she is able to lie to her father and turn her father's prejudice against Tyrion to her advantage, all but completely stripping Tyrion's power from him by the time her brother's convalescence is over.

===A Storm of Swords===

[[Tywin Lannister|Tywin]] bends Cersei to his will and later makes it clear she is no longer wanted on the [[small council|council]] and plans to marry her off again, either to [[Willas Tyrell]], [[Balon Greyjoy]] (whose wife was elderly and had failing health) or [[Oberyn Martell]]. After Joffrey offends Tywin through his ungracious behaviour, Tywin is furious and asks where the boy could have learnt such amoral sentiments. Cersei tries to place the blame on Robert but it is clear to all in the room, including Kevan, that it is Cersei's belief system too {{Ref|aSoS|19}}. Joff is killed at his own wedding feast and Cersei accuses her brother [[Tyrion Lannister|Tyrion]] and his wife, [[Sansa Stark]], falsely believing them responsible {{Ref|aSoS|60}}. Cersei names Ser [[Gregor Clegane]] champion if there is to be a trial by combat. This move, however, leads [[Oberyn Martell]], whose sister was murdered by Gregor over a dozen years ago, to champion Tyrion {{Ref|aSoS|66}}. Oberyn is killed in the duel, and Ser Gregor is fatally wounded {{Ref|aSoS|70}}.

===A Feast for Crows===
[[File:Skirts and dignity by cabepfir.jpg|thumb|300px|Cersei framed [[Margaery Tyrell]] leading to her arrest]]

When her father [[Tywin Lannister|Tywin]] is murdered, the checks on her claim to power are cleared. She resumes her position as [[Regent]] over her son, the eight-year-old King [[Tommen Baratheon|Tommen]], who is entirely obedient to her will. As the eldest child of Tywin, she is also acknowledged as the Lady of [[Casterly Rock]] by her uncle [[Kevan Lannister|Kevan]]. Thus empowered and unrestricted, Cersei feels she has the opportunity to prove herself an even better ruler than her father. She begins her new regime by filling all of the positions on Tommen's [[small council]] with her own supporters and agents, disregarding the previous arrangements made by Tywin and the well-meant, if blunt, advice from Kevan. She becomes a restless sleeper, troubled by nightmares of the Imp and the Iron Throne consuming her. {{Ref|aFfC|3}}

Cersei grows to suspect that her powerful [[House Tyrell|Tyrell]] allies, now relatives through Tommen's marriage to [[Margaery Tyrell|Margaery]], are trying to seize control of the kingdom. This suspicion grows from a Tyrell coin found by Maester [[Qyburn]] in the dungeon where Tyrion was being held before his escape{{Ref|aFfC|7}}. Since the reader knows the Tyrells had nothing to do with Tyrion's escape, the coin was likely planted by someone else - i.e., [[Varys]] - in the hopes of spreading discord in the Tyrell/Lannister alliance. If so, the plot seems to have worked, as Cersei commences a campaign of intrigue to remove all the Tyrells in [[King's Landing]] from positions of influence and authority, including her son's wife, [[Margaery Tyrell|Margaery]], and Ser [[Loras Tyrell|Loras]], a member of the [[Kingsguard]].{{Ref|aFfC|24}}
She befriends [[Taena Merryweather]] who informs Cersei that her maid [[Senelle]] is spying on her for Margaery. This leads Senelle to be given over to Qyburn for his twisted experiments. Taena becomes her bedwarmer and confidant.

Cersei's paranoia alienates [[Jaime Lannister|Jaime]], who abandons her to her political machinations.{{Ref|aFfC|8}} She refuses to honor the debts owed by the Crown, angering powerful institutions such as the [[Iron Bank of Braavos]] and the [[Faith of the Seven]].{{Ref|aFfC|17}} This results in the Faith refusing to bless King Tommen, and the Iron Bank calling in all their debts throughout [[Westeros]] and refusing all new loans.{{Ref|aFfC|28}} This causes economic chaos throughout the [[Seven Kingdoms]]. With the monies owed, Cersei constructs a new royal fleet of warships and gives command to [[Aurane Waters]], the Bastard of [[Driftmark]] and a sellsail of questionable expertise and loyalty.{{Ref|aFfC|17}} In an attempt to alleviate the crown's debts, gain the Faith's blessing, and gain more protection from her purported enemies, she allows the new [[High Septon]] (known as the [[High Sparrow]]) to revive the Faith Militant, ignorant of its history of [[Faith Militant uprising|causing trouble]] for monarchs.{{Ref|aFfC|28}} She also takes the disgraced former [[maester]] Qyburn into her service, using him as a torturer, and allowing him to conduct immoral experiments on human subjects.{{Ref|aFfC|7}} She also begins drinking heavily. She tries to manipulate [[Falyse Stokeworth]] and her husband into killing Tyrion's friend, the sellsword Bronn, who was knighted and married off to simple [[Lollys Stokeworth]] to pry him away from Tyrion. The plan goes horribly wrong however when Falyse's husband foolishly challenges Bronn to single combat, Falyse flees to Kings Landing to report that Bronn has killed her husband in a duel. Cersei responds by sending Falyse to Qyburn so nothing is found out about her machinations. Cersei's difficulty coping with the pressure of ruling lead to her beginning to drink heavily (something she often loathed her late husband [[Robert Baratheon|Robert]] for) and begins to gain weight due to this but instead of realizing this blames the washer women for shrinking her gowns.

Cersei plans a plot to frame [[Margaery Tyrell]] for adultery and treason,and after seducing [[Osney Kettleblack]] has him falsely confess to the new High Septon that he had intercourse with Margaery and two of her three cousins. The High Septon acts on the information and has Margaery arrested when she visits the Sept. Cersei feigns concern publicly and visits the High Sept in order to appear to the population that she wishes Margaery released where in actual fact she does everything in her power to make sure Margaery will be found guilty.

However all of Cersei plans to remove the Tyrell influence at court backfire when the High Sparrow arrests her for several crimes, including the murder of the previous High Septon. The High Septon was suspicious of the confession of [[Osney Kettleblack]] and had him tortured till Osney revealed the actual truth. Her own ministers seize control of the government while she awaits trial in the [[Great Sept of Baelor]]. They recall her uncle Kevan to fill her position as [[Regent]], while her new [[Master of Ships|Lord Admiral]], [[Aurane Waters]] absconds with the costly new fleet. Accused of capital crimes, her only hope lies in a [[Kingsguard]] champion to stand for her in a trial by combat. She sends an emotional summons to Jaime, which he burns and to which he does not reply.{{Ref|aFfC|43}}

===A Dance with Dragons===

Cersei still remains a prisoner of the Faith. To try and gain access to visitors, Cersei decides to confess to the High Septon that she did have relations with her cousin [[Lancel Lannister]] and all three of the [[House Kettleblack|Kettleblack]] brothers, knowing that such sins would not earn her an execution. She continues to deny having ordered [[Osney Kettleblack]] to kill the previous High Septon, or that she was involved in King [[Robert Baratheon|Robert]]'s death. The High Septon agrees to allow her one visitor a day. Cersei then learns about [[Myrcella Baratheon|Myrcella]]'s injury and of [[Arys Oakheart]]'s death, which leaves a vacancy in the Kingsguard. Cersei then sends word to [[Qyburn|Lord Qyburn]] that the time has come.{{Ref|ADWD|54}}

Before her trial, the Faith requires Cersei to submit to a penance walk from the Great Sept of Baelor to the [[Red Keep]]. Cersei is shaved of hair from her entire body, then stripped naked. An escort of [[Warrior's Sons]], [[Poor Fellows]], and several septas protect her from the leering and jeering crowds that flocked to see her shame. Cersei breaks down in tears just before finishing and entering the Keep. Upon her entrance, [[Jocelyn Swyft]] has her body covered. Cersei is then carried into the castle by a silent eight-foot-tall knight covered head to heel in thick enamelled white plate, with a great helm concealing his face. [[Qyburn]] then appears and introduces Cersei to the newest member of the [[Kingsguard]], "Ser [[Robert Strong]]," her champion.{{Ref|ADWD|65}}

Cersei dines with her uncle, [[Kevan Lannister|Ser Kevan]], on the night of his death. She requests that Lady [[Taena Merryweather]] attend again her once her innocence is proved. When Kevan has no news of Jaime, Cersei seems certain of his safety. She believes that if he were dead, she would know it.{{Ref|ADWD|Epilogue}}

==Quotes about Cersei==
{{Quote|Cersie is as gentle as [[Maegor I|King Maegor]], as selfless as [[Aegon IV|Aegon the Unworthy]], as wise as [[Aerys II|Mad Aerys]]. She never forgets a slight, real or imagined. She takes caution for cowardice and dissent for defiance. And she is greedy. Greedy for power, for honour, for love.}} [[Tyrion Lannister|Tyrion]], on his sister, to [[Young Griff]]

{{Quote|His Sister liked to think of herself as Lord [[Tywin Lannister|Tywin]] with teats, but she was wrong. Their father had been as relentless and implacable as a glacier, where Cersei was all wildfire, especially when thwarted...She does not lack for wits but she has no judgement, and no patience.}} [[Jaime Lannister]], on his sisters leadership skills.

{{Quote|She's been fucking [[Lancel Lannister|Lancel]] and [[Osmund Kettleblack]] and probably [[Moon Boy]] for all I know.}} Tyrion to Jaime.

==Family==
{{Lannister tree}}

==References and Notes==
{{references|3|refs=
<ref name=HBO>[http://www.hbo.com/game-of-thrones/index.html#/game-of-thrones/cast-and-crew.html/eNrjcmbOYC5kzlfPz0lxzEvMqSzJTA5ITE-1S8xN1SzLTEnNh4k65+eVpFaUsEknlpbkF+QkVtqWFJWmcjIysgEhAGCyFzg= HBO: Game of Thrones: cast and crew]</ref>
}}

{{POV Characters}}
{{Template:Royal consorts of Westeros}}


[[Category:House Lannister]]
[[Category:Noblewomen|Lannister, Cersei]]
[[Category:Characters from the Westerlands|Lannister, Cersei]]
[[Category:Members of the Small council|Lannister, Cersei]]
[[Category:POV characters|Lannister, Cersei]]


[[fr:Cersei Lannister]]
[[ru:Серсея Ланнистер]]
[[Zh:瑟曦·兰尼斯特]]
[[pt:Cersei Lannister]]
[[es:Cersei Lannister]]

Cersei Lannister

2012-07-24T20:18:49Z

Penelope:

{{Infobox character
| Character_name = [[File:House Lannister.png|50px|left]][[File:House Baratheon.PNG|50px|right]] '''Cersei Lannister'''
| image = [[Image:Cersei.jpg|300px]]
| image_caption = by [http://en.amokanet.ru/gallery/martin/ Amoka©]
| Alias = Light of the West
| Title = Queen Dowager Protector of the Realm Lady of Casterly Rock [[Regent|Queen Regent]]
| Allegiance = [[House Lannister]]
| Race =
| Culture = [[Westerlands]]
| Spouse = [[Robert Baratheon]] (deceased)
| Place_of_Birth = [[Casterly Rock]]
| Date_of_Birth = {{Date|266}}
| Place_of_Death =
| Date_of_Death =
| Books = [[A Game of Thrones]] (Appears) [[A Clash of Kings]] (Appears) [[A Storm of Swords]] (Appears) [[A Feast for Crows]] (POV) [[A Dance with Dragons]] (POV)
| coat-of-arms =
| Played_by = [[List of actors of the televised series#Lena Heady,Cersei Lannister|Lena Heady]]<ref name=HBO/>
| TV_series = [[Game of Thrones - Season 1|Season 1]] {{!}} [[Game of Thrones - Season 2|Season 2]]
}}
[[File:Cersei lannister by teiiku.jpg|thumb|300px|Young beautiful queen Cersei, in her chambers. Art by TeiIku©]]
[[File:Cersei Robert.jpg|thumb|300px|Cersei and her husband King [[Robert Baratheon]]]]
[[File:Cersei and jaime Lannister.jpg|thumb|300px|Cersei and [[Jaime Lannister|Jaime's]] relationship.]]
[[File:Cersei Joffrey Sansa Eddard beheading.jpg|thumb|300px|Cersei, Joffrey and Sansa at Eddard Stark's beheading]]

'''Cersei Lannister''' is the eldest child of [[Tywin Lannister|Tywin]] and [[Joanna Lannister]] by mere moments, and the twin sister of [[Jaime Lannister]]. After [[Robert's Rebellion]] she married the new king, [[Robert Baratheon]], and became Queen of the [[Seven Kingdoms]]; she is the mother of [[Joffrey Baratheon|Joffrey]], [[Myrcella Baratheon|Myrcella]], and [[Tommen Baratheon]]. She becomes a [[POV Character]] in [[A Feast for Crows]]. In the [[Game of Thrones|TV series]] she is played by Lena Headey.<ref name=HBO/>

==Character and Appearance==

Cersei is profoundly narcissistic, ruthless, treacherous, ambitious, and cruel. She will stop at nothing to achieve power and prestige for herself and her children, and shows little or no regard for others. She is filled with bitterness over past injustices she has suffered, particularly her loveless marriage with [[Robert Baratheon]]. She resents the restrictions that the patriarchal culture of [[Westeros]] has placed on her because of her gender, yet she seems to have internalized a great deal of this sexism; Cersei hates women, viewing them as weak and contemptible, but believes herself to be an exception.{{Ref|aGoT|67}} Rather than openly rebelling against Westerosi gender roles, she plots to gain power through political intrigue.

Early in the series, Cersei displays some real cunning in handling the political turmoil and intrigues surrounding the death of King Robert and the outbreak of the [[War of the Five Kings]]. As the series progresses, however, the more power Cersei obtains, the more she proves herself to be incompetent at handling it; although she has spent most of her life scheming to gain power, she seems to have little idea of what to do with it once she has it. Her quick temper and her easily wounded pride frequently lead her to make rash decisions, and she rarely considers what unintended consequences her actions might have. She lacks the patience for dealing with the tedious yet vital details of administration, and increasingly tends to avoid facing unpleasant facts, surrounding herself with sycophants rather than honest and competent advisers; ironically, despite her contempt for Robert's hedonistic lifestyle and physical deterioration, she is unconsciously coming to mimic his habit of overindulging in food, alcohol and sex as distractions from the pressures of leadership. Although she shares [[Tywin Lannister|her father]]'s philosophy of ruling through fear rather than love, she lacks his ability to temper ruthlessness with caution, pragmatism, and sound, objective judgment.

Cersei's feelings toward her father are complex; she resents him for marrying her off to Robert Baratheon and for never granting her as much power and respect as she craved, but also admires and seeks to emulate his brutal effectiveness as a politician. She has loathed her younger brother [[Tyrion Lannister|Tyrion]] ever since his birth killed [[Joanna Lannister|their mother]]. Although once optimistic about her royal marriage to Robert Baratheon, she quickly grew to despise him as a drunken fool who remained too infatuated with the memory of [[Lyanna Stark]] to give her a second glance. The only people she can truly be said to love are her twin brother [[Jaime Lannister|Jaime]], with whom she has carried on an incestuous relationship since their adolescence, and her children (all of whom carry the surname Baratheon, but were in fact fathered by Jaime). However, she seems to love Jaime and the children more as extensions of herself than anything else, and can turn on them suddenly: while she protects her children fiercely from any others who would harm them, she provides them with little in the way of sound guidance or consistent discipline, and can react abusively when they defy or disappoint her.

Cersei is a strikingly beautiful woman with classic [[House Lannister|Lannister]] looks: blonde hair, brilliant green eyes, fair skin, and a slender, graceful figure. However, time and motherhood are beginning to take their toll on her body, and as of ''A Feast for Crows'' she has begun to gain weight as a result of alcohol abuse. Like many other characters in the series, she occasionally has dreams that seem to be prophetic.

==History==

Cersei has been haunted since childhood by a prophecy given to her by a ''[[maegi]]'', [[Maggy|Maggy the Frog]]. This prophecy correctly predicted the death of the friend who was with her at the time, her unrequited love for [[Rhaegar Targaryen]], and her marriage (and mutual infidelity) with a king. It also predicted that all three of her children would be crowned, but that all three would die before her. Everything that she had would be taken away by a younger and more beautiful queen, and then the ''valonqar'' ([[High Valyrian]] for "little brother") would strangle her to death.{{Ref|aFfC|24}}

Cersei has shared an incestuous relationship with her twin brother Jaime since they were youths.{{Ref|aFfC|3}} When they are discovered by a servant, her mother moves their rooms to separate sides of the castle. When she was a young girl her father, the [[Hand of the King]] [[Tywin Lannister]], once promised her she would wed Prince Rhaegar. Cersei was delighted by this and was infatuated with Rhaegar when she the first met him. But the marriage offer was rebuffed by [[Aerys II Targaryen|Aerys II]]. When her father goes to King's Landing, he takes her with him. She misses Jaime and is jealous of the proposed match between Jaime and [[Lysa Tully]], so when he visits her in [[King's Landing]] she uses sex to manipulate him into joining up to the [[Kingsguard]]. Once he agrees, she orchestrates the arrangements behind the scenes and within a month, Jaime is sworn into the Kingsguard at the [[Tourney of Harrenhal]]. Cersei didn't think the consequences through very well, and Tywin, furious at the loss of his beloved son and heir, resigns his handship under a thin pretext and leaves King's Landing for Casterly Rock and takes her with him so she is again separated from Jaime. However, she is consoled by the fact that Jaime will never be able to marry.

She married [[Robert Baratheon|Robert]] shortly after the conclusion of [[Robert's Rebellion|his rebellion]]; she is enthralled by the happy crowds at her wedding but grew to hate him after he called her "[[Lyanna Stark|Lyanna]]" during intercourse their first night together. Now back in King's Landing, she carried on her incestuous relationship with Jaime during her marriage, and all her three children ([[Joffrey Baratheon|Joffrey]], [[Myrcella Baratheon|Myrcella]], and [[Tommen Baratheon|Tommen]]), were products of this incest, rather than her husband King Robert. She reveals to [[Eddard Stark]] when he discovers the truth about her children's parentage she was pregnant with a child of Robert's once, but she had the child [[moon tea|aborted]] out of hatred for her husband. In the TV series however, she says it to [[Catelyn Stark]] instead of Eddard and that the child died of a fever shortly after birth (most likely the babe smothered by Cersei).

The true parentage of her children was a well-guarded secret until [[Stannis Baratheon]] leads [[Hand of the King]] [[Jon Arryn]] to uncover it shortly before the beginning of the events of the [[A Game of Thrones|first book]]. Stannis flees to allow Jon to draw his own conclusions, but Jon is murdered by [[tears of Lys|poison]], and his final words, ''"the seed is strong"'' hint at what he uncovered through investigation of Robert's [[bastard]] children.

==Recent Events==
===A Game of Thrones===

After the death of [[Jon Arryn]], Cersei accompanies her husband, King [[Robert Baratheon]], to [[Winterfell]]. When [[Robert Baratheon|Robert]] and most of the castle go on a hunting trip, Cersei remains behind, as does her brother Ser [[Jaime Lannister|Jaime]]. The two are caught having sex by [[Bran Stark]], and when Cersei insists that they must do something to prevent the boy from telling anyone, Jaime immediately pushes him off a tower.{{Ref|aGoT|8}} She later berates Jaime for his impulsiveness, arguing that attempting to kill the boy was foolish when they could have simply intimidated him into silence.

While the royal procession travels back to [[King's Landing]], [[Joffrey Baratheon|Prince Joffrey]] bullies a common boy, [[Mycah]], prompting [[Arya Stark]] and [[Nymeria (direwolf)|her direwolf]] to attack and disarm him. Joffrey tells his parents that Arya and her wolf attacked him without provocation. Cersei takes his side and argues that the girl should lose a hand in accordance with the ancient penalty for striking a prince of royal blood, while the animal should be killed. Robert refuses to allow her to have Arya maimed, and the girl's direwolf cannot be found, but Cersei successfully pressures him into ordering the execution of [[Lady (direwolf)|another direwolf]] as a proxy.{{Ref|aGoT|16}}

Having appointed [[Eddard Stark]] Jon Arryn's replacement as [[Hand of the King]], Robert orders [[Tourney of the Hand|a great tourney]] held in honor of the new Hand. Cersei forbids Robert from fighting in the melee, inciting a public argument between king and queen. Robert intends to fight anyway, but Eddard and [[Barristan Selmy|Ser Barristan]] succeed in dissuading him. Later, [[Varys]] claims that Cersei had known publicly forbidding Robert from participating in the melee was the most effective way of convincing him to do so, and had been planning to have him "accidentally" killed in the melee. He also suggests that Ser [[Hugh]] of the Vale, who had been killed by Ser [[Gregor Clegane]] earlier in the tournament, could have poisoned Jon Arryn at the Lannisters' instigation, only to have them arrange his death in order to ensure his silence afterward.{{Ref|aGoT|30}}

When [[Tyrion Lannister|Tyrion]] is abducted by [[Catelyn Stark]], Cersei argues with Robert, insulting his manhood for his failure to immediately avenge the insult to her family. The king strikes her in response, but Cersei tells him she intends to wear the bruise "as a badge of honor." Eddard Stark, who is present, does not approve of his friend's action; Robert admits that it was "not kingly," but blames Cersei for provoking him. Eddard, who has been appointed the [[Hand of the King]], investigates Jon Arryn's death and discovers the truth about the royal children's parentage. He confronts Cersei, and she admits that his accusation is true. She promises to make it worth his while if Eddard allies with her and keeps her secret, but he refuses. Not wanting to see the children harmed, however, Eddard warns her that he intends to tell Robert the truth and urges her to flee with the princes and princess. Cersei's reply is:{{Ref|aGoT|45}}

{{Quote|"When you play the Game of Thrones, you win or you die. There is no middle ground."}}

She instead uses the time to arrange a hunting "accident" for Robert. She provides his squire [[Lancel Lannister|Lancel]], one of her lovers, with fortified strongwine, telling him it is Robert's favorite vintage. Lancel serves it to the king during the hunt, and as the wine is far stronger than Robert expects, he becomes drunk and is fatally injured by a boar. On his deathbed Robert names Eddard Stark regent until his 13-year-old heir Joffrey comes of age, but the morning after Robert's death, Cersei seizes power, denouncing Lord Eddard as a traitor who conspired against King Joffrey. She has Eddard imprisoned and is named Queen Regent, heading Joffrey's [[small council]].{{Ref|aGoT|49}}

Cersei intends to have Eddard convicted of treason but allowed to [[Night's Watch#Recruitment|take the black]], thus discrediting him and removing him as a factor in the political arena without antagonizing [[the North]]. She arranges a public confession for him on the steps of the [[Great Sept of Baelor]], assuring the [[High Septon]] that he will be offered forgiveness and the holy ground will not be profaned with blood. However, she underestimates Joffrey's willfulness and taste for cruelty. He foolishly ignores her advice and instead orders Lord Stark's immediate execution. [[Janos Slynt]] and Ser [[Ilyn Payne]] carry out the king's imprudent command before Cersei can intervene, deeply offending [[Faith of the Seven|the Faith]] and rendering peace between [[House Stark|Stark]] and [[House Lannister|Lannister]] impossible.{{Ref|aGoT|65}}

===A Clash of Kings===

To end the foolish edicts made by [[Joffrey Baratheon|King Joffrey]] and Cersei, [[Tywin Lannister|Tywin]] promptly puts [[Tyrion Lannister|Tyrion]] in the position of [[Hand of the King]] until he can claim the seat himself. When Tyrion arrives in King's Landing, bearing a letter from their father naming him Hand of the King, Cersei nearly has him thrown in the dungeon before he placates her by saying he could rescue Jaime.{{Ref|aCoK|3}} As Hand, Tyrion struggles to wrest control from her, finally resorting to poisoning her to ger her out of the way for a few days. He nullifies most of Cersei's decisions, recalling the Gold Cloaks who are killing off Robert's bastards at her behest.

In Jaime's absence, Cersei begins taking other lovers into her bed.{{Ref|aCoK|29}} After Tyrion sends away her [[Vylarr|personal guard]], she tries to employ three sellswords to replace them - [[Osney Kettleblack|Osney]], [[Osmund Kettleblack|Osmund]] and [[Osfryd Kettleblack]] - but Tyrion finds out and buys their loyalty.{{Ref|aCoK|41}} The Kettleblacks are actually loyal to Petyr Baelish, but neither Cersei nor Tyrion figure this out.

Tyrion sends off Princess Myrcella to [[Sunspear]] in an effort to win over the [[House Martell|Martells]]. Before doing so, his counter intelligence methods mean that Cersei's agent, Grand Maester [[Pycelle]], is no longer a useful source against him. After Myrcella is sent off, Cersei is among those who is caught up in the [[Riot of King's Landing]] provoked by a thoughtless comment she makes to King Joffrey about a dead baby. Jaime later wonders if [[Varys]] had advance knowledge of the riot, since he wasn't there for it.

As King [[Stannis Baratheon]] moves on [[King's Landing]], Cersei decided to get her son Tommen out of the city for safety, but Tyrion's men intercept the party and take Tommen into his custody. Fed up with Tyrion's efforts to rule, Cersei had [[Alayaya]], a whore she believed Tyrion was sleeping with, arrested and beaten, and used her as a hostage in return for Tommen's safe return. She also removes Ser [[Boros Blount]] from the [[Kingsguard]] for his failure to resist Tyrion's men, although removing the cowardly Blount from the [[Kingsguard]] was considered one of her few wiser decision she replaces him with [[Osmund Kettleblack]] a man just as hollow {{Ref|aCoK|54}}.

As the [[Battle of the Blackwater|battle for King's Landing]] begins, Cersei hosts a banquet for all the noblewomen in the [[Red Keep]] in an effort to keep their minds off the fighting, she says, but she invites Ser Ilyn the headman to be on hand to kill them off if the city is taken, to prevent them from becoming hostages. When she hears that the [[River Gate|Mud Gate]] is under attack, she has Joffrey summoned back to the Red Keep.{{Ref|aCoK|60}} Seeing the king flee back to the castle damaged morale and caused the men to rout, nearly costing her the city. This outrages [[Lancel Lannister]], who feels they could have held the gates if Cersei hadn't recalled the King.{{Ref|aCoK|62}} If not for the timely arrival and attack on [[Stannis Baratheon|Stannis]]'s flank by the army of Tywin Lannister and [[Mace Tyrell]], the battle would have been lost for the Lannisters.{{Ref|aCoK|65}} Due to Tyrion's wounds, she is able to lie to her father and turn her father's prejudice against Tyrion to her advantage, all but completely stripping Tyrion's power from him by the time her brother's convalescence is over.

===A Storm of Swords===

[[Tywin Lannister|Tywin]] bends Cersei to his will and later makes it clear she is no longer wanted on the [[small council|council]] and plans to marry her off again, either to [[Willas Tyrell]], [[Balon Greyjoy]] (whose wife was elderly and had failing health) or [[Oberyn Martell]]. After Joffrey offends Tywin through his ungracious behaviour, Tywin is furious and asks where the boy could have learnt such amoral sentiments. Cersei tries to place the blame on Robert but it is clear to all in the room, including Kevan, that it is Cersei's belief system too {{Ref|aSoS|19}}. Joff is killed at his own wedding feast and Cersei accuses her brother [[Tyrion Lannister|Tyrion]] and his wife, [[Sansa Stark]], falsely believing them responsible {{Ref|aSoS|60}}. Cersei names Ser [[Gregor Clegane]] champion if there is to be a trial by combat. This move, however, leads [[Oberyn Martell]], whose sister was murdered by Gregor over a dozen years ago, to champion Tyrion {{Ref|aSoS|66}}. Oberyn is killed in the duel, and Ser Gregor is fatally wounded {{Ref|aSoS|70}}.

===A Feast for Crows===
[[File:Skirts and dignity by cabepfir.jpg|thumb|300px|Cersei framed [[Margaery Tyrell]] leading to her arrest]]

When her father [[Tywin Lannister|Tywin]] is murdered, the checks on her claim to power are cleared. She resumes her position as [[Regent]] over her son, the eight-year-old King [[Tommen Baratheon|Tommen]], who is entirely obedient to her will. As the eldest child of Tywin, she is also acknowledged as the Lady of [[Casterly Rock]] by her uncle [[Kevan Lannister|Kevan]]. Thus empowered and unrestricted, Cersei feels she has the opportunity to prove herself an even better ruler than her father. She begins her new regime by filling all of the positions on Tommen's [[small council]] with her own supporters and agents, disregarding the previous arrangements made by Tywin and the well-meant, if blunt, advice from Kevan. She becomes a restless sleeper, troubled by nightmares of the Imp and the Iron Throne consuming her. {{Ref|aFfC|3}}

Cersei grows to suspect that her powerful [[House Tyrell|Tyrell]] allies, now relatives through Tommen's marriage to [[Margaery Tyrell|Margaery]], are trying to seize control of the kingdom. This suspicion grows from a Tyrell coin found by Maester [[Qyburn]] in the dungeon where Tyrion was being held before his escape{{Ref|aFfC|7}}. Since the reader knows the Tyrells had nothing to do with Tyrion's escape, the coin was likely planted by someone else - i.e., [[Varys]] - in the hopes of spreading discord in the Tyrell/Lannister alliance. If so, the plot seems to have worked, as Cersei commences a campaign of intrigue to remove all the Tyrells in [[King's Landing]] from positions of influence and authority, including her son's wife, [[Margaery Tyrell|Margaery]], and Ser [[Loras Tyrell|Loras]], a member of the [[Kingsguard]].{{Ref|aFfC|24}}
She befriends [[Taena Merryweather]] who informs Cersei that her maid [[Senelle]] is spying on her for Margaery. This leads Senelle to be given over to Qyburn for his twisted experiments. Taena becomes her bedwarmer and confidant.

Cersei's paranoia alienates [[Jaime Lannister|Jaime]], who abandons her to her political machinations.{{Ref|aFfC|8}} She refuses to honor the debts owed by the Crown, angering powerful institutions such as the [[Iron Bank of Braavos]] and the [[Faith of the Seven]].{{Ref|aFfC|17}} This results in the Faith refusing to bless King Tommen, and the Iron Bank calling in all their debts throughout [[Westeros]] and refusing all new loans.{{Ref|aFfC|28}} This causes economic chaos throughout the [[Seven Kingdoms]]. With the monies owed, Cersei constructs a new royal fleet of warships and gives command to [[Aurane Waters]], the Bastard of [[Driftmark]] and a sellsail of questionable expertise and loyalty.{{Ref|aFfC|17}} In an attempt to alleviate the crown's debts, gain the Faith's blessing, and gain more protection from her purported enemies, she allows the new [[High Septon]] (known as the [[High Sparrow]]) to revive the Faith Militant, ignorant of its history of [[Faith Militant uprising|causing trouble]] for monarchs.{{Ref|aFfC|28}} She also takes the disgraced former [[maester]] Qyburn into her service, using him as a torturer, and allowing him to conduct immoral experiments on human subjects.{{Ref|aFfC|7}} She also begins drinking heavily. She tries to manipulate [[Falyse Stokeworth]] and her husband into killing Tyrion's friend, the sellsword Bronn, who was knighted and married off to simple [[Lollys Stokeworth]] to pry him away from Tyrion. The plan goes horribly wrong however when Falyse's husband foolishly challenges Bronn to single combat, Falyse flees to Kings Landing to report that Bronn has killed her husband in a duel. Cersei responds by sending Falyse to Qyburn so nothing is found out about her machinations. Cersei's difficulty coping with the pressure of ruling lead to her beginning to drink heavily (something she often loathed her late husband [[Robert Baratheon|Robert]] for) and begins to gain weight due to this but instead of realizing this blames the washer women for shrinking her gowns.

Cersei plans a plot to frame [[Margaery Tyrell]] for adultery and treason,and after seducing [[Osney Kettleblack]] has him falsely confess to the new High Septon that he had intercourse with Margaery and two of her three cousins. The High Septon acts on the information and has Margaery arrested when she visits the Sept. Cersei feigns concern publicly and visits the High Sept in order to appear to the population that she wishes Margaery released where in actual fact she does everything in her power to make sure Margaery will be found guilty.

However all of Cersei plans to remove the Tyrell influence at court backfire when the High Sparrow arrests her for several crimes, including the murder of the previous High Septon. The High Septon was suspicious of the confession of [[Osney Kettleblack]] and had him tortured till Osney revealed the actual truth. Her own ministers seize control of the government while she awaits trial in the [[Great Sept of Baelor]]. They recall her uncle Kevan to fill her position as [[Regent]], while her new [[Master of Ships|Lord Admiral]], [[Aurane Waters]] absconds with the costly new fleet. Accused of capital crimes, her only hope lies in a [[Kingsguard]] champion to stand for her in a trial by combat. She sends an emotional summons to Jaime, which he burns and to which he does not reply.{{Ref|aFfC|43}}

===A Dance with Dragons===

Cersei still remains a prisoner of the Faith. To try and gain access to visitors, Cersei decides to confess to the High Septon that she did have relations with her cousin [[Lancel Lannister]] and all three of the [[House Kettleblack|Kettleblack]] brothers, knowing that such sins would not earn her an execution. She continues to deny having ordered [[Osney Kettleblack]] to kill the previous High Septon, or that she was involved in King [[Robert Baratheon|Robert]]'s death. The High Septon agrees to allow her one visitor a day. Cersei then learns about [[Myrcella Baratheon|Myrcella]]'s injury and of [[Arys Oakheart]]'s death, which leaves a vacancy in the Kingsguard. Cersei then sends word to [[Qyburn|Lord Qyburn]] that the time has come.{{Ref|ADWD|54}}

Before her trial, the Faith requires Cersei to submit to a penance walk from the Great Sept of Baelor to the [[Red Keep]]. Cersei is shaved of hair from her entire body, then stripped naked. An escort of [[Warrior's Sons]], [[Poor Fellows]], and several septas protect her from the leering and jeering crowds that flocked to see her shame. Cersei breaks down in tears just before finishing and entering the Keep. Upon her entrance, [[Jocelyn Swyft]] has her body covered. Cersei is then carried into the castle by a silent eight-foot-tall knight covered head to heel in thick enamelled white plate, with a great helm concealing his face. [[Qyburn]] then appears and introduces Cersei to the newest member of the [[Kingsguard]], "Ser [[Robert Strong]]," her champion.{{Ref|ADWD|65}}

Cersei dines with her uncle, [[Kevan Lannister|Ser Kevan]], on the night of his death. She requests that Lady [[Taena Merryweather]] attend again her once her innocence is proved. When Kevan has no news of Jaime, Cersei seems certain of his safety. She believes that if he were dead, she would know it.{{Ref|ADWD|Epilogue}}

==Quotes about Cersei==
{{Quote|Cersie is as gentle as [[Maegor I|King Maegor]], as selfless as [[Aegon IV|Aegon the Unworthy]], as wise as [[Aerys II|Mad Aerys]]. She never forgets a slight, real or imagined. She takes caution for cowardice and dissent for defiance. And she is greedy. Greedy for power, for honour, for love.}} [[Tyrion Lannister|Tyrion]], on his sister, to [[Young Griff]]

{{Quote|His Sister liked to think of herself as Lord [[Tywin Lannister|Tywin]] with teats, but she was wrong. Their father had been as relentless and implacable as a glacier, where Cersei was all wildfire, especially when thwarted...She does not lack for wits but she has no judgement, and no patience.}} [[Jaime Lannister]], on his sisters leadership skills.

{{Quote|She's been fucking [[Lancel Lannister|Lancel]] and [[Osmund Kettleblack]] and probably [[Moon Boy]] for all I know.}} Tyrion to Jaime.

==Family==
{{Lannister tree}}

==References and Notes==
{{references|3|refs=
<ref name=HBO>[http://www.hbo.com/game-of-thrones/index.html#/game-of-thrones/cast-and-crew.html/eNrjcmbOYC5kzlfPz0lxzEvMqSzJTA5ITE-1S8xN1SzLTEnNh4k65+eVpFaUsEknlpbkF+QkVtqWFJWmcjIysgEhAGCyFzg= HBO: Game of Thrones: cast and crew]</ref>
}}

{{POV Characters}}
{{Template:Royal consorts of Westeros}}


[[Category:House Lannister]]
[[Category:Noblewomen|Lannister, Cersei]]
[[Category:Characters from the Westerlands|Lannister, Cersei]]
[[Category:Members of the Small council|Lannister, Cersei]]
[[Category:POV characters|Lannister, Cersei]]


[[fr:Cersei Lannister]]
[[ru:Серсея Ланнистер]]
[[Zh:瑟曦·兰尼斯特]]
[[pt:Cersei Lannister]]
[[es:Cersei Lannister]]

Cersei Lannister

2012-07-24T20:17:52Z

Penelope:

{{Infobox character
| Character_name = [[File:House Lannister.png|50px|left]][[File:House Baratheon.PNG|50px|right]] '''Cersei Lannister'''
| image = [[Image:Cersei.jpg|300px]]
| image_caption = by [http://en.amokanet.ru/gallery/martin/ Amoka©]
| Alias = Light of the West
| Title = Queen Dowager Protector of the Realm Lady of Casterly Rock [[Regent|Queen Regent]]
| Allegiance = [[House Lannister]]
| Race =
| Culture = [[Westerlands]]
| Spouse = [[Robert Baratheon]] (deceased)
| Place_of_Birth = [[Casterly Rock]]
| Date_of_Birth = {{Date|266}}
| Place_of_Death =
| Date_of_Death =
| Books = [[A Game of Thrones]] (Appears) [[A Clash of Kings]] (Appears) [[A Storm of Swords]] (Appears) [[A Feast for Crows]] (POV) [[A Dance with Dragons]] (POV)
| coat-of-arms =
| Played_by = [[List of actors of the televised series#Lena Heady,Cersei Lannister|Lena Heady]]<ref name=HBO/>
| TV_series = [[Game of Thrones - Season 1|Season 1]] {{!}} [[Game of Thrones - Season 2|Season 2]]
}}
[[File:Cersei lannister by teiiku.jpg|thumb|300px|Young beautiful queen Cersei, in her chambers. Art by TeiIku©]]
[[File:Cersei Robert.jpg|thumb|300px|Cersei and her husband King [[Robert Baratheon]]]]
[[File:Cersei and jaime Lannister.jpg|thumb|300px|Cersei and [[Jaime Lannister|Jaime's]] relationship.]]
[[File:Cersei Joffrey Sansa Eddard beheading.jpg|thumb|300px|Cersei, Joffrey and Sansa at Eddard Stark's beheading]]

'''Cersei Lannister''' is the eldest child of [[Tywin Lannister|Tywin]] and [[Joanna Lannister]] by mere moments, and the twin sister of [[Jaime Lannister]]. After [[Robert's Rebellion]] she married the new king, [[Robert Baratheon]], and became Queen of the [[Seven Kingdoms]]; she is the mother of [[Joffrey Baratheon|Joffrey]], [[Myrcella Baratheon|Myrcella]], and [[Tommen Baratheon]]. She becomes a [[POV Character]] in [[A Feast for Crows]]. In the [[Game of Thrones|TV series]] she is played by Lena Headey.<ref name=HBO/>

==Character and Appearance==

Cersei is profoundly narcissistic, ruthless, treacherous, ambitious, and cruel. She will stop at nothing to achieve power and prestige for herself and her children, and shows little or no regard for others. She is filled with bitterness over past injustices she has suffered, particularly her loveless marriage with [[Robert Baratheon]]. She resents the restrictions that the patriarchal culture of [[Westeros]] has placed on her because of her gender, yet she seems to have internalized a great deal of this sexism; Cersei hates women, viewing them as weak and contemptible, but believes herself to be an exception.{{Ref|aGoT|67}} Rather than openly rebelling against Westerosi gender roles, she plots to gain power through political intrigue.

Early in the series, Cersei displays some real cunning in handling the political turmoil and intrigues surrounding the death of King Robert and the outbreak of the [[War of the Five Kings]]. As the series progresses, however, the more power Cersei obtains, the more she proves herself to be incompetent at handling it; although she has spent most of her life scheming to gain power, she seems to have little idea of what to do with it once she has it. Her quick temper and her easily wounded pride frequently lead her to make rash decisions, and she rarely considers what unintended consequences her actions might have. She lacks the patience for dealing with the tedious yet vital details of administration, and increasingly tends to avoid facing unpleasant facts, surrounding herself with sycophants rather than honest and competent advisers; ironically, despite her contempt for Robert's hedonistic lifestyle and physical deterioration, she is unconsciously coming to mimic his habit of overindulging in food, alcohol and sex as distractions from the pressures of leadership. Although she shares [[Tywin Lannister|her father]]'s philosophy of ruling through fear rather than love, she lacks his ability to temper ruthlessness with caution, pragmatism, and sound, objective judgment.

Cersei's feelings toward her father are complex; she resents him for marrying her off to Robert Baratheon and for never granting her as much power and respect as she craved, but also admires and seeks to emulate his brutal effectiveness as a politician. She has loathed her younger brother [[Tyrion Lannister|Tyrion]] ever since his birth killed [[Joanna Lannister|their mother]]. Although once optimistic about her royal marriage to Robert Baratheon, she quickly grew to despise him as a drunken fool who remained too infatuated with the memory of [[Lyanna Stark]] to give her a second glance. The only people she can truly be said to love are her twin brother [[Jaime Lannister|Jaime]], with whom she has carried on an incestuous relationship since their adolescence, and her children (all of whom carry the surname Baratheon, but were in fact fathered by Jaime). However, she seems to love Jaime and the children more as extensions of herself than anything else, and can turn on them suddenly: while she protects her children fiercely from any others who would harm them, she provides them with little in the way of sound guidance or consistent discipline, and can react abusively when they defy or disappoint her.

Cersei is a strikingly beautiful woman with classic [[House Lannister|Lannister]] looks: blonde hair, brilliant green eyes, fair skin, and a slender, graceful figure. However, time and motherhood are beginning to take their toll on her body, and as of ''A Feast for Crows'' she has begun to gain weight as a result of alcohol abuse. Like many other characters in the series, she occasionally has dreams that seem to be prophetic.

==History==

Cersei has been haunted since childhood by a prophecy given to her by a ''[[maegi]]'', [[Maggy|Maggy the Frog]]. This prophecy correctly predicted the death of the friend who was with her at the time, her unrequited love for [[Rhaegar Targaryen]], and her marriage (and mutual infidelity) with a king. It also predicted that all three of her children would be crowned, but that all three would die before her. Everything that she had would be taken away by a younger and more beautiful queen, and then the ''valonqar'' ([[High Valyrian]] for "little brother") would strangle her to death.{{Ref|aFfC|24}}

Cersei has shared an incestuous relationship with her twin brother Jaime since they were youths.{{Ref|aFfC|3}} When they are discovered by a servant, her mother moves their rooms to separate sides of the castle. When she was a young girl her father, the [[Hand of the King]] [[Tywin Lannister]], once promised her she would wed Prince Rhaegar. Cersei was delighted by this and was infatuated with Rhaegar when she the first met him. But the marriage offer was rebuffed by [[Aerys II Targaryen|Aerys II]]. When her father goes to King's Landing, he takes her with him. She misses Jaime and is jealous of the proposed match between Jaime and [[Lysa Tully]], so when he visits her in [[King's Landing]] she uses sex to manipulate him into joining up to the [[Kingsguard]]. Once he agrees, she orchestrates the arrangements behind the scenes and within a month, Jaime is sworn into the Kingsguard at the [[Tourney of Harrenhal]]. Cersei didn't think the consequences through very well, and Tywin, furious at the loss of his beloved son and heir, resigns his handship under a thin pretext and leaves King's Landing for Casterly Rock and takes her with him so she is again separated from Jaime. However, she is consoled by the fact that Jaime will never be able to marry.

She married [[Robert Baratheon|Robert]] shortly after the conclusion of [[Robert's Rebellion|his rebellion]]; she is enthralled by the happy crowds at her wedding but grew to hate him after he called her "[[Lyanna Stark|Lyanna]]" during intercourse their first night together. Now back in King's Landing, she carried on her incestuous relationship with Jaime during her marriage, and all her three children ([[Joffrey Baratheon|Joffrey]], [[Myrcella Baratheon|Myrcella]], and [[Tommen Baratheon|Tommen]]), were products of this incest, rather than her husband King Robert. She reveals to [[Eddard Stark]] when he discovers the truth about her children's parentage she was pregnant with a child of Robert's once, but she had the child [[moon tea|aborted]] out of hatred for her husband. In the TV series however, she says it to [[Catelyn Stark]] instead of Eddard and that the child died of a fever shortly after birth (most likely the babe smothered by Cersei).

The true parentage of her children was a well-guarded secret until [[Stannis Baratheon]] leads [[Hand of the King]] [[Jon Arryn]] to uncover it shortly before the beginning of the events of the [[A Game of Thrones|first book]]. Stannis flees to allow Jon to draw his own conclusions, but Jon is murdered by [[tears of Lys|poison]], and his final words, ''"the seed is strong"'' hint at what he uncovered through investigation of Robert's [[bastard]] children.

==Recent Events==
===A Game of Thrones===

After the death of [[Jon Arryn]], Cersei accompanies her husband, King [[Robert Baratheon]], to [[Winterfell]]. When [[Robert Baratheon|Robert]] and most of the castle go on a hunting trip, Cersei remains behind, as does her brother Ser [[Jaime Lannister|Jaime]]. The two are caught having sex by [[Bran Stark]], and when Cersei insists that they must do something to prevent the boy from telling anyone, Jaime immediately pushes him off a tower.{{Ref|aGoT|8}} She later berates Jaime for his impulsiveness, arguing that attempting to kill the boy was foolish when they could have simply intimidated him into silence.

While the royal procession travels back to [[King's Landing]], [[Joffrey Baratheon|Prince Joffrey]] bullies a common boy, [[Mycah]], prompting [[Arya Stark]] and [[Nymeria (direwolf)|her direwolf]] to attack and disarm him. Joffrey tells his parents that Arya and her wolf attacked him without provocation. Cersei takes his side and argues that the girl should lose a hand in accordance with the ancient penalty for striking a prince of royal blood, while the animal should be killed. Robert refuses to allow her to have Arya maimed, and the girl's direwolf cannot be found, but Cersei successfully pressures him into ordering the execution of [[Lady (direwolf)|another direwolf]] as a proxy.{{Ref|aGoT|16}}

Having appointed [[Eddard Stark]] Jon Arryn's replacement as [[Hand of the King]], Robert orders [[Tourney of the Hand|a great tourney]] held in honor of the new Hand. Cersei forbids Robert from fighting in the melee, inciting a public argument between king and queen. Robert intends to fight anyway, but Eddard and [[Barristan Selmy|Ser Barristan]] succeed in dissuading him. Later, [[Varys]] claims that Cersei had known publicly forbidding Robert from participating in the melee was the most effective way of convincing him to do so, and had been planning to have him "accidentally" killed in the melee. He also suggests that Ser [[Hugh of the Vale]], who had been killed by Ser [[Gregor Clegane]] earlier in the tournament, could have poisoned Jon Arryn at the Lannisters' instigation, only to have them arrange his death in order to ensure his silence afterward.{{Ref|aGoT|30}}

When [[Tyrion Lannister|Tyrion]] is abducted by [[Catelyn Stark]], Cersei argues with Robert, insulting his manhood for his failure to immediately avenge the insult to her family. The king strikes her in response, but Cersei tells him she intends to wear the bruise "as a badge of honor." Eddard Stark, who is present, does not approve of his friend's action; Robert admits that it was "not kingly," but blames Cersei for provoking him. Eddard, who has been appointed the [[Hand of the King]], investigates Jon Arryn's death and discovers the truth about the royal children's parentage. He confronts Cersei, and she admits that his accusation is true. She promises to make it worth his while if Eddard allies with her and keeps her secret, but he refuses. Not wanting to see the children harmed, however, Eddard warns her that he intends to tell Robert the truth and urges her to flee with the princes and princess. Cersei's reply is:{{Ref|aGoT|45}}

{{Quote|"When you play the Game of Thrones, you win or you die. There is no middle ground."}}

She instead uses the time to arrange a hunting "accident" for Robert. She provides his squire [[Lancel Lannister|Lancel]], one of her lovers, with fortified strongwine, telling him it is Robert's favorite vintage. Lancel serves it to the king during the hunt, and as the wine is far stronger than Robert expects, he becomes drunk and is fatally injured by a boar. On his deathbed Robert names Eddard Stark regent until his 13-year-old heir Joffrey comes of age, but the morning after Robert's death, Cersei seizes power, denouncing Lord Eddard as a traitor who conspired against King Joffrey. She has Eddard imprisoned and is named Queen Regent, heading Joffrey's [[small council]].{{Ref|aGoT|49}}

Cersei intends to have Eddard convicted of treason but allowed to [[Night's Watch#Recruitment|take the black]], thus discrediting him and removing him as a factor in the political arena without antagonizing [[the North]]. She arranges a public confession for him on the steps of the [[Great Sept of Baelor]], assuring the [[High Septon]] that he will be offered forgiveness and the holy ground will not be profaned with blood. However, she underestimates Joffrey's willfulness and taste for cruelty. He foolishly ignores her advice and instead orders Lord Stark's immediate execution. [[Janos Slynt]] and Ser [[Ilyn Payne]] carry out the king's imprudent command before Cersei can intervene, deeply offending [[Faith of the Seven|the Faith]] and rendering peace between [[House Stark|Stark]] and [[House Lannister|Lannister]] impossible.{{Ref|aGoT|65}}

===A Clash of Kings===

To end the foolish edicts made by [[Joffrey Baratheon|King Joffrey]] and Cersei, [[Tywin Lannister|Tywin]] promptly puts [[Tyrion Lannister|Tyrion]] in the position of [[Hand of the King]] until he can claim the seat himself. When Tyrion arrives in King's Landing, bearing a letter from their father naming him Hand of the King, Cersei nearly has him thrown in the dungeon before he placates her by saying he could rescue Jaime.{{Ref|aCoK|3}} As Hand, Tyrion struggles to wrest control from her, finally resorting to poisoning her to ger her out of the way for a few days. He nullifies most of Cersei's decisions, recalling the Gold Cloaks who are killing off Robert's bastards at her behest.

In Jaime's absence, Cersei begins taking other lovers into her bed.{{Ref|aCoK|29}} After Tyrion sends away her [[Vylarr|personal guard]], she tries to employ three sellswords to replace them - [[Osney Kettleblack|Osney]], [[Osmund Kettleblack|Osmund]] and [[Osfryd Kettleblack]] - but Tyrion finds out and buys their loyalty.{{Ref|aCoK|41}} The Kettleblacks are actually loyal to Petyr Baelish, but neither Cersei nor Tyrion figure this out.

Tyrion sends off Princess Myrcella to [[Sunspear]] in an effort to win over the [[House Martell|Martells]]. Before doing so, his counter intelligence methods mean that Cersei's agent, Grand Maester [[Pycelle]], is no longer a useful source against him. After Myrcella is sent off, Cersei is among those who is caught up in the [[Riot of King's Landing]] provoked by a thoughtless comment she makes to King Joffrey about a dead baby. Jaime later wonders if [[Varys]] had advance knowledge of the riot, since he wasn't there for it.

As King [[Stannis Baratheon]] moves on [[King's Landing]], Cersei decided to get her son Tommen out of the city for safety, but Tyrion's men intercept the party and take Tommen into his custody. Fed up with Tyrion's efforts to rule, Cersei had [[Alayaya]], a whore she believed Tyrion was sleeping with, arrested and beaten, and used her as a hostage in return for Tommen's safe return. She also removes Ser [[Boros Blount]] from the [[Kingsguard]] for his failure to resist Tyrion's men, although removing the cowardly Blount from the [[Kingsguard]] was considered one of her few wiser decision she replaces him with [[Osmund Kettleblack]] a man just as hollow {{Ref|aCoK|54}}.

As the [[Battle of the Blackwater|battle for King's Landing]] begins, Cersei hosts a banquet for all the noblewomen in the [[Red Keep]] in an effort to keep their minds off the fighting, she says, but she invites Ser Ilyn the headman to be on hand to kill them off if the city is taken, to prevent them from becoming hostages. When she hears that the [[River Gate|Mud Gate]] is under attack, she has Joffrey summoned back to the Red Keep.{{Ref|aCoK|60}} Seeing the king flee back to the castle damaged morale and caused the men to rout, nearly costing her the city. This outrages [[Lancel Lannister]], who feels they could have held the gates if Cersei hadn't recalled the King.{{Ref|aCoK|62}} If not for the timely arrival and attack on [[Stannis Baratheon|Stannis]]'s flank by the army of Tywin Lannister and [[Mace Tyrell]], the battle would have been lost for the Lannisters.{{Ref|aCoK|65}} Due to Tyrion's wounds, she is able to lie to her father and turn her father's prejudice against Tyrion to her advantage, all but completely stripping Tyrion's power from him by the time her brother's convalescence is over.

===A Storm of Swords===

[[Tywin Lannister|Tywin]] bends Cersei to his will and later makes it clear she is no longer wanted on the [[small council|council]] and plans to marry her off again, either to [[Willas Tyrell]], [[Balon Greyjoy]] (whose wife was elderly and had failing health) or [[Oberyn Martell]]. After Joffrey offends Tywin through his ungracious behaviour, Tywin is furious and asks where the boy could have learnt such amoral sentiments. Cersei tries to place the blame on Robert but it is clear to all in the room, including Kevan, that it is Cersei's belief system too {{Ref|aSoS|19}}. Joff is killed at his own wedding feast and Cersei accuses her brother [[Tyrion Lannister|Tyrion]] and his wife, [[Sansa Stark]], falsely believing them responsible {{Ref|aSoS|60}}. Cersei names Ser [[Gregor Clegane]] champion if there is to be a trial by combat. This move, however, leads [[Oberyn Martell]], whose sister was murdered by Gregor over a dozen years ago, to champion Tyrion {{Ref|aSoS|66}}. Oberyn is killed in the duel, and Ser Gregor is fatally wounded {{Ref|aSoS|70}}.

===A Feast for Crows===
[[File:Skirts and dignity by cabepfir.jpg|thumb|300px|Cersei framed [[Margaery Tyrell]] leading to her arrest]]

When her father [[Tywin Lannister|Tywin]] is murdered, the checks on her claim to power are cleared. She resumes her position as [[Regent]] over her son, the eight-year-old King [[Tommen Baratheon|Tommen]], who is entirely obedient to her will. As the eldest child of Tywin, she is also acknowledged as the Lady of [[Casterly Rock]] by her uncle [[Kevan Lannister|Kevan]]. Thus empowered and unrestricted, Cersei feels she has the opportunity to prove herself an even better ruler than her father. She begins her new regime by filling all of the positions on Tommen's [[small council]] with her own supporters and agents, disregarding the previous arrangements made by Tywin and the well-meant, if blunt, advice from Kevan. She becomes a restless sleeper, troubled by nightmares of the Imp and the Iron Throne consuming her. {{Ref|aFfC|3}}

Cersei grows to suspect that her powerful [[House Tyrell|Tyrell]] allies, now relatives through Tommen's marriage to [[Margaery Tyrell|Margaery]], are trying to seize control of the kingdom. This suspicion grows from a Tyrell coin found by Maester [[Qyburn]] in the dungeon where Tyrion was being held before his escape{{Ref|aFfC|7}}. Since the reader knows the Tyrells had nothing to do with Tyrion's escape, the coin was likely planted by someone else - i.e., [[Varys]] - in the hopes of spreading discord in the Tyrell/Lannister alliance. If so, the plot seems to have worked, as Cersei commences a campaign of intrigue to remove all the Tyrells in [[King's Landing]] from positions of influence and authority, including her son's wife, [[Margaery Tyrell|Margaery]], and Ser [[Loras Tyrell|Loras]], a member of the [[Kingsguard]].{{Ref|aFfC|24}}
She befriends [[Taena Merryweather]] who informs Cersei that her maid [[Senelle]] is spying on her for Margaery. This leads Senelle to be given over to Qyburn for his twisted experiments. Taena becomes her bedwarmer and confidant.

Cersei's paranoia alienates [[Jaime Lannister|Jaime]], who abandons her to her political machinations.{{Ref|aFfC|8}} She refuses to honor the debts owed by the Crown, angering powerful institutions such as the [[Iron Bank of Braavos]] and the [[Faith of the Seven]].{{Ref|aFfC|17}} This results in the Faith refusing to bless King Tommen, and the Iron Bank calling in all their debts throughout [[Westeros]] and refusing all new loans.{{Ref|aFfC|28}} This causes economic chaos throughout the [[Seven Kingdoms]]. With the monies owed, Cersei constructs a new royal fleet of warships and gives command to [[Aurane Waters]], the Bastard of [[Driftmark]] and a sellsail of questionable expertise and loyalty.{{Ref|aFfC|17}} In an attempt to alleviate the crown's debts, gain the Faith's blessing, and gain more protection from her purported enemies, she allows the new [[High Septon]] (known as the [[High Sparrow]]) to revive the Faith Militant, ignorant of its history of [[Faith Militant uprising|causing trouble]] for monarchs.{{Ref|aFfC|28}} She also takes the disgraced former [[maester]] Qyburn into her service, using him as a torturer, and allowing him to conduct immoral experiments on human subjects.{{Ref|aFfC|7}} She also begins drinking heavily. She tries to manipulate [[Falyse Stokeworth]] and her husband into killing Tyrion's friend, the sellsword Bronn, who was knighted and married off to simple [[Lollys Stokeworth]] to pry him away from Tyrion. The plan goes horribly wrong however when Falyse's husband foolishly challenges Bronn to single combat, Falyse flees to Kings Landing to report that Bronn has killed her husband in a duel. Cersei responds by sending Falyse to Qyburn so nothing is found out about her machinations. Cersei's difficulty coping with the pressure of ruling lead to her beginning to drink heavily (something she often loathed her late husband [[Robert Baratheon|Robert]] for) and begins to gain weight due to this but instead of realizing this blames the washer women for shrinking her gowns.

Cersei plans a plot to frame [[Margaery Tyrell]] for adultery and treason,and after seducing [[Osney Kettleblack]] has him falsely confess to the new High Septon that he had intercourse with Margaery and two of her three cousins. The High Septon acts on the information and has Margaery arrested when she visits the Sept. Cersei feigns concern publicly and visits the High Sept in order to appear to the population that she wishes Margaery released where in actual fact she does everything in her power to make sure Margaery will be found guilty.

However all of Cersei plans to remove the Tyrell influence at court backfire when the High Sparrow arrests her for several crimes, including the murder of the previous High Septon. The High Septon was suspicious of the confession of [[Osney Kettleblack]] and had him tortured till Osney revealed the actual truth. Her own ministers seize control of the government while she awaits trial in the [[Great Sept of Baelor]]. They recall her uncle Kevan to fill her position as [[Regent]], while her new [[Master of Ships|Lord Admiral]], [[Aurane Waters]] absconds with the costly new fleet. Accused of capital crimes, her only hope lies in a [[Kingsguard]] champion to stand for her in a trial by combat. She sends an emotional summons to Jaime, which he burns and to which he does not reply.{{Ref|aFfC|43}}

===A Dance with Dragons===

Cersei still remains a prisoner of the Faith. To try and gain access to visitors, Cersei decides to confess to the High Septon that she did have relations with her cousin [[Lancel Lannister]] and all three of the [[House Kettleblack|Kettleblack]] brothers, knowing that such sins would not earn her an execution. She continues to deny having ordered [[Osney Kettleblack]] to kill the previous High Septon, or that she was involved in King [[Robert Baratheon|Robert]]'s death. The High Septon agrees to allow her one visitor a day. Cersei then learns about [[Myrcella Baratheon|Myrcella]]'s injury and of [[Arys Oakheart]]'s death, which leaves a vacancy in the Kingsguard. Cersei then sends word to [[Qyburn|Lord Qyburn]] that the time has come.{{Ref|ADWD|54}}

Before her trial, the Faith requires Cersei to submit to a penance walk from the Great Sept of Baelor to the [[Red Keep]]. Cersei is shaved of hair from her entire body, then stripped naked. An escort of [[Warrior's Sons]], [[Poor Fellows]], and several septas protect her from the leering and jeering crowds that flocked to see her shame. Cersei breaks down in tears just before finishing and entering the Keep. Upon her entrance, [[Jocelyn Swyft]] has her body covered. Cersei is then carried into the castle by a silent eight-foot-tall knight covered head to heel in thick enamelled white plate, with a great helm concealing his face. [[Qyburn]] then appears and introduces Cersei to the newest member of the [[Kingsguard]], "Ser [[Robert Strong]]," her champion.{{Ref|ADWD|65}}

Cersei dines with her uncle, [[Kevan Lannister|Ser Kevan]], on the night of his death. She requests that Lady [[Taena Merryweather]] attend again her once her innocence is proved. When Kevan has no news of Jaime, Cersei seems certain of his safety. She believes that if he were dead, she would know it.{{Ref|ADWD|Epilogue}}

==Quotes about Cersei==
{{Quote|Cersie is as gentle as [[Maegor I|King Maegor]], as selfless as [[Aegon IV|Aegon the Unworthy]], as wise as [[Aerys II|Mad Aerys]]. She never forgets a slight, real or imagined. She takes caution for cowardice and dissent for defiance. And she is greedy. Greedy for power, for honour, for love.}} [[Tyrion Lannister|Tyrion]], on his sister, to [[Young Griff]]

{{Quote|His Sister liked to think of herself as Lord [[Tywin Lannister|Tywin]] with teats, but she was wrong. Their father had been as relentless and implacable as a glacier, where Cersei was all wildfire, especially when thwarted...She does not lack for wits but she has no judgement, and no patience.}} [[Jaime Lannister]], on his sisters leadership skills.

{{Quote|She's been fucking [[Lancel Lannister|Lancel]] and [[Osmund Kettleblack]] and probably [[Moon Boy]] for all I know.}} Tyrion to Jaime.

==Family==
{{Lannister tree}}

==References and Notes==
{{references|3|refs=
<ref name=HBO>[http://www.hbo.com/game-of-thrones/index.html#/game-of-thrones/cast-and-crew.html/eNrjcmbOYC5kzlfPz0lxzEvMqSzJTA5ITE-1S8xN1SzLTEnNh4k65+eVpFaUsEknlpbkF+QkVtqWFJWmcjIysgEhAGCyFzg= HBO: Game of Thrones: cast and crew]</ref>
}}

{{POV Characters}}
{{Template:Royal consorts of Westeros}}


[[Category:House Lannister]]
[[Category:Noblewomen|Lannister, Cersei]]
[[Category:Characters from the Westerlands|Lannister, Cersei]]
[[Category:Members of the Small council|Lannister, Cersei]]
[[Category:POV characters|Lannister, Cersei]]


[[fr:Cersei Lannister]]
[[ru:Серсея Ланнистер]]
[[Zh:瑟曦·兰尼斯特]]
[[pt:Cersei Lannister]]
[[es:Cersei Lannister]]

Cersei Lannister

2012-07-24T19:29:50Z

Penelope:

{{Infobox character
| Character_name = [[File:House Lannister.png|50px|left]][[File:House Baratheon.PNG|50px|right]] '''Cersei Lannister'''
| image = [[Image:Cersei.jpg|300px]]
| image_caption = by [http://en.amokanet.ru/gallery/martin/ Amoka©]
| Alias = Light of the West
| Title = Queen Dowager Protector of the Realm Lady of Casterly Rock [[Regent|Queen Regent]]
| Allegiance = [[House Lannister]]
| Race =
| Culture = [[Westerlands]]
| Spouse = [[Robert Baratheon]] (deceased)
| Place_of_Birth = [[Casterly Rock]]
| Date_of_Birth = {{Date|266}}
| Place_of_Death =
| Date_of_Death =
| Books = [[A Game of Thrones]] (Appears) [[A Clash of Kings]] (Appears) [[A Storm of Swords]] (Appears) [[A Feast for Crows]] (POV) [[A Dance with Dragons]] (POV)
| coat-of-arms =
| Played_by = [[List of actors of the televised series#Lena Heady,Cersei Lannister|Lena Heady]]<ref name=HBO/>
| TV_series = [[Game of Thrones - Season 1|Season 1]] {{!}} [[Game of Thrones - Season 2|Season 2]]
}}
[[File:Cersei lannister by teiiku.jpg|thumb|300px|Young beautiful queen Cersei, in her chambers. Art by TeiIku©]]
[[File:Cersei Robert.jpg|thumb|300px|Cersei and her husband King [[Robert Baratheon]]]]
[[File:Cersei and jaime Lannister.jpg|thumb|300px|Cersei and [[Jaime Lannister|Jaime's]] relationship.]]
[[File:Cersei Joffrey Sansa Eddard beheading.jpg|thumb|300px|Cersei, Joffrey and Sansa at Eddard Stark's beheading]]

'''Cersei Lannister''' is the eldest child of [[Tywin Lannister|Tywin]] and [[Joanna Lannister]] by mere moments, and the twin sister of [[Jaime Lannister]]. After [[Robert's Rebellion]] she married the new king, [[Robert Baratheon]], and became Queen of the [[Seven Kingdoms]]; she is the mother of [[Joffrey Baratheon|Joffrey]], [[Myrcella Baratheon|Myrcella]], and [[Tommen Baratheon]]. She becomes a [[POV Character]] in [[A Feast for Crows]]. In the [[Game of Thrones|TV series]] she is played by Lena Headey.<ref name=HBO/>

==Character and Appearance==

Cersei is profoundly narcissistic, ruthless, treacherous, ambitious, and cruel. She will stop at nothing to achieve power and prestige for herself and her children, and shows little or no regard for others. She is filled with bitterness over past injustices she has suffered, particularly her loveless marriage with [[Robert Baratheon]]. She resents the restrictions that the patriarchal culture of [[Westeros]] has placed on her because of her gender, yet she seems to have internalized a great deal of this sexism; Cersei hates women, viewing them as weak and contemptible, but believes herself to be an exception.{{Ref|aGoT|67}} Rather than openly rebelling against Westerosi gender roles, she plots to gain power through political intrigue.

Early in the series, Cersei displays some real cunning in handling the political turmoil and intrigues surrounding the death of King Robert and the outbreak of the [[War of the Five Kings]]. As the series progresses, however, the more power Cersei obtains, the more she proves herself to be incompetent at handling it; although she has spent most of her life scheming to gain power, she seems to have little idea of what to do with it once she has it. Her quick temper and her easily wounded pride frequently lead her to make rash decisions, and she rarely considers what unintended consequences her actions might have. She lacks the patience for dealing with the tedious yet vital details of administration, and increasingly tends to avoid facing unpleasant facts, surrounding herself with sycophants rather than honest and competent advisers; ironically, despite her contempt for Robert's hedonistic lifestyle and physical deterioration, she is unconsciously coming to mimic his habit of overindulging in food, alcohol and sex as distractions from the pressures of leadership. Although she shares [[Tywin Lannister|her father]]'s philosophy of ruling through fear rather than love, she lacks his ability to temper ruthlessness with caution, pragmatism, and sound, objective judgment.

Cersei's feelings toward her father are complex; she resents him for marrying her off to Robert Baratheon and for never granting her as much power and respect as she craved, but also admires and seeks to emulate his brutal effectiveness as a politician. She has loathed her younger brother [[Tyrion Lannister|Tyrion]] ever since his birth killed [[Joanna Lannister|their mother]]. Although once optimistic about her royal marriage to Robert Baratheon, she quickly grew to despise him as a drunken fool who remained too infatuated with the memory of [[Lyanna Stark]] to give her a second glance. The only people she can truly be said to love are her twin brother [[Jaime Lannister|Jaime]], with whom she has carried on an incestuous relationship since their adolescence, and her children (all of whom carry the surname Baratheon, but were in fact fathered by Jaime). However, she seems to love Jaime and the children more as extensions of herself than anything else, and can turn on them suddenly: while she protects her children fiercely from any others who would harm them, she provides them with little in the way of sound guidance or consistent discipline, and can react abusively when they defy or disappoint her.

Cersei is a strikingly beautiful woman with classic [[House Lannister|Lannister]] looks: blonde hair, brilliant green eyes, fair skin, and a slender, graceful figure. However, time and motherhood are beginning to take their toll on her body, and as of ''A Feast for Crows'' she has begun to gain weight as a result of alcohol abuse. Like many other characters in the series, she occasionally has dreams that seem to be prophetic.

==History==

Cersei has been haunted since childhood by a prophecy given to her by a ''[[maegi]]'', [[Maggy|Maggy the Frog]]. This prophecy correctly predicted the death of the friend who was with her at the time, her unrequited love for [[Rhaegar Targaryen]], and her marriage (and mutual infidelity) with a king. It also predicted that all three of her children would be crowned, but that all three would die before her. Everything that she had would be taken away by a younger and more beautiful queen, and then the ''valonqar'' ([[High Valyrian]] for "little brother") would strangle her to death.{{Ref|aFfC|24}}

Cersei has shared an incestuous relationship with her twin brother Jaime since they were youths.{{Ref|aFfC|3}} When they are discovered by a servant, her mother moves their rooms to separate sides of the castle. When she was a young girl her father, the [[Hand of the King]] [[Tywin Lannister]], once promised her she would wed Prince Rhaegar. Cersei was delighted by this and was infatuated with Rhaegar when she the first met him. But the marriage offer was rebuffed by [[Aerys II Targaryen|Aerys II]]. When her father goes to King's Landing, he takes her with him. She misses Jaime and is jealous of the proposed match between Jaime and [[Lysa Tully]], so when he visits her in [[King's Landing]] she uses sex to manipulate him into joining up to the [[Kingsguard]]. Once he agrees, she orchestrates the arrangements behind the scenes and within a month, Jaime is sworn into the Kingsguard at the [[Tourney of Harrenhal]]. Cersei didn't think the consequences through very well, and Tywin, furious at the loss of his beloved son and heir, resigns his handship under a thin pretext and leaves King's Landing for Casterly Rock and takes her with him so she is again separated from Jaime. However, she is consoled by the fact that Jaime will never be able to marry.

She married [[Robert Baratheon|Robert]] shortly after the conclusion of [[Robert's Rebellion|his rebellion]]; she is enthralled by the happy crowds at her wedding but grew to hate him after he called her "[[Lyanna Stark|Lyanna]]" during intercourse their first night together. Now back in King's Landing, she carried on her incestuous relationship with Jaime during her marriage, and all her three children ([[Joffrey Baratheon|Joffrey]], [[Myrcella Baratheon|Myrcella]], and [[Tommen Baratheon|Tommen]]), were products of this incest, rather than her husband King Robert. She reveals to [[Eddard Stark]] when he discovers the truth about her children's parentage she was pregnant with a child of Robert's once, but she had the child [[moon tea|aborted]] out of hatred for her husband. In the TV series however, she says it to [[Catelyn Stark]] instead of Eddard and that the child died of a fever shortly after birth (most likely the babe smothered by Cersei).

The true parentage of her children was a well-guarded secret until [[Stannis Baratheon]] leads [[Hand of the King]] [[Jon Arryn]] to uncover it shortly before the beginning of the events of the [[A Game of Thrones|first book]]. Stannis flees to allow Jon to draw his own conclusions, but Jon is murdered by [[tears of Lys|poison]], and his final words, ''"the seed is strong"'' hint at what he uncovered through investigation of Robert's [[bastard]] children.

==Recent Events==
===A Game of Thrones===

After the death of [[Jon Arryn]], Cersei accompanies her husband, King [[Robert Baratheon]], to [[Winterfell]]. When [[Robert Baratheon|Robert]] and most of the castle go on a hunting trip, Cersei remains behind, as does her brother Ser [[Jaime Lannister|Jaime]]. The two are caught having sex by [[Bran Stark]], and when Cersei insists that they must do something to prevent the boy from telling anyone, Jaime immediately pushes him off a tower.{{Ref|aGoT|8}} She later berates Jaime for his impulsiveness, arguing that attempting to kill the boy was foolish when they could have simply intimidated him into silence.

While the royal procession travels back to [[King's Landing]], [[Joffrey Baratheon|Prince Joffrey]] bullies a common boy, [[Mycah]], prompting [[Arya Stark]] and [[Nymeria (direwolf)|her direwolf]] to attack and disarm him. Joffrey tells his parents that Arya and her wolf attacked him without provocation. Cersei takes his side and argues that the girl should lose a hand in accordance with the ancient penalty for striking a prince of royal blood, while the animal should be killed. Robert refuses to allow her to have Arya maimed, and the girl's direwolf cannot be found, but Cersei successfully pressures him into ordering the execution of [[Lady (direwolf)|another direwolf]] as a proxy.{{Ref|aGoT|16}}

When [[Tyrion Lannister|Tyrion]] is abducted by [[Catelyn Stark]], Cersei argues with Robert, insulting his manhood for his failure to immediately avenge the insult to her family. The king strikes her in response, but Cersei tells him she intends to wear the bruise "as a badge of honor." Eddard Stark, who is present, does not approve of his friend's action; Robert admits that it was "not kingly," but blames Cersei for provoking him. Eddard, who has been appointed the [[Hand of the King]], investigates Jon Arryn's death and discovers the truth about the royal children's parentage. He confronts Cersei, and she admits that his accusation is true. She promises to make it worth his while if Eddard allies with her and keeps her secret, but he refuses. Not wanting to see the children harmed, however, Eddard warns her that he intends to tell Robert the truth and urges her to flee with the princes and princess. Cersei's reply is:{{Ref|aGoT|45}}

{{Quote|"When you play the Game of Thrones, you win or you die. There is no middle ground."}}

She instead uses the time to arrange a hunting "accident" for Robert. She provides his squire [[Lancel Lannister|Lancel]], one of her lovers, with fortified strongwine, telling him it is Robert's favorite vintage. Lancel serves it to the king during the hunt, and as the wine is far stronger than Robert expects, he becomes drunk and is fatally injured by a boar. On his deathbed Robert names Eddard Stark regent until his 13-year-old heir Joffrey comes of age, but the morning after Robert's death, Cersei seizes power, denouncing Lord Eddard as a traitor who conspired against King Joffrey. She has Eddard imprisoned and is named Queen Regent, heading Joffrey's [[small council]].{{Ref|aGoT|49}}

Cersei intends to have Eddard convicted of treason but allowed to [[Night's Watch#Recruitment|take the black]], thus discrediting him and removing him as a factor in the political arena without antagonizing [[the North]]. She arranges a public confession for him on the steps of the [[Great Sept of Baelor]], assuring the [[High Septon]] that he will be offered forgiveness and the holy ground will not be profaned with blood. However, she underestimates Joffrey's willfulness and taste for cruelty. He foolishly ignores her advice and instead orders Lord Stark's immediate execution. [[Janos Slynt]] and Ser [[Ilyn Payne]] carry out the king's imprudent command before Cersei can intervene, deeply offending [[Faith of the Seven|the Faith]] and rendering peace between [[House Stark|Stark]] and [[House Lannister|Lannister]] impossible.{{Ref|aGoT|65}}

===A Clash of Kings===

To end the foolish edicts made by [[Joffrey Baratheon|King Joffrey]] and Cersei, [[Tywin Lannister|Tywin]] promptly puts [[Tyrion Lannister|Tyrion]] in the position of [[Hand of the King]] until he can claim the seat himself. When Tyrion arrives in King's Landing, bearing a letter from their father naming him Hand of the King, Cersei nearly has him thrown in the dungeon before he placates her by saying he could rescue Jaime.{{Ref|aCoK|3}} As Hand, Tyrion struggles to wrest control from her, finally resorting to poisoning her to ger her out of the way for a few days. He nullifies most of Cersei's decisions, recalling the Gold Cloaks who are killing off Robert's bastards at her behest.

In Jaime's absence, Cersei begins taking other lovers into her bed.{{Ref|aCoK|29}} After Tyrion sends away her [[Vylarr|personal guard]], she tries to employ three sellswords to replace them - [[Osney Kettleblack|Osney]], [[Osmund Kettleblack|Osmund]] and [[Osfryd Kettleblack]] - but Tyrion finds out and buys their loyalty.{{Ref|aCoK|41}} The Kettleblacks are actually loyal to Petyr Baelish, but neither Cersei nor Tyrion figure this out.

Tyrion sends off Princess Myrcella to [[Sunspear]] in an effort to win over the [[House Martell|Martells]]. Before doing so, his counter intelligence methods mean that Cersei's agent, Grand Maester [[Pycelle]], is no longer a useful source against him. After Myrcella is sent off, Cersei is among those who is caught up in the [[Riot of King's Landing]] provoked by a thoughtless comment she makes to King Joffrey about a dead baby. Jaime later wonders if [[Varys]] had advance knowledge of the riot, since he wasn't there for it.

As King [[Stannis Baratheon]] moves on [[King's Landing]], Cersei decided to get her son Tommen out of the city for safety, but Tyrion's men intercept the party and take Tommen into his custody. Fed up with Tyrion's efforts to rule, Cersei had [[Alayaya]], a whore she believed Tyrion was sleeping with, arrested and beaten, and used her as a hostage in return for Tommen's safe return. She also removes Ser [[Boros Blount]] from the [[Kingsguard]] for his failure to resist Tyrion's men, although removing the cowardly Blount from the [[Kingsguard]] was considered one of her few wiser decision she replaces him with [[Osmund Kettleblack]] a man just as hollow {{Ref|aCoK|54}}.

As the [[Battle of the Blackwater|battle for King's Landing]] begins, Cersei hosts a banquet for all the noblewomen in the [[Red Keep]] in an effort to keep their minds off the fighting, she says, but she invites Ser Ilyn the headman to be on hand to kill them off if the city is taken, to prevent them from becoming hostages. When she hears that the [[River Gate|Mud Gate]] is under attack, she has Joffrey summoned back to the Red Keep.{{Ref|aCoK|60}} Seeing the king flee back to the castle damaged morale and caused the men to rout, nearly costing her the city. This outrages [[Lancel Lannister]], who feels they could have held the gates if Cersei hadn't recalled the King.{{Ref|aCoK|62}} If not for the timely arrival and attack on [[Stannis Baratheon|Stannis]]'s flank by the army of Tywin Lannister and [[Mace Tyrell]], the battle would have been lost for the Lannisters.{{Ref|aCoK|65}} Due to Tyrion's wounds, she is able to lie to her father and turn her father's prejudice against Tyrion to her advantage, all but completely stripping Tyrion's power from him by the time her brother's convalescence is over.

===A Storm of Swords===

[[Tywin Lannister|Tywin]] bends Cersei to his will and later makes it clear she is no longer wanted on the [[small council|council]] and plans to marry her off again, either to [[Willas Tyrell]], [[Balon Greyjoy]] (whose wife was elderly and had failing health) or [[Oberyn Martell]]. After Joffrey offends Tywin through his ungracious behaviour, Tywin is furious and asks where the boy could have learnt such amoral sentiments. Cersei tries to place the blame on Robert but it is clear to all in the room, including Kevan, that it is Cersei's belief system too {{Ref|aSoS|19}}. Joff is killed at his own wedding feast and Cersei accuses her brother [[Tyrion Lannister|Tyrion]] and his wife, [[Sansa Stark]], falsely believing them responsible {{Ref|aSoS|60}}. Cersei names Ser [[Gregor Clegane]] champion if there is to be a trial by combat. This move, however, leads [[Oberyn Martell]], whose sister was murdered by Gregor over a dozen years ago, to champion Tyrion {{Ref|aSoS|66}}. Oberyn is killed in the duel, and Ser Gregor is fatally wounded {{Ref|aSoS|70}}.

===A Feast for Crows===
[[File:Skirts and dignity by cabepfir.jpg|thumb|300px|Cersei framed [[Margaery Tyrell]] leading to her arrest]]

When her father [[Tywin Lannister|Tywin]] is murdered, the checks on her claim to power are cleared. She resumes her position as [[Regent]] over her son, the eight-year-old King [[Tommen Baratheon|Tommen]], who is entirely obedient to her will. As the eldest child of Tywin, she is also acknowledged as the Lady of [[Casterly Rock]] by her uncle [[Kevan Lannister|Kevan]]. Thus empowered and unrestricted, Cersei feels she has the opportunity to prove herself an even better ruler than her father. She begins her new regime by filling all of the positions on Tommen's [[small council]] with her own supporters and agents, disregarding the previous arrangements made by Tywin and the well-meant, if blunt, advice from Kevan. She becomes a restless sleeper, troubled by nightmares of the Imp and the Iron Throne consuming her. {{Ref|aFfC|3}}

Cersei grows to suspect that her powerful [[House Tyrell|Tyrell]] allies, now relatives through Tommen's marriage to [[Margaery Tyrell|Margaery]], are trying to seize control of the kingdom. This suspicion grows from a Tyrell coin found by Maester [[Qyburn]] in the dungeon where Tyrion was being held before his escape{{Ref|aFfC|7}}. Since the reader knows the Tyrells had nothing to do with Tyrion's escape, the coin was likely planted by someone else - i.e., [[Varys]] - in the hopes of spreading discord in the Tyrell/Lannister alliance. If so, the plot seems to have worked, as Cersei commences a campaign of intrigue to remove all the Tyrells in [[King's Landing]] from positions of influence and authority, including her son's wife, [[Margaery Tyrell|Margaery]], and Ser [[Loras Tyrell|Loras]], a member of the [[Kingsguard]].{{Ref|aFfC|24}}
She befriends [[Taena Merryweather]] who informs Cersei that her maid [[Senelle]] is spying on her for Margaery. This leads Senelle to be given over to Qyburn for his twisted experiments. Taena becomes her bedwarmer and confidant.

Cersei's paranoia alienates [[Jaime Lannister|Jaime]], who abandons her to her political machinations.{{Ref|aFfC|8}} She refuses to honor the debts owed by the Crown, angering powerful institutions such as the [[Iron Bank of Braavos]] and the [[Faith of the Seven]].{{Ref|aFfC|17}} This results in the Faith refusing to bless King Tommen, and the Iron Bank calling in all their debts throughout [[Westeros]] and refusing all new loans.{{Ref|aFfC|28}} This causes economic chaos throughout the [[Seven Kingdoms]]. With the monies owed, Cersei constructs a new royal fleet of warships and gives command to [[Aurane Waters]], the Bastard of [[Driftmark]] and a sellsail of questionable expertise and loyalty.{{Ref|aFfC|17}} In an attempt to alleviate the crown's debts, gain the Faith's blessing, and gain more protection from her purported enemies, she allows the new [[High Septon]] (known as the [[High Sparrow]]) to revive the Faith Militant, ignorant of its history of [[Faith Militant uprising|causing trouble]] for monarchs.{{Ref|aFfC|28}} She also takes the disgraced former [[maester]] Qyburn into her service, using him as a torturer, and allowing him to conduct immoral experiments on human subjects.{{Ref|aFfC|7}} She also begins drinking heavily. She tries to manipulate [[Falyse Stokeworth]] and her husband into killing Tyrion's friend, the sellsword Bronn, who was knighted and married off to simple [[Lollys Stokeworth]] to pry him away from Tyrion. The plan goes horribly wrong however when Falyse's husband foolishly challenges Bronn to single combat, Falyse flees to Kings Landing to report that Bronn has killed her husband in a duel. Cersei responds by sending Falyse to Qyburn so nothing is found out about her machinations. Cersei's difficulty coping with the pressure of ruling lead to her beginning to drink heavily (something she often loathed her late husband [[Robert Baratheon|Robert]] for) and begins to gain weight due to this but instead of realizing this blames the washer women for shrinking her gowns.

Cersei plans a plot to frame [[Margaery Tyrell]] for adultery and treason,and after seducing [[Osney Kettleblack]] has him falsely confess to the new High Septon that he had intercourse with Margaery and two of her three cousins. The High Septon acts on the information and has Margaery arrested when she visits the Sept. Cersei feigns concern publicly and visits the High Sept in order to appear to the population that she wishes Margaery released where in actual fact she does everything in her power to make sure Margaery will be found guilty.

However all of Cersei plans to remove the Tyrell influence at court backfire when the High Sparrow arrests her for several crimes, including the murder of the previous High Septon. The High Septon was suspicious of the confession of [[Osney Kettleblack]] and had him tortured till Osney revealed the actual truth. Her own ministers seize control of the government while she awaits trial in the [[Great Sept of Baelor]]. They recall her uncle Kevan to fill her position as [[Regent]], while her new [[Master of Ships|Lord Admiral]], [[Aurane Waters]] absconds with the costly new fleet. Accused of capital crimes, her only hope lies in a [[Kingsguard]] champion to stand for her in a trial by combat. She sends an emotional summons to Jaime, which he burns and to which he does not reply.{{Ref|aFfC|43}}

===A Dance with Dragons===

Cersei still remains a prisoner of the Faith. To try and gain access to visitors, Cersei decides to confess to the High Septon that she did have relations with her cousin [[Lancel Lannister]] and all three of the [[House Kettleblack|Kettleblack]] brothers, knowing that such sins would not earn her an execution. She continues to deny having ordered [[Osney Kettleblack]] to kill the previous High Septon, or that she was involved in King [[Robert Baratheon|Robert]]'s death. The High Septon agrees to allow her one visitor a day. Cersei then learns about [[Myrcella Baratheon|Myrcella]]'s injury and of [[Arys Oakheart]]'s death, which leaves a vacancy in the Kingsguard. Cersei then sends word to [[Qyburn|Lord Qyburn]] that the time has come.{{Ref|ADWD|54}}

Before her trial, the Faith requires Cersei to submit to a penance walk from the Great Sept of Baelor to the [[Red Keep]]. Cersei is shaved of hair from her entire body, then stripped naked. An escort of [[Warrior's Sons]], [[Poor Fellows]], and several septas protect her from the leering and jeering crowds that flocked to see her shame. Cersei breaks down in tears just before finishing and entering the Keep. Upon her entrance, [[Jocelyn Swyft]] has her body covered. Cersei is then carried into the castle by a silent eight-foot-tall knight covered head to heel in thick enamelled white plate, with a great helm concealing his face. [[Qyburn]] then appears and introduces Cersei to the newest member of the [[Kingsguard]], "Ser [[Robert Strong]]," her champion.{{Ref|ADWD|65}}

Cersei dines with her uncle, [[Kevan Lannister|Ser Kevan]], on the night of his death. She requests that Lady [[Taena Merryweather]] attend again her once her innocence is proved. When Kevan has no news of Jaime, Cersei seems certain of his safety. She believes that if he were dead, she would know it.{{Ref|ADWD|Epilogue}}

==Quotes about Cersei==
{{Quote|Cersie is as gentle as [[Maegor I|King Maegor]], as selfless as [[Aegon IV|Aegon the Unworthy]], as wise as [[Aerys II|Mad Aerys]]. She never forgets a slight, real or imagined. She takes caution for cowardice and dissent for defiance. And she is greedy. Greedy for power, for honour, for love.}} [[Tyrion Lannister|Tyrion]], on his sister, to [[Young Griff]]

{{Quote|His Sister liked to think of herself as Lord [[Tywin Lannister|Tywin]] with teats, but she was wrong. Their father had been as relentless and implacable as a glacier, where Cersei was all wildfire, especially when thwarted...She does not lack for wits but she has no judgement, and no patience.}} [[Jaime Lannister]], on his sisters leadership skills.

{{Quote|She's been fucking [[Lancel Lannister|Lancel]] and [[Osmund Kettleblack]] and probably [[Moon Boy]] for all I know.}} Tyrion to Jaime.

==Family==
{{Lannister tree}}

==References and Notes==
{{references|3|refs=
<ref name=HBO>[http://www.hbo.com/game-of-thrones/index.html#/game-of-thrones/cast-and-crew.html/eNrjcmbOYC5kzlfPz0lxzEvMqSzJTA5ITE-1S8xN1SzLTEnNh4k65+eVpFaUsEknlpbkF+QkVtqWFJWmcjIysgEhAGCyFzg= HBO: Game of Thrones: cast and crew]</ref>
}}

{{POV Characters}}
{{Template:Royal consorts of Westeros}}


[[Category:House Lannister]]
[[Category:Noblewomen|Lannister, Cersei]]
[[Category:Characters from the Westerlands|Lannister, Cersei]]
[[Category:Members of the Small council|Lannister, Cersei]]
[[Category:POV characters|Lannister, Cersei]]


[[fr:Cersei Lannister]]
[[ru:Серсея Ланнистер]]
[[Zh:瑟曦·兰尼斯特]]
[[pt:Cersei Lannister]]
[[es:Cersei Lannister]]

Cersei Lannister

2012-07-24T19:28:19Z

Penelope:

{{Infobox character
| Character_name = [[File:House Lannister.png|50px|left]][[File:House Baratheon.PNG|50px|right]] '''Cersei Lannister'''
| image = [[Image:Cersei.jpg|300px]]
| image_caption = by [http://en.amokanet.ru/gallery/martin/ Amoka©]
| Alias = Light of the West
| Title = Queen Dowager Protector of the Realm Lady of Casterly Rock [[Regent|Queen Regent]]
| Allegiance = [[House Lannister]]
| Race =
| Culture = [[Westerlands]]
| Spouse = [[Robert Baratheon]] (deceased)
| Place_of_Birth = [[Casterly Rock]]
| Date_of_Birth = {{Date|266}}
| Place_of_Death =
| Date_of_Death =
| Books = [[A Game of Thrones]] (Appears) [[A Clash of Kings]] (Appears) [[A Storm of Swords]] (Appears) [[A Feast for Crows]] (POV) [[A Dance with Dragons]] (POV)
| coat-of-arms =
| Played_by = [[List of actors of the televised series#Lena Heady,Cersei Lannister|Lena Heady]]<ref name=HBO/>
| TV_series = [[Game of Thrones - Season 1|Season 1]] {{!}} [[Game of Thrones - Season 2|Season 2]]
}}
[[File:Cersei lannister by teiiku.jpg|thumb|300px|Young beautiful queen Cersei, in her chambers. Art by TeiIku©]]
[[File:Cersei Robert.jpg|thumb|300px|Cersei and her husband King [[Robert Baratheon]]]]
[[File:Cersei and jaime Lannister.jpg|thumb|300px|Cersei and [[Jaime Lannister|Jaime's]] relationship.]]
[[File:Cersei Joffrey Sansa Eddard beheading.jpg|thumb|300px|Cersei, Joffrey and Sansa at Eddard Stark's beheading]]

'''Cersei Lannister''' is the eldest child of [[Tywin Lannister|Tywin]] and [[Joanna Lannister]] by mere moments, and the twin sister of [[Jaime Lannister]]. After [[Robert's Rebellion]] she married the new king, [[Robert Baratheon]], and became Queen of the [[Seven Kingdoms]]; she is the mother of [[Joffrey Baratheon|Joffrey]], [[Myrcella Baratheon|Myrcella]], and [[Tommen Baratheon]]. She becomes a [[POV Character]] in [[A Feast for Crows]]. In the [[Game of Thrones|TV series]] she is played by Lena Headey.<ref name=HBO/>

==Character and Appearance==

Cersei is profoundly narcissistic, ruthless, treacherous, ambitious, and cruel. She will stop at nothing to achieve power and prestige for herself and her children, and shows little or no regard for others. She is filled with bitterness over past injustices she has suffered, particularly her loveless marriage with [[Robert Baratheon]]. She resents the restrictions that the patriarchal culture of [[Westeros]] has placed on her because of her gender, yet she seems to have internalized a great deal of this sexism; Cersei hates women, viewing them as weak and contemptible, but believes herself to be an exception.{{Ref|aGoT|67}} Rather than openly rebelling against Westerosi gender roles, she plots to gain power through political intrigue.

Early in the series, Cersei displays some real cunning in handling the political turmoil and intrigues surrounding the death of King Robert and the outbreak of the [[War of the Five Kings]]. As the series progresses, however, the more power Cersei obtains, the more she proves herself to be incompetent at handling it; although she has spent most of her life scheming to gain power, she seems to have little idea of what to do with it once she has it. Her quick temper and her easily wounded pride frequently lead her to make rash decisions, and she rarely considers what unintended consequences her actions might have. She lacks the patience for dealing with the tedious yet vital details of administration, and increasingly tends to avoid facing unpleasant facts, surrounding herself with sycophants rather than honest and competent advisers; ironically, despite her contempt for Robert's hedonistic lifestyle and physical deterioration, she is unconsciously coming to mimic his habit of overindulging in food, alcohol and sex as distractions from the pressures of leadership. Although she shares [[Tywin Lannister|her father]]'s philosophy of ruling through fear rather than love, she lacks his ability to temper ruthlessness with caution, pragmatism, and sound, objective judgment.

Cersei's feelings toward her father are complex; she resents him for marrying her off to Robert Baratheon and for never granting her as much power and respect as she craved, but also admires and seeks to emulate his brutal effectiveness as a politician. She has loathed her younger brother [[Tyrion Lannister|Tyrion]] ever since his birth killed [[Joanna Lannister|their mother]]. Although once optimistic about her royal marriage to Robert Baratheon, she quickly grew to despise him as a drunken fool who remained too infatuated with the memory of [[Lyanna Stark]] to give her a second glance. The only people she can truly be said to love are her twin brother [[Jaime Lannister|Jaime]], with whom she has carried on an incestuous relationship since their adolescence, and her children (all of whom carry the surname Baratheon, but were in fact fathered by Jaime). However, she seems to love Jaime and the children more as extensions of herself than anything else, and can turn on them suddenly: while she protects her children fiercely from any others who would harm them, she provides them with little in the way of sound guidance or consistent discipline, and can react abusively when they defy or disappoint her.

Cersei is a strikingly beautiful woman with classic [[House Lannister|Lannister]] looks: blonde hair, brilliant green eyes, fair skin, and a slender, graceful figure. However, time and motherhood are beginning to take their toll on her body, and as of ''A Feast for Crows'' she has begun to gain weight as a result of alcohol abuse. Like many other characters in the series, she occasionally has dreams that seem to be prophetic.

==History==

Cersei has been haunted since childhood by a prophecy given to her by a ''[[maegi]]'', [[Maggy|Maggy the Frog]]. This prophecy correctly predicted the death of the friend who was with her at the time, her unrequited love for [[Rhaegar Targaryen]], and her marriage (and mutual infidelity) with a king. It also predicted that all three of her children would be crowned, but that all three would die before her. Everything that she had would be taken away by a younger and more beautiful queen, and then the ''valonqar'' ([[High Valyrian]] for "little brother") would strangle her to death.{{Ref|aFfC|24}}

Cersei has shared an incestuous relationship with her twin brother Jaime since they were youths.{{Ref|aFfC|3}} When they are discovered by a servant, her mother moves their rooms to separate sides of the castle. When she was a young girl her father, the [[Hand of the King]] [[Tywin Lannister]], once promised her she would wed Prince Rhaegar. Cersei was delighted by this and was infatuated with Rhaegar when she the first met him. But the marriage offer was rebuffed by [[Aerys II Targaryen|Aerys II]]. When her father goes to King's Landing, he takes her with him. She misses Jaime and is jealous of the proposed match between Jaime and [[Lysa Tully]], so when he visits her in [[King's Landing]] she uses sex to manipulate him into joining up to the [[Kingsguard]]. Once he agrees, she orchestrates the arrangements behind the scenes and within a month, Jaime is sworn into the Kingsguard at the [[Tourney of Harrenhal]]. Cersei didn't think the consequences through very well, and Tywin, furious at the loss of his beloved son and heir, resigns his handship under a thin pretext and leaves King's Landing for Casterly Rock and takes her with him so she is again separated from Jaime. However, she is consoled by the fact that Jaime will never be able to marry.

She married [[Robert Baratheon|Robert]] shortly after the conclusion of [[Robert's Rebellion|his rebellion]]; she is enthralled by the happy crowds at her wedding but grew to hate him after he called her "[[Lyanna Stark|Lyanna]]" during intercourse their first night together. Now back in King's Landing, she carried on her incestuous relationship with Jaime during her marriage, and all her three children ([[Joffrey Baratheon|Joffrey]], [[Myrcella Baratheon|Myrcella]], and [[Tommen Baratheon|Tommen]]), were products of this incest, rather than her husband King Robert. She reveals to [[Eddard Stark]] when he discovers the truth about her children's parentage she was pregnant with a child of Robert's once, but she had the child [[moon tea|aborted]] out of hatred for her husband. In the TV series however, she says it to [[Catelyn Stark]] instead of Eddard and that the child died of a fever shortly after birth (most likely the babe smothered by Cersei).

The true parentage of her children was a well-guarded secret until [[Stannis Baratheon]] leads [[Hand of the King]] [[Jon Arryn]] to uncover it shortly before the beginning of the events of the [[A Game of Thrones|first book]]. Stannis flees to allow Jon to draw his own conclusions, but Jon is murdered by [[tears of Lys|poison]], and his final words, ''"the seed is strong"'' hint at what he uncovered through investigation of Robert's [[bastard]] children.

==Recent Events==
===A Game of Thrones===

After the death of [[Jon Arryn]], Cersei accompanies her husband, King [[Robert Baratheon]], to [[Winterfell]]. When [[Robert Baratheon|Robert]] and most of the castle go on a hunting trip, Cersei remains behind, as does her brother Ser [[Jaime Lannister|Jaime]]. The two are caught having sex by [[Bran Stark]], and when Cersei insists that they must do something to prevent the boy from telling anyone, Jaime immediately pushes him off a tower.{{Ref|aGoT|8}} She later berates Jaime for his impulsiveness, arguing that attempting to kill the boy was foolish when they could have simply intimidated him into silence.

While the royal procession travels back to [[King's Landing]], [[Joffrey Baratheon|Prince Joffrey]] bullies a common boy, [[Mycah]], prompting [[Arya Stark]] and [[Nymeria (direwolf)|her direwolf]] to attack and disarm him. Joffrey tells his parents that Arya and her wolf attacked him without provocation. Cersei takes his side and argues that the girl should lose a hand in accordance with the ancient penalty for striking a prince of royal blood, while the animal should be killed. Robert refuses to allow her to have Arya maimed, and the girl's direwolf cannot be found, but Cersei successfully pressures him into ordering the execution of [[Lady (direwolf)|another direwolf]] as a proxy.{{Ref|aGoT|16}}

When [[Tyrion Lannister|Tyrion]] is abducted by [[Catelyn Stark]], Cersei argues with Robert, insulting his manhood for his failure to immediately avenge the insult to her family. The king strikes her in response, but Cersei tells him she intends to wear the bruise "as a badge of honor." Eddard Stark, who is present, does not approve of his friend's action; Robert admits that it was "not kingly," but blames Cersei for provoking him. Eddard, who has been appointed the [[Hand of the King]], investigates Jon Arryn's death and discovers the truth about the royal children's parentage. He confronts Cersei, and she admits that his accusation is true. She promises to make it worth his while if Eddard allies with her and keeps her secret, but he refuses. Not wanting to see the children harmed, however, Eddard warns her that he intends to tell Robert the truth and urges her to flee with the princes and princess. Cersei's reply is:{{Ref|aGoT|45}}

{{Quote|"When you play the Game of Thrones, you win or you die. There is no middle ground."}}

She instead uses the time to arrange a hunting "accident" for Robert. She provides his squire [[Lancel Lannister|Lancel]], one of her lovers, with fortified strongwine, telling him it is Robert's favorite vintage. Lancel serves it to the king during the hunt, and as the wine is far stronger than Robert expects, he becomes drunk and is fatally injured by a boar. On his deathbed Robert names Eddard Stark regent until his 13-year-old heir Joffrey comes of age, but the morning after Robert's death, Cersei seizes power, denouncing Lord Eddard as a traitor who conspired against King Joffrey. She has Eddard imprisoned and is named Queen Regent, heading Joffrey's [[small council]].{{Ref|aGoT|49}}

Cersei intends to have Eddard convicted of treason but allowed to [[Night's Watch#Recruitment|take the black]], thus discrediting him and removing him as a factor in the political arena without antagonizing [[the North]]. She arranges a public confession for him on the steps of the [[Great Sept of Baelor]], assuring the [[High Septon]] that he will be offered forgiveness and the holy ground will not be profaned with blood. However, she underestimates Joffrey's willfulness and taste for cruelty. He foolishly ignores her advice and orders Lord Stark's immediate execution. [[Janos Slynt]] and Ser [[Ilyn Payne]] carry out the king's imprudent command before Cersei can intervene, deeply offending [[Faith of the Seven|the Faith]] and rendering peace between [[House Stark|Stark]] and [[House Lannister|Lannister]] impossible.{{Ref|aGoT|65}}

===A Clash of Kings===

To end the foolish edicts made by [[Joffrey Baratheon|King Joffrey]] and Cersei, [[Tywin Lannister|Tywin]] promptly puts [[Tyrion Lannister|Tyrion]] in the position of [[Hand of the King]] until he can claim the seat himself. When Tyrion arrives in King's Landing, bearing a letter from their father naming him Hand of the King, Cersei nearly has him thrown in the dungeon before he placates her by saying he could rescue Jaime.{{Ref|aCoK|3}} As Hand, Tyrion struggles to wrest control from her, finally resorting to poisoning her to ger her out of the way for a few days. He nullifies most of Cersei's decisions, recalling the Gold Cloaks who are killing off Robert's bastards at her behest.

In Jaime's absence, Cersei begins taking other lovers into her bed.{{Ref|aCoK|29}} After Tyrion sends away her [[Vylarr|personal guard]], she tries to employ three sellswords to replace them - [[Osney Kettleblack|Osney]], [[Osmund Kettleblack|Osmund]] and [[Osfryd Kettleblack]] - but Tyrion finds out and buys their loyalty.{{Ref|aCoK|41}} The Kettleblacks are actually loyal to Petyr Baelish, but neither Cersei nor Tyrion figure this out.

Tyrion sends off Princess Myrcella to [[Sunspear]] in an effort to win over the [[House Martell|Martells]]. Before doing so, his counter intelligence methods mean that Cersei's agent, Grand Maester [[Pycelle]], is no longer a useful source against him. After Myrcella is sent off, Cersei is among those who is caught up in the [[Riot of King's Landing]] provoked by a thoughtless comment she makes to King Joffrey about a dead baby. Jaime later wonders if [[Varys]] had advance knowledge of the riot, since he wasn't there for it.

As King [[Stannis Baratheon]] moves on [[King's Landing]], Cersei decided to get her son Tommen out of the city for safety, but Tyrion's men intercept the party and take Tommen into his custody. Fed up with Tyrion's efforts to rule, Cersei had [[Alayaya]], a whore she believed Tyrion was sleeping with, arrested and beaten, and used her as a hostage in return for Tommen's safe return. She also removes Ser [[Boros Blount]] from the [[Kingsguard]] for his failure to resist Tyrion's men, although removing the cowardly Blount from the [[Kingsguard]] was considered one of her few wiser decision she replaces him with [[Osmund Kettleblack]] a man just as hollow {{Ref|aCoK|54}}.

As the [[Battle of the Blackwater|battle for King's Landing]] begins, Cersei hosts a banquet for all the noblewomen in the [[Red Keep]] in an effort to keep their minds off the fighting, she says, but she invites Ser Ilyn the headman to be on hand to kill them off if the city is taken, to prevent them from becoming hostages. When she hears that the [[River Gate|Mud Gate]] is under attack, she has Joffrey summoned back to the Red Keep.{{Ref|aCoK|60}} Seeing the king flee back to the castle damaged morale and caused the men to rout, nearly costing her the city. This outrages [[Lancel Lannister]], who feels they could have held the gates if Cersei hadn't recalled the King.{{Ref|aCoK|62}} If not for the timely arrival and attack on [[Stannis Baratheon|Stannis]]'s flank by the army of Tywin Lannister and [[Mace Tyrell]], the battle would have been lost for the Lannisters.{{Ref|aCoK|65}} Due to Tyrion's wounds, she is able to lie to her father and turn her father's prejudice against Tyrion to her advantage, all but completely stripping Tyrion's power from him by the time her brother's convalescence is over.

===A Storm of Swords===

[[Tywin Lannister|Tywin]] bends Cersei to his will and later makes it clear she is no longer wanted on the [[small council|council]] and plans to marry her off again, either to [[Willas Tyrell]], [[Balon Greyjoy]] (whose wife was elderly and had failing health) or [[Oberyn Martell]]. After Joffrey offends Tywin through his ungracious behaviour, Tywin is furious and asks where the boy could have learnt such amoral sentiments. Cersei tries to place the blame on Robert but it is clear to all in the room, including Kevan, that it is Cersei's belief system too {{Ref|aSoS|19}}. Joff is killed at his own wedding feast and Cersei accuses her brother [[Tyrion Lannister|Tyrion]] and his wife, [[Sansa Stark]], falsely believing them responsible {{Ref|aSoS|60}}. Cersei names Ser [[Gregor Clegane]] champion if there is to be a trial by combat. This move, however, leads [[Oberyn Martell]], whose sister was murdered by Gregor over a dozen years ago, to champion Tyrion {{Ref|aSoS|66}}. Oberyn is killed in the duel, and Ser Gregor is fatally wounded {{Ref|aSoS|70}}.

===A Feast for Crows===
[[File:Skirts and dignity by cabepfir.jpg|thumb|300px|Cersei framed [[Margaery Tyrell]] leading to her arrest]]

When her father [[Tywin Lannister|Tywin]] is murdered, the checks on her claim to power are cleared. She resumes her position as [[Regent]] over her son, the eight-year-old King [[Tommen Baratheon|Tommen]], who is entirely obedient to her will. As the eldest child of Tywin, she is also acknowledged as the Lady of [[Casterly Rock]] by her uncle [[Kevan Lannister|Kevan]]. Thus empowered and unrestricted, Cersei feels she has the opportunity to prove herself an even better ruler than her father. She begins her new regime by filling all of the positions on Tommen's [[small council]] with her own supporters and agents, disregarding the previous arrangements made by Tywin and the well-meant, if blunt, advice from Kevan. She becomes a restless sleeper, troubled by nightmares of the Imp and the Iron Throne consuming her. {{Ref|aFfC|3}}

Cersei grows to suspect that her powerful [[House Tyrell|Tyrell]] allies, now relatives through Tommen's marriage to [[Margaery Tyrell|Margaery]], are trying to seize control of the kingdom. This suspicion grows from a Tyrell coin found by Maester [[Qyburn]] in the dungeon where Tyrion was being held before his escape{{Ref|aFfC|7}}. Since the reader knows the Tyrells had nothing to do with Tyrion's escape, the coin was likely planted by someone else - i.e., [[Varys]] - in the hopes of spreading discord in the Tyrell/Lannister alliance. If so, the plot seems to have worked, as Cersei commences a campaign of intrigue to remove all the Tyrells in [[King's Landing]] from positions of influence and authority, including her son's wife, [[Margaery Tyrell|Margaery]], and Ser [[Loras Tyrell|Loras]], a member of the [[Kingsguard]].{{Ref|aFfC|24}}
She befriends [[Taena Merryweather]] who informs Cersei that her maid [[Senelle]] is spying on her for Margaery. This leads Senelle to be given over to Qyburn for his twisted experiments. Taena becomes her bedwarmer and confidant.

Cersei's paranoia alienates [[Jaime Lannister|Jaime]], who abandons her to her political machinations.{{Ref|aFfC|8}} She refuses to honor the debts owed by the Crown, angering powerful institutions such as the [[Iron Bank of Braavos]] and the [[Faith of the Seven]].{{Ref|aFfC|17}} This results in the Faith refusing to bless King Tommen, and the Iron Bank calling in all their debts throughout [[Westeros]] and refusing all new loans.{{Ref|aFfC|28}} This causes economic chaos throughout the [[Seven Kingdoms]]. With the monies owed, Cersei constructs a new royal fleet of warships and gives command to [[Aurane Waters]], the Bastard of [[Driftmark]] and a sellsail of questionable expertise and loyalty.{{Ref|aFfC|17}} In an attempt to alleviate the crown's debts, gain the Faith's blessing, and gain more protection from her purported enemies, she allows the new [[High Septon]] (known as the [[High Sparrow]]) to revive the Faith Militant, ignorant of its history of [[Faith Militant uprising|causing trouble]] for monarchs.{{Ref|aFfC|28}} She also takes the disgraced former [[maester]] Qyburn into her service, using him as a torturer, and allowing him to conduct immoral experiments on human subjects.{{Ref|aFfC|7}} She also begins drinking heavily. She tries to manipulate [[Falyse Stokeworth]] and her husband into killing Tyrion's friend, the sellsword Bronn, who was knighted and married off to simple [[Lollys Stokeworth]] to pry him away from Tyrion. The plan goes horribly wrong however when Falyse's husband foolishly challenges Bronn to single combat, Falyse flees to Kings Landing to report that Bronn has killed her husband in a duel. Cersei responds by sending Falyse to Qyburn so nothing is found out about her machinations. Cersei's difficulty coping with the pressure of ruling lead to her beginning to drink heavily (something she often loathed her late husband [[Robert Baratheon|Robert]] for) and begins to gain weight due to this but instead of realizing this blames the washer women for shrinking her gowns.

Cersei plans a plot to frame [[Margaery Tyrell]] for adultery and treason,and after seducing [[Osney Kettleblack]] has him falsely confess to the new High Septon that he had intercourse with Margaery and two of her three cousins. The High Septon acts on the information and has Margaery arrested when she visits the Sept. Cersei feigns concern publicly and visits the High Sept in order to appear to the population that she wishes Margaery released where in actual fact she does everything in her power to make sure Margaery will be found guilty.

However all of Cersei plans to remove the Tyrell influence at court backfire when the High Sparrow arrests her for several crimes, including the murder of the previous High Septon. The High Septon was suspicious of the confession of [[Osney Kettleblack]] and had him tortured till Osney revealed the actual truth. Her own ministers seize control of the government while she awaits trial in the [[Great Sept of Baelor]]. They recall her uncle Kevan to fill her position as [[Regent]], while her new [[Master of Ships|Lord Admiral]], [[Aurane Waters]] absconds with the costly new fleet. Accused of capital crimes, her only hope lies in a [[Kingsguard]] champion to stand for her in a trial by combat. She sends an emotional summons to Jaime, which he burns and to which he does not reply.{{Ref|aFfC|43}}

===A Dance with Dragons===

Cersei still remains a prisoner of the Faith. To try and gain access to visitors, Cersei decides to confess to the High Septon that she did have relations with her cousin [[Lancel Lannister]] and all three of the [[House Kettleblack|Kettleblack]] brothers, knowing that such sins would not earn her an execution. She continues to deny having ordered [[Osney Kettleblack]] to kill the previous High Septon, or that she was involved in King [[Robert Baratheon|Robert]]'s death. The High Septon agrees to allow her one visitor a day. Cersei then learns about [[Myrcella Baratheon|Myrcella]]'s injury and of [[Arys Oakheart]]'s death, which leaves a vacancy in the Kingsguard. Cersei then sends word to [[Qyburn|Lord Qyburn]] that the time has come.{{Ref|ADWD|54}}

Before her trial, the Faith requires Cersei to submit to a penance walk from the Great Sept of Baelor to the [[Red Keep]]. Cersei is shaved of hair from her entire body, then stripped naked. An escort of [[Warrior's Sons]], [[Poor Fellows]], and several septas protect her from the leering and jeering crowds that flocked to see her shame. Cersei breaks down in tears just before finishing and entering the Keep. Upon her entrance, [[Jocelyn Swyft]] has her body covered. Cersei is then carried into the castle by a silent eight-foot-tall knight covered head to heel in thick enamelled white plate, with a great helm concealing his face. [[Qyburn]] then appears and introduces Cersei to the newest member of the [[Kingsguard]], "Ser [[Robert Strong]]," her champion.{{Ref|ADWD|65}}

Cersei dines with her uncle, [[Kevan Lannister|Ser Kevan]], on the night of his death. She requests that Lady [[Taena Merryweather]] attend again her once her innocence is proved. When Kevan has no news of Jaime, Cersei seems certain of his safety. She believes that if he were dead, she would know it.{{Ref|ADWD|Epilogue}}

==Quotes about Cersei==
{{Quote|Cersie is as gentle as [[Maegor I|King Maegor]], as selfless as [[Aegon IV|Aegon the Unworthy]], as wise as [[Aerys II|Mad Aerys]]. She never forgets a slight, real or imagined. She takes caution for cowardice and dissent for defiance. And she is greedy. Greedy for power, for honour, for love.}} [[Tyrion Lannister|Tyrion]], on his sister, to [[Young Griff]]

{{Quote|His Sister liked to think of herself as Lord [[Tywin Lannister|Tywin]] with teats, but she was wrong. Their father had been as relentless and implacable as a glacier, where Cersei was all wildfire, especially when thwarted...She does not lack for wits but she has no judgement, and no patience.}} [[Jaime Lannister]], on his sisters leadership skills.

{{Quote|She's been fucking [[Lancel Lannister|Lancel]] and [[Osmund Kettleblack]] and probably [[Moon Boy]] for all I know.}} Tyrion to Jaime.

==Family==
{{Lannister tree}}

==References and Notes==
{{references|3|refs=
<ref name=HBO>[http://www.hbo.com/game-of-thrones/index.html#/game-of-thrones/cast-and-crew.html/eNrjcmbOYC5kzlfPz0lxzEvMqSzJTA5ITE-1S8xN1SzLTEnNh4k65+eVpFaUsEknlpbkF+QkVtqWFJWmcjIysgEhAGCyFzg= HBO: Game of Thrones: cast and crew]</ref>
}}

{{POV Characters}}
{{Template:Royal consorts of Westeros}}


[[Category:House Lannister]]
[[Category:Noblewomen|Lannister, Cersei]]
[[Category:Characters from the Westerlands|Lannister, Cersei]]
[[Category:Members of the Small council|Lannister, Cersei]]
[[Category:POV characters|Lannister, Cersei]]


[[fr:Cersei Lannister]]
[[ru:Серсея Ланнистер]]
[[Zh:瑟曦·兰尼斯特]]
[[pt:Cersei Lannister]]
[[es:Cersei Lannister]]

Cersei Lannister

2012-07-24T19:25:29Z

Penelope:

{{Infobox character
| Character_name = [[File:House Lannister.png|50px|left]][[File:House Baratheon.PNG|50px|right]] '''Cersei Lannister'''
| image = [[Image:Cersei.jpg|300px]]
| image_caption = by [http://en.amokanet.ru/gallery/martin/ Amoka©]
| Alias = Light of the West
| Title = Queen Dowager Protector of the Realm Lady of Casterly Rock [[Regent|Queen Regent]]
| Allegiance = [[House Lannister]]
| Race =
| Culture = [[Westerlands]]
| Spouse = [[Robert Baratheon]] (deceased)
| Place_of_Birth = [[Casterly Rock]]
| Date_of_Birth = {{Date|266}}
| Place_of_Death =
| Date_of_Death =
| Books = [[A Game of Thrones]] (Appears) [[A Clash of Kings]] (Appears) [[A Storm of Swords]] (Appears) [[A Feast for Crows]] (POV) [[A Dance with Dragons]] (POV)
| coat-of-arms =
| Played_by = [[List of actors of the televised series#Lena Heady,Cersei Lannister|Lena Heady]]<ref name=HBO/>
| TV_series = [[Game of Thrones - Season 1|Season 1]] {{!}} [[Game of Thrones - Season 2|Season 2]]
}}
[[File:Cersei lannister by teiiku.jpg|thumb|300px|Young beautiful queen Cersei, in her chambers. Art by TeiIku©]]
[[File:Cersei Robert.jpg|thumb|300px|Cersei and her husband King [[Robert Baratheon]]]]
[[File:Cersei and jaime Lannister.jpg|thumb|300px|Cersei and [[Jaime Lannister|Jaime's]] relationship.]]
[[File:Cersei Joffrey Sansa Eddard beheading.jpg|thumb|300px|Cersei, Joffrey and Sansa at Eddard Stark's beheading]]

'''Cersei Lannister''' is the eldest child of [[Tywin Lannister|Tywin]] and [[Joanna Lannister]] by mere moments, and the twin sister of [[Jaime Lannister]]. After [[Robert's Rebellion]] she married the new king, [[Robert Baratheon]], and became Queen of the [[Seven Kingdoms]]; she is the mother of [[Joffrey Baratheon|Joffrey]], [[Myrcella Baratheon|Myrcella]], and [[Tommen Baratheon]]. She becomes a [[POV Character]] in [[A Feast for Crows]]. In the [[Game of Thrones|TV series]] she is played by Lena Headey.<ref name=HBO/>

==Character and Appearance==

Cersei is profoundly narcissistic, ruthless, treacherous, ambitious, and cruel. She will stop at nothing to achieve power and prestige for herself and her children, and shows little or no regard for others. She is filled with bitterness over past injustices she has suffered, particularly her loveless marriage with [[Robert Baratheon]]. She resents the restrictions that the patriarchal culture of [[Westeros]] has placed on her because of her gender, yet she seems to have internalized a great deal of this sexism; Cersei hates women, viewing them as weak and contemptible, but believes herself to be an exception.{{Ref|aGoT|67}} Rather than openly rebelling against Westerosi gender roles, she plots to gain power through political intrigue.

Early in the series, Cersei displays some real cunning in handling the political turmoil and intrigues surrounding the death of King Robert and the outbreak of the [[War of the Five Kings]]. As the series progresses, however, the more power Cersei obtains, the more she proves herself to be incompetent at handling it; although she has spent most of her life scheming to gain power, she seems to have little idea of what to do with it once she has it. Her quick temper and her easily wounded pride frequently lead her to make rash decisions, and she rarely considers what unintended consequences her actions might have. She lacks the patience for dealing with the tedious yet vital details of administration, and increasingly tends to avoid facing unpleasant facts, surrounding herself with sycophants rather than honest and competent advisers; ironically, despite her contempt for Robert's hedonistic lifestyle and physical deterioration, she is unconsciously coming to mimic his habit of overindulging in food, alcohol and sex as distractions from the pressures of leadership. Although she shares [[Tywin Lannister|her father]]'s philosophy of ruling through fear rather than love, she lacks his ability to temper ruthlessness with caution, pragmatism, and sound, objective judgment.

Cersei's feelings toward her father are complex; she resents him for marrying her off to Robert Baratheon and for never granting her as much power and respect as she craved, but also admires and seeks to emulate his brutal effectiveness as a politician. She has loathed her younger brother [[Tyrion Lannister|Tyrion]] ever since his birth killed [[Joanna Lannister|their mother]]. Although once optimistic about her royal marriage to Robert Baratheon, she quickly grew to despise him as a drunken fool who remained too infatuated with the memory of [[Lyanna Stark]] to give her a second glance. The only people she can truly be said to love are her twin brother [[Jaime Lannister|Jaime]], with whom she has carried on an incestuous relationship since their adolescence, and her children (all of whom carry the surname Baratheon, but were in fact fathered by Jaime). However, she seems to love Jaime and the children more as extensions of herself than anything else, and can turn on them suddenly: while she protects her children fiercely from any others who would harm them, she provides them with little in the way of sound guidance or consistent discipline, and can react abusively when they defy or disappoint her.

Cersei is a strikingly beautiful woman with classic [[House Lannister|Lannister]] looks: blonde hair, brilliant green eyes, fair skin, and a slender, graceful figure. However, time and motherhood are beginning to take their toll on her body, and as of ''A Feast for Crows'' she has begun to gain weight as a result of alcohol abuse. Like many other characters in the series, she occasionally has dreams that seem to be prophetic.

==History==

Cersei has been haunted since childhood by a prophecy given to her by a ''[[maegi]]'', [[Maggy|Maggy the Frog]]. This prophecy correctly predicted the death of the friend who was with her at the time, her unrequited love for [[Rhaegar Targaryen]], and her marriage (and mutual infidelity) with a king. It also predicted that all three of her children would be crowned, but that all three would die before her. Everything that she had would be taken away by a younger and more beautiful queen, and then the ''valonqar'' ([[High Valyrian]] for "little brother") would strangle her to death.{{Ref|aFfC|24}}

Cersei has shared an incestuous relationship with her twin brother Jaime since they were youths.{{Ref|aFfC|3}} When they are discovered by a servant, her mother moves their rooms to separate sides of the castle. When she was a young girl her father, the [[Hand of the King]] [[Tywin Lannister]], once promised her she would wed Prince Rhaegar. Cersei was delighted by this and was infatuated with Rhaegar when she the first met him. But the marriage offer was rebuffed by [[Aerys II Targaryen|Aerys II]]. When her father goes to King's Landing, he takes her with him. She misses Jaime and is jealous of the proposed match between Jaime and [[Lysa Tully]], so when he visits her in [[King's Landing]] she uses sex to manipulate him into joining up to the [[Kingsguard]]. Once he agrees, she orchestrates the arrangements behind the scenes and within a month, Jaime is sworn into the Kingsguard at the [[Tourney of Harrenhal]]. Cersei didn't think the consequences through very well, and Tywin, furious at the loss of his beloved son and heir, resigns his handship under a thin pretext and leaves King's Landing for Casterly Rock and takes her with him so she is again separated from Jaime. However, she is consoled by the fact that Jaime will never be able to marry.

She married [[Robert Baratheon|Robert]] shortly after the conclusion of [[Robert's Rebellion|his rebellion]]; she is enthralled by the happy crowds at her wedding but grew to hate him after he called her "[[Lyanna Stark|Lyanna]]" during intercourse their first night together. Now back in King's Landing, she carried on her incestuous relationship with Jaime during her marriage, and all her three children ([[Joffrey Baratheon|Joffrey]], [[Myrcella Baratheon|Myrcella]], and [[Tommen Baratheon|Tommen]]), were products of this incest, rather than her husband King Robert. She reveals to [[Eddard Stark]] when he discovers the truth about her children's parentage she was pregnant with a child of Robert's once, but she had the child [[moon tea|aborted]] out of hatred for her husband. In the TV series however, she says it to [[Catelyn Stark]] instead of Eddard and that the child died of a fever shortly after birth (most likely the babe smothered by Cersei).

The true parentage of her children was a well-guarded secret until [[Stannis Baratheon]] leads [[Hand of the King]] [[Jon Arryn]] to uncover it shortly before the beginning of the events of the [[A Game of Thrones|first book]]. Stannis flees to allow Jon to draw his own conclusions, but Jon is murdered by [[tears of Lys|poison]], and his final words, ''"the seed is strong"'' hint at what he uncovered through investigation of Robert's [[bastard]] children.

==Recent Events==
===A Game of Thrones===

After the death of [[Jon Arryn]], Cersei accompanies her husband, King [[Robert Baratheon]], to [[Winterfell]]. When [[Robert Baratheon|Robert]] and most of the castle go on a hunting trip, Cersei remains behind, as does her brother Ser [[Jaime Lannister|Jaime]]. The two are caught having sex by [[Bran Stark]], and when Cersei insists that they have to do something to prevent the boy from telling anyone, Jaime immediately pushes him off a tower.{{Ref|aGoT|8}} She later berates Jaime for his impulsiveness, arguing that attempting to kill the boy was foolish when they could have simply intimidated him into silence.

While the royal procession travels back to [[King's Landing]], [[Joffrey Baratheon|Prince Joffrey]] bullies a common boy, [[Mycah]], prompting [[Arya Stark]] and [[Nymeria (direwolf)|her direwolf]] to attack and disarm him. Joffrey tells his parents that Arya and her wolf attacked him without provocation. Cersei takes his side and argues that the girl should lose a hand in accordance with the ancient penalty for striking a prince of royal blood, while the animal should be killed. Robert refuses to allow her to have Arya maimed, and the girl's direwolf cannot be found, but Cersei successfully pressures him into ordering the execution of [[Lady (direwolf)|another direwolf]] as a proxy.{{Ref|aGoT|16}}

When [[Tyrion Lannister|Tyrion]] is abducted by [[Catelyn Stark]], Cersei argues with Robert, insulting his manhood for his failure to immediately avenge the insult to her family. The king strikes her in response, but Cersei tells him she intends to wear the bruise "as a badge of honor." Eddard Stark, who is present, does not approve of his friend's action; Robert admits that it was "not kingly," but blames Cersei for provoking him. Eddard, who has been appointed the [[Hand of the King]], investigates Jon Arryn's death and discovers the truth about the royal children's parentage. He confronts Cersei, and she admits that his accusation is true. She promises to make it worth his while if Eddard allies with her and keeps her secret, but he refuses. Not wanting to see the children harmed, however, Eddard warns her that he intends to tell Robert the truth and urges her to flee with the princes and princess. Cersei's reply is:{{Ref|aGoT|45}}

{{Quote|"When you play the Game of Thrones, you win or you die. There is no middle ground."}}

She instead uses the time to arrange a hunting "accident" for Robert. She provides Robert's squire [[Lancel Lannister|Lancel]], one of her lovers, with fortified strongwine, telling him it is Robert's favorite vintage. Lancel serves it to the king during the hunt, and as the wine is far stronger than Robert expects, he becomes drunk and is fatally injured by a boar. On his deathbed Robert names Eddard Stark regent until his 13-year-old heir Joffrey comes of age, but the morning after Robert's death, Cersei seizes power, denouncing Lord Eddard as a traitor who conspired against King Joffrey. She has Eddard imprisoned and is named Queen Regent, heading Joffrey's [[small council]].{{Ref|aGoT|49}}

Cersei intends to have Eddard convicted of treason but allowed to [[Night's Watch#Recruitment|take the black]], thus discrediting him and removing him as a factor in the political arena without antagonizing [[the North]]. She arranges a public confession for him on the steps of the [[Great Sept of Baelor]], assuring the [[High Septon]] that he will be offered forgiveness and the holy ground will not be profaned with blood. However, she underestimates Joffrey's willfulness and taste for cruelty. He foolishly ignores her advice and orders Lord Stark's immediate execution. [[Janos Slynt]] and Ser [[Ilyn Payne]] carry out the king's imprudent command before Cersei can intervene, deeply offending [[Faith of the Seven|the Faith]] and rendering peace between [[House Stark|Stark]] and [[House Lannister|Lannister]] impossible.{{Ref|aGoT|65}}

===A Clash of Kings===

To end the foolish edicts made by [[Joffrey Baratheon|King Joffrey]] and Cersei, [[Tywin Lannister|Tywin]] promptly puts [[Tyrion Lannister|Tyrion]] in the position of [[Hand of the King]] until he can claim the seat himself. When Tyrion arrives in King's Landing, bearing a letter from their father naming him Hand of the King, Cersei nearly has him thrown in the dungeon before he placates her by saying he could rescue Jaime.{{Ref|aCoK|3}} As Hand, Tyrion struggles to wrest control from her, finally resorting to poisoning her to ger her out of the way for a few days. He nullifies most of Cersei's decisions, recalling the Gold Cloaks who are killing off Robert's bastards at her behest.

In Jaime's absence, Cersei begins taking other lovers into her bed.{{Ref|aCoK|29}} After Tyrion sends away her [[Vylarr|personal guard]], she tries to employ three sellswords to replace them - [[Osney Kettleblack|Osney]], [[Osmund Kettleblack|Osmund]] and [[Osfryd Kettleblack]] - but Tyrion finds out and buys their loyalty.{{Ref|aCoK|41}} The Kettleblacks are actually loyal to Petyr Baelish, but neither Cersei nor Tyrion figure this out.

Tyrion sends off Princess Myrcella to [[Sunspear]] in an effort to win over the [[House Martell|Martells]]. Before doing so, his counter intelligence methods mean that Cersei's agent, Grand Maester [[Pycelle]], is no longer a useful source against him. After Myrcella is sent off, Cersei is among those who is caught up in the [[Riot of King's Landing]] provoked by a thoughtless comment she makes to King Joffrey about a dead baby. Jaime later wonders if [[Varys]] had advance knowledge of the riot, since he wasn't there for it.

As King [[Stannis Baratheon]] moves on [[King's Landing]], Cersei decided to get her son Tommen out of the city for safety, but Tyrion's men intercept the party and take Tommen into his custody. Fed up with Tyrion's efforts to rule, Cersei had [[Alayaya]], a whore she believed Tyrion was sleeping with, arrested and beaten, and used her as a hostage in return for Tommen's safe return. She also removes Ser [[Boros Blount]] from the [[Kingsguard]] for his failure to resist Tyrion's men, although removing the cowardly Blount from the [[Kingsguard]] was considered one of her few wiser decision she replaces him with [[Osmund Kettleblack]] a man just as hollow {{Ref|aCoK|54}}.

As the [[Battle of the Blackwater|battle for King's Landing]] begins, Cersei hosts a banquet for all the noblewomen in the [[Red Keep]] in an effort to keep their minds off the fighting, she says, but she invites Ser Ilyn the headman to be on hand to kill them off if the city is taken, to prevent them from becoming hostages. When she hears that the [[River Gate|Mud Gate]] is under attack, she has Joffrey summoned back to the Red Keep.{{Ref|aCoK|60}} Seeing the king flee back to the castle damaged morale and caused the men to rout, nearly costing her the city. This outrages [[Lancel Lannister]], who feels they could have held the gates if Cersei hadn't recalled the King.{{Ref|aCoK|62}} If not for the timely arrival and attack on [[Stannis Baratheon|Stannis]]'s flank by the army of Tywin Lannister and [[Mace Tyrell]], the battle would have been lost for the Lannisters.{{Ref|aCoK|65}} Due to Tyrion's wounds, she is able to lie to her father and turn her father's prejudice against Tyrion to her advantage, all but completely stripping Tyrion's power from him by the time her brother's convalescence is over.

===A Storm of Swords===

[[Tywin Lannister|Tywin]] bends Cersei to his will and later makes it clear she is no longer wanted on the [[small council|council]] and plans to marry her off again, either to [[Willas Tyrell]], [[Balon Greyjoy]] (whose wife was elderly and had failing health) or [[Oberyn Martell]]. After Joffrey offends Tywin through his ungracious behaviour, Tywin is furious and asks where the boy could have learnt such amoral sentiments. Cersei tries to place the blame on Robert but it is clear to all in the room, including Kevan, that it is Cersei's belief system too {{Ref|aSoS|19}}. Joff is killed at his own wedding feast and Cersei accuses her brother [[Tyrion Lannister|Tyrion]] and his wife, [[Sansa Stark]], falsely believing them responsible {{Ref|aSoS|60}}. Cersei names Ser [[Gregor Clegane]] champion if there is to be a trial by combat. This move, however, leads [[Oberyn Martell]], whose sister was murdered by Gregor over a dozen years ago, to champion Tyrion {{Ref|aSoS|66}}. Oberyn is killed in the duel, and Ser Gregor is fatally wounded {{Ref|aSoS|70}}.

===A Feast for Crows===
[[File:Skirts and dignity by cabepfir.jpg|thumb|300px|Cersei framed [[Margaery Tyrell]] leading to her arrest]]

When her father [[Tywin Lannister|Tywin]] is murdered, the checks on her claim to power are cleared. She resumes her position as [[Regent]] over her son, the eight-year-old King [[Tommen Baratheon|Tommen]], who is entirely obedient to her will. As the eldest child of Tywin, she is also acknowledged as the Lady of [[Casterly Rock]] by her uncle [[Kevan Lannister|Kevan]]. Thus empowered and unrestricted, Cersei feels she has the opportunity to prove herself an even better ruler than her father. She begins her new regime by filling all of the positions on Tommen's [[small council]] with her own supporters and agents, disregarding the previous arrangements made by Tywin and the well-meant, if blunt, advice from Kevan. She becomes a restless sleeper, troubled by nightmares of the Imp and the Iron Throne consuming her. {{Ref|aFfC|3}}

Cersei grows to suspect that her powerful [[House Tyrell|Tyrell]] allies, now relatives through Tommen's marriage to [[Margaery Tyrell|Margaery]], are trying to seize control of the kingdom. This suspicion grows from a Tyrell coin found by Maester [[Qyburn]] in the dungeon where Tyrion was being held before his escape{{Ref|aFfC|7}}. Since the reader knows the Tyrells had nothing to do with Tyrion's escape, the coin was likely planted by someone else - i.e., [[Varys]] - in the hopes of spreading discord in the Tyrell/Lannister alliance. If so, the plot seems to have worked, as Cersei commences a campaign of intrigue to remove all the Tyrells in [[King's Landing]] from positions of influence and authority, including her son's wife, [[Margaery Tyrell|Margaery]], and Ser [[Loras Tyrell|Loras]], a member of the [[Kingsguard]].{{Ref|aFfC|24}}
She befriends [[Taena Merryweather]] who informs Cersei that her maid [[Senelle]] is spying on her for Margaery. This leads Senelle to be given over to Qyburn for his twisted experiments. Taena becomes her bedwarmer and confidant.

Cersei's paranoia alienates [[Jaime Lannister|Jaime]], who abandons her to her political machinations.{{Ref|aFfC|8}} She refuses to honor the debts owed by the Crown, angering powerful institutions such as the [[Iron Bank of Braavos]] and the [[Faith of the Seven]].{{Ref|aFfC|17}} This results in the Faith refusing to bless King Tommen, and the Iron Bank calling in all their debts throughout [[Westeros]] and refusing all new loans.{{Ref|aFfC|28}} This causes economic chaos throughout the [[Seven Kingdoms]]. With the monies owed, Cersei constructs a new royal fleet of warships and gives command to [[Aurane Waters]], the Bastard of [[Driftmark]] and a sellsail of questionable expertise and loyalty.{{Ref|aFfC|17}} In an attempt to alleviate the crown's debts, gain the Faith's blessing, and gain more protection from her purported enemies, she allows the new [[High Septon]] (known as the [[High Sparrow]]) to revive the Faith Militant, ignorant of its history of [[Faith Militant uprising|causing trouble]] for monarchs.{{Ref|aFfC|28}} She also takes the disgraced former [[maester]] Qyburn into her service, using him as a torturer, and allowing him to conduct immoral experiments on human subjects.{{Ref|aFfC|7}} She also begins drinking heavily. She tries to manipulate [[Falyse Stokeworth]] and her husband into killing Tyrion's friend, the sellsword Bronn, who was knighted and married off to simple [[Lollys Stokeworth]] to pry him away from Tyrion. The plan goes horribly wrong however when Falyse's husband foolishly challenges Bronn to single combat, Falyse flees to Kings Landing to report that Bronn has killed her husband in a duel. Cersei responds by sending Falyse to Qyburn so nothing is found out about her machinations. Cersei's difficulty coping with the pressure of ruling lead to her beginning to drink heavily (something she often loathed her late husband [[Robert Baratheon|Robert]] for) and begins to gain weight due to this but instead of realizing this blames the washer women for shrinking her gowns.

Cersei plans a plot to frame [[Margaery Tyrell]] for adultery and treason,and after seducing [[Osney Kettleblack]] has him falsely confess to the new High Septon that he had intercourse with Margaery and two of her three cousins. The High Septon acts on the information and has Margaery arrested when she visits the Sept. Cersei feigns concern publicly and visits the High Sept in order to appear to the population that she wishes Margaery released where in actual fact she does everything in her power to make sure Margaery will be found guilty.

However all of Cersei plans to remove the Tyrell influence at court backfire when the High Sparrow arrests her for several crimes, including the murder of the previous High Septon. The High Septon was suspicious of the confession of [[Osney Kettleblack]] and had him tortured till Osney revealed the actual truth. Her own ministers seize control of the government while she awaits trial in the [[Great Sept of Baelor]]. They recall her uncle Kevan to fill her position as [[Regent]], while her new [[Master of Ships|Lord Admiral]], [[Aurane Waters]] absconds with the costly new fleet. Accused of capital crimes, her only hope lies in a [[Kingsguard]] champion to stand for her in a trial by combat. She sends an emotional summons to Jaime, which he burns and to which he does not reply.{{Ref|aFfC|43}}

===A Dance with Dragons===

Cersei still remains a prisoner of the Faith. To try and gain access to visitors, Cersei decides to confess to the High Septon that she did have relations with her cousin [[Lancel Lannister]] and all three of the [[House Kettleblack|Kettleblack]] brothers, knowing that such sins would not earn her an execution. She continues to deny having ordered [[Osney Kettleblack]] to kill the previous High Septon, or that she was involved in King [[Robert Baratheon|Robert]]'s death. The High Septon agrees to allow her one visitor a day. Cersei then learns about [[Myrcella Baratheon|Myrcella]]'s injury and of [[Arys Oakheart]]'s death, which leaves a vacancy in the Kingsguard. Cersei then sends word to [[Qyburn|Lord Qyburn]] that the time has come.{{Ref|ADWD|54}}

Before her trial, the Faith requires Cersei to submit to a penance walk from the Great Sept of Baelor to the [[Red Keep]]. Cersei is shaved of hair from her entire body, then stripped naked. An escort of [[Warrior's Sons]], [[Poor Fellows]], and several septas protect her from the leering and jeering crowds that flocked to see her shame. Cersei breaks down in tears just before finishing and entering the Keep. Upon her entrance, [[Jocelyn Swyft]] has her body covered. Cersei is then carried into the castle by a silent eight-foot-tall knight covered head to heel in thick enamelled white plate, with a great helm concealing his face. [[Qyburn]] then appears and introduces Cersei to the newest member of the [[Kingsguard]], "Ser [[Robert Strong]]," her champion.{{Ref|ADWD|65}}

Cersei dines with her uncle, [[Kevan Lannister|Ser Kevan]], on the night of his death. She requests that Lady [[Taena Merryweather]] attend again her once her innocence is proved. When Kevan has no news of Jaime, Cersei seems certain of his safety. She believes that if he were dead, she would know it.{{Ref|ADWD|Epilogue}}

==Quotes about Cersei==
{{Quote|Cersie is as gentle as [[Maegor I|King Maegor]], as selfless as [[Aegon IV|Aegon the Unworthy]], as wise as [[Aerys II|Mad Aerys]]. She never forgets a slight, real or imagined. She takes caution for cowardice and dissent for defiance. And she is greedy. Greedy for power, for honour, for love.}} [[Tyrion Lannister|Tyrion]], on his sister, to [[Young Griff]]

{{Quote|His Sister liked to think of herself as Lord [[Tywin Lannister|Tywin]] with teats, but she was wrong. Their father had been as relentless and implacable as a glacier, where Cersei was all wildfire, especially when thwarted...She does not lack for wits but she has no judgement, and no patience.}} [[Jaime Lannister]], on his sisters leadership skills.

{{Quote|She's been fucking [[Lancel Lannister|Lancel]] and [[Osmund Kettleblack]] and probably [[Moon Boy]] for all I know.}} Tyrion to Jaime.

==Family==
{{Lannister tree}}

==References and Notes==
{{references|3|refs=
<ref name=HBO>[http://www.hbo.com/game-of-thrones/index.html#/game-of-thrones/cast-and-crew.html/eNrjcmbOYC5kzlfPz0lxzEvMqSzJTA5ITE-1S8xN1SzLTEnNh4k65+eVpFaUsEknlpbkF+QkVtqWFJWmcjIysgEhAGCyFzg= HBO: Game of Thrones: cast and crew]</ref>
}}

{{POV Characters}}
{{Template:Royal consorts of Westeros}}


[[Category:House Lannister]]
[[Category:Noblewomen|Lannister, Cersei]]
[[Category:Characters from the Westerlands|Lannister, Cersei]]
[[Category:Members of the Small council|Lannister, Cersei]]
[[Category:POV characters|Lannister, Cersei]]


[[fr:Cersei Lannister]]
[[ru:Серсея Ланнистер]]
[[Zh:瑟曦·兰尼斯特]]
[[pt:Cersei Lannister]]
[[es:Cersei Lannister]]

Cersei Lannister

2012-07-24T18:52:00Z

Penelope:

{{Infobox character
| Character_name = [[File:House Lannister.png|50px|left]][[File:House Baratheon.PNG|50px|right]] '''Cersei Lannister'''
| image = [[Image:Cersei.jpg|300px]]
| image_caption = by [http://en.amokanet.ru/gallery/martin/ Amoka©]
| Alias = Light of the West
| Title = Queen Dowager Protector of the Realm Lady of Casterly Rock [[Regent|Queen Regent]]
| Allegiance = [[House Lannister]]
| Race =
| Culture = [[Westerlands]]
| Spouse = [[Robert Baratheon]] (deceased)
| Place_of_Birth = [[Casterly Rock]]
| Date_of_Birth = {{Date|266}}
| Place_of_Death =
| Date_of_Death =
| Books = [[A Game of Thrones]] (Appears) [[A Clash of Kings]] (Appears) [[A Storm of Swords]] (Appears) [[A Feast for Crows]] (POV) [[A Dance with Dragons]] (POV)
| coat-of-arms =
| Played_by = [[List of actors of the televised series#Lena Heady,Cersei Lannister|Lena Heady]]<ref name=HBO/>
| TV_series = [[Game of Thrones - Season 1|Season 1]] {{!}} [[Game of Thrones - Season 2|Season 2]]
}}
[[File:Cersei lannister by teiiku.jpg|thumb|300px|Young beautiful queen Cersei, in her chambers. Art by TeiIku©]]
[[File:Cersei Robert.jpg|thumb|300px|Cersei and her husband King [[Robert Baratheon]]]]
[[File:Cersei and jaime Lannister.jpg|thumb|300px|Cersei and [[Jaime Lannister|Jaime's]] relationship.]]
[[File:Cersei Joffrey Sansa Eddard beheading.jpg|thumb|300px|Cersei, Joffrey and Sansa at Eddard Stark's beheading]]

'''Cersei Lannister''' is the eldest child of [[Tywin Lannister|Tywin]] and [[Joanna Lannister]] by mere moments, and the twin sister of [[Jaime Lannister]]. After [[Robert's Rebellion]] she married the new king, [[Robert Baratheon]], and became Queen of the [[Seven Kingdoms]]; she is the mother of [[Joffrey Baratheon|Joffrey]], [[Myrcella Baratheon|Myrcella]], and [[Tommen Baratheon]]. She becomes a [[POV Character]] in [[A Feast for Crows]]. In the [[Game of Thrones|TV series]] she is played by Lena Headey.<ref name=HBO/>

==Character and Appearance==

Cersei is profoundly narcissistic, ruthless, treacherous, ambitious, and cruel. She will stop at nothing to achieve power and prestige for herself and her children, and shows little or no regard for others. She is filled with bitterness over past injustices she has suffered, particularly her loveless marriage with [[Robert Baratheon]]. She resents the restrictions that the patriarchal culture of [[Westeros]] has placed on her because of her gender, yet she seems to have internalized a great deal of this sexism; Cersei hates women, viewing them as weak and contemptible, but believes herself to be an exception.{{Ref|aGoT|67}} Rather than openly rebelling against Westerosi gender roles, she plots to gain power through political intrigue.

Early in the series, Cersei displays some real cunning in handling the political turmoil and intrigues surrounding the death of King Robert and the outbreak of the [[War of the Five Kings]]. As the series progresses, however, the more power Cersei obtains, the more she proves herself to be incompetent at handling it; although she has spent most of her life scheming to gain power, she seems to have little idea of what to do with it once she has it. Her quick temper and her easily wounded pride frequently lead her to make rash decisions, and she rarely considers what unintended consequences her actions might have. She lacks the patience for dealing with the tedious yet vital details of administration, and increasingly tends to avoid facing unpleasant facts, surrounding herself with sycophants rather than honest and competent advisers; ironically, despite her contempt for Robert's hedonistic lifestyle and physical deterioration, she is unconsciously coming to mimic his habit of overindulging in food, alcohol and sex as distractions from the pressures of leadership. Although she shares [[Tywin Lannister|her father]]'s philosophy of ruling through fear rather than love, she lacks his ability to temper ruthlessness with caution, pragmatism, and sound, objective judgment.

Cersei's feelings toward her father are complex; she resents him for marrying her off to Robert Baratheon and for never granting her as much power and respect as she craved, but also admires and seeks to emulate his brutal effectiveness as a politician. She has loathed her younger brother [[Tyrion Lannister|Tyrion]] ever since his birth killed [[Joanna Lannister|their mother]]. Although once optimistic about her royal marriage to Robert Baratheon, she quickly grew to despise him as a drunken fool who remained too infatuated with the memory of [[Lyanna Stark]] to give her a second glance. The only people she can truly be said to love are her twin brother [[Jaime Lannister|Jaime]], with whom she has carried on an incestuous relationship since their adolescence, and her children (all of whom carry the surname Baratheon, but were in fact fathered by Jaime). However, she seems to love Jaime and the children more as extensions of herself than anything else, and can turn on them suddenly: while she protects her children fiercely from any others who would harm them, she provides them with little in the way of sound guidance or consistent discipline, and can react abusively when they defy or disappoint her.

Cersei is a strikingly beautiful woman with classic [[House Lannister|Lannister]] looks: blonde hair, brilliant green eyes, fair skin, and a slender, graceful figure. However, time and motherhood are beginning to take their toll on her body, and as of ''A Feast for Crows'' she has begun to gain weight as a result of alcohol abuse. Like many other characters in the series, she occasionally has dreams that seem to be prophetic.

==History==

Cersei has been haunted since childhood by a prophecy given to her by a ''[[maegi]]'', [[Maggy|Maggy the Frog]]. This prophecy correctly predicted the death of the friend who was with her at the time, her unrequited love for [[Rhaegar Targaryen]], and her marriage (and mutual infidelity) with a king. It also predicted that all three of her children would be crowned, but that all three would die before her. Everything that she had would be taken away by a younger and more beautiful queen, and then the ''valonqar'' ([[High Valyrian]] for "little brother") would strangle her to death.{{Ref|aFfC|24}}

Cersei has shared an incestuous relationship with her twin brother Jaime since they were youths.{{Ref|aFfC|3}} When they are discovered by a servant, her mother moves their rooms to separate sides of the castle. When she was a young girl her father, the [[Hand of the King]] [[Tywin Lannister]], once promised her she would wed Prince Rhaegar. Cersei was delighted by this and was infatuated with Rhaegar when she the first met him. But the marriage offer was rebuffed by [[Aerys II Targaryen|Aerys II]]. When her father goes to King's Landing, he takes her with him. She misses Jaime and is jealous of the proposed match between Jaime and [[Lysa Tully]], so when he visits her in [[King's Landing]] she uses sex to manipulate him into joining up to the [[Kingsguard]]. Once he agrees, she orchestrates the arrangements behind the scenes and within a month, Jaime is sworn into the Kingsguard at the [[Tourney of Harrenhal]]. Cersei didn't think the consequences through very well, and Tywin, furious at the loss of his beloved son and heir, resigns his handship under a thin pretext and leaves King's Landing for Casterly Rock and takes her with him so she is again separated from Jaime. However, she is consoled by the fact that Jaime will never be able to marry.

She married [[Robert Baratheon|Robert]] shortly after the conclusion of [[Robert's Rebellion|his rebellion]]; she is enthralled by the happy crowds at her wedding but grew to hate him after he called her "[[Lyanna Stark|Lyanna]]" during intercourse their first night together. Now back in King's Landing, she carried on her incestuous relationship with Jaime during her marriage, and all her three children ([[Joffrey Baratheon|Joffrey]], [[Myrcella Baratheon|Myrcella]], and [[Tommen Baratheon|Tommen]]), were products of this incest, rather than her husband King Robert. She reveals to [[Eddard Stark]] when he discovers the truth about her children's parentage she was pregnant with a child of Robert's once, but she had the child [[moon tea|aborted]] out of hatred for her husband. In the TV series however, she says it to [[Catelyn Stark]] instead of Eddard and that the child died of a fever shortly after birth (most likely the babe smothered by Cersei).

The true parentage of her children was a well-guarded secret until [[Stannis Baratheon]] leads [[Hand of the King]] [[Jon Arryn]] to uncover it shortly before the beginning of the events of the [[A Game of Thrones|first book]]. Stannis flees to allow Jon to draw his own conclusions, but Jon is murdered by [[tears of Lys|poison]], and his final words, ''"the seed is strong"'' hint at what he uncovered through investigation of Robert's [[bastard]] children.

==Recent Events==
===A Game of Thrones===

After the death of [[Jon Arryn]], Cersei accompanies her husband, King [[Robert Baratheon]], to [[Winterfell]]. When [[Robert Baratheon|Robert]] and most of the castle go on a hunting trip, Cersei remains behind, as does her brother [[Jaime Lannister|Ser Jaime]]. The two are caught having sex by [[Bran Stark]], and when Cersei insists that they have to do something to prevent the boy from telling anyone, Jaime immediately pushes him off a tower.{{Ref|aGoT|8}} She later berates Jaime for his impulsiveness, arguing that attempting to kill the boy was foolish when they could have simply intimidated him into silence.

While the royal procession travels back to [[King's Landing]], [[Joffrey Baratheon|Prince Joffrey]] bullies a common boy, [[Mycah]], prompting [[Arya Stark]] and [[Nymeria (direwolf)|her direwolf]] to attack and disarm him. Joffrey tells his parents that Arya and her wolf attacked him without provocation. Cersei takes his side and argues that the girl should lose a hand in accordance with the ancient penalty for striking a prince of royal blood, while the animal should be killed. Robert refuses to allow her to have Arya maimed, and the girl's direwolf cannot be found, but Cersei successfully pressures him into ordering the execution of [[Lady (direwolf)|another direwolf]] as a proxy.{{Ref|aGoT|16}}

When [[Tyrion Lannister|Tyrion]] is abducted by [[Catelyn Stark]], Cersei argues with Robert, insulting his manhood for his failure to immediately avenge the insult to her family. The king strikes her in response, but Cersei tells him she intends to wear the bruise "as a badge of honor." Eddard Stark, who is present, does not approve of his friend's action; Robert himself admits that it was "not kingly," but blames Cersei for provoking him. Eddard, who has been appointed the [[Hand of the King]], investigates Jon Arryn's death and discovers the truth about the royal children's parentage. He confronts Cersei, and she admits that his accusation is true. She promises to make it worth his while if Eddard allies with her and keeps her secret from Robert, but he refuses. Not wanting to see the children harmed, however, Eddard warns her that he intends to tell Robert the truth and urges her to flee with the princes and princess. Cersei's reply is:{{Ref|aGoT|45}}

{{Quote|"When you play the Game of Thrones, you win or you die. There is no middle ground."}}

She instead uses the time to arrange a hunting "accident" for Robert. She provides Robert's squire [[Lancel Lannister|Lancel]], one of her lovers, with fortified strongwine, telling him it is Robert's favorite vintage. Lancel serves it to the king during the hunt, and as the wine is far stronger than Robert expects, he becomes drunk and is fatally injured by a boar. On his deathbed Robert names Eddard Stark regent until his 13-year-old heir Joffrey comes of age, but the morning after Robert's death, Cersei seizes power, denouncing Lord Eddard as a traitor who conspired against King Joffrey. She has Eddard imprisoned and is named Queen Regent, heading Joffrey's [[small council]].{{Ref|aGoT|49}}

Cersei intends to have Eddard convicted of treason but granted a royal pardon and allowed to [[Night's Watch#Recruitment|take the black]], discrediting him and removing him as a factor in the political arena without antagonizing [[the North]]. She arranges a public confession for him on the steps of the [[Great Sept of Baelor]], assuring the [[High Septon]] that he will be offered forgiveness and the holy ground will not be profaned with blood. However, she underestimates Joffrey's willfulness and taste for cruelty. Despite having earlier agreed to Cersei's plan, he foolishly ignores her advice and orders Eddard Stark's immediate execution. [[Janos Slynt]] and Ser [[Ilyn Payne]] carry out the king's imprudent command before Cersei can intervene, deeply offending [[Faith of the Seven|the Faith]] and rendering peace between [[House Stark|Stark]] and [[House Lannister|Lannister]] impossible.{{Ref|aGoT|65}}

===A Clash of Kings===

To end the foolish edicts made by [[Joffrey Baratheon|King Joffrey]] and Cersei, [[Tywin Lannister|Tywin]] promptly puts [[Tyrion Lannister|Tyrion]] in the position of [[Hand of the King]] until he can claim the seat himself. When Tyrion arrives in King's Landing, bearing a letter from their father naming him Hand of the King, Cersei nearly has him thrown in the dungeon before he placates her by saying he could rescue Jaime.{{Ref|aCoK|3}} As Hand, Tyrion struggles to wrest control from her, finally resorting to poisoning her to ger her out of the way for a few days. He nullifies most of Cersei's decisions, recalling the Gold Cloaks who are killing off Robert's bastards at her behest.

In Jaime's absence, Cersei begins taking other lovers into her bed.{{Ref|aCoK|29}} After Tyrion sends away her [[Vylarr|personal guard]], she tries to employ three sellswords to replace them - [[Osney Kettleblack|Osney]], [[Osmund Kettleblack|Osmund]] and [[Osfryd Kettleblack]] - but Tyrion finds out and buys their loyalty.{{Ref|aCoK|41}} The Kettleblacks are actually loyal to Petyr Baelish, but neither Cersei nor Tyrion figure this out.

Tyrion sends off Princess Myrcella to [[Sunspear]] in an effort to win over the [[House Martell|Martells]]. Before doing so, his counter intelligence methods mean that Cersei's agent, Grand Maester [[Pycelle]], is no longer a useful source against him. After Myrcella is sent off, Cersei is among those who is caught up in the [[Riot of King's Landing]] provoked by a thoughtless comment she makes to King Joffrey about a dead baby. Jaime later wonders if [[Varys]] had advance knowledge of the riot, since he wasn't there for it.

As King [[Stannis Baratheon]] moves on [[King's Landing]], Cersei decided to get her son Tommen out of the city for safety, but Tyrion's men intercept the party and take Tommen into his custody. Fed up with Tyrion's efforts to rule, Cersei had [[Alayaya]], a whore she believed Tyrion was sleeping with, arrested and beaten, and used her as a hostage in return for Tommen's safe return. She also removes Ser [[Boros Blount]] from the [[Kingsguard]] for his failure to resist Tyrion's men, although removing the cowardly Blount from the [[Kingsguard]] was considered one of her few wiser decision she replaces him with [[Osmund Kettleblack]] a man just as hollow {{Ref|aCoK|54}}.

As the [[Battle of the Blackwater|battle for King's Landing]] begins, Cersei hosts a banquet for all the noblewomen in the [[Red Keep]] in an effort to keep their minds off the fighting, she says, but she invites Ser Ilyn the headman to be on hand to kill them off if the city is taken, to prevent them from becoming hostages. When she hears that the [[River Gate|Mud Gate]] is under attack, she has Joffrey summoned back to the Red Keep.{{Ref|aCoK|60}} Seeing the king flee back to the castle damaged morale and caused the men to rout, nearly costing her the city. This outrages [[Lancel Lannister]], who feels they could have held the gates if Cersei hadn't recalled the King.{{Ref|aCoK|62}} If not for the timely arrival and attack on [[Stannis Baratheon|Stannis]]'s flank by the army of Tywin Lannister and [[Mace Tyrell]], the battle would have been lost for the Lannisters.{{Ref|aCoK|65}} Due to Tyrion's wounds, she is able to lie to her father and turn her father's prejudice against Tyrion to her advantage, all but completely stripping Tyrion's power from him by the time her brother's convalescence is over.

===A Storm of Swords===

[[Tywin Lannister|Tywin]] bends Cersei to his will and later makes it clear she is no longer wanted on the [[small council|council]] and plans to marry her off again, either to [[Willas Tyrell]], [[Balon Greyjoy]] (whose wife was elderly and had failing health) or [[Oberyn Martell]]. After Joffrey offends Tywin through his ungracious behaviour, Tywin is furious and asks where the boy could have learnt such amoral sentiments. Cersei tries to place the blame on Robert but it is clear to all in the room, including Kevan, that it is Cersei's belief system too {{Ref|aSoS|19}}. Joff is killed at his own wedding feast and Cersei accuses her brother [[Tyrion Lannister|Tyrion]] and his wife, [[Sansa Stark]], falsely believing them responsible {{Ref|aSoS|60}}. Cersei names Ser [[Gregor Clegane]] champion if there is to be a trial by combat. This move, however, leads [[Oberyn Martell]], whose sister was murdered by Gregor over a dozen years ago, to champion Tyrion {{Ref|aSoS|66}}. Oberyn is killed in the duel, and Ser Gregor is fatally wounded {{Ref|aSoS|70}}.

===A Feast for Crows===
[[File:Skirts and dignity by cabepfir.jpg|thumb|300px|Cersei framed [[Margaery Tyrell]] leading to her arrest]]

When her father [[Tywin Lannister|Tywin]] is murdered, the checks on her claim to power are cleared. She resumes her position as [[Regent]] over her son, the eight-year-old King [[Tommen Baratheon|Tommen]], who is entirely obedient to her will. As the eldest child of Tywin, she is also acknowledged as the Lady of [[Casterly Rock]] by her uncle [[Kevan Lannister|Kevan]]. Thus empowered and unrestricted, Cersei feels she has the opportunity to prove herself an even better ruler than her father. She begins her new regime by filling all of the positions on Tommen's [[small council]] with her own supporters and agents, disregarding the previous arrangements made by Tywin and the well-meant, if blunt, advice from Kevan. She becomes a restless sleeper, troubled by nightmares of the Imp and the Iron Throne consuming her. {{Ref|aFfC|3}}

Cersei grows to suspect that her powerful [[House Tyrell|Tyrell]] allies, now relatives through Tommen's marriage to [[Margaery Tyrell|Margaery]], are trying to seize control of the kingdom. This suspicion grows from a Tyrell coin found by Maester [[Qyburn]] in the dungeon where Tyrion was being held before his escape{{Ref|aFfC|7}}. Since the reader knows the Tyrells had nothing to do with Tyrion's escape, the coin was likely planted by someone else - i.e., [[Varys]] - in the hopes of spreading discord in the Tyrell/Lannister alliance. If so, the plot seems to have worked, as Cersei commences a campaign of intrigue to remove all the Tyrells in [[King's Landing]] from positions of influence and authority, including her son's wife, [[Margaery Tyrell|Margaery]], and Ser [[Loras Tyrell|Loras]], a member of the [[Kingsguard]].{{Ref|aFfC|24}}
She befriends [[Taena Merryweather]] who informs Cersei that her maid [[Senelle]] is spying on her for Margaery. This leads Senelle to be given over to Qyburn for his twisted experiments. Taena becomes her bedwarmer and confidant.

Cersei's paranoia alienates [[Jaime Lannister|Jaime]], who abandons her to her political machinations.{{Ref|aFfC|8}} She refuses to honor the debts owed by the Crown, angering powerful institutions such as the [[Iron Bank of Braavos]] and the [[Faith of the Seven]].{{Ref|aFfC|17}} This results in the Faith refusing to bless King Tommen, and the Iron Bank calling in all their debts throughout [[Westeros]] and refusing all new loans.{{Ref|aFfC|28}} This causes economic chaos throughout the [[Seven Kingdoms]]. With the monies owed, Cersei constructs a new royal fleet of warships and gives command to [[Aurane Waters]], the Bastard of [[Driftmark]] and a sellsail of questionable expertise and loyalty.{{Ref|aFfC|17}} In an attempt to alleviate the crown's debts, gain the Faith's blessing, and gain more protection from her purported enemies, she allows the new [[High Septon]] (known as the [[High Sparrow]]) to revive the Faith Militant, ignorant of its history of [[Faith Militant uprising|causing trouble]] for monarchs.{{Ref|aFfC|28}} She also takes the disgraced former [[maester]] Qyburn into her service, using him as a torturer, and allowing him to conduct immoral experiments on human subjects.{{Ref|aFfC|7}} She also begins drinking heavily. She tries to manipulate [[Falyse Stokeworth]] and her husband into killing Tyrion's friend, the sellsword Bronn, who was knighted and married off to simple [[Lollys Stokeworth]] to pry him away from Tyrion. The plan goes horribly wrong however when Falyse's husband foolishly challenges Bronn to single combat, Falyse flees to Kings Landing to report that Bronn has killed her husband in a duel. Cersei responds by sending Falyse to Qyburn so nothing is found out about her machinations. Cersei's difficulty coping with the pressure of ruling lead to her beginning to drink heavily (something she often loathed her late husband [[Robert Baratheon|Robert]] for) and begins to gain weight due to this but instead of realizing this blames the washer women for shrinking her gowns.

Cersei plans a plot to frame [[Margaery Tyrell]] for adultery and treason,and after seducing [[Osney Kettleblack]] has him falsely confess to the new High Septon that he had intercourse with Margaery and two of her three cousins. The High Septon acts on the information and has Margaery arrested when she visits the Sept. Cersei feigns concern publicly and visits the High Sept in order to appear to the population that she wishes Margaery released where in actual fact she does everything in her power to make sure Margaery will be found guilty.

However all of Cersei plans to remove the Tyrell influence at court backfire when the High Sparrow arrests her for several crimes, including the murder of the previous High Septon. The High Septon was suspicious of the confession of [[Osney Kettleblack]] and had him tortured till Osney revealed the actual truth. Her own ministers seize control of the government while she awaits trial in the [[Great Sept of Baelor]]. They recall her uncle Kevan to fill her position as [[Regent]], while her new [[Master of Ships|Lord Admiral]], [[Aurane Waters]] absconds with the costly new fleet. Accused of capital crimes, her only hope lies in a [[Kingsguard]] champion to stand for her in a trial by combat. She sends an emotional summons to Jaime, which he burns and to which he does not reply.{{Ref|aFfC|43}}

===A Dance with Dragons===

Cersei still remains a prisoner of the Faith. To try and gain access to visitors, Cersei decides to confess to the High Septon that she did have relations with her cousin [[Lancel Lannister]] and all three of the [[House Kettleblack|Kettleblack]] brothers, knowing that such sins would not earn her an execution. She continues to deny having ordered [[Osney Kettleblack]] to kill the previous High Septon, or that she was involved in King [[Robert Baratheon|Robert]]'s death. The High Septon agrees to allow her one visitor a day. Cersei then learns about [[Myrcella Baratheon|Myrcella]]'s injury and of [[Arys Oakheart]]'s death, which leaves a vacancy in the Kingsguard. Cersei then sends word to [[Qyburn|Lord Qyburn]] that the time has come.{{Ref|ADWD|54}}

Before her trial, the Faith requires Cersei to submit to a penance walk from the Great Sept of Baelor to the [[Red Keep]]. Cersei is shaved of hair from her entire body, then stripped naked. An escort of [[Warrior's Sons]], [[Poor Fellows]], and several septas protect her from the leering and jeering crowds that flocked to see her shame. Cersei breaks down in tears just before finishing and entering the Keep. Upon her entrance, [[Jocelyn Swyft]] has her body covered. Cersei is then carried into the castle by a silent eight-foot-tall knight covered head to heel in thick enamelled white plate, with a great helm concealing his face. [[Qyburn]] then appears and introduces Cersei to the newest member of the [[Kingsguard]], "Ser [[Robert Strong]]," her champion.{{Ref|ADWD|65}}

Cersei dines with her uncle, [[Kevan Lannister|Ser Kevan]], on the night of his death. She requests that Lady [[Taena Merryweather]] attend again her once her innocence is proved. When Kevan has no news of Jaime, Cersei seems certain of his safety. She believes that if he were dead, she would know it.{{Ref|ADWD|Epilogue}}

==Quotes about Cersei==
{{Quote|Cersie is as gentle as [[Maegor I|King Maegor]], as selfless as [[Aegon IV|Aegon the Unworthy]], as wise as [[Aerys II|Mad Aerys]]. She never forgets a slight, real or imagined. She takes caution for cowardice and dissent for defiance. And she is greedy. Greedy for power, for honour, for love.}} [[Tyrion Lannister|Tyrion]], on his sister, to [[Young Griff]]

{{Quote|His Sister liked to think of herself as Lord [[Tywin Lannister|Tywin]] with teats, but she was wrong. Their father had been as relentless and implacable as a glacier, where Cersei was all wildfire, especially when thwarted...She does not lack for wits but she has no judgement, and no patience.}} [[Jaime Lannister]], on his sisters leadership skills.

{{Quote|She's been fucking [[Lancel Lannister|Lancel]] and [[Osmund Kettleblack]] and probably [[Moon Boy]] for all I know.}} Tyrion to Jaime.

==Family==
{{Lannister tree}}

==References and Notes==
{{references|3|refs=
<ref name=HBO>[http://www.hbo.com/game-of-thrones/index.html#/game-of-thrones/cast-and-crew.html/eNrjcmbOYC5kzlfPz0lxzEvMqSzJTA5ITE-1S8xN1SzLTEnNh4k65+eVpFaUsEknlpbkF+QkVtqWFJWmcjIysgEhAGCyFzg= HBO: Game of Thrones: cast and crew]</ref>
}}

{{POV Characters}}
{{Template:Royal consorts of Westeros}}


[[Category:House Lannister]]
[[Category:Noblewomen|Lannister, Cersei]]
[[Category:Characters from the Westerlands|Lannister, Cersei]]
[[Category:Members of the Small council|Lannister, Cersei]]
[[Category:POV characters|Lannister, Cersei]]


[[fr:Cersei Lannister]]
[[ru:Серсея Ланнистер]]
[[Zh:瑟曦·兰尼斯特]]
[[pt:Cersei Lannister]]
[[es:Cersei Lannister]]

Cersei Lannister

2012-07-24T18:43:52Z

Penelope:

{{Infobox character
| Character_name = [[File:House Lannister.png|50px|left]][[File:House Baratheon.PNG|50px|right]] '''Cersei Lannister'''
| image = [[Image:Cersei.jpg|300px]]
| image_caption = by [http://en.amokanet.ru/gallery/martin/ Amoka©]
| Alias = Light of the West
| Title = Queen Dowager Protector of the Realm Lady of Casterly Rock [[Regent|Queen Regent]]
| Allegiance = [[House Lannister]]
| Race =
| Culture = [[Westerlands]]
| Spouse = [[Robert Baratheon]] (deceased)
| Place_of_Birth = [[Casterly Rock]]
| Date_of_Birth = {{Date|266}}
| Place_of_Death =
| Date_of_Death =
| Books = [[A Game of Thrones]] (Appears) [[A Clash of Kings]] (Appears) [[A Storm of Swords]] (Appears) [[A Feast for Crows]] (POV) [[A Dance with Dragons]] (POV)
| coat-of-arms =
| Played_by = [[List of actors of the televised series#Lena Heady,Cersei Lannister|Lena Heady]]<ref name=HBO/>
| TV_series = [[Game of Thrones - Season 1|Season 1]] {{!}} [[Game of Thrones - Season 2|Season 2]]
}}
[[File:Cersei lannister by teiiku.jpg|thumb|300px|Young beautiful queen Cersei, in her chambers. Art by TeiIku©]]
[[File:Cersei Robert.jpg|thumb|300px|Cersei and her husband King [[Robert Baratheon]]]]
[[File:Cersei and jaime Lannister.jpg|thumb|300px|Cersei and [[Jaime Lannister|Jaime's]] relationship.]]
[[File:Cersei Joffrey Sansa Eddard beheading.jpg|thumb|300px|Cersei, Joffrey and Sansa at Eddard Stark's beheading]]

'''Cersei Lannister''' is the eldest child of [[Tywin Lannister|Tywin]] and [[Joanna Lannister]] by mere moments, and the twin sister of [[Jaime Lannister]]. After [[Robert's Rebellion]] she married the new king, [[Robert Baratheon]], and became Queen of the [[Seven Kingdoms]]; she is the mother of [[Joffrey Baratheon|Joffrey]], [[Myrcella Baratheon|Myrcella]], and [[Tommen Baratheon]]. She becomes a [[POV Character]] in [[A Feast for Crows]]. In the [[Game of Thrones|TV series]] she is played by Lena Headey.<ref name=HBO/>

==Character and Appearance==

Cersei is profoundly narcissistic, ruthless, treacherous, ambitious, and cruel. She will stop at nothing to achieve power and prestige for herself and her children, and shows little or no regard for others. She is filled with bitterness over past injustices she has suffered, particularly her loveless marriage with [[Robert Baratheon]]. She resents the restrictions that the patriarchal culture of [[Westeros]] has placed on her because of her gender, yet she seems to have internalized a great deal of this sexism; Cersei hates women, viewing them as weak and contemptible, but believes herself to be an exception.{{Ref|aGoT|67}} Rather than openly rebelling against Westerosi gender roles, she plots to gain power through political intrigue.

Early in the series, Cersei displays some real cunning in handling the political turmoil and intrigues surrounding the death of King Robert and the outbreak of the [[War of the Five Kings]]. As the series progresses, however, the more power Cersei obtains, the more she proves herself to be incompetent at handling it; although she has spent most of her life scheming to gain power, she seems to have little idea of what to do with it once she has it. Her quick temper and her easily wounded pride frequently lead her to make rash decisions, and she rarely considers what unintended consequences her actions might have. She lacks the patience for dealing with the tedious yet vital details of administration, and increasingly tends to avoid facing unpleasant facts, surrounding herself with sycophants rather than honest and competent advisers; ironically, despite her contempt for Robert's hedonistic lifestyle and physical deterioration, she is unconsciously coming to mimic his habit of overindulging in food, alcohol and sex as distractions from the pressures of leadership. Although she shares [[Tywin Lannister|her father]]'s philosophy of ruling through fear rather than love, she lacks his ability to temper ruthlessness with caution, pragmatism, and sound, objective judgment.

Cersei's feelings toward her father are complex; she resents him for marrying her off to Robert Baratheon and for never granting her as much power and respect as she craved, but also admires and seeks to emulate his brutal effectiveness as a politician. She has loathed her younger brother [[Tyrion Lannister|Tyrion]] ever since his birth killed [[Joanna Lannister|their mother]]. Although once optimistic about her royal marriage to Robert Baratheon, she quickly grew to despise him as a drunken fool who remained too infatuated with the memory of [[Lyanna Stark]] to give her a second glance. The only people she can truly be said to love are her twin brother [[Jaime Lannister|Jaime]], with whom she has carried on an incestuous relationship since their adolescence, and her children (all of whom carry the surname Baratheon, but were in fact fathered by Jaime). However, she seems to love Jaime and the children more as extensions of herself than anything else, and can turn on them suddenly: while she protects her children fiercely from any others who would harm them, she provides them with little in the way of sound guidance or consistent discipline, and can react abusively when they defy or disappoint her.

Cersei is a strikingly beautiful woman with classic [[House Lannister|Lannister]] looks: blonde hair, brilliant green eyes, fair skin, and a slender, graceful figure. However, time and motherhood are beginning to take their toll on her body, and as of ''A Feast for Crows'' she has begun to gain weight as a result of alcohol abuse. Like many other characters in the series, she occasionally has dreams that seem to be prophetic.

==History==

Cersei has been haunted since childhood by a prophecy given to her by a ''[[maegi]]'', [[Maggy|Maggy the Frog]]. This prophecy correctly predicted the death of the friend who was with her at the time, her unrequited love for [[Rhaegar Targaryen]], and her marriage (and mutual infidelity) with a king. It also predicted that all three of her children would be crowned, but that all three would die before her. Everything that she had would be taken away by a younger and more beautiful queen, and then the ''valonqar'' ([[High Valyrian]] for "little brother") would strangle her to death.{{Ref|aFfC|24}}

Cersei has shared an incestuous relationship with her twin brother Jaime since they were youths.{{Ref|aFfC|3}} When they are discovered by a servant, her mother moves their rooms to separate sides of the castle. When she was a young girl her father, the [[Hand of the King]] [[Tywin Lannister]], once promised her she would wed Prince Rhaegar. Cersei was delighted by this and was infatuated with Rhaegar when she the first met him. But the marriage offer was rebuffed by [[Aerys II Targaryen|Aerys II]]. When her father goes to King's Landing, he takes her with him. She misses Jaime and is jealous of the proposed match between Jaime and [[Lysa Tully]], so when he visits her in [[King's Landing]] she uses sex to manipulate him into joining up to the [[Kingsguard]]. Once he agrees, she orchestrates the arrangements behind the scenes and within a month, Jaime is sworn into the Kingsguard at the [[Tourney of Harrenhal]]. Cersei didn't think the consequences through very well, and Tywin, furious at the loss of his beloved son and heir, resigns his handship under a thin pretext and leaves King's Landing for Casterly Rock and takes her with him so she is again separated from Jaime. However, she is consoled by the fact that Jaime will never be able to marry.

She married [[Robert Baratheon|Robert]] shortly after the conclusion of [[Robert's Rebellion|his rebellion]]; she is enthralled by the happy crowds at her wedding but grew to hate him after he called her "[[Lyanna Stark|Lyanna]]" during intercourse their first night together. Now back in King's Landing, she carried on her incestuous relationship with Jaime during her marriage, and all her three children ([[Joffrey Baratheon|Joffrey]], [[Myrcella Baratheon|Myrcella]], and [[Tommen Baratheon|Tommen]]), were products of this incest, rather than her husband King Robert. She reveals to [[Eddard Stark]] when he discovers the truth about her children's parentage she was pregnant with a child of Robert's once, but she had the child [[moon tea|aborted]] out of hatred for her husband. In the TV series however, she says it to [[Catelyn Stark]] instead of Eddard and that the child died of a fever shortly after birth (most likely the babe smothered by Cersei).

The true parentage of her children was a well-guarded secret until [[Stannis Baratheon]] leads [[Hand of the King]] [[Jon Arryn]] to uncover it shortly before the beginning of the events of the [[A Game of Thrones|first book]]. Stannis flees to allow Jon to draw his own conclusions, but Jon is murdered by [[tears of Lys|poison]], and his final words, ''"the seed is strong"'' hint at what he uncovered through investigation of Robert's [[bastard]] children.

==Recent Events==
===A Game of Thrones===

After the death of [[Jon Arryn]], Cersei accompanies her husband, King [[Robert Baratheon]], to [[Winterfell]]. When [[Robert Baratheon|Robert]] and most of the castle go on a hunting trip, Cersei remains behind, as does her brother [[Jaime Lannister|Ser Jaime]]. The two are caught having sex by [[Bran Stark]], and when Cersei insists that they have to do something to ensure the boy's silence, Jaime immediately pushes him off a tower.{{Ref|aGoT|8}} She later berates Jaime for his impulsiveness, arguing that attempting to kill the boy was foolish when they could have simply intimidated him into silence.

While the royal procession travels back to [[King's Landing]], [[Joffrey Baratheon|Prince Joffrey]] bullies a common boy, [[Mycah]], prompting [[Arya Stark]] and [[Nymeria (direwolf)|her direwolf]] to attack and disarm him. Joffrey tells his parents that Arya and her wolf attacked him without provocation. Cersei takes his side and argues that the girl should lose a hand, the ancient penalty for striking a prince of royal blood, while the animal should be killed. Robert refuses to allow her to have Arya maimed, and the girl's direwolf cannot be found, but Cersei successfully pressures him into ordering the execution of [[Lady (direwolf)|another direwolf]] as a proxy.{{Ref|aGoT|16}}

When [[Tyrion Lannister|Tyrion]] is abducted by [[Catelyn Stark]], Cersei argues with Robert, insulting his manhood for his failure to immediately avenge the insult to her family. The king strikes her in response, but Cersei tells him she intends to wear the bruise "as a badge of honor." Eddard Stark, who is present, does not approve of his friend's action; Robert himself admits that it was "not kingly," but blames Cersei for provoking him. Eddard, who had been appointed the Hand of the King, investigates Jon Arryn's death and discovers the truth about the royal children's parentage. He confronts Cersei, and she admits that his accusation is true. She promises to make it worth his while if Eddard allies with her and keeps her secret from Robert, but he refuses. Not wanting to see the children harmed, however, Eddard warns her that he intends to tell Robert the truth and urges her to flee with the princes and princess. Cersei's reply is:{{Ref|aGoT|45}}

{{Quote|"When you play the Game of Thrones, you win or you die. There is no middle ground."}}

She instead uses the time to arrange a hunting "accident" for Robert. She provides Robert's squire [[Lancel Lannister|Lancel]], one of her lovers, with fortified strongwine, telling him it is Robert's favorite vintage. Lancel serves it to the king during the hunt, and as the wine is far stronger than Robert expects, he becomes drunker than usual and is fatally injured by a boar. On his deathbed Robert names Eddard Stark regent until his 13-year-old heir Joffrey comes of age, but the morning after Robert's death, Cersei seizes power, denouncing Lord Eddard as a traitor who conspired against King Joffrey. She has Eddard imprisoned and is named Queen Regent, heading Joffrey's [[small council]].{{Ref|aGoT|49}}

Cersei intends to have Eddard convicted of treason but granted a royal pardon and allowed to [[Night's Watch#Recruitment|take the black]], discrediting him and removing him as a factor in the political arena while avoiding antagonizing [[the North]]. She arranges a public confession for him on the steps of the [[Great Sept of Baelor]], assuring the [[High Septon]] that he will be offered forgiveness and the holy ground will not be profaned with blood. However, she underestimates Joffrey's willfulness and taste for cruelty. Despite having earlier agreed to Cersei's plan, he foolishly ignores her advice and orders Eddard Stark's immediate execution. [[Janos Slynt]] and Ser [[Ilyn Payne]] obey the king's imprudent command before Cersei can intervene, deeply offending [[Faith of the Seven|the Faith]] and rendering peace between [[House Stark|Stark]] and [[House Lannister|Lannister]] impossible.{{Ref|aGoT|65}}

===A Clash of Kings===

To end the foolish edicts made by [[Joffrey Baratheon|King Joffrey]] and Cersei, [[Tywin Lannister|Tywin]] promptly puts [[Tyrion Lannister|Tyrion]] in the position of [[Hand of the King]] until he can claim the seat himself. When Tyrion arrives in King's Landing, bearing a letter from their father naming him Hand of the King, Cersei nearly has him thrown in the dungeon before he placates her by saying he could rescue Jaime.{{Ref|aCoK|3}} As Hand, Tyrion struggles to wrest control from her, finally resorting to poisoning her to ger her out of the way for a few days. He nullifies most of Cersei's decisions, recalling the Gold Cloaks who are killing off Robert's bastards at her behest.

In Jaime's absence, Cersei begins taking other lovers into her bed.{{Ref|aCoK|29}} After Tyrion sends away her [[Vylarr|personal guard]], she tries to employ three sellswords to replace them - [[Osney Kettleblack|Osney]], [[Osmund Kettleblack|Osmund]] and [[Osfryd Kettleblack]] - but Tyrion finds out and buys their loyalty.{{Ref|aCoK|41}} The Kettleblacks are actually loyal to Petyr Baelish, but neither Cersei nor Tyrion figure this out.

Tyrion sends off Princess Myrcella to [[Sunspear]] in an effort to win over the [[House Martell|Martells]]. Before doing so, his counter intelligence methods mean that Cersei's agent, Grand Maester [[Pycelle]], is no longer a useful source against him. After Myrcella is sent off, Cersei is among those who is caught up in the [[Riot of King's Landing]] provoked by a thoughtless comment she makes to King Joffrey about a dead baby. Jaime later wonders if [[Varys]] had advance knowledge of the riot, since he wasn't there for it.

As King [[Stannis Baratheon]] moves on [[King's Landing]], Cersei decided to get her son Tommen out of the city for safety, but Tyrion's men intercept the party and take Tommen into his custody. Fed up with Tyrion's efforts to rule, Cersei had [[Alayaya]], a whore she believed Tyrion was sleeping with, arrested and beaten, and used her as a hostage in return for Tommen's safe return. She also removes Ser [[Boros Blount]] from the [[Kingsguard]] for his failure to resist Tyrion's men, although removing the cowardly Blount from the [[Kingsguard]] was considered one of her few wiser decision she replaces him with [[Osmund Kettleblack]] a man just as hollow {{Ref|aCoK|54}}.

As the [[Battle of the Blackwater|battle for King's Landing]] begins, Cersei hosts a banquet for all the noblewomen in the [[Red Keep]] in an effort to keep their minds off the fighting, she says, but she invites Ser Ilyn the headman to be on hand to kill them off if the city is taken, to prevent them from becoming hostages. When she hears that the [[River Gate|Mud Gate]] is under attack, she has Joffrey summoned back to the Red Keep.{{Ref|aCoK|60}} Seeing the king flee back to the castle damaged morale and caused the men to rout, nearly costing her the city. This outrages [[Lancel Lannister]], who feels they could have held the gates if Cersei hadn't recalled the King.{{Ref|aCoK|62}} If not for the timely arrival and attack on [[Stannis Baratheon|Stannis]]'s flank by the army of Tywin Lannister and [[Mace Tyrell]], the battle would have been lost for the Lannisters.{{Ref|aCoK|65}} Due to Tyrion's wounds, she is able to lie to her father and turn her father's prejudice against Tyrion to her advantage, all but completely stripping Tyrion's power from him by the time her brother's convalescence is over.

===A Storm of Swords===

[[Tywin Lannister|Tywin]] bends Cersei to his will and later makes it clear she is no longer wanted on the [[small council|council]] and plans to marry her off again, either to [[Willas Tyrell]], [[Balon Greyjoy]] (whose wife was elderly and had failing health) or [[Oberyn Martell]]. After Joffrey offends Tywin through his ungracious behaviour, Tywin is furious and asks where the boy could have learnt such amoral sentiments. Cersei tries to place the blame on Robert but it is clear to all in the room, including Kevan, that it is Cersei's belief system too {{Ref|aSoS|19}}. Joff is killed at his own wedding feast and Cersei accuses her brother [[Tyrion Lannister|Tyrion]] and his wife, [[Sansa Stark]], falsely believing them responsible {{Ref|aSoS|60}}. Cersei names Ser [[Gregor Clegane]] champion if there is to be a trial by combat. This move, however, leads [[Oberyn Martell]], whose sister was murdered by Gregor over a dozen years ago, to champion Tyrion {{Ref|aSoS|66}}. Oberyn is killed in the duel, and Ser Gregor is fatally wounded {{Ref|aSoS|70}}.

===A Feast for Crows===
[[File:Skirts and dignity by cabepfir.jpg|thumb|300px|Cersei framed [[Margaery Tyrell]] leading to her arrest]]

When her father [[Tywin Lannister|Tywin]] is murdered, the checks on her claim to power are cleared. She resumes her position as [[Regent]] over her son, the eight-year-old King [[Tommen Baratheon|Tommen]], who is entirely obedient to her will. As the eldest child of Tywin, she is also acknowledged as the Lady of [[Casterly Rock]] by her uncle [[Kevan Lannister|Kevan]]. Thus empowered and unrestricted, Cersei feels she has the opportunity to prove herself an even better ruler than her father. She begins her new regime by filling all of the positions on Tommen's [[small council]] with her own supporters and agents, disregarding the previous arrangements made by Tywin and the well-meant, if blunt, advice from Kevan. She becomes a restless sleeper, troubled by nightmares of the Imp and the Iron Throne consuming her. {{Ref|aFfC|3}}

Cersei grows to suspect that her powerful [[House Tyrell|Tyrell]] allies, now relatives through Tommen's marriage to [[Margaery Tyrell|Margaery]], are trying to seize control of the kingdom. This suspicion grows from a Tyrell coin found by Maester [[Qyburn]] in the dungeon where Tyrion was being held before his escape{{Ref|aFfC|7}}. Since the reader knows the Tyrells had nothing to do with Tyrion's escape, the coin was likely planted by someone else - i.e., [[Varys]] - in the hopes of spreading discord in the Tyrell/Lannister alliance. If so, the plot seems to have worked, as Cersei commences a campaign of intrigue to remove all the Tyrells in [[King's Landing]] from positions of influence and authority, including her son's wife, [[Margaery Tyrell|Margaery]], and Ser [[Loras Tyrell|Loras]], a member of the [[Kingsguard]].{{Ref|aFfC|24}}
She befriends [[Taena Merryweather]] who informs Cersei that her maid [[Senelle]] is spying on her for Margaery. This leads Senelle to be given over to Qyburn for his twisted experiments. Taena becomes her bedwarmer and confidant.

Cersei's paranoia alienates [[Jaime Lannister|Jaime]], who abandons her to her political machinations.{{Ref|aFfC|8}} She refuses to honor the debts owed by the Crown, angering powerful institutions such as the [[Iron Bank of Braavos]] and the [[Faith of the Seven]].{{Ref|aFfC|17}} This results in the Faith refusing to bless King Tommen, and the Iron Bank calling in all their debts throughout [[Westeros]] and refusing all new loans.{{Ref|aFfC|28}} This causes economic chaos throughout the [[Seven Kingdoms]]. With the monies owed, Cersei constructs a new royal fleet of warships and gives command to [[Aurane Waters]], the Bastard of [[Driftmark]] and a sellsail of questionable expertise and loyalty.{{Ref|aFfC|17}} In an attempt to alleviate the crown's debts, gain the Faith's blessing, and gain more protection from her purported enemies, she allows the new [[High Septon]] (known as the [[High Sparrow]]) to revive the Faith Militant, ignorant of its history of [[Faith Militant uprising|causing trouble]] for monarchs.{{Ref|aFfC|28}} She also takes the disgraced former [[maester]] Qyburn into her service, using him as a torturer, and allowing him to conduct immoral experiments on human subjects.{{Ref|aFfC|7}} She also begins drinking heavily. She tries to manipulate [[Falyse Stokeworth]] and her husband into killing Tyrion's friend, the sellsword Bronn, who was knighted and married off to simple [[Lollys Stokeworth]] to pry him away from Tyrion. The plan goes horribly wrong however when Falyse's husband foolishly challenges Bronn to single combat, Falyse flees to Kings Landing to report that Bronn has killed her husband in a duel. Cersei responds by sending Falyse to Qyburn so nothing is found out about her machinations. Cersei's difficulty coping with the pressure of ruling lead to her beginning to drink heavily (something she often loathed her late husband [[Robert Baratheon|Robert]] for) and begins to gain weight due to this but instead of realizing this blames the washer women for shrinking her gowns.

Cersei plans a plot to frame [[Margaery Tyrell]] for adultery and treason,and after seducing [[Osney Kettleblack]] has him falsely confess to the new High Septon that he had intercourse with Margaery and two of her three cousins. The High Septon acts on the information and has Margaery arrested when she visits the Sept. Cersei feigns concern publicly and visits the High Sept in order to appear to the population that she wishes Margaery released where in actual fact she does everything in her power to make sure Margaery will be found guilty.

However all of Cersei plans to remove the Tyrell influence at court backfire when the High Sparrow arrests her for several crimes, including the murder of the previous High Septon. The High Septon was suspicious of the confession of [[Osney Kettleblack]] and had him tortured till Osney revealed the actual truth. Her own ministers seize control of the government while she awaits trial in the [[Great Sept of Baelor]]. They recall her uncle Kevan to fill her position as [[Regent]], while her new [[Master of Ships|Lord Admiral]], [[Aurane Waters]] absconds with the costly new fleet. Accused of capital crimes, her only hope lies in a [[Kingsguard]] champion to stand for her in a trial by combat. She sends an emotional summons to Jaime, which he burns and to which he does not reply.{{Ref|aFfC|43}}

===A Dance with Dragons===

Cersei still remains a prisoner of the Faith. To try and gain access to visitors, Cersei decides to confess to the High Septon that she did have relations with her cousin [[Lancel Lannister]] and all three of the [[House Kettleblack|Kettleblack]] brothers, knowing that such sins would not earn her an execution. She continues to deny having ordered [[Osney Kettleblack]] to kill the previous High Septon, or that she was involved in King [[Robert Baratheon|Robert]]'s death. The High Septon agrees to allow her one visitor a day. Cersei then learns about [[Myrcella Baratheon|Myrcella]]'s injury and of [[Arys Oakheart]]'s death, which leaves a vacancy in the Kingsguard. Cersei then sends word to [[Qyburn|Lord Qyburn]] that the time has come.{{Ref|ADWD|54}}

Before her trial, the Faith requires Cersei to submit to a penance walk from the Great Sept of Baelor to the [[Red Keep]]. Cersei is shaved of hair from her entire body, then stripped naked. An escort of [[Warrior's Sons]], [[Poor Fellows]], and several septas protect her from the leering and jeering crowds that flocked to see her shame. Cersei breaks down in tears just before finishing and entering the Keep. Upon her entrance, [[Jocelyn Swyft]] has her body covered. Cersei is then carried into the castle by a silent eight-foot-tall knight covered head to heel in thick enamelled white plate, with a great helm concealing his face. [[Qyburn]] then appears and introduces Cersei to the newest member of the [[Kingsguard]], "Ser [[Robert Strong]]," her champion.{{Ref|ADWD|65}}

Cersei dines with her uncle, [[Kevan Lannister|Ser Kevan]], on the night of his death. She requests that Lady [[Taena Merryweather]] attend again her once her innocence is proved. When Kevan has no news of Jaime, Cersei seems certain of his safety. She believes that if he were dead, she would know it.{{Ref|ADWD|Epilogue}}

==Quotes about Cersei==
{{Quote|Cersie is as gentle as [[Maegor I|King Maegor]], as selfless as [[Aegon IV|Aegon the Unworthy]], as wise as [[Aerys II|Mad Aerys]]. She never forgets a slight, real or imagined. She takes caution for cowardice and dissent for defiance. And she is greedy. Greedy for power, for honour, for love.}} [[Tyrion Lannister|Tyrion]], on his sister, to [[Young Griff]]

{{Quote|His Sister liked to think of herself as Lord [[Tywin Lannister|Tywin]] with teats, but she was wrong. Their father had been as relentless and implacable as a glacier, where Cersei was all wildfire, especially when thwarted...She does not lack for wits but she has no judgement, and no patience.}} [[Jaime Lannister]], on his sisters leadership skills.

{{Quote|She's been fucking [[Lancel Lannister|Lancel]] and [[Osmund Kettleblack]] and probably [[Moon Boy]] for all I know.}} Tyrion to Jaime.

==Family==
{{Lannister tree}}

==References and Notes==
{{references|3|refs=
<ref name=HBO>[http://www.hbo.com/game-of-thrones/index.html#/game-of-thrones/cast-and-crew.html/eNrjcmbOYC5kzlfPz0lxzEvMqSzJTA5ITE-1S8xN1SzLTEnNh4k65+eVpFaUsEknlpbkF+QkVtqWFJWmcjIysgEhAGCyFzg= HBO: Game of Thrones: cast and crew]</ref>
}}

{{POV Characters}}
{{Template:Royal consorts of Westeros}}


[[Category:House Lannister]]
[[Category:Noblewomen|Lannister, Cersei]]
[[Category:Characters from the Westerlands|Lannister, Cersei]]
[[Category:Members of the Small council|Lannister, Cersei]]
[[Category:POV characters|Lannister, Cersei]]


[[fr:Cersei Lannister]]
[[ru:Серсея Ланнистер]]
[[Zh:瑟曦·兰尼斯特]]
[[pt:Cersei Lannister]]
[[es:Cersei Lannister]]

Cersei Lannister

2012-07-24T18:34:04Z

Penelope:

{{Infobox character
| Character_name = [[File:House Lannister.png|50px|left]][[File:House Baratheon.PNG|50px|right]] '''Cersei Lannister'''
| image = [[Image:Cersei.jpg|300px]]
| image_caption = by [http://en.amokanet.ru/gallery/martin/ Amoka©]
| Alias = Light of the West
| Title = Queen Dowager Protector of the Realm Lady of Casterly Rock [[Regent|Queen Regent]]
| Allegiance = [[House Lannister]]
| Race =
| Culture = [[Westerlands]]
| Spouse = [[Robert Baratheon]] (deceased)
| Place_of_Birth = [[Casterly Rock]]
| Date_of_Birth = {{Date|266}}
| Place_of_Death =
| Date_of_Death =
| Books = [[A Game of Thrones]] (Appears) [[A Clash of Kings]] (Appears) [[A Storm of Swords]] (Appears) [[A Feast for Crows]] (POV) [[A Dance with Dragons]] (POV)
| coat-of-arms =
| Played_by = [[List of actors of the televised series#Lena Heady,Cersei Lannister|Lena Heady]]<ref name=HBO/>
| TV_series = [[Game of Thrones - Season 1|Season 1]] {{!}} [[Game of Thrones - Season 2|Season 2]]
}}
[[File:Cersei lannister by teiiku.jpg|thumb|300px|Young beautiful queen Cersei, in her chambers. Art by TeiIku©]]
[[File:Cersei Robert.jpg|thumb|300px|Cersei and her husband King [[Robert Baratheon]]]]
[[File:Cersei and jaime Lannister.jpg|thumb|300px|Cersei and [[Jaime Lannister|Jaime's]] relationship.]]
[[File:Cersei Joffrey Sansa Eddard beheading.jpg|thumb|300px|Cersei, Joffrey and Sansa at Eddard Stark's beheading]]

'''Cersei Lannister''' is the eldest child of [[Tywin Lannister|Tywin]] and [[Joanna Lannister]] by mere moments, and the twin sister of [[Jaime Lannister]]. After [[Robert's Rebellion]] she married the new king, [[Robert Baratheon]], and became Queen of the [[Seven Kingdoms]]; she is the mother of [[Joffrey Baratheon|Joffrey]], [[Myrcella Baratheon|Myrcella]], and [[Tommen Baratheon]]. She becomes a [[POV Character]] in [[A Feast for Crows]]. In the [[Game of Thrones|TV series]] she is played by Lena Headey.<ref name=HBO/>

==Character and Appearance==

Cersei is profoundly narcissistic, ruthless, treacherous, ambitious, and cruel. She will stop at nothing to achieve power and prestige for herself and her children, and shows little or no regard for others. She is filled with bitterness over past injustices she has suffered, particularly her loveless marriage with [[Robert Baratheon]]. She resents the restrictions that the patriarchal culture of [[Westeros]] has placed on her because of her gender, yet she seems to have internalized a great deal of this sexism; Cersei hates women, viewing them as weak and contemptible, but believes herself to be an exception.{{Ref|aGoT|67}} Rather than openly rebelling against Westerosi gender roles, she plots to gain power through political intrigue.

Early in the series, Cersei displays some real cunning in handling the political turmoil and intrigues surrounding the death of King Robert and the outbreak of the [[War of the Five Kings]]. As the series progresses, however, the more power Cersei obtains, the more she proves herself to be incompetent at handling it; although she has spent most of her life scheming to gain power, she seems to have little idea of what to do with it once she has it. Her quick temper and her easily wounded pride frequently lead her to make rash decisions, and she rarely considers what unintended consequences her actions might have. She lacks the patience for dealing with the tedious yet vital details of administration, and increasingly tends to avoid facing unpleasant facts, surrounding herself with sycophants rather than honest and competent advisers; ironically, despite her contempt for Robert's hedonistic lifestyle and physical deterioration, she is unconsciously coming to mimic his habit of overindulging in food, alcohol and sex as distractions from the pressures of leadership. Although she shares [[Tywin Lannister|her father]]'s philosophy of ruling through fear rather than love, she lacks his ability to temper ruthlessness with caution, pragmatism, and sound, objective judgment.

Cersei's feelings toward her father are complex; she resents him for marrying her off to Robert Baratheon and for never granting her as much power and respect as she craved, but also admires and seeks to emulate his brutal effectiveness as a politician. She has loathed her younger brother [[Tyrion Lannister|Tyrion]] ever since his birth killed [[Joanna Lannister|their mother]]. Although once optimistic about her royal marriage to Robert Baratheon, she quickly grew to despise him as a drunken fool who remained too infatuated with the memory of [[Lyanna Stark]] to give her a second glance. The only people she can truly be said to love are her twin brother [[Jaime Lannister|Jaime]], with whom she has carried on an incestuous relationship since their adolescence, and her children (all of whom carry the surname Baratheon, but were in fact fathered by Jaime). However, she seems to love Jaime and the children more as extensions of herself than anything else, and can turn on them suddenly: while she protects her children fiercely from any others who would harm them, she provides them with little in the way of sound guidance or consistent discipline, and can react abusively when they defy or disappoint her.

Cersei is a strikingly beautiful woman with classic [[House Lannister|Lannister]] looks: blonde hair, brilliant green eyes, fair skin, and a slender, graceful figure. However, time and motherhood are beginning to take their toll on her body, and as of ''A Feast for Crows'' she has begun to gain weight as a result of alcohol abuse. Like many other characters in the series, she occasionally has dreams that seem to be prophetic.

==History==

Cersei has been haunted since childhood by a prophecy given to her by a ''[[maegi]]'', [[Maggy|Maggy the Frog]]. This prophecy correctly predicted the death of the friend who was with her at the time, her unrequited love for [[Rhaegar Targaryen]], and her marriage (and mutual infidelity) with a king. It also predicted that all three of her children would be crowned, but that all three would die before her. Everything that she had would be taken away by a younger and more beautiful queen, and then the ''valonqar'' ([[High Valyrian]] for "little brother") would strangle her to death.{{Ref|aFfC|24}}

Cersei has shared an incestuous relationship with her twin brother Jaime since they were youths.{{Ref|aFfC|3}} When they are discovered by a servant, her mother moves their rooms to separate sides of the castle. When she was a young girl her father, the [[Hand of the King]] [[Tywin Lannister]], once promised her she would wed Prince Rhaegar. Cersei was delighted by this and was infatuated with Rhaegar when she the first met him. But the marriage offer was rebuffed by [[Aerys II Targaryen|Aerys II]]. When her father goes to King's Landing, he takes her with him. She misses Jaime and is jealous of the proposed match between Jaime and [[Lysa Tully]], so when he visits her in [[King's Landing]] she uses sex to manipulate him into joining up to the [[Kingsguard]]. Once he agrees, she orchestrates the arrangements behind the scenes and within a month, Jaime is sworn into the Kingsguard at the [[Tourney of Harrenhal]]. Cersei didn't think the consequences through very well, and Tywin, furious at the loss of his beloved son and heir, resigns his handship under a thin pretext and leaves King's Landing for Casterly Rock and takes her with him so she is again separated from Jaime. However, she is consoled by the fact that Jaime will never be able to marry.

She married [[Robert Baratheon|Robert]] shortly after the conclusion of [[Robert's Rebellion|his rebellion]]; she is enthralled by the happy crowds at her wedding but grew to hate him after he called her "[[Lyanna Stark|Lyanna]]" during intercourse their first night together. Now back in King's Landing, she carried on her incestuous relationship with Jaime during her marriage, and all her three children ([[Joffrey Baratheon|Joffrey]], [[Myrcella Baratheon|Myrcella]], and [[Tommen Baratheon|Tommen]]), were products of this incest, rather than her husband King Robert. She reveals to [[Eddard Stark]] when he discovers the truth about her children's parentage she was pregnant with a child of Robert's once, but she had the child [[moon tea|aborted]] out of hatred for her husband. In the TV series however, she says it to [[Catelyn Stark]] instead of Eddard and that the child died of a fever shortly after birth (most likely the babe smothered by Cersei).

The true parentage of her children was a well-guarded secret until [[Stannis Baratheon]] leads [[Hand of the King]] [[Jon Arryn]] to uncover it shortly before the beginning of the events of the [[A Game of Thrones|first book]]. Stannis flees to allow Jon to draw his own conclusions, but Jon is murdered by [[tears of Lys|poison]], and his final words, ''"the seed is strong"'' hint at what he uncovered through investigation of Robert's [[bastard]] children.

==Recent Events==
===A Game of Thrones===

After the death of [[Jon Arryn]], Cersei accompanies her husband, King [[Robert Baratheon]], to [[Winterfell]]. When [[Robert Baratheon|Robert]] and most of the castle go on a hunting trip, Cersei remains behind, as does her brother [[Jaime Lannister|Ser Jaime]]. The two are caught having sex by [[Bran Stark]], and when Cersei insists that they have to do something to ensure the boy's silence, Jaime immediately pushes him off a tower.{{Ref|aGoT|8}} Cersei later berates Jaime for his impulsiveness, arguing that attempting to kill the boy was foolish when they could have simply intimidated him into silence.

While the royal procession travels back to [[King's Landing]], [[Joffrey Baratheon|Prince Joffrey]] bullies a common boy, [[Mycah]], prompting [[Arya Stark]] and [[Nymeria (direwolf)|her direwolf]] to attack and disarm him. Joffrey tells his parents that Arya and her wolf attacked him without provocation. Cersei takes his side and argues that the girl should lose a hand, the ancient penalty for striking a prince of royal blood, and the animal should be killed. Robert refuses to allow her to have Arya maimed, and the girl's direwolf cannot be found, but Cersei does pressure him into ordering the execution of [[Lady (direwolf)|another direwolf]] as a proxy.{{Ref|aGoT|16}}

When [[Tyrion Lannister|Tyrion]] is abducted by [[Catelyn Stark]], Cersei argues with Robert, insulting his manhood for his failure to immediately avenge the insult to her family. The king strikes her in response, but Cersei tells him she intends to wear the bruise "as a badge of honor." Eddard Stark, who is present, does not approve of his friend's action; Robert himself admits that it was "not kingly," but blames Cersei for provoking him. Eddard, who had been appointed the Hand of the King, investigates Jon Arryn's death and discovers the truth about the royal children's parentage. He confronts Cersei, and she admits that his accusation is true. She promises to make it worth his while if Eddard allies with her and keeps her secret from Robert, but he refuses. Not wanting to see the children harmed, however, Eddard warns her that he intends to tell Robert the truth and urges her to flee with the princes and princess. Cersei's reply is:{{Ref|aGoT|45}}

{{Quote|"When you play the Game of Thrones, you win or you die. There is no middle ground."}}

She instead uses the time to arrange a hunting "accident" for Robert. She provides Robert's squire [[Lancel Lannister|Lancel]], with whom she has been having sex while Jaime is away, with fortified strongwine, telling him it is Robert's favorite vintage. Lancel serves it to the king during the hunt, and as the wine is far stronger than Robert expects, he becomes drunker than usual and is fatally injured by a boar. On his deathbed Robert names Eddard Stark regent until his 13-year-old heir Joffrey comes of age, but the morning after Robert's death Cersei seizes power, denouncing Lord Eddard as a traitor who conspired against King Joffrey. She has Eddard imprisoned and is named Queen Regent, heading Joffrey's [[small council]].{{Ref|aGoT|49}

Cersei intends to have Eddard convicted of treason but granted a royal pardon and allowed to [[Night's Watch#Recruitment|take the black]], discrediting him and removing him as a factor in the political arena while avoiding antagonizing [[the North]]. She arranges a public confession for Eddard on the steps of the [[Great Sept of Baelor]], assuring the [[High Septon]] that he will be offered forgiveness and the holy ground will not be profaned with blood. However, she underestimates Joffrey's willfulness and taste for cruelty. Despite having earlier agreed to Cersei's plan, he foolishly ignores her advice and orders Eddard Stark's immediate execution. [[Janos Slynt]] and [[Ser Ilyn Payne]] obey the king's imprudent command before Cersei can intervene, deeply offending [[Faith of the Seven|the Faith]] and rendering peace between [[House Stark|Stark]] and [[House Lannister|Lannister]] impossible.{{Ref|aGoT|65}}

===A Clash of Kings===

To end the foolish edicts made by [[Joffrey Baratheon|King Joffrey]] and Cersei, [[Tywin Lannister|Tywin]] promptly puts [[Tyrion Lannister|Tyrion]] in the position of [[Hand of the King]] until he can claim the seat himself. When Tyrion arrives in King's Landing, bearing a letter from their father naming him Hand of the King, Cersei nearly has him thrown in the dungeon before he placates her by saying he could rescue Jaime.{{Ref|aCoK|3}} As Hand, Tyrion struggles to wrest control from her, finally resorting to poisoning her to ger her out of the way for a few days. He nullifies most of Cersei's decisions, recalling the Gold Cloaks who are killing off Robert's bastards at her behest.

In Jaime's absence, Cersei begins taking other lovers into her bed.{{Ref|aCoK|29}} After Tyrion sends away her [[Vylarr|personal guard]], she tries to employ three sellswords to replace them - [[Osney Kettleblack|Osney]], [[Osmund Kettleblack|Osmund]] and [[Osfryd Kettleblack]] - but Tyrion finds out and buys their loyalty.{{Ref|aCoK|41}} The Kettleblacks are actually loyal to Petyr Baelish, but neither Cersei nor Tyrion figure this out.

Tyrion sends off Princess Myrcella to [[Sunspear]] in an effort to win over the [[House Martell|Martells]]. Before doing so, his counter intelligence methods mean that Cersei's agent, Grand Maester [[Pycelle]], is no longer a useful source against him. After Myrcella is sent off, Cersei is among those who is caught up in the [[Riot of King's Landing]] provoked by a thoughtless comment she makes to King Joffrey about a dead baby. Jaime later wonders if [[Varys]] had advance knowledge of the riot, since he wasn't there for it.

As King [[Stannis Baratheon]] moves on [[King's Landing]], Cersei decided to get her son Tommen out of the city for safety, but Tyrion's men intercept the party and take Tommen into his custody. Fed up with Tyrion's efforts to rule, Cersei had [[Alayaya]], a whore she believed Tyrion was sleeping with, arrested and beaten, and used her as a hostage in return for Tommen's safe return. She also removes Ser [[Boros Blount]] from the [[Kingsguard]] for his failure to resist Tyrion's men, although removing the cowardly Blount from the [[Kingsguard]] was considered one of her few wiser decision she replaces him with [[Osmund Kettleblack]] a man just as hollow {{Ref|aCoK|54}}.

As the [[Battle of the Blackwater|battle for King's Landing]] begins, Cersei hosts a banquet for all the noblewomen in the [[Red Keep]] in an effort to keep their minds off the fighting, she says, but she invites Ser Ilyn the headman to be on hand to kill them off if the city is taken, to prevent them from becoming hostages. When she hears that the [[River Gate|Mud Gate]] is under attack, she has Joffrey summoned back to the Red Keep.{{Ref|aCoK|60}} Seeing the king flee back to the castle damaged morale and caused the men to rout, nearly costing her the city. This outrages [[Lancel Lannister]], who feels they could have held the gates if Cersei hadn't recalled the King.{{Ref|aCoK|62}} If not for the timely arrival and attack on [[Stannis Baratheon|Stannis]]'s flank by the army of Tywin Lannister and [[Mace Tyrell]], the battle would have been lost for the Lannisters.{{Ref|aCoK|65}} Due to Tyrion's wounds, she is able to lie to her father and turn her father's prejudice against Tyrion to her advantage, all but completely stripping Tyrion's power from him by the time her brother's convalescence is over.

===A Storm of Swords===

[[Tywin Lannister|Tywin]] bends Cersei to his will and later makes it clear she is no longer wanted on the [[small council|council]] and plans to marry her off again, either to [[Willas Tyrell]], [[Balon Greyjoy]] (whose wife was elderly and had failing health) or [[Oberyn Martell]]. After Joffrey offends Tywin through his ungracious behaviour, Tywin is furious and asks where the boy could have learnt such amoral sentiments. Cersei tries to place the blame on Robert but it is clear to all in the room, including Kevan, that it is Cersei's belief system too {{Ref|aSoS|19}}. Joff is killed at his own wedding feast and Cersei accuses her brother [[Tyrion Lannister|Tyrion]] and his wife, [[Sansa Stark]], falsely believing them responsible {{Ref|aSoS|60}}. Cersei names Ser [[Gregor Clegane]] champion if there is to be a trial by combat. This move, however, leads [[Oberyn Martell]], whose sister was murdered by Gregor over a dozen years ago, to champion Tyrion {{Ref|aSoS|66}}. Oberyn is killed in the duel, and Ser Gregor is fatally wounded {{Ref|aSoS|70}}.

===A Feast for Crows===
[[File:Skirts and dignity by cabepfir.jpg|thumb|300px|Cersei framed [[Margaery Tyrell]] leading to her arrest]]

When her father [[Tywin Lannister|Tywin]] is murdered, the checks on her claim to power are cleared. She resumes her position as [[Regent]] over her son, the eight-year-old King [[Tommen Baratheon|Tommen]], who is entirely obedient to her will. As the eldest child of Tywin, she is also acknowledged as the Lady of [[Casterly Rock]] by her uncle [[Kevan Lannister|Kevan]]. Thus empowered and unrestricted, Cersei feels she has the opportunity to prove herself an even better ruler than her father. She begins her new regime by filling all of the positions on Tommen's [[small council]] with her own supporters and agents, disregarding the previous arrangements made by Tywin and the well-meant, if blunt, advice from Kevan. She becomes a restless sleeper, troubled by nightmares of the Imp and the Iron Throne consuming her. {{Ref|aFfC|3}}

Cersei grows to suspect that her powerful [[House Tyrell|Tyrell]] allies, now relatives through Tommen's marriage to [[Margaery Tyrell|Margaery]], are trying to seize control of the kingdom. This suspicion grows from a Tyrell coin found by Maester [[Qyburn]] in the dungeon where Tyrion was being held before his escape{{Ref|aFfC|7}}. Since the reader knows the Tyrells had nothing to do with Tyrion's escape, the coin was likely planted by someone else - i.e., [[Varys]] - in the hopes of spreading discord in the Tyrell/Lannister alliance. If so, the plot seems to have worked, as Cersei commences a campaign of intrigue to remove all the Tyrells in [[King's Landing]] from positions of influence and authority, including her son's wife, [[Margaery Tyrell|Margaery]], and Ser [[Loras Tyrell|Loras]], a member of the [[Kingsguard]].{{Ref|aFfC|24}}
She befriends [[Taena Merryweather]] who informs Cersei that her maid [[Senelle]] is spying on her for Margaery. This leads Senelle to be given over to Qyburn for his twisted experiments. Taena becomes her bedwarmer and confidant.

Cersei's paranoia alienates [[Jaime Lannister|Jaime]], who abandons her to her political machinations.{{Ref|aFfC|8}} She refuses to honor the debts owed by the Crown, angering powerful institutions such as the [[Iron Bank of Braavos]] and the [[Faith of the Seven]].{{Ref|aFfC|17}} This results in the Faith refusing to bless King Tommen, and the Iron Bank calling in all their debts throughout [[Westeros]] and refusing all new loans.{{Ref|aFfC|28}} This causes economic chaos throughout the [[Seven Kingdoms]]. With the monies owed, Cersei constructs a new royal fleet of warships and gives command to [[Aurane Waters]], the Bastard of [[Driftmark]] and a sellsail of questionable expertise and loyalty.{{Ref|aFfC|17}} In an attempt to alleviate the crown's debts, gain the Faith's blessing, and gain more protection from her purported enemies, she allows the new [[High Septon]] (known as the [[High Sparrow]]) to revive the Faith Militant, ignorant of its history of [[Faith Militant uprising|causing trouble]] for monarchs.{{Ref|aFfC|28}} She also takes the disgraced former [[maester]] Qyburn into her service, using him as a torturer, and allowing him to conduct immoral experiments on human subjects.{{Ref|aFfC|7}} She also begins drinking heavily. She tries to manipulate [[Falyse Stokeworth]] and her husband into killing Tyrion's friend, the sellsword Bronn, who was knighted and married off to simple [[Lollys Stokeworth]] to pry him away from Tyrion. The plan goes horribly wrong however when Falyse's husband foolishly challenges Bronn to single combat, Falyse flees to Kings Landing to report that Bronn has killed her husband in a duel. Cersei responds by sending Falyse to Qyburn so nothing is found out about her machinations. Cersei's difficulty coping with the pressure of ruling lead to her beginning to drink heavily (something she often loathed her late husband [[Robert Baratheon|Robert]] for) and begins to gain weight due to this but instead of realizing this blames the washer women for shrinking her gowns.

Cersei plans a plot to frame [[Margaery Tyrell]] for adultery and treason,and after seducing [[Osney Kettleblack]] has him falsely confess to the new High Septon that he had intercourse with Margaery and two of her three cousins. The High Septon acts on the information and has Margaery arrested when she visits the Sept. Cersei feigns concern publicly and visits the High Sept in order to appear to the population that she wishes Margaery released where in actual fact she does everything in her power to make sure Margaery will be found guilty.

However all of Cersei plans to remove the Tyrell influence at court backfire when the High Sparrow arrests her for several crimes, including the murder of the previous High Septon. The High Septon was suspicious of the confession of [[Osney Kettleblack]] and had him tortured till Osney revealed the actual truth. Her own ministers seize control of the government while she awaits trial in the [[Great Sept of Baelor]]. They recall her uncle Kevan to fill her position as [[Regent]], while her new [[Master of Ships|Lord Admiral]], [[Aurane Waters]] absconds with the costly new fleet. Accused of capital crimes, her only hope lies in a [[Kingsguard]] champion to stand for her in a trial by combat. She sends an emotional summons to Jaime, which he burns and to which he does not reply.{{Ref|aFfC|43}}

===A Dance with Dragons===

Cersei still remains a prisoner of the Faith. To try and gain access to visitors, Cersei decides to confess to the High Septon that she did have relations with her cousin [[Lancel Lannister]] and all three of the [[House Kettleblack|Kettleblack]] brothers, knowing that such sins would not earn her an execution. She continues to deny having ordered [[Osney Kettleblack]] to kill the previous High Septon, or that she was involved in King [[Robert Baratheon|Robert]]'s death. The High Septon agrees to allow her one visitor a day. Cersei then learns about [[Myrcella Baratheon|Myrcella]]'s injury and of [[Arys Oakheart]]'s death, which leaves a vacancy in the Kingsguard. Cersei then sends word to [[Qyburn|Lord Qyburn]] that the time has come.{{Ref|ADWD|54}}

Before her trial, the Faith requires Cersei to submit to a penance walk from the Great Sept of Baelor to the [[Red Keep]]. Cersei is shaved of hair from her entire body, then stripped naked. An escort of [[Warrior's Sons]], [[Poor Fellows]], and several septas protect her from the leering and jeering crowds that flocked to see her shame. Cersei breaks down in tears just before finishing and entering the Keep. Upon her entrance, [[Jocelyn Swyft]] has her body covered. Cersei is then carried into the castle by a silent eight-foot-tall knight covered head to heel in thick enamelled white plate, with a great helm concealing his face. [[Qyburn]] then appears and introduces Cersei to the newest member of the [[Kingsguard]], "Ser [[Robert Strong]]," her champion.{{Ref|ADWD|65}}

Cersei dines with her uncle, [[Kevan Lannister|Ser Kevan]], on the night of his death. She requests that Lady [[Taena Merryweather]] attend again her once her innocence is proved. When Kevan has no news of Jaime, Cersei seems certain of his safety. She believes that if he were dead, she would know it.{{Ref|ADWD|Epilogue}}

==Quotes about Cersei==
{{Quote|Cersie is as gentle as [[Maegor I|King Maegor]], as selfless as [[Aegon IV|Aegon the Unworthy]], as wise as [[Aerys II|Mad Aerys]]. She never forgets a slight, real or imagined. She takes caution for cowardice and dissent for defiance. And she is greedy. Greedy for power, for honour, for love.}} [[Tyrion Lannister|Tyrion]], on his sister, to [[Young Griff]]

{{Quote|His Sister liked to think of herself as Lord [[Tywin Lannister|Tywin]] with teats, but she was wrong. Their father had been as relentless and implacable as a glacier, where Cersei was all wildfire, especially when thwarted...She does not lack for wits but she has no judgement, and no patience.}} [[Jaime Lannister]], on his sisters leadership skills.

{{Quote|She's been fucking [[Lancel Lannister|Lancel]] and [[Osmund Kettleblack]] and probably [[Moon Boy]] for all I know.}} Tyrion to Jaime.

==Family==
{{Lannister tree}}

==References and Notes==
{{references|3|refs=
<ref name=HBO>[http://www.hbo.com/game-of-thrones/index.html#/game-of-thrones/cast-and-crew.html/eNrjcmbOYC5kzlfPz0lxzEvMqSzJTA5ITE-1S8xN1SzLTEnNh4k65+eVpFaUsEknlpbkF+QkVtqWFJWmcjIysgEhAGCyFzg= HBO: Game of Thrones: cast and crew]</ref>
}}

{{POV Characters}}
{{Template:Royal consorts of Westeros}}


[[Category:House Lannister]]
[[Category:Noblewomen|Lannister, Cersei]]
[[Category:Characters from the Westerlands|Lannister, Cersei]]
[[Category:Members of the Small council|Lannister, Cersei]]
[[Category:POV characters|Lannister, Cersei]]


[[fr:Cersei Lannister]]
[[ru:Серсея Ланнистер]]
[[Zh:瑟曦·兰尼斯特]]
[[pt:Cersei Lannister]]
[[es:Cersei Lannister]]

Coming of the Andals

2012-07-23T20:05:23Z

Penelope:

{{Infobox Military Conflict
| style = width:350px;
| conflict_name = Andal Invasion
| part_of =
| image = [[File:Andal Invasion.jpg|350px]]
| image2 =
| caption =
| date =
| battles =
| location = [[Westeros]]
| result = Andals occupy all land south of [[the Neck]]. [[First Men]] hold on to [[The North]] Disappearance of the [[Children of the Forest]]

| combatant1 = [[Andals]]
| commander1 = Ser Artys Arryn
| strength1 =
| losses1 =

| combatant2 = [[First Men]] [[Crannogmen]] [[Children of the Forest]]
| commander2 = King [[Tristifer IV Mudd]] King [[Tristifer V Mudd]] [[Griffin King]] [[Mountain King]]s [[King of Winter|Kings of Winter]]
| strength2 =
| losses2 =
}}

The '''Andals invasion''' was a migration of the [[Andals]] from [[Essos]] to [[Westeros]]. This took place between 6 thousand and 4 thousands year before [[Aegon's Landing]]. The migration was often violent. The old Kingdoms of the [[First Men]] were destroyed and the [[Children of the Forest]] were pushed back to the north. Sometimes the take over was more peaceful with intermarriage between Andals and First Men as in the case of [[House Hightower]].

==Invasion==
The [[Andals]] were the first new invaders after the [[First Men]] had settled their peace with the [[Children of the Forest]] and lived in harmony with them for 4,000 years. They came from the [[Hills of Andalos]] over at [[Essos]]. They were tall and fair-haired warriors who carried steel weapons and the seven-pointed star of [[Faith of the Seven|their gods]] painted on their bodies.{{Ref|aGoT|40}}{{Ref|aGoT|66}} and eventually swept across westeros much as the First Men did thousands of years before.

The [[Fingers]] were the places where the Andals first landed, to wrest from the First Men the place that is known today as the [[Vale]]{{Ref|aSoS|68}}, in successive waves they spread. The wars between the First Men and the Andals lasted hundreds of years, but eventually the six southron realms fell to them. Only the Kings of Winter remained in the North.{{Ref|aGoT|66}} The Andals burned out all the weirwood groves, and slew the [[Children of the Forest|children]] when they found them.{{Ref|aGoT|66}} believing them abominations, and put the myriad [[First Men]] kingdoms of the South to the sword. They created great kingdoms of their own, but this process was somewhat slow, they expanded to the [[Iron Islands]] roughly two thousand years after their initial invasion.

Eventually, with Andal kings joining forces and extinguishing of [[House Mudd]] (the house of the [[King of the Rivers and the Hills|River and the Hills]] kingdom of the First Men), the Andals were able to invade the [[North]]. However every attack was thrown back by the [[crannogmen]] of [[the Neck]] or the strong fortifications of [[Moat Cailin]].{{Ref|aGoT|66}} Eventually the Andals relented and the North was allowed to remain in peace, although over succeeding millennia Andal blood entered the North through dynastic marriages.

==Consequences==
One of the major (if largely forgotten) consequences of the invasions is that the Children abandoned Westeros and slowly disappeared over succeeding generations.
During and following the Andal invasions, six southron kingdoms of Westeros were forged: the [[Kingdom of Vale and Sky]], the [[Kingdom of the Rock]], the [[Kingdom of the Reach]], the [[Kingdom of the Iron Islands]], the [[Kingdom of the River]] and the [[Kingdom of the Stormlands]]. At this time [[Dorne]] was left as a confederation of bickering, feuding states.<ref><[[A Song of Ice and Fire Roleplaying book]], Campaign guide</ref>

The Andals introduced writing, before that time First Men only used runes for carving on stone, in fact everything written about the [[Age of Heroes]], the [[Dawn Age]], and the [[The Long Night|Long Night]] originates from stories written down by septons since. They also introduced the [[Faith of the Seven]] to Westeros, in their newly raised kingdoms, where it took root, largely extinguished worship of the [[Old Gods]] south of the Neck (a major exception being the Iron Islands, where the native worship of the [[Drowned God]] was actually adopted by the invading Andals). They also introduced weapons of iron, the use of horses in warfare and the concept of [[Knight|chivalry]].

==See Also==
* [[Timeline of major events]]

==References and Notes==
{{References|2}}

[[Category:Terms]]
[[Category:Wars]]
[[Category:Vale of Arryn]][[zh:安达尔人入侵]]

Jorah Mormont

2012-07-23T18:19:00Z

Penelope:

{{Infobox character
| Character_name = [[File:House_Mormont2.PNG|50px|left]] '''Jorah Mormont''' [[File:House_Mormont2.PNG|50px|right]]
| image = [[File:Jorah Mormont.jpg|250px]]
| image_caption =
| Alias = Jorah the Andal
| Title = Ser
| Allegiance = [[House Mormont]]
[[House Targaryen]]
[[Second Sons]]
| Race =
| Culture = [[Bear Island]]
| Spouse = 1st: Unknown [[House Glover|Glover]] 2nd: [[Lynesse Hightower]]
| Place_of_Birth =
| Date_of_Birth = Around {{Date|255}} <ref>Jorah says to [[Daenerys Targaryen]] he is thrice her age. [[A Storm of Swords]], [[A Storm of Swords-Chapter 42|Chapter 42]], Daenerys</ref>
| Place_of_Death =
| Date_of_Death =
| Books = [[A Game of Thrones]] (Appears) [[A Clash of Kings]] (Appears) [[A Storm of Swords]] (Appears) [[A Dance with Dragons]] (Appears)
| coat-of-arms =
| Played_by = [[List of actors of the televised series#Iain Glen,Jorah Mormont|Iain Glen]]
| TV_series = [[Game of Thrones - Season 1|Season 1]] {{!}} [[Game of Thrones - Season 2|Season 2]]
}}

Ser '''Jorah Mormont''' is an exiled [[knight]], the former head of [[House Mormont]] and lord of [[Bear Island]]. He fled [[Westeros]] to escape execution for [[Slavery|trading in slaves]] and took up work as a [[Mercenary|mercenary]] in the [[Free Cities]], eventually entering the service of the last [[House Targaryen|Targaryens]]. He becomes one of the most trusted companions of [[Daenerys Targaryen]].

==Appearance==
Jorah is a large middle-aged man, swarthy and very hairy.<ref>[[A Storm of Swords]], [[A Storm of Swords-Chapter 8|Chapter 8]], page 77, Daenerys</ref> <ref>[[A Storm of Swords]], [[A Storm of Swords-Chapter 42|Chapter 42]], page 388, Daenerys</ref> He is balding, but still strong and fit.<ref>[[A Storm of Swords]], [[A Storm of Swords-Chapter 42|Chapter 42]], page 388, Daenerys</ref> Daenerys considers him not particularly handsome.<ref>[[A Game of Thrones]], Chapter 23, Daenerys</ref>

==History==
When Jorah matured, his father [[Jeor Mormont]] joined the [[Night's Watch]] in order to give his son the lordship of [[House Mormont]]. Jorah fought in the [[Greyjoy Rebellion]], during which he distinguished himself by showing exemplary courage on the battlefield, being one of the first men through the breach during the siege of [[Pyke]]. He received a [[Knight|knighthood]] in recognition of his bravery.

In contrast to his successful military career, Jorah has been unlucky in love. His first marriage was plagued by infertility. Jorah's wife, a member of [[House Glover]], was unable to carry a child to term throughout their ten years of marriage, and died after her third miscarriage.

During the [[Tourney at Lannisport]] celebrating the victory over the Greyjoy rebels, Jorah met the woman who would be his second wife: [[Lynesse Hightower]]. He was immediately smitten with her beauty, asking and receiving her permission to wear her favor in the tournament. Jorah fought remarkably well, winning an improbable victory over all challengers to name Lynesse his [[Queen of Love and Beauty]]. That very night he asked Lynesse's father [[Leyton Hightower|Lord Leyton]] for her hand in marriage, and Leyton agreed.

Although both had married for love, the marriage did not remain happy for long. Having spent her life up to that point as part of [[House Hightower|a wealthy family]] in the mild, prosperous and densely populated [[The Reach|Reach]], Lynesse was unprepared for life on the harsh and isolated [[Bear Island]] and quickly grew miserable. Jorah attempted to reproduce the lifestyle his wife was accustomed to by lavishing her with expensive gifts, but only succeeded in driving himself into financial ruin.

Desperate to pay off his debts, he resorted to breaking one of the [[Seven Kingdoms]]' oldest taboos: participating in [[Slavery|the slave trade]]. When House Mormont's overlord, [[Eddard Stark]], learned that Ser Jorah had sold convicted poachers to a [[Tyrosh|Tyroshi]] slaver, he condemned Jorah to the traditional penalty: death. Rather than join his father in taking the black, Jorah fled with Lynesse to [[Lys]], where he attempted to make his living as a [[Mercenary|sellsword]]. With the relationship already strained by their exile and Jorah still unable to afford the lifestyle his wife desired, Lynesse finally left him while he was fighting the [[Braavos|Braavosi]] on the [[Rhoyne]]. Heartbroken and exiled from his homeland, Jorah remained in the [[Free Cities]] and continued to work as an unaffiliated mercenary, selling his sword to the highest bidder.<ref>[[A Clash of Kings]], [[A Clash of Kings-Chapter 12|Chapter 12]], page 119, Daenerys</ref>

==Recent Events==
===''A Game of Thrones''===
[[File:Jorah_Mormont.PNG|300px|thumb|Iain Glen as Ser Jorah Mormont ([[Game of Thrones|TV series]])]]
[[File:Jorah Fights Quotho.png|thumb|300px|Ser Jorah fights Qotho.]]

At the wedding of [[Daenerys Targaryen]] to [[Khal Drogo]] in [[Pentos]], [[Viserys Targaryen]] took Ser Jorah into his service. Hoping to earn a royal pardon, Jorah secretly reported all the Targaryens' movements to [[Varys]]. He held Viserys in contempt, saying that [[Rhaegar Targaryen|Rhaegar]] was the last true dragon, while Viserys was "less than the shadow of a snake." However, he increasingly came to admire Daenerys for her courage and integrity. He stood by and watched when Viserys was killed by Khal Drogo, but acted to prevent an assassination attempt against Daenerys by a wineseller and reported to Daenerys and Drogo that [[Robert Baratheon]] had set a price on her head.

He stayed loyal when Khal Drogo was near death, urging Dany to flee with him to the east in order to save herself and her unborn child, and slew Drogo's [[bloodrider]] [[Qotho]] in single combat when he rebelled against Daenerys' orders. When Dany refused to flee, he feared that she planned to commit suicide upon Drogo's pyre, and begged her to promise him that she would not. Jorah was the only one of Daenerys' followers to willingly swear fealty to her even before the birth of her [[dragons]], and she named him the first of her [[Kingsguard|Queensguard]], promising to give him a sword of [[Valyrian steel]] upon their return to Westeros. He was the first to come and find her after the fires of Drogo's pyre died down, and fell to his knees in shock upon seeing her nursing the dragons.

===''A Clash of Kings''===
Jorah begins to fall in love with Daenerys and eventually stops sending reports.<ref>[[A Storm of Swords]], [[A Storm of Swords-Chapter 71|Chapter 71]], Daenerys</ref> He sends his last report from [[Qarth]].

He visits the docks on her behest and attempts to find a ship to take them to [[Westeros]]. An attempt is made on Daenerys' life by a [[Sorrowful Men]] assassin but is thwarted by an unknown stranger. The stranger introduces himself as [[Barristan Selmy|Arstan Whitebeard]] along with [[Strong Belwas]] who came on behest from [[Illyrio Mopatis]] to take them all back to [[Pentos]]. They brought three ships with them. Jorah, however, is distrustful of Whitebeard.

===''A Storm of Swords''===
Jorah finally makes his move, kissing Daenerys when they are alone. He confesses his love and repeatedly suggests they marry, but she always refuses. Although Dany still treasures Jorah's friendship and advice, his advances begin to make her uncomfortable.

Jorah suggests they sail for [[Slaver's Bay]] to buy [[Unsullied]]. He commands her army to victory against [[Yunkai]].

When "Arstan Whitebeard" is revealed to be [[Barristan Selmy]], he reveals Jorah's former status as an informer to Daenerys. Ser Jorah pleads that he stopped sending reports long ago when he fell in love with her, and Daenerys decides to send them both on a dangerous mission into the sewers of [[Meereen]] as punishment and a chance at redemption. The mission succeeds, and upon their return to court, Ser Barristan begs Daenerys' forgiveness and she gladly gives it. Jorah, however, insists that she ''owes'' him forgiveness on account of his love and history of faithful service. Although Dany wishes to forgive him, she knows that as long as he maintains this attitude she cannot do so without undermining her own authority. She banishes Jorah from her service, swearing to kill him if she ever sees him again. Crushed by her rejection, Jorah leaves.

===''A Feast of Crows''===
Heartbroken and exiled, Ser Jorah travels east toward [[Volantis]].

===''A Dance with Dragons''===
While in a brothel in Volantis, Jorah hired a beautiful whore with silver hair and he later spotted the dwarf [[Tyrion Lannister]], taking him prisoner. Ser Jorah planned to bring Tyrion to Daenerys to regain her favor and forgiveness. He arranged passage to [[Meereen]] with the help of the [[Widow of the waterfront]]. During the journey, a dwarf woman named [[Penny]] joins the pair as they travel to [[Meereen]] to reach Daenerys. However, the ship is captured by slavers and the trio are bought at auction outside Meereen by [[Yezzan zo Qaggaz]]. Upon being captured and enslaved by the [[Yunkai]], the slavers had a demon's face tattooed on Mormont's cheeks, to show him as an unruly and fierce slave.

Brown [[Ben Plumm]] attempted to buy Ser Jorah so he could present his head as a "wedding gift" to Daenerys but was outbid as was [[Zahrina]], a Yunkai slaver who purchased slaves to die in the [[fighting pits]]. Ser Jorah was devastated when he learned Daenerys is remarried.

After Qaggaz died of "The [[Pale Mare]]", the trio escapes. Tyrion arranged for the three to join the sellsword company the [[Second Sons]], under the command of Brown [[Ben Plumm]]. Mormont stated to [[Tyrion Lannister]] that they needed to bring the [[Second Sons]] back over to the side [[Meereen]] as the [[Yunkai]] had lost the war, they just didn't know it yet. Tyrion agreed.

==Quotes==
{{Quote|''{{:Feature quote/7}}''}}

{{Quote|''The common people pray for rain, healthy children, and a summer that never ends. It is no matter to them if the high lords play their game of thrones, so long as they are left in peace. They never are.'' <ref>[[A Game of Thrones]], [[A Game of Thrones-Chapter 23|Chapter 23]], Daenerys</ref>}}

==Family==
{{Mormont tree}}

==References and Notes==
{{References|3}}
{{EnWP|Minor houses in A Song of Ice and Fire|small=yes}}

[[Category:Nobles|Mormont, Jorah]]
[[Category:Knights|Mormont, Jorah]]
[[Category:Outlaws|Mormont, Jorah]]
[[Category:Slaves and freedmen|Mormont, Jorah]]
[[Category:Characters from the North|Mormont, Jorah]]
[[Category:House Mormont]]
[[Category:Mercenaries]]
[[Category:Second Sons]]
[[Category:Courtiers and followers of Daenerys|Mormont, Jorah]]

[[fr:Jorah Mormont]][[ru:Джорах Мормонт]]
[[zh:乔拉·莫尔蒙]]
[[es:Jorah Mormont]][[zh:乔拉·莫尔蒙]]

Daenerys Targaryen

2012-07-23T18:14:08Z

Penelope:

{{Infobox character
| Character_name= [[File:House_Targaryen_crest.PNG|50px|left]]'''Daenerys Targaryen''' [[File:House_Targaryen_crest.PNG|50px|right]]
| image = [[Image:Daenerys.jpg|300px]]
| Played_by = Emilia Clarke
| image_caption = Daenerys Targaryen with Dragons, by Amoka©
| Alias = Dany Daenerys Stormborn The Unburnt Mother of Dragons Mother Mysha The Silver Queen Silver Lady Child of Three {{Ref|aCoK|48}} {{Ref|aCoK|63}} Daughter of Death {{Ref|aCoK|48}} {{Ref|aCoK|63}} Slayer of Lies{{Ref|aCoK|48}} {{Ref|aCoK|63}} Bride of Fire{{Ref|aCoK|48}} {{Ref|aCoK|63}}
| Title = Queen of the Andals and the Rhoynar and the First Men, Lord of the Seven Kingdoms ''Khaleesi'' of the Great Grass Sea Breaker of Shackles/Chains Queen of Meereen Princess of Dragonstone
| Allegiance = [[House Targaryen]]
| Race =
| Culture = [[Valyria]]
| Spouse = [[Khal Drogo]] 1st [[Hizdahr zo Loraq]] 2nd
| Place_of_Birth= [[Dragonstone]]
| Date_of_Birth = {{Date|284}}
| Place_of_Death=
| Date_of_Death =
| Books = [[A Game of Thrones]] (POV) [[A Clash of Kings]] (POV) [[A Storm of Swords]] (POV) [[A Feast for Crows]] (Mentioned) [[A Dance with Dragons]] (POV)
| Played_by = [[w:Emilia Clarke|Emilia Clarke]]
| TV_series = [[Game of Thrones - Season 1|Season 1]]{{!}} [[Game of Thrones - Season 2|Season 2]]
}}

{{See homonyms | Daenerys Targaryen (disambiguation)}}

'''Daenerys Targaryen''', known as '''Daenerys Stormborn''' or '''Dany''', is the last confirmed member of the ancient [[House Targaryen|Targaryen Dynasty]] and one of the primary [[POV Character|POV characters]] in the book series. In the [[Game of Thrones|TV series]], Daenerys is played by Emilia Clarke.<ref name=hbo/>

==Character and Appearance==
Danaerys is a young woman in her early teens. She is short of stature and very beautiful, with the silver-blonde hair and [[purple eyes]] for which [[House Targaryen]] has always been known.{{Ref|aGoT|3}}

In her youth, Dany was a meek, timid girl with little confidence or self-esteem. She knew no life other than one of exile, dependent and in constant fear of her brother [[Viserys Targaryen|Viserys]]. He was the only family she knew, but was often a cruel guardian, prone to mood swings and fits of violence. Her marriage to [[Khal Drogo]] was a turning point for her; adapting to life in the Dothraki ''[[khalasar]]'' was difficult, but it allowed her to begin to achieve independence from her abusive brother, and she emerged from the experience as a strong, confident, courageous woman. Nevertheless, she has not forgotten what it was like to be a victimized child, and her experiences have left her with a compassion that is unusual in a would-be conqueror. She is determined to bring justice through her reign, and has made ending [[slavery]] a particular priority. Despite her strong moral compass, however, she is capable of dealing ruthlessly with her enemies.

It was often said that the Targaryen kings tended to be either madmen or brilliant rulers, and Daenerys seems to have inherited a natural gift for leadership as her birthright. Her followers generally regard her with great respect and love, and she is often compared to her deceased brother [[Rhaegar Targaryen|Rhaegar]], a similarly charismatic leader who was known for his skill, determination, scholarly mind and strong sense of justice. Her primary weakness as a ruler is her youth and relative inexperience; however, she has a keen intellect and learns quickly from her mistakes.

Although she has matured enough to recognize that Viserys was weak, cowardly and cruel, his abiding obsession with regaining the crown he felt was his birthright has instilled in Daenerys a similar belief that reclaiming the [[Seven Kingdoms]] is both her right and her duty as the last of the Targaryens, and it remains the paramount goal of her life. Nevertheless, [[Westeros]] is a foreign land that she has never seen with her own eyes, and she sometimes longs wistfully for the house with a red door in [[Braavos]] that has come to symbolize her lost childhood.

==History==
Daenerys is the only daughter and youngest child of King [[Aerys II Targaryen]] and his sister-wife, Queen [[Rhaella Targaryen|Rhaella]]. Daenerys was conceived during the last month of [[Robert's Rebellion|the rebellion]] that would ultimately end her family's reign over the [[Seven Kingdoms]]. Shortly thereafter, her mother was sent with the young prince Viserys to the family ancestral seat of [[Dragonstone]] to escape the coming [[Sack of King's Landing]]. Daenerys was born while as a great storm raged in the harbor at Dragonstone, sinking what remained of the Targaryen fleet; for this reason she is sometimes known as "Daenerys Stormborn." Her mother died from complications of labor.

By this time, the war was already lost. [[Robert Baratheon]] had claimed the throne and Aerys had already been killed along with the rest of the royal family, leaving Daenerys and her older brother Viserys as the only living Targaryen heirs. The garrison at Dragonstone decided to surrender and turn them over to the rebels in exchange for their lives, but before they could act on this plan, Ser [[Willem Darry]] and several other loyal retainers rescued the children and smuggled them into exile, sailing to the [[Braavos|Free City of Braavos]], where they lived for years in a house with a red door. Ser Willem was old and sickly, but Dany remembers that he always treated her kindly. After his death, the servants drove the young Targaryens from the house. Dany wept as they were forced out.{{Ref|aGoT|3}}

The Targaryen loyalists who raised the two children considered Viserys the rightful ruler of the [[Seven Kingdoms]] despite the family's defeat and exile, as did Viserys himself. He regarded it as his duty to revenge himself on the usurpers who murdered his family and reclaim the birthright that had been stolen from him when he was only a child. In the years that followed Ser Willem's death, Viserys wandered the nine [[Free Cities]] with his sister, trying to raise support to retake the [[Iron Throne]], which earned him the mocking title of "The Beggar King."

As a result of this long humiliation, Viserys grew bitter and obsessed with his long-denied birthright. Dany was the only convenient target for his frustration, and over time he even came to blame her for their mother's death. He took pride in his lack of control of his own temper, regarding it as proof that he was a true heir to the Targaryen kings; he regularly warned Dany not to "wake the dragon" by angering him. He often spoke to her of the importance of preserving the purity of their royal bloodline through the ancient [[Valyria|Valyrian]] practice of dynastic incest, so Dany grew up believing she would one day wed her brother. She was bright enough to realize that most of Viserys' plans for retaking the Seven Kingdoms were unrealistic, and as she had no memory of [[Westeros]] herself, his dream meant little to her; instead she longed to return to the house with the red door, which in her mind became a symbol for the childhood she had lost. With no family other than the abusive Viserys and no expectation of ever escaping his control, Dany grew into a fearful and docile young woman.

The two last Targaryens eventually found the help they sought in the [[Pentos|Free City of Pentos]], in the form of a rich and powerful [[magister]], [[Illyrio Mopatis]], who invited them to stay in his manse and offered his help in reclaiming [[Iron Throne|their throne]].{{Ref|aGoT|3}}

==Recent Events==
[[File:Daenerys and handmaidens.png|200px|thumb|left|Daenerys and her handmaidens Doreah and Irri ([[Game of Thrones|Tv]])]]

===''A Game of Thrones''===

While Daenerys and [[Viserys Targaryen|her brother]] were staying at the manse of [[Illyrio Mopatis]] in [[Pentos]], Illyrio arranged a marriage between Dany and the powerful [[Dothraki]] warlord [[Khal Drogo]]. In return, Drogo was to provide Viserys with ten thousand warriors for his campaign to retake the [[Iron Throne]]. Dany's opinion was not consulted, and she realized this “marriage” was little different from being sold into [[slavery]]. She told her brother she did not wish to marry Khal Drogo, but Viserys only threatened that she would “wake the dragon” if she failed to please the ''[[khal]]''. Despairing, Dany saw no choice but to do her best to avoid her brother's wrath, as she always had.{{Ref|aGoT|3}}

At the wedding, the exiled [[Westeros]]i [[knight]] Ser [[Jorah Mormont]] pledged his sword to the Targaryen cause. Dany received three petrified dragon eggs from Illyrio, three handmaidens ([[Irri]], [[Jhiqui]] and [[Doreah]]) from her brother, and [[The Silver|a magnificent silver filly]] from Drogo. She was frightened by the seemingly barbaric Dothraki culture and particularly terrified of her bridegroom, a powerfully built man who shared no common language with her. After the ceremony she wept in terror, waiting for him to rape her, but Drogo proved to be a surprisingly considerate lover. He established that he understood the word “no” and began touching her gently and gradually, only having intercourse with her after she expressed her consent and initiated it.{{Ref|aGoT|11}}

Life in the ''[[khalasar]]'' was difficult at first; Dany was lonely and unaccustomed to spending her days on horseback. Nevertheless, she was determined to embrace her new life. Gradually her body strengthened and she began to enjoy the sense of freedom that came with the nomadic lifestyle. The first real turning point came when Viserys flew into one of his rages at her and Dany, for the first time in her life, fought back, shoving him away – and found herself backed up by [[Jhogo]], who whipped Viserys and asked the ''[[khaleesi]]'' how he ought to be punished. Dany began to realize that Viserys was ultimately a pathetic bully, and that she herself might not be as worthless as her brother had always claimed. From this day forward, she began to assert herself more and more.{{Ref|aGoT|23}} She lost her fear of both the Dothraki and her brother, becoming a strong and confident woman who little resembled the timid girl who had left Pentos. Her growing courage pleased Drogo, and they developed a loving relationship.

Drogo took Daenerys east to [[Vaes Dothrak]] and presented her to the ''[[dosh khaleen]]''. By the time they arrived, Daenerys, now fourteen, was pregnant with Drogo's child.{{Ref|aGoT|23}} She took part in the [[stallion heart]] ceremony, and the ''dosh khaleen'' foretold that her son would be "the [[Stallion Who Mounts the World]]," a long-prophesied leader destined to unite the Dothraki into a single ''khalasar'' and conquer the world. Dany announced that the child would be named [[Rhaego]] in honor of her deceased brother [[Rhaegar Targaryen|Rhaegar]]. Viserys had been growing increasingly impatient for the aid he had been promised, and the situation finally came to a head when he broke Dothraki law by drawing a blade in the sacred city, threatening both Daenerys and her unborn child. Drogo announced that Viserys would have the golden crown he deserved and dumped a pot of molten gold over his head, killing him and making Daenerys the last Targaryen. Dany watched impassively.{{Ref|aGoT|46}}

With Viserys' death, Drogo lost interest in the notion of invading Westeros, despite Dany's attempts to persuade him. This changed, however, when Ser Jorah prevented an assassin from poisoning Daenerys and discovered that [[Robert Baratheon]] had placed a price on her head. Enraged, Drogo vowed before his ''khalasar'' to avenge this insult by conquering Westeros to seat his son on the [[Iron Throne]] that his mother's ancestors had once held.{{Ref|aGoT|56}} The ''khalasar'' continued east, pillaging foreign lands with the intent of selling slaves for ships to make the crossing to Westeros. During one such raid of a [[Lhazareen]] town, Daenerys grew disturbed by the treatment of the defeated and finally gave orders to stop every rape she saw, claiming the victims as her personal slaves and taking them under her protection. The Dothraki were angered by the ''khaleesi'' denying them their traditional right to rape captives, but Daenerys held her ground, prompting Jorah to comment that she reminded him of Rhaegar. Khal Drogo, delighted by his wife's boldness, supported her decision.<ref>[[A Game of Thrones]], [[A Game of Thrones-Chapter 61|Chapter 61]], Daenerys</ref>

Drogo was injured in the raid. A Lhazareen priestess, [[Mirri Maz Duur]], offered to treat him, and although Drogo's [[Bloodrider|bloodriders]] reviled the woman as a ''[[maegi]]'', Dany felt that she could trust her, as Mirri was one of the women she had rescued.<ref>[[A Game of Thrones]], [[A Game of Thrones-Chapter 61|Chapter 61]], Daenerys</ref> However, Drogo did not follow the priestess' advice, and the wound festered, making him too weak to ride. Jorah explained to Dany that her position as ''khaleesi'' had been entirely dependent on Drogo, and without him, both she and her unborn son were likely to be killed. Desperate, she begged Mirri Maz Duur to save her husband, ignoring the possible consequences of [[Magic|blood magic]]. During the rite, Dany went into labor and Ser Jorah carried her into Drogo's tent, where Mirri Maz Duur was in the process of summoning dark spirits.{{Ref|aGoT|64}} When Dany awoke days later, she learned that Rhaego was stillborn, while Drogo lived only as a catatonic husk. Mirri Maz Duur revealed that this was the true price of the blood magic, and that she felt no gratitude toward Dany, who had "rescued" her only after she had been raped multiple times and seen her community destroyed.

Dany euthanized Drogo and was abandoned by most of the ''khalasar'', which broke into rival war-bands.{{Ref|aGoT|68}} Jorah urged her to flee with him into the east, while the men of Dany's ''khas'' offered to escort her to Vaes Dothrak to take her place as a former ''khaleesi'' among the ''dosh khaleen''. Dany, however, decided to finally take control of her destiny. She ordered Mirri Maz Duur bound to Drogo's funeral pyre and placed the three dragon eggs around his corpse, then announced to Drogo's remaining followers that she was freeing those who were enslaved, and would lead them all to glory if they chose to follow her. She offered to [[Aggo]], [[Jhogo]] and [[Rakharo]] the traditional gifts of a ''khal'' to his bloodriders; each refused, saying that to serve as bloodrider to a woman would shame them, but Daenerys ignored their objections. Ser Jorah accepted her offer, and she named him the first of her [[Kingsguard|Queensguard]].

Daenerys then walked unflinchingly into the flames. The resulting magic restored life to the eggs, from which three [[dragon|dragons]] hatched, the first known for centuries. Daenerys emerged from the fire unharmed. Drogo's former ''khalasar'', now hers more surely than they had ever been Drogo's, knelt in awe. Aggo, Jhogo and Rakharo willingly swore themselves as her bloodriders, and Daenerys became the first female Dothraki war-leader, a ''[[khaleesi]]'' in her own right.{{Ref|aGoT|72}}

===''A Clash of Kings''===

Daenerys names the three dragons [[Viserion]], [[Rhaegal]] and [[Drogon]], after her two deceased brothers and her late husband, respectively. She decided to follow a red star that appeared in the sky, following the ritual that gave birth to her dragons. Daenerys and what little remains of Drogo's ''khalasar'' wander in the direction of the star to a desolate area known as the [[Red Waste]] where they find an ancient, abandoned city, which Daenerys names [[Vaes Tolorro]]. There they recover from the deadly ravages of the desert while Daenerys sends out scouts in all directions. One scout returns with three emissaries from the great city of [[Qarth]]. Daenerys accompanies them to Qarth, where she learns of King [[Robert Baratheon]]'s death and the war in the [[Seven Kingdoms]]. She tries to secure aid from the merchant emissary [[Xaro Xhoan Daxos]] in conquering [[Westeros]], but the merchants of Qarth are only interested in obtaining her dragons. {{Ref|aCoK|12}}{{Ref|aCoK|27}}

Daenerys turns to one of the other emissaries, a [[warlocks|warlock]] called [[Pyat Pree]]. Against the judgment of her friends and counselors, she agrees to visit the warlock's leaders, the [[House of the Undying|Undying Ones]], in their hall, the [[House of the Undying]]. After viewing several mysterious portents and hearing vague prophecies, Daenerys realizes that the warlocks are plotting against her, and she destroys the House of the Undying with the aid of [[Drogon]]. With nowhere else to turn, Daenerys considers the suggestions of the third emissary, the masked woman [[Quaithe]] of [[Asshai]], that she must go further east to conquer the west.{{Ref|aCoK|48}}

After the incident in the house of the Undying the warlocks conspired to see her dead. Daenerys seeking passage out of [[Qarth]] visited the docks, where she notices that two men she does not recognize are following her and [[Jorah Mormont|Ser Jorah]]. Daenerys becomes distracted and is off her guard when a [[Sorrowful Men|Sorrowful Man]] assassin tries to poison her with a [[manticore]]. One of her mysterious followers intercedes and knocks the manticore away just in time to thwart the murder. The two men introduce themselves as agents sent by [[Illyrio Mopatis|Magister Illyrio]]. One of them, a huge eunuch and former pit fighter called [[Belwas|Strong Belwas]], was to be her bodyguard. The one who saved her life was Belwas's squire, an older [[Westeros]]i man called [[Barristan Selmy|Arstan Whitebeard]]. Along with the two men, [[Illyrio]] has sent three merchant ships to transport Dany and her people to [[Pentos]]. Daenerys claims the three ships and their cargo for her own. She decrees that the ships that bring her home must bear different names and renames them [[Vhagar (ship)|Vhagar]], [[Meraxes (ship)|Meraxes]] and [[Balerion (ship)|Balerion]] and sets sail for [[Pentos]] with her ''khalasar'', Ser [[Jorah]], [[Barristan Selmy|Arstan Whitebeard]] and [[Belwas|Strong Belwas]].{{Ref|aCoK|64}}

===''A Storm of Swords''===
Several days into the trip, Ser [[Jorah]] manages to convince Daenerys to go to [[Astapor]], one of the great [[slave]] cities of [[Slaver's Bay]], to purchase [[Unsullied]] so she can return to [[Illyrio]] with an army at her back. He also kisses her and professes his love for her.{{Ref|aSoS|9}} Once in [[Astapor]], Daenerys begins to have doubts about using [[slave]]s, still she agrees to purchases an army of every [[Unsullied]] in the ciry in exchange for her Dragon [[Drogon]]. She is given a slave [[Missandei]] as a gift from the [[Good Masters]]. Dany accepts, but she then frees [[Missandei]]. Dany tells Missandei that she can leave Dany's service whenever she wishes, but Missandei remains close and loyal to Dany.

After taking control of the [[Unsullied]], Dany reclaims [[Drogon]] and commands him to use his fires against the [[Astapor]]i leaders. She then uses the Unsullied to [[Sack of Astapor|conquer the city]]. After the fighting, she proclaims all Astapori slaves free, including her Unsullied, giving her the name ''Breaker of Shackles'', or ''Breaker of Chains''. The [[Unsullied]] and many new [[Freedmen]] choose to follow her in her future battles. After forming a council to rule Astapor, she sets out for the next great slave city [[Yunkai]].{{Ref|aSoS|27}}

[[Yunkai]] hires two sellsword companies, the [[Stormcrows]] and the [[Second Sons]], in addition to conscripting a force of some four thousand slave soldiers. Daenerys parleys with the captains of the companies, hoping to convince them to switch sides. Her arguments convince one of the Stormcrows' commanders, [[Daario Naharis]], to assassinate his colleagues and pledge the company to Daenerys. To the Second Sons, Daenerys offers a great store of wine as tribute then [[Battle of Yunkai|attacks]] them in the night while they are drunk and sleeping. With the Stormcrows' betrayal and the Second Sons' drunkenness, Yunkai's [[slave]] army is unable to withstand Daenerys's Unsullied. The entire Yunkish army is slain, captured, or put to flight, and Yunkai surrenders a few days later.{{Ref|aSoS|42}}

Daenerys next made for [[Meereen]], the last of the great slave cities. Near Meereen, Daenerys is nearly killed by the [[Mero|Titan's Bastard]], the former captain of the Second Sons. [[Barristan Selmy|Arstan Whitebeard]] slays the Bastard, and finally reveals his true identity as [[Barristan Selmy]], a famous knight of her father's [[Kingsguard]] who had served the Usurper [[Robert Baratheon]] after the end of the Rebellion. He claims to have seen the error of his ways and to seeking her out as the true heir to the [[Seven Kingdoms]]. Selmy also reveals that [[Jorah Mormont]], still Daenerys's trusted right arm, has been sending reports on her actions to the spymaster in [[King's Landing]], [[Varys|Lord Varys]], hoping for a pardon from [[Robert Baratheon|King Robert]]. Daenerys feels betrayed by each of them, though both fervently wish to atone for their actions. During her [[Siege of Meereen]], she sends them on a covert suicide mission through the sewers, half hoping that they will die in the attempt. The mission succeeds and wins the city with minimal blood. Barristan humbly submits to his Queen's judgment and is forgiven. [[Jorah]] stubbornly continues to insist that he had done nothing wrong, and Daenerys is forced to banish him from her service, despite her desire to pardon him.{{Ref|aSoS|57}}

Having captured [[Meereen]], Dany turns her eyes toward [[Westeros]]. Through talks with Barristan about her homeland and its history, however, she learns that there is much she does not know about ruling. Upon hearing that Astapor and Yunkai cannot maintain the peace she had hoped to bring, she resolves to bring order to [[Slaver's Bay]] before leaving it behind. By this time, she is close on seventeen years.

===''A Feast for Crows''===

Tales told by sailors reach [[Westeros]], dragons in [[Asshai]], dragons in [[Qarth]], dragons in [[Meereen]], [[Dothraki]] dragons, dragons freeing [[slave]]s … each telling differs from the last, but only in details. All speak of [[dragons]], and a beautiful young queen. {{Ref|aFfC|Prologue}}

===''A Dance with Dragons''===

Dany struggles as ruler of [[Meereen]], mainly due to the constant threats surrounding her. A portion of Meereen's former slaving families who call themselves the [[Sons of the Harpy]] fight a shadow war with her followers, attacking lone freedmen or [[Unsullied]] in the black of night and drawing a harpy nearby with the man's blood.{{Ref|aDwD|2}} The sons have also scrawled graffiti on the walls of Meereen in blood promising a death to the families of any who serve the Dragon Queen. In Meereen, men traditionally wear their oiled black and red hair in varying shapes in homage to [[Ghis|Ghiscari]] culture. The Meereenese who now serve Dany shave their heads, symbolizing the abandonment of old Meereen to serve the new. These men are known as [[Shavepates]], and are led by [[Skahaz mo Kandaq]], known as ''the Shavepate''. Another of her Meereenese councilors is the seneschal, [[Reznak mo Reznak]].

Three fighting companies were also formed by Daenerys, their members comprised from her freeman. The company names are [[Mother's Men]]; The Company of the [[Free Brothers]]; and the [[Stalwart Shields]]. They have been receiving their training in arms from [[Grey Worm]].

Daenery's dragons have grown wilder, hunting sheep and livestock. Eventually a petitioner comes to her, presenting the bones of his six-year-old girl daughter "[[Hazzea]]", claiming the "[[Drogon|winged shadow]]" had killed her.{{Ref|aDwD|2}} Prompted by this, Dany has her Unsullied capture the dragons using nets and chains and lock them below ground to prevent any more such killings. In a closed fighting pit, [[Viserion]] and [[Rhaegal]] are captured (though several Unsullied lose their lives in the process), but Drogon escapes and disappears. During this time, she has a vision of [[Quaithe]] that offers her prophetic advice, most specifically warning her not to trust her seneschal.{{Ref|aDwD|11}}

Daenerys has enemies outside Meereen as well as in. Since she ended the slave trade in [[Slaver's Bay]], several of the [[Free Cities]] that rely upon the slave trade of the slave cities to fuel their economy have promised help to the [[Yunkai]] to bring her down. Yunkai has hired sellsword legions such as the [[Long Lances]], the [[Company of the Cat]] and the [[Windblown]]. Legions have also arrived from [[New Ghis]]. The Yunkai host first takes [[Astapor]] from [[Cleon|Cleon the Butcher King]], its most recent ruler, and puts thousands of its inhabitants to the sword or sends them again into slavery.{{Ref|aDwD|25}} An escaped rider who managed to flee in the confusion of the siege brings word of this to Dany in Meereen. Unfortunately word is not the only thing he brings, as he is infected with the [[bloody flux]].{{Ref|aDwD|30}} Several other Astapori citizens flee to Meereen, bringing the disease with them.

The merchant emissary [[Xaro Xhoan Daxos]] arrives from [[Qarth]] bearing a gift of thirteen ships in exchange for Dany's abandon of Slaver's Bay and departure for [[Westeros]]. Dany wishes to go, but the thirteen ships are not enough to take her entire army of Unsullied, Dothraki, sellswords and freedmen. The Shavepates beg her not to go. If she does, they who served her and their families will die by the Sons of the Harpy. She refuses Xaro, which prompts [[Qarth]] to join the Yunkai against her.{{Ref|aDwD|16}} Deaths of freedmen and Unsullied continue to grow nightly, and several former freed slave women are raped by the Sons of the Harpy before having their throats slit open. Daenerys takes the children of several Meereenese families of dubious loyalty as [[Cupbearers of Daenerys Targaryen|Cupbearers]] in name, but hostages in truth in hopes that would stop the killing. The killings only continue though and Daenerys refuses to harm the child hostages. In despair and loneliness, Dany takes [[Daario Naharis]] as a lover. A plan is put to her by the [[Graces|Meereenese priestess]], the Green Grace [[Galazza Galare]], suggesting that Dany should wed the Meereenese noble [[Hizdahr zo Loraq]] to bring peace. Dany agrees, on the condition that Hizdahr can promise her 90 days of peace. Hizdahr agrees.{{Ref|aDwD|23}} [[Ben Plumm|Brown Ben Plumm]], captain of the [[Second Sons]], learns that Dany can no longer control her dragons, and takes his company go over to the Yunkai.

At this point, [[Quentyn Martell]] of [[Dorne]] arrives to make a marriage claim, but is rejected because Dany has already promised to wed Hizdahr. After Hizdahr zo Loraq succeeds at keeping his promise, Dany weds him.{{Ref|aDwD|43}} Under his direction, Dany, much to her disgust, suggests peace terms with Yunkai. She promises if they leave Meereen and don't enslave any of the former slaves she freed, she won't disrupt the slave trade of Slaver's Bay any further. The Yunkai agree.{{Ref|aDwD|50}} To mark the occasion, the [[fighting pits]] are reopened and several gladiators (who freely agreed to compete) battle in the arena of [[Daznak's Pit]]. During the event, Drogon appears, drawn to the screams of the crowd and the smell of death. He kills a boar in the arena, but is then attacked by the animal handler [[Harghaz]]. Dany, seeing her "child" in pain, runs out in the arena to him as she sees other pit fighters going to kill the dragon. Dany manages to mount the dragon and ride him out of the arena.{{Ref|aDwD|52}} Many in Meereen suspect that she is dead.{{Ref|aDwD|55}} She is alive with Drogon, however, thousands of leagues away. She and her dragon are eventually discovered by the ''khalasar'' of [[Jhaqo|Khal Jhaqo]].{{Ref|aDwD|71}}

==Gallery of Daenerys Targaryen==
<gallery>
File:Drogon in Daznak's Pit.jpg
File:Daenerys by carrie best.jpg
File:Viserys Daenerys Targaryen hbo.jpg
File:Moon of my life by celestialfrost.jpg
File:GOT_tvseries_Daenerys.png
File:Daenerys targareyen by teiiku.jpg
File:Dany dragon.jpg
File:Daenerys by quickreaver.jpg
File:Dany_and_silver_in_the_Dothraki_Sea.jpg
</gallery>

==Family==
{{Targaryen_tree_now}}

==References and Notes==
{{references|3|refs=
<ref name=hbo>[http://www.hbo.com/game-of-thrones/index.html#/game-of-thrones/cast-and-crew.html/eNrjcmbOYC5kzlfPz0lxzEvMqSzJTA5ITE-1S8xN1SzLTEnNh4k65+eVpFaUsEknlpbkF+QkVtqWFJWmcjIysgEhAGCyFzg= HBO Cast and crew page]</ref>
}}
{{EnWP|Daenerys Targaryen|small=yes}}

{{Template:POV Characters}}
{{Template:Kings of Westeros}}

[[Category:POV characters|Targaryen, Daenerys]]
[[Category:Noblewomen|Targaryen, Daenerys]]
[[Category:Monarchs|Targaryen, Daenerys]]
[[Category:House Targaryen]]

[[es:Daenerys Targaryen]]
[[fr:Daenerys Targaryen]]
[[ru:Дейенерис I Таргариен]]
[[zh:丹妮莉丝·坦格利安]]
[[es:Daenerys Targaryen]]

Drogo

2012-07-23T17:44:21Z

Penelope:

{{Infobox character
| name = Drogo
| image = [[File:Khal Drogo by AniaEm.jpg|300px]]
| image_caption = Artwork by Anja Dalisa ©
| Alias = Great Rider
| Title = [[Khal]]
| Allegiance =
| Race = [[Dothraki]]
| Culture = [[Dothraki]]
| Spouse = [[Daenerys Targaryen]]
| Place_of_Birth =
| Date_of_Birth =
| Place_of_Death = [[Dothraki Sea]]
| Date_of_Death =[[298 AL]]
| Books = [[A Game of Thrones]] (Appears) [[A Clash of Kings]] (Mentioned) [[A Storm of Swords]] (Mentioned) [[A Dance with Dragons]] (Mentioned)
| coat-of-arms =
| Played_by = [[List of actors of the televised series#Jason Momoa,Khal Drogo|Jason Momoa]]
| TV_series = [[Game of Thrones - Season 1|Season 1]]
}}
[[File:Khal Drogo funeral Pyre by Kim Pope.jpg|300px|thumb| Drogo funeral Pyre. Art By Kim Pope, for the HBO [[Game of Thrones|TV adaptation]]]]


'''Khal Drogo''' is a powerful warlord of the fearsome [[Dothraki]] nomads. He marries [[Daenerys Targaryen]] and grows to love her, promising to invade [[Westeros]] for her sake, but died before the invasion could begin. In the ''[[Game of Thrones]]'' TV series Drogo is played by [[List of actors of the televised series#Jason Momoa,Khal Drogo|Jason Momoa]].

==Appearance==
Like most Dothraki, Drogo has copper-colored skin, black hair, and black eyes. He is tall and muscular, and moves gracefully. He has a long, drooping mustache and a long braid hung with tiny bells that hangs down to his thighs, symbolizing his status among the Dothraki as an undefeated warlord.

Drogo's favorite horse is a lean red stallion, called simply [[The Red|"the Red,"]] as it is not a Dothraki custom to give individual names to animals.

==History==
Drogo's father was [[Khal]] [[Bharbo]]. [[Cohollo]] was pledged to the ''khalakka'', or prince, while he was still a child, and saved young Drogo's life from [[Mercenary|sellswords]] on one occasion.

From an early age Drogo was an extraordinarily gifted warrior even among the fierce Dothraki; before the age of thirty he led a ''[[khalasar]]'' forty thousand strong, the largest on the [[Dothraki Sea]]. He had never been defeated. [[Cohollo]], [[Qotho]] and [[Haggo]] served him as [[bloodrider]]s.

Drogo owned a palace in the sacred Dothraki city of [[Vaes Dothrak]]. He also possessed a nine-towered mansion in [[Pentos]], given to him by the city's ruling magisters as part of their policy of bribing the Dothraki not to loot the city.

===A Game of Thrones===
[[Illyrio Mopatis]], serving as patron to the exiled [[Viserys Targaryen|Viserys]] and [[Daenerys Targaryen]], arranged a marriage between Princess Daenerys and Khal Drogo during one of Drogo's visits to Pentos. In return for his bride, Drogo was to provide ten thousand Dothraki warriors for her brother's campaign to retake the [[Iron Throne]].{{Ref|aGoT|3}}

The wedding took place in the traditional Dothraki fashion, with Drogo's entire ''khalasar'' gathering in a field outside Pentos for a day-long feast, punctuated with several deadly fights and couples having intercourse in the open. In accordance with tradition, Drogo's bloodriders offered fine weapons - a whip, an ''[[arakh]]'', and a [[dragonbone]] bow - to the new ''[[khaleesi]]'', who then gave them to her husband. Drogo's own gift to his bride was a magnificent [[The Silver|silver mare]].

Finally he led her off to consummate the marriage. A thirteen-year-old girl who had been abused by her brother for most of her life and had been given no say in the marriage, Daenerys was terrified of her bridegroom and expected to be raped. Despite his fierce reputation, however, Drogo proved to be a surprisingly considerate lover. Although he and Dany shared no common language, he established that he understood the word "no," then began touching her gently. He did not begin to have intercourse with her until Dany expressed her consent and initiated it.{{Ref|aGoT|11}} This tender wedding night set the tone for their marriage, which would become a remarkably happy one.

As Daenerys' new role as ''khaleesi'' took her out of her abusive brother's control, she began to leave behind the timid, passive girl she had been, blossoming into a strong, confident young woman and a natural leader. As Dany learned to speak the Dothraki language, Drogo proved a quick study at picking up the [[Common Tongue]] of [[Westeros]], though he retained a barbarous accent. He addressed Dany affectionately as "moon of my life," while she called him "my sun and stars." Drogo treated her with respect and valued her opinions; although he did not understand or share her objections to the traditional Dothraki practices of raping and enslaving conquered peoples, Drogo supported Dany when she ordered his warriors to cease, delighted by his wife's growing courage.{{Ref|aGoT|61}} The pair grew to love one another deeply.

Drogo's relationship with Viserys, however, was not nearly as felicitous. While Daenerys was respectful of Dothraki culture and eager to learn about and embrace it, her brother showed nothing but contempt for the Dothraki "savages" and was increasingly impatient for the aid Khal Drogo had promised him. The issue finally came to a head when Viserys broke the ancient taboo against bloodshed in [[Vaes Dothrak]] by drawing his blade and threatening the life of Daenerys and her unborn child, demanding his crown. Drogo cunningly sidestepped the prohibition against spilling blood in the sacred city by announcing that Viserys would have the crown of gold he deserved, then upending a pot of molten gold over his head, killing him.

In Vaes Dothrak the women of the ''[[dosh khaleen]]'' proclaimed that Drogo and Daenerys's [[Rhaego|unborn child]] would be the [[Stallion Who Mounts the World]], a prophesied leader in Dothraki legend.{{Ref|aGoT|46}} Drogo had little interest in invading Westeros, a land that held nothing in particular that the Dothraki wanted and was located across the sea, which they had always feared. However, he reconsidered after an assassin tried to kill Dany and claim [[Robert Baratheon]]'s reward. Enraged by the attempt on his wife's life, Drogo reaffirmed his commitment to conquer the [[Seven Kingdoms]] for her sake and seat their son on the throne of her ancestors.{{Ref|aGoT|54}} He pillaged several towns in [[Lhazar]] to harvest slaves to exchange for warships that would take his horde across the sea. While in Lhazar, Drogo's ''khalasar'' battled and defeated the rival ''khalasar'' of Khal [[Ogo]]. Drogo slew Ogo himself, but took a wound to the chest.{{Ref|aGoT|61}}

Though Drogo was unconcerned with his minor wound, Daenerys convinced him to let [[Mirri Maz Duur]], a Lhazareen ''[[maegi]]'' she had rescued, make him a poultice. The poultice itched, and Drogo tore it off, causing the wound to fester. Drogo's condition deteriorated until he fell from his horse, a symbolic event in Dothraki culture that indicated he was no longer fit to lead. As he lingered near death, Daenerys convinced Mirri Maz Duur to use her [[Magic|blood magic]] to preserve his life.{{Ref|aGoT|64}} The ''maegi'' betrayed her in revenge for the attack on her village, and the ritual only returned Drogo to a catatonic state, while causing their child to die in Daenerys' womb. Realizing that Drogo would never return to his former state, Dany smothered him with a pillow and built him a funeral pyre as his ''khalasar'' broke apart. She burned his body on the pyre along with Mirri Maz Duur and entered the flames with her petrified [[dragon]] eggs. The flames magically traded life for life, killing the ''maegi'' and hatching the three dragons while leaving Daenerys unharmed.{{Ref|aGoT|72}}

{{Clear}}
==References and Notes==
{{References|2}}

{{Template:Royal consorts of Westeros}}


[[Category:Nobles|Drogo, Khal]]
[[Category:Characters from the Dothraki Sea|Drogo, Khal]]


[[fr:Khal Drogo]]
[[ru:Дрого]]
[[es:Drogo]]
[[zh:卓戈]]

Queen of love and beauty

2012-07-23T17:33:26Z

Penelope:

In the [[Seven Kingdoms]], tradition holds that the victor in a [[Tourneys in Westeros|tournament]] may select any woman present and name her the '''Queen of Love and Beauty''', crowning her with a wreath of flowers and dedicating his victory to her. The victorious knight often chooses a woman he loves or intends to court, and it can be a source of scandal if the victor crowns a woman already bound to another man, or if a married man crowns someone other than his wife.

==Past Queens of Love and Beauty==
* [[Naerys Targaryen|Queen Naerys]], named by [[Aemon Targaryen|Aemon the Dragonknight]], who was disguised as a [[mystery knight]] known as the Knight of Tears.
* [[Rhaella Targaryen|Princess Rhaella]], named by Ser [[Bonifer Hasty]]
* [[Lyanna Stark]], named by [[Rhaegar Targaryen|Prince Rhaegar]] at the [[Tourney at Harrenhal]]
* [[Lynesse Hightower]], named by Ser [[Jorah Mormont]] at the [[Tourney at Lannisport]]

==References and Notes==
{{references}}

[[Category:Terms]][[zh:爱与美的皇后]]

Ashara Dayne

2012-07-23T17:23:28Z

Penelope:

{{Infobox character
| Character_name = [[file:Dayne.png|50px|left]] Ashara Dayne [[file:Dayne.png|50px|right]]
| image = 
| image_caption =
| Alias =
| Title =
| Allegiance = [[House Dayne]]
| Race =
| Culture = [[Westeros]]
| Spouse =
| Place_of_Birth =
| Date_of_Birth =
| Place_of_Death = [[Starfall]]
| Date_of_Death = {{date|283}}
| Books = [[A Game of Thrones]] (Mentioned) [[A Clash of Kings]] (Mentioned) [[A Storm of Swords]] (Mentioned) [[A Dance with Dragons]] (Mentioned)
| coat-of-arms =
| Played_by =
| TV_series =
}}

'''Ashara Dayne''' was a noblewoman of [[House Dayne]], the younger sister of the famous [[knight]] Ser [[Arthur Dayne]]. She committed suicide shortly after the end of [[Robert's Rebellion]].

==Appearance==
Ashara was tall, with long dark hair and haunting [[violet eyes]].{{Ref|aGoT|6}} She had a reputation for great beauty. Many men were infatuated with her, including [[Barristan Selmy]] and, according to rumor, [[Eddard Stark]].

==History==
Ashara was a lady-in-waiting to Princess [[Elia Martell]]. She was present at the [[Tourney at Harrenhal]], where she danced with several men, including [[Eddard Stark]] after his brother [[Brandon Stark|Brandon]] spoke with her. {{Ref|aCoK|45}}

After the events of the [[Tower of Joy]], Ned Stark went to [[Starfall]] to inform House Dayne of Ser Arthur's death and return to them his greatsword, [[Dawn]]. Ashara jumped from the top of one of the towers of Starfall, called the Palestone Sword, on the cliff atop the sea. Her body was never recovered.{{Ref|aSoS|43}} After these events, Ned Stark returned to [[Winterfell]] with the infant [[Jon Snow]], whom he claimed as his bastard son, refusing to name the child's mother. This sparked rumors that Ashara had been the mother of Stark's bastard, and that grief at learning that her lover had been responsible for her brother's death was the cause of her suicide.{{Ref|aGoT|6}}

Ser [[Barristan Selmy]] revealed that Ashara killed herself because she gave birth to a stillborn daughter. According to Selmy, a Stark bedded her at [[Harrenhal]] during the tourney and got her with child. In Selmy's account, it was grief at the death of her child and shame at the way Stark had dishonored her that led to Ashara's suicide.{{Ref|aDwD|67}}

==Family==
{{Dayne tree}}

==References and Notes==
{{references|2}}

[[Category:Noblewomen|Dayne, Ashara]]
[[Category:Characters from Dorne|Dayne, Ashara]]
[[Category:House Dayne]]

[[fr:Ashara Dayne]]
[[pt:Ashara Dayne]]
[[es:Ashara Dayne]]Эшара Дейн]][[zh:亚夏拉·戴恩]]

Daenerys Targaryen

2012-07-21T05:22:27Z

Penelope:

{{Infobox character
| Character_name= [[File:House_Targaryen_crest.PNG|50px|left]]'''Daenerys Targaryen''' [[File:House_Targaryen_crest.PNG|50px|right]]
| image = [[Image:Daenerys.jpg|300px]]
| Played_by = Emilia Clarke
| image_caption = Daenerys Targaryen with Dragons, by Amoka©
| Alias = Dany Daenerys Stormborn The Unburnt Mother of Dragons Mother Mysha The Silver Queen Silver Lady Child of Three {{Ref|aCoK|48}} {{Ref|aCoK|63}} Daughter of Death {{Ref|aCoK|48}} {{Ref|aCoK|63}} Slayer of Lies{{Ref|aCoK|48}} {{Ref|aCoK|63}} Bride of Fire{{Ref|aCoK|48}} {{Ref|aCoK|63}}
| Title = Queen of the Andals and the Rhoynar and the First Men, Lord of the Seven Kingdoms ''Khaleesi'' of the Great Grass Sea Breaker of Shackles/Chains Queen of Meereen Princess of Dragonstone
| Allegiance = [[House Targaryen]]
| Race =
| Culture = [[Valyria]]
| Spouse = [[Khal Drogo]] 1st [[Hizdahr zo Loraq]] 2nd
| Place_of_Birth= [[Dragonstone]]
| Date_of_Birth = {{Date|284}}
| Place_of_Death=
| Date_of_Death =
| Books = [[A Game of Thrones]] (POV) [[A Clash of Kings]] (POV) [[A Storm of Swords]] (POV) [[A Feast for Crows]] (Mentioned) [[A Dance with Dragons]] (POV)
| Played_by = [[w:Emilia Clarke|Emilia Clarke]]
| TV_series = [[Game of Thrones - Season 1|Season 1]]{{!}} [[Game of Thrones - Season 2|Season 2]]
}}

{{See homonyms | Daenerys Targaryen (disambiguation)}}

'''Daenerys Targaryen''', known as '''Daenerys Stormborn''' or '''Dany''', is the last confirmed member of the ancient [[House Targaryen|Targaryen Dynasty]] and one of the primary [[POV Character|POV characters]] in the book series. In the [[Game of Thrones|TV series]], Daenerys is played by Emilia Clarke.<ref name=hbo/>

==Character and Appearance==
Danaerys is a young woman in her early teens. She is short of stature and very beautiful, with the silver-blonde hair and [[purple eyes]] for which [[House Targaryen]] has always been known.{{Ref|aGoT|3}}

In her youth, Dany was a meek, timid girl with little confidence or self-esteem. She knew no life other than one of exile, dependent and in constant fear of her brother [[Viserys Targaryen|Viserys]]. He was the only family she knew, but was often a cruel guardian, prone to mood swings and fits of violence. Her marriage to [[Khal Drogo]] was a turning point for her; adapting to life in the Dothraki ''[[khalasar]]'' was difficult, but it allowed her to begin to achieve independence from her abusive brother, and she emerged from the experience as a strong, confident, courageous woman. Nevertheless, she has not forgotten what it was like to be a victimized child, and her experiences have left her with a compassion that is unusual in a would-be conqueror. She is determined to bring justice through her reign, and has made ending [[slavery]] a particular priority. Despite her strong moral compass, however, she is capable of dealing ruthlessly with her enemies.

It was often said that the Targaryen kings tended to be either madmen or brilliant rulers, and Daenerys seems to have inherited a natural gift for leadership as her birthright. Her followers generally regard her with great respect and love, and she is often compared to her deceased brother [[Rhaegar Targaryen|Rhaegar]], a similarly charismatic leader who was known for his skill, determination, scholarly mind and strong sense of justice. Her primary weakness as a ruler is her youth and relative inexperience; however, she has a keen intellect and learns quickly from her mistakes.

Although she has matured enough to recognize that Viserys was weak, cowardly and cruel, his abiding obsession with regaining the crown he felt was his birthright has instilled in Daenerys a similar belief that reclaiming the [[Seven Kingdoms]] is both her right and her duty as the last of the Targaryens, and it remains the paramount goal of her life. Nevertheless, [[Westeros]] is a foreign land that she has never seen with her own eyes, and she sometimes longs wistfully for the house with a red door in [[Braavos]] that has come to symbolize her lost childhood.

==History==
Daenerys is the only daughter and youngest child of King [[Aerys II Targaryen]] and his sister-wife, Queen [[Rhaella Targaryen|Rhaella]]. Daenerys was conceived during the last month of [[Robert's Rebellion|the rebellion]] that would ultimately end her family's reign over the [[Seven Kingdoms]]. Shortly thereafter, her mother was sent with the young prince Viserys to the family ancestral seat of [[Dragonstone]] to escape the coming [[Sack of King's Landing]]. Daenerys was born while as a great storm raged in the harbor at Dragonstone, sinking what remained of the Targaryen fleet; for this reason she is sometimes known as "Daenerys Stormborn." Her mother died from complications of labor.

By this time, the war was already lost. [[Robert Baratheon]] had claimed the throne and Aerys had already been killed along with the rest of the royal family, leaving Daenerys and her older brother Viserys as the only living Targaryen heirs. The garrison at Dragonstone decided to surrender and turn them over to the rebels in exchange for their lives, but before they could act on this plan, Ser [[Willem Darry]] and several other loyal retainers rescued the children and smuggled them into exile, sailing to the [[Braavos|Free City of Braavos]], where they lived for years in a house with a red door. Ser Willem was old and sickly, but Dany remembers that he always treated her kindly. After his death, the servants drove the young Targaryens from the house. Dany wept as they were forced out.{{Ref|aGoT|3}}

The Targaryen loyalists who raised the two children considered Viserys the rightful ruler of the [[Seven Kingdoms]] despite the family's defeat and exile, as did Viserys himself. He regarded it as his duty to revenge himself on the usurpers who murdered his family and reclaim the birthright that had been stolen from him when he was only a child. In the years that followed Ser Willem's death, Viserys wandered the nine [[Free Cities]] with his sister, trying to raise support to retake the [[Iron Throne]], which earned him the mocking title of "The Beggar King."

As a result of this long humiliation, Viserys grew bitter and obsessed with his long-denied birthright. Daenerys was the only convenient target for his frustration, and over time he even came to blame her for their mother's death. He took pride in his lack of control of his own temper, regarding it as proof that he was a true heir to the Targaryen kings; he regularly warned Daenerys not to "wake the dragon" by angering him. He often spoke to her of the importance of preserving the purity of their royal bloodline through the ancient [[Valyria|Valyrian]] practice of dynastic incest, so Dany grew up believing she would one day wed her brother. She was bright enough to realize that most of Viserys' plans for retaking the Seven Kingdoms were unrealistic, and as she had no memory of [[Westeros]] herself, his dream meant little to her; instead she longed to return to the house with the red door, which in her mind became a symbol for the childhood she had lost. With no family other than the abusive Viserys and no expectation of ever escaping his control, Dany grew into a fearful and docile young woman.

The two last Targaryens eventually found the help they sought in the [[Pentos|Free City of Pentos]], in the form of a rich and powerful magister, [[Illyrio Mopatis]], who invited them to stay in his manse and offered his help in reclaiming [[Iron Throne|their throne]].{{Ref|aGoT|3}}

==Recent Events==
[[File:Daenerys and handmaidens.png|200px|thumb|left|Daenerys and her handmaidens Doreah and Irri ([[Game of Thrones|Tv]])]]

===''A Game of Thrones''===

While Daenerys and [[Viserys Targaryen|her brother]] were staying at the manse of [[Illyrio Mopatis]] in [[Pentos]], Illyrio arranged a marriage between Dany and the powerful [[Dothraki]] warlord [[Khal Drogo]]. In return, Drogo was to provide Viserys with ten thousand warriors for his campaign to retake the [[Iron Throne]]. Dany's opinion was not consulted, and she realized this “marriage” was little different from being sold into slavery. She told her brother she did not wish to marry Khal Drogo, but Viserys only threatened that she would “wake the dragon” if she failed to please the ''[[khal]]''. Despairing, Dany saw no choice but to do her best to avoid her brother's wrath, as she always had.{{Ref|aGoT|3}}

At the wedding, the exiled [[Westeros]]i [[knight]] Ser [[Jorah Mormont]] pledged his sword to the Targaryen cause. Dany received three petrified dragon eggs from Illyrio, three handmaidens ([[Irri]], [[Jhiqui]] and [[Doreah]]) from her brother, and [[The Silver|a magnificent silver filly]] from Drogo. She was frightened by the seemingly barbaric Dothraki culture and particularly terrified of her bridegroom, a powerfully built man who shared no common language with her. After the ceremony she wept in terror, waiting for him to rape her, but Drogo proved to be a surprisingly considerate lover. He established that he understood the word “no” and began touching her gently and gradually, only having intercourse with her after she expressed her consent and initiated it.{{Ref|aGoT|11}}

Life in the ''[[khalasar]]'' was difficult at first; Dany was lonely and unaccustomed to spending her days on horseback. Nevertheless, she was determined to embrace her new life. Gradually her body strengthened and she began to enjoy the sense of freedom that came with the nomadic lifestyle. The first real turning point came when Viserys flew into one of his rages at her and Dany, for the first time in her life, fought back, shoving him away – and found herself backed up by [[Jhogo]], who whipped Viserys and asked the ''[[khaleesi]]'' how he ought to be punished. Dany began to realize that Viserys was ultimately a pathetic bully, and that she herself might not be as worthless as her brother had always claimed. From this day forward, she began to assert herself more and more.{{Ref|aGoT|23}} She lost her fear of both the Dothraki and her brother, becoming a strong and confident woman who little resembled the timid girl who had left Pentos. Drogo was pleased with her growing courage, and they developed a loving relationship.

Drogo took Daenerys east to [[Vaes Dothrak]] and presented her to the ''[[dosh khaleen]]''. By the time they arrived, Daenerys, now fourteen, was pregnant with Drogo's child.{{Ref|aGoT|23}} She took part in the [[stallion heart]] ceremony, and the ''dosh khaleen'' foretold that her son would be "the [[Stallion Who Mounts the World]]," a long-prophesied leader who would unite the Dothraki into a single ''khalasar'' and conquer the world. Dany announced that the child would be named [[Rhaego]] in honor of her deceased brother [[Rhaegar Targaryen|Rhaegar]].{{Ref|aGoT|46}} Viserys had been growing increasingly impatient for the aid he had been promised, and the situation finally came to a head when he broke Dothraki law by drawing a blade in the sacred city, threatening both Daenerys and her unborn child. Drogo announced that Viserys would have the golden crown he deserved and dumped a pot of molten gold over his head, killing him and making Daenerys the last Targaryen. Dany watched impassively.

With Viserys' death, Drogo lost interest in the notion of invading Westeros, despite Dany's attempts to persuade him. This changed, however, when Ser Jorah prevented an assassin from poisoning Daenerys and discovered that [[Robert Baratheon]] had placed a price on her head. Enraged, Drogo vowed before his ''khalasar'' to avenge this insult by conquering Westeros to seat his son on the [[Iron Throne]] that his mother's ancestors had once held.{{Ref|aGoT|56}} The ''khalasar'' thus continued east, pillaging foreign lands with the intent of selling slaves for ships to make the crossing to Westeros. During one such raid of a [[Lhazareen]] town, Daenerys grew disturbed by the treatment of the defeated and finally gave orders to stop every rape she saw, claiming the victims as her personal slaves and taking them under her protection. The Dothraki were angered by the ''khaleesi'' denying them their traditional right to rape captives, but Daenerys held her ground, and Khal Drogo, delighted by his wife's boldness, supported her decision.<ref>[[A Game of Thrones]], [[A Game of Thrones-Chapter 61|Chapter 61]], Daenerys</ref>

Drogo was injured in the raid. A Lhazareen priestess, [[Mirri Maz Duur]], offered to treat him, and although Drogo's [[Bloodrider|bloodriders]] reviled the woman as a ''[[maegi]]'', Dany felt that she could trust her, as Mirri was one of the women she had rescued.<ref>[[A Game of Thrones]], [[A Game of Thrones-Chapter 61|Chapter 61]], Daenerys</ref> However, Drogo did not follow the priestess' advice, and the wound festered, making him too weak to ride. Ser Jorah explained to Dany that her position as ''khaleesi'' had been entirely dependent on Drogo, and without him, both she and her unborn son were likely to be killed. Desperate, she begged Mirri Maz Duur to save her husband, ignoring the possible consequences of [[Magic|blood magic]]. During the rite, Dany went into labor and Ser Jorah carried her into Drogo's tent, where Mirri Maz Duur was in the process of summoning dark spirits.{{Ref|aGoT|64}} When Dany awoke days later, she learned that Rhaego was stillborn, while Drogo lived only as a catatonic husk. Mirri Maz Duur revealed that this was the true price of the blood magic, and that she felt no gratitude toward Dany, who had "rescued" her only after she had been raped multiple times and seen her community destroyed.

Dany euthanized Drogo and was abandoned by most of the ''khalasar'', which broke into rival war-bands.{{Ref|aGoT|68}} Ser Jorah urged her to flee with him into the east, while the men of Dany's ''khas'' offered to escort her to Vaes Dothrak to take her place as a former ''khaleesi'' among the ''dosh khaleen''. Dany, however, was unwilling to give up on her destiny. She ordered Mirri Maz Duur bound to Drogo's funeral pyre and placed the three dragon eggs around Drogo's corpse, then announced to Drogo's remaining followers that she was freeing those who were enslaved, and would lead them all to glory if they chose to follow her. She offered to [[Aggo]], [[Jhogo]] and [[Rakharo]] the traditional gifts of a ''khal'' to his bloodriders; each refused, saying that to serve as bloodrider to a woman would shame them, but Daenerys ignored their comments. Ser Jorah accepted her offer, and she named him the first of her [[Kingsguard|Queensguard]].

Daenerys then walked unflinchingly into the flames. The resulting magic restored life to the eggs, from which three [[dragon|dragons]] hatched, the first known for centuries. Daenerys emerged from the fire unharmed. Drogo's former ''khalasar'', now hers more surely than they had ever been Drogo's, knelt in awe. Aggo, Jhogo and Rakharo willingly swore themselves as her bloodriders, and Daenerys became the first female Dothraki war-leader, a ''[[khaleesi]]'' in her own right.{{Ref|aGoT|72}}

===''A Clash of Kings''===

Daenerys names the three dragons [[Viserion]], [[Rhaegal]] and [[Drogon]], after her two deceased brothers and her late husband, respectively. She decided to follow a red star that appeared in the sky, following the ritual that gave birth to her dragons. Daenerys and what little remains of Drogo's ''khalasar'' wander in the direction of the star to a desolate area known as the [[Red Waste]] where they find an ancient, abandoned city, which Daenerys names [[Vaes Tolorro]]. There they recover from the deadly ravages of the desert while Daenerys sends out scouts in all directions. One scout returns with three emissaries from the great city of [[Qarth]]. Daenerys accompanies them to Qarth, where she learns of King [[Robert Baratheon]]'s death and the war in the [[Seven Kingdoms]]. She tries to secure aid from the merchant emissary [[Xaro Xhoan Daxos]] in conquering [[Westeros]], but the merchants of Qarth are only interested in obtaining her dragons. {{Ref|aCoK|12}}{{Ref|aCoK|27}}

Daenerys turns to one of the other emissaries, a [[warlocks|warlock]] called [[Pyat Pree]]. Against the judgment of her friends and counselors, she agrees to visit the warlock's leaders, the [[House of the Undying|Undying Ones]], in their hall, the [[House of the Undying]]. After viewing several mysterious portents and hearing vague prophecies, Daenerys realizes that the warlocks are plotting against her, and she destroys the House of the Undying with the aid of [[Drogon]]. With nowhere else to turn, Daenerys considers the suggestions of the third emissary, the masked woman [[Quaithe]] of [[Asshai]], that she must go further east to conquer the west.{{Ref|aCoK|48}}

After the incident in the house of the Undying the warlocks conspired to see her dead. Daenerys seeking passage out of [[Qarth]] visited the docks, where she notices that two men she does not recognize are following her and [[Jorah Mormont|Ser Jorah]]. Daenerys becomes distracted and is off her guard when a [[Sorrowful Men|Sorrowful Man]] assassin tries to poison her with a [[manticore]]. One of her mysterious followers intercedes and knocks the manticore away just in time to thwart the murder. The two men introduce themselves as agents sent by [[Illyrio Mopatis|Magister Illyrio]]. One of them, a huge eunuch and former pit fighter called [[Belwas|Strong Belwas]], was to be her bodyguard. The one who saved her life was Belwas's squire, an older [[Westeros]]i man called [[Barristan Selmy|Arstan Whitebeard]]. Along with the two men, [[Illyrio]] has sent three merchant ships to transport Dany and her people to [[Pentos]]. Daenerys claims the three ships and their cargo for her own. She decrees that the ships that bring her home must bear different names and renames them [[Vhagar (ship)|Vhagar]], [[Meraxes (ship)|Meraxes]] and [[Balerion (ship)|Balerion]] and sets sail for [[Pentos]] with her ''khalasar'', Ser [[Jorah]], [[Barristan Selmy|Arstan Whitebeard]] and [[Belwas|Strong Belwas]].{{Ref|aCoK|64}}

===''A Storm of Swords''===
Several days into the trip, Ser [[Jorah]] manages to convince Daenerys to go to [[Astapor]], one of the great [[slave]] cities of [[Slaver's Bay]], to purchase [[Unsullied]] so she can return to [[Illyrio]] with an army at her back. He also kisses her and professes his love for her.{{Ref|aSoS|9}} Once in [[Astapor]], Daenerys begins to have doubts about using [[slave]]s, still she agrees to purchases an army of every [[Unsullied]] in the ciry in exchange for her Dragon [[Drogon]]. She is given a slave [[Missandei]] as a gift from the [[Good Masters]]. Dany accepts, but she then frees [[Missandei]]. Dany tells Missandei that she can leave Dany's service whenever she wishes, but Missandei remains close and loyal to Dany.

After taking control of the [[Unsullied]], Dany reclaims [[Drogon]] and commands him to use his fires against the [[Astapor]]i leaders. She then uses the Unsullied to [[Sack of Astapor|conquer the city]]. After the fighting, she proclaims all Astapori slaves free, including her Unsullied, giving her the name ''Breaker of Shackles'', or ''Breaker of Chains''. The [[Unsullied]] and many new [[Freedmen]] choose to follow her in her future battles. After forming a council to rule Astapor, she sets out for the next great slave city [[Yunkai]].{{Ref|aSoS|27}}

[[Yunkai]] hires two sellsword companies, the [[Stormcrows]] and the [[Second Sons]], in addition to conscripting a force of some four thousand slave soldiers. Daenerys parleys with the captains of the companies, hoping to convince them to switch sides. Her arguments convince one of the Stormcrows' commanders, [[Daario Naharis]], to assassinate his colleagues and pledge the company to Daenerys. To the Second Sons, Daenerys offers a great store of wine as tribute then [[Battle of Yunkai|attacks]] them in the night while they are drunk and sleeping. With the Stormcrows' betrayal and the Second Sons' drunkenness, Yunkai's [[slave]] army is unable to withstand Daenerys's Unsullied. The entire Yunkish army is slain, captured, or put to flight, and Yunkai surrenders a few days later.{{Ref|aSoS|42}}

Daenerys next made for [[Meereen]], the last of the great slave cities. Near Meereen, Daenerys is nearly killed by the [[Mero|Titan's Bastard]], the former captain of the Second Sons. [[Barristan Selmy|Arstan Whitebeard]] slays the Bastard, and finally reveals his true identity as [[Barristan Selmy]], a famous knight of her father's [[Kingsguard]] who had served the Usurper [[Robert Baratheon]] after the end of the Rebellion. He claims to have seen the error of his ways and to seeking her out as the true heir to the [[Seven Kingdoms]]. Selmy also reveals that [[Jorah Mormont]], still Daenerys's trusted right arm, has been sending reports on her actions to the spymaster in [[King's Landing]], [[Varys|Lord Varys]], hoping for a pardon from [[Robert Baratheon|King Robert]]. Daenerys feels betrayed by each of them, though both fervently wish to atone for their actions. During her [[Siege of Meereen]], she sends them on a covert suicide mission through the sewers, half hoping that they will die in the attempt. The mission succeeds and wins the city with minimal blood. Barristan humbly submits to his Queen's judgment and is forgiven. [[Jorah]] stubbornly continues to insist that he had done nothing wrong, and Daenerys is forced to banish him from her service, despite her desire to pardon him.{{Ref|aSoS|57}}

Having captured [[Meereen]], Dany turns her eyes toward [[Westeros]]. Through talks with Barristan about her homeland and its history, however, she learns that there is much she does not know about ruling. Upon hearing that Astapor and Yunkai cannot maintain the peace she had hoped to bring, she resolves to bring order to [[Slaver's Bay]] before leaving it behind. By this time, she is close on seventeen years.

===''A Feast for Crows''===

Tales told by sailors reach [[Westeros]], dragons in [[Asshai]], dragons in [[Qarth]], dragons in [[Meereen]], [[Dothraki]] dragons, dragons freeing [[slave]]s … each telling differs from the last, but only in details. All speak of [[dragons]], and a beautiful young queen. {{Ref|aFfC|Prologue}}

===''A Dance with Dragons''===

Dany struggles as ruler of [[Meereen]], mainly due to the constant threats surrounding her. A portion of Meereen's former slaving families who call themselves the [[Sons of the Harpy]] fight a shadow war with her followers, attacking lone freedmen or [[Unsullied]] in the black of night and drawing a harpy nearby with the man's blood.{{Ref|aDwD|2}} The sons have also scrawled graffiti on the walls of Meereen in blood promising a death to the families of any who serve the Dragon Queen. In Meereen, men traditionally wear their oiled black and red hair in varying shapes in homage to [[Ghis|Ghiscari]] culture. The Meereenese who now serve Dany shave their heads, symbolizing the abandonment of old Meereen to serve the new. These men are known as [[Shavepates]], and are led by [[Skahaz mo Kandaq]], known as ''the Shavepate''. Another of her Meereenese councilors is the seneschal, [[Reznak mo Reznak]].

Three fighting companies were also formed by Daenerys, their members comprised from her freeman. The company names are [[Mother's Men]]; The Company of the [[Free Brothers]]; and the [[Stalwart Shields]]. They have been receiving their training in arms from [[Grey Worm]].

Daenery's dragons have grown wilder, hunting sheep and livestock. Eventually a petitioner comes to her, presenting the bones of his six-year-old girl daughter "[[Hazzea]]", claiming the "[[Drogon|winged shadow]]" had killed her.{{Ref|aDwD|2}} Prompted by this, Dany has her Unsullied capture the dragons using nets and chains and lock them below ground to prevent any more such killings. In a closed fighting pit, [[Viserion]] and [[Rhaegal]] are captured (though several Unsullied lose their lives in the process), but Drogon escapes and disappears. During this time, she has a vision of [[Quaithe]] that offers her prophetic advice, most specifically warning her not to trust her seneschal.{{Ref|aDwD|11}}

Daenerys has enemies outside Meereen as well as in. Since she ended the slave trade in [[Slaver's Bay]], several of the [[Free Cities]] that rely upon the slave trade of the slave cities to fuel their economy have promised help to the [[Yunkai]] to bring her down. Yunkai has hired sellsword legions such as the [[Long Lances]], the [[Company of the Cat]] and the [[Windblown]]. Legions have also arrived from [[New Ghis]]. The Yunkai host first takes [[Astapor]] from [[Cleon|Cleon the Butcher King]], its most recent ruler, and puts thousands of its inhabitants to the sword or sends them again into slavery.{{Ref|aDwD|25}} An escaped rider who managed to flee in the confusion of the siege brings word of this to Dany in Meereen. Unfortunately word is not the only thing he brings, as he is infected with the [[bloody flux]].{{Ref|aDwD|30}} Several other Astapori citizens flee to Meereen, bringing the disease with them.

The merchant emissary [[Xaro Xhoan Daxos]] arrives from [[Qarth]] bearing a gift of thirteen ships in exchange for Dany's abandon of Slaver's Bay and departure for [[Westeros]]. Dany wishes to go, but the thirteen ships are not enough to take her entire army of Unsullied, Dothraki, sellswords and freedmen. The Shavepates beg her not to go. If she does, they who served her and their families will die by the Sons of the Harpy. She refuses Xaro, which prompts [[Qarth]] to join the Yunkai against her.{{Ref|aDwD|16}} Deaths of freedmen and Unsullied continue to grow nightly, and several former freed slave women are raped by the Sons of the Harpy before having their throats slit open. Daenerys takes the children of several Meereenese families of dubious loyalty as [[Cupbearers of Daenerys Targaryen|Cupbearers]] in name, but hostages in truth in hopes that would stop the killing. The killings only continue though and Daenerys refuses to harm the child hostages. In despair and loneliness, Dany takes [[Daario Naharis]] as a lover. A plan is put to her by the [[Graces|Meereenese priestess]], the Green Grace [[Galazza Galare]], suggesting that Dany should wed the Meereenese noble [[Hizdahr zo Loraq]] to bring peace. Dany agrees, on the condition that Hizdahr can promise her 90 days of peace. Hizdahr agrees.{{Ref|aDwD|23}} [[Ben Plumm|Brown Ben Plumm]], captain of the [[Second Sons]], learns that Dany can no longer control her dragons, and takes his company go over to the Yunkai.

At this point, [[Quentyn Martell]] of [[Dorne]] arrives to make a marriage claim, but is rejected because Dany has already promised to wed Hizdahr. After Hizdahr zo Loraq succeeds at keeping his promise, Dany weds him.{{Ref|aDwD|43}} Under his direction, Dany, much to her disgust, suggests peace terms with Yunkai. She promises if they leave Meereen and don't enslave any of the former slaves she freed, she won't disrupt the slave trade of Slaver's Bay any further. The Yunkai agree.{{Ref|aDwD|50}} To mark the occasion, the [[fighting pits]] are reopened and several gladiators (who freely agreed to compete) battle in the arena of [[Daznak's Pit]]. During the event, Drogon appears, drawn to the screams of the crowd and the smell of death. He kills a boar in the arena, but is then attacked by the animal handler [[Harghaz]]. Dany, seeing her "child" in pain, runs out in the arena to him as she sees other pit fighters going to kill the dragon. Dany manages to mount the dragon and ride him out of the arena.{{Ref|aDwD|52}} Many in Meereen suspect that she is dead.{{Ref|aDwD|55}} She is alive with Drogon, however, thousands of leagues away. She and her dragon are eventually discovered by the ''khalasar'' of [[Jhaqo|Khal Jhaqo]].{{Ref|aDwD|71}}

==Gallery of Daenerys Targaryen==
<gallery>
File:Drogon in Daznak's Pit.jpg
File:Daenerys by carrie best.jpg
File:Viserys Daenerys Targaryen hbo.jpg
File:Moon of my life by celestialfrost.jpg
File:GOT_tvseries_Daenerys.png
File:Daenerys targareyen by teiiku.jpg
File:Dany dragon.jpg
File:Daenerys by quickreaver.jpg
File:Dany_and_silver_in_the_Dothraki_Sea.jpg
</gallery>

==Family==
{{Targaryen_tree_now}}

==References and Notes==
{{references|3|refs=
<ref name=hbo>[http://www.hbo.com/game-of-thrones/index.html#/game-of-thrones/cast-and-crew.html/eNrjcmbOYC5kzlfPz0lxzEvMqSzJTA5ITE-1S8xN1SzLTEnNh4k65+eVpFaUsEknlpbkF+QkVtqWFJWmcjIysgEhAGCyFzg= HBO Cast and crew page]</ref>
}}
{{EnWP|Daenerys Targaryen|small=yes}}

{{Template:POV Characters}}
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[[Category:POV characters|Targaryen, Daenerys]]
[[Category:Noblewomen|Targaryen, Daenerys]]
[[Category:Monarchs|Targaryen, Daenerys]]
[[Category:House Targaryen]]

[[es:Daenerys Targaryen]]
[[fr:Daenerys Targaryen]]
[[ru:Дейенерис I Таргариен]]
[[zh:丹妮莉丝·坦格利安]]
[[es:Daenerys Targaryen]]

Daenerys Targaryen

2012-07-21T05:15:31Z

Penelope:

{{Infobox character
| Character_name= [[File:House_Targaryen_crest.PNG|50px|left]]'''Daenerys Targaryen''' [[File:House_Targaryen_crest.PNG|50px|right]]
| image = [[Image:Daenerys.jpg|300px]]
| Played_by = Emilia Clarke
| image_caption = Daenerys Targaryen with Dragons, by Amoka©
| Alias = Dany Daenerys Stormborn The Unburnt Mother of Dragons Mother Mysha The Silver Queen Silver Lady Child of Three {{Ref|aCoK|48}} {{Ref|aCoK|63}} Daughter of Death {{Ref|aCoK|48}} {{Ref|aCoK|63}} Slayer of Lies{{Ref|aCoK|48}} {{Ref|aCoK|63}} Bride of Fire{{Ref|aCoK|48}} {{Ref|aCoK|63}}
| Title = Queen of the Andals and the Rhoynar and the First Men, Lord of the Seven Kingdoms ''Khaleesi'' of the Great Grass Sea Breaker of Shackles/Chains Queen of Meereen Princess of Dragonstone
| Allegiance = [[House Targaryen]]
| Race =
| Culture = [[Valyria]]
| Spouse = [[Khal Drogo]] 1st [[Hizdahr zo Loraq]] 2nd
| Place_of_Birth= [[Dragonstone]]
| Date_of_Birth = {{Date|284}}
| Place_of_Death=
| Date_of_Death =
| Books = [[A Game of Thrones]] (POV) [[A Clash of Kings]] (POV) [[A Storm of Swords]] (POV) [[A Feast for Crows]] (Mentioned) [[A Dance with Dragons]] (POV)
| Played_by = [[w:Emilia Clarke|Emilia Clarke]]
| TV_series = [[Game of Thrones - Season 1|Season 1]]{{!}} [[Game of Thrones - Season 2|Season 2]]
}}

{{See homonyms | Daenerys Targaryen (disambiguation)}}

'''Daenerys Targaryen''', known as '''Daenerys Stormborn''' or '''Dany''', is the last confirmed member of the ancient [[House Targaryen|Targaryen Dynasty]] and one of the primary [[POV Character|POV characters]] in the book series. In the [[Game of Thrones|TV series]], Daenerys is played by Emilia Clarke.<ref name=hbo/>

==Character and Appearance==
Danaerys is a young woman in her early teens. She is short of stature and very beautiful, with the silver-blonde hair and [[purple eyes]] for which [[House Targaryen]] has always been known.{{Ref|aGoT|3}}

In her youth, Dany was a meek, timid girl with little confidence or self-esteem. She knew no life other than one of exile, dependent and in constant fear of her brother [[Viserys Targaryen|Viserys]]. He was the only family she knew, but was often a cruel guardian, prone to mood swings and fits of violence. Her marriage to [[Khal Drogo]] was a turning point for her; adapting to life in the Dothraki ''[[khalasar]]'' was difficult, but it allowed her to begin to achieve independence from her abusive brother, and she emerged from the experience as a strong, confident, courageous woman. Nevertheless, she has not forgotten what it was like to be a victimized child, and her experiences have left her with a compassion that is unusual in a would-be conqueror. She is determined to bring justice through her reign, and has made ending [[slavery]] a particular priority. Despite her strong moral compass, however, she is capable of dealing ruthlessly with her enemies.

It was often said that the Targaryen kings tended to be either madmen or brilliant rulers, and Daenerys seems to have inherited a natural gift for leadership as her birthright. Her followers generally regard her with great respect and love, and she is often compared to her deceased brother [[Rhaegar Targaryen|Rhaegar]], a similarly charismatic leader who was known for his skill, determination, scholarly mind and strong sense of justice. Her primary weakness as a ruler is her youth and relative inexperience; however, she has a keen intellect and learns quickly from her mistakes.

Although she has matured enough to recognize that Viserys was weak, cowardly and cruel, his abiding obsession with regaining the crown he felt was his birthright has instilled in Daenerys a similar belief that reclaiming the [[Seven Kingdoms]] is both her right and her duty as the last of the Targaryens, and it remains the paramount goal of her life. Nevertheless, [[Westeros]] is a foreign land that she has never seen with her own eyes, and she sometimes longs wistfully for the house with a red door in [[Braavos]] that has come to symbolize her lost childhood.

==History==
Daenerys is the only daughter and youngest child of King [[Aerys II Targaryen]] and his sister-wife, Queen [[Rhaella Targaryen|Rhaella]]. Daenerys was conceived during the last month of [[Robert's Rebellion|the rebellion]] that would ultimately end her family's reign over the [[Seven Kingdoms]]. Shortly thereafter, her mother was sent with the young prince Viserys to the family ancestral seat of [[Dragonstone]] to escape the coming [[Sack of King's Landing]]. Daenerys was born while as a great storm raged in the harbor at Dragonstone, sinking what remained of the Targaryen fleet; for this reason she is sometimes known as "Daenerys Stormborn." Her mother died from complications of labor.

By this time, the war was already lost. [[Robert Baratheon]] had claimed the throne and Aerys had already been killed along with the rest of the royal family, leaving Daenerys and her older brother Viserys as the only living Targaryen heirs. The garrison at Dragonstone decided to surrender and turn them over to the rebels in exchange for their lives, but before they could act on this plan, Ser [[Willem Darry]] and several other loyal retainers rescued the children and smuggled them into exile, sailing to the [[Braavos|Free City of Braavos]], where they lived for years in a house with a red door. Ser Willem was old and sickly, but Dany remembers that he always treated her kindly. After his death, the servants drove the young Targaryens from the house. Dany wept as they were forced out.{{Ref|aGoT|3}}

The Targaryen loyalists who raised the two children considered Viserys the rightful ruler of the [[Seven Kingdoms]] despite the family's defeat and exile, as did Viserys himself. He regarded it as his duty to revenge himself on the usurpers who murdered his family and reclaim the birthright that had been stolen from him when he was only a child. In the years that followed Ser Willem's death, Viserys wandered the nine [[Free Cities]] with his sister, trying to raise support to retake the [[Iron Throne]], which earned him the mocking title of "The Beggar King."

As a result of this long humiliation, Viserys grew bitter and obsessed with his long-denied birthright. Daenerys was the only convenient target for his frustration, and over time he even came to blame her for their mother's death. He took pride in his lack of control of his own temper, regarding it as proof that he was a true heir to the Targaryen kings; he regularly warned Daenerys not to "wake the dragon" by angering him. He often spoke to her of the importance of preserving the purity of their royal bloodline through the ancient [[Valyria|Valyrian]] practice of dynastic incest, so Dany grew up believing she would one day wed her brother. She was bright enough to realize that most of Viserys' plans for retaking the Seven Kingdoms were unrealistic, and as she had no memory of [[Westeros]] herself, his dream meant little to her; instead she longed to return to the house with the red door, which in her mind became a symbol for the childhood she had lost. With no family other than the abusive Viserys and no expectation of ever escaping his control, Dany grew into a fearful and docile young woman.

The two last Targaryens eventually found the help they sought in the [[Pentos|Free City of Pentos]], in the form of a rich and powerful magister, [[Illyrio Mopatis]], who invited them to stay in his manse and offered his help in reclaiming [[Iron Throne|their throne]].{{Ref|aGoT|3}}

==Recent Events==
[[File:Daenerys and handmaidens.png|200px|thumb|left|Daenerys and her handmaidens Doreah and Irri ([[Game of Thrones|Tv]])]]

===''A Game of Thrones''===

While Daenerys and [[Viserys Targaryen|her brother]] were staying at the manse of [[Illyrio Mopatis]] in [[Pentos]], Illyrio arranged a marriage between Dany and the powerful [[Dothraki]] warlord [[Khal Drogo]]. In return, Drogo was to provide Viserys with ten thousand warriors for his campaign to retake the [[Iron Throne]]. Dany's opinion was not consulted, and she realized this “marriage” was little different from being sold into slavery. She told her brother she did not wish to marry Khal Drogo, but Viserys only threatened that she would “wake the dragon” if she failed to please the ''[[khal]]''. Despairing, Dany saw no choice but to do her best to avoid her brother's wrath, as she always had.{{Ref|aGoT|3}}

At the wedding, the exiled [[Westeros]]i [[knight]] Ser [[Jorah Mormont]] pledged his sword to the Targaryen cause. Dany received three petrified dragon eggs from Illyrio, three handmaidens ([[Irri]], [[Jhiqui]] and [[Doreah]]) from her brother, and [[The Silver|a magnificent silver filly]] from Drogo. She was frightened by the seemingly barbaric Dothraki culture and particularly terrified of her bridegroom, a powerfully built man who shared no common language with her. After the ceremony she wept in terror, waiting for him to rape her, but Drogo proved to be a surprisingly considerate lover. He established that he understood the word “no” and began touching her gently and gradually, only having intercourse with her after she expressed her consent and initiated it.{{Ref|aGoT|11}}

Life in the ''[[khalasar]]'' was difficult at first; Dany was lonely and unaccustomed to spending her days on horseback. Nevertheless, she was determined to embrace her new life. Gradually her body strengthened and she began to enjoy the sense of freedom that came with the nomadic lifestyle. The first real turning point came when Viserys flew into one of his rages at her and Dany, for the first time in her life, fought back, shoving him away – and found herself backed up by [[Jhogo]], who whipped Viserys and asked the ''[[khaleesi]]'' how he ought to be punished. Dany began to realize that Viserys was ultimately a pathetic bully, and that she herself might not be as worthless as her brother had always claimed. From this day forward, she began to assert herself more and more.{{Ref|aGoT|23}} She lost her fear of both the Dothraki and her brother, becoming a strong and confident woman who little resembled the timid girl who had left Pentos. Drogo was pleased with her growing courage, and they developed a loving relationship.

Drogo took Daenerys east to [[Vaes Dothrak]] and presented her to the ''[[dosh khaleen]]''. By the time they arrived, Daenerys, now fourteen, was pregnant with Drogo's child.{{Ref|aGoT|23}} She took part in the [[stallion heart]] ceremony, and the ''dosh khaleen'' foretold that her son would be "the [[Stallion Who Mounts the World]]," a long-prophesied leader who would unite the Dothraki into a single ''khalasar'' and conquer the world. Dany announced that the child would be named [[Rhaego]] in honor of her deceased brother [[Rhaegar Targaryen|Rhaegar]].{{Ref|aGoT|46}} However, Viserys had been growing increasingly impatient for the aid he had been promised in return for Dany's marriage. The situation finally came to a head when he broke Dothraki law by drawing a blade in the sacred city, threatening both Daenerys and her unborn child. Drogo announced that Viserys would have the golden crown he deserved and dumped a pot of molten gold over his head, killing him and making Daenerys the last Targaryen. Dany watched impassively.

With Viserys' death, Drogo lost interest in the notion of invading Westeros, despite Dany's attempts to persuade him. This changed, however, when Ser Jorah prevented an assassin from poisoning Daenerys and discovered that [[Robert Baratheon]] had placed a price on her head. Enraged, Drogo vowed before his ''khalasar'' to avenge this insult by conquering Westeros to seat his son on the [[Iron Throne]] that his mother's ancestors had once held.{{Ref|aGoT|56}} The ''khalasar'' thus continued east, pillaging foreign lands with the intent of selling slaves for ships to make the crossing to Westeros. During one such raid of a [[Lhazareen]] town, Daenerys grew disturbed by the treatment of the defeated and finally gave orders to stop every rape she saw, claiming the victims as her personal slaves and taking them under her protection. The Dothraki were angered by the ''khaleesi'' denying them their traditional right to rape captives, but Daenerys held her ground, and Khal Drogo, delighted by his wife's boldness, supported her decision.<ref>[[A Game of Thrones]], [[A Game of Thrones-Chapter 61|Chapter 61]], Daenerys</ref>

Drogo was injured in the raid. A Lhazareen priestess, [[Mirri Maz Duur]], offered to treat him, and although Drogo's [[Bloodrider|bloodriders]] reviled the woman as a ''[[maegi]]'', Dany felt that she could trust her, as Mirri was one of the women she had rescued.<ref>[[A Game of Thrones]], [[A Game of Thrones-Chapter 61|Chapter 61]], Daenerys</ref> However, Drogo did not follow the priestess' advice, and the wound festered, making him too weak to ride. Ser Jorah explained to Dany that her position as ''khaleesi'' had been entirely dependent on Drogo, and without him, both she and her unborn son were likely to be killed. Desperate, she begged Mirri Maz Duur to save her husband, ignoring the possible consequences of [[Magic|blood magic]]. During the rite, Dany went into labor and Ser Jorah carried her into Drogo's tent, where Mirri Maz Duur was in the process of summoning dark spirits.{{Ref|aGoT|64}} When Dany awoke days later, she learned that Rhaego was stillborn, while Drogo lived only as a catatonic husk. Mirri Maz Duur revealed that this was the true price of the blood magic, and that she felt no gratitude toward Daenerys, who had "rescued" her only after she had been raped multiple times and seen her community destroyed.

Daenerys euthanized Drogo and was abandoned by most of the ''khalasar'', which broke into rival war-bands.{{Ref|aGoT|68}} Ser Jorah urged her to flee with him into the east, while the men of Dany's ''khas'' offered to escort her to Vaes Dothrak to take her place as a former ''khaleesi'' among the ''dosh khaleen''. Dany, however, was unwilling to give up on her destiny. She ordered Mirri Maz Duur bound to Drogo's funeral pyre and placed the three dragon eggs around Drogo's corpse, then announced to Drogo's remaining followers that she was freeing those who were enslaved, and would lead them all to glory if they chose to follow her. She offered to [[Aggo]], [[Jhogo]] and [[Rakharo]] the traditional gifts of a ''khal'' to his bloodriders; each refused, saying that to serve as bloodrider to a woman would shame them, but Daenerys ignored their comments. Ser Jorah accepted her offer, and she named him the first of her [[Kingsguard|Queensguard]].

Daenerys then walked unflinchingly into the flames. The resulting magic restored life to the eggs, from which three [[dragon|dragons]] hatched, the first known for centuries. Daenerys emerged from the fire unharmed. Drogo's former ''khalasar'', now hers more surely than they had ever been Drogo's, knelt in awe. Aggo, Jhogo and Rakharo willingly swore themselves as her bloodriders, and Daenerys became the first female Dothraki war-leader, a ''[[khaleesi]]'' in her own right.{{Ref|aGoT|72}}

===''A Clash of Kings''===

Daenerys names the three dragons [[Viserion]], [[Rhaegal]] and [[Drogon]], after her two deceased brothers and her late husband, respectively. She decided to follow a red star that appeared in the sky, following the ritual that gave birth to her dragons. Daenerys and what little remains of Drogo's ''khalasar'' wander in the direction of the star to a desolate area known as the [[Red Waste]] where they find an ancient, abandoned city, which Daenerys names [[Vaes Tolorro]]. There they recover from the deadly ravages of the desert while Daenerys sends out scouts in all directions. One scout returns with three emissaries from the great city of [[Qarth]]. Daenerys accompanies them to Qarth, where she learns of King [[Robert Baratheon]]'s death and the war in the [[Seven Kingdoms]]. She tries to secure aid from the merchant emissary [[Xaro Xhoan Daxos]] in conquering [[Westeros]], but the merchants of Qarth are only interested in obtaining her dragons. {{Ref|aCoK|12}}{{Ref|aCoK|27}}

Daenerys turns to one of the other emissaries, a [[warlocks|warlock]] called [[Pyat Pree]]. Against the judgment of her friends and counselors, she agrees to visit the warlock's leaders, the [[House of the Undying|Undying Ones]], in their hall, the [[House of the Undying]]. After viewing several mysterious portents and hearing vague prophecies, Daenerys realizes that the warlocks are plotting against her, and she destroys the House of the Undying with the aid of [[Drogon]]. With nowhere else to turn, Daenerys considers the suggestions of the third emissary, the masked woman [[Quaithe]] of [[Asshai]], that she must go further east to conquer the west.{{Ref|aCoK|48}}

After the incident in the house of the Undying the warlocks conspired to see her dead. Daenerys seeking passage out of [[Qarth]] visited the docks, where she notices that two men she does not recognize are following her and [[Jorah Mormont|Ser Jorah]]. Daenerys becomes distracted and is off her guard when a [[Sorrowful Men|Sorrowful Man]] assassin tries to poison her with a [[manticore]]. One of her mysterious followers intercedes and knocks the manticore away just in time to thwart the murder. The two men introduce themselves as agents sent by [[Illyrio Mopatis|Magister Illyrio]]. One of them, a huge eunuch and former pit fighter called [[Belwas|Strong Belwas]], was to be her bodyguard. The one who saved her life was Belwas's squire, an older [[Westeros]]i man called [[Barristan Selmy|Arstan Whitebeard]]. Along with the two men, [[Illyrio]] has sent three merchant ships to transport Dany and her people to [[Pentos]]. Daenerys claims the three ships and their cargo for her own. She decrees that the ships that bring her home must bear different names and renames them [[Vhagar (ship)|Vhagar]], [[Meraxes (ship)|Meraxes]] and [[Balerion (ship)|Balerion]] and sets sail for [[Pentos]] with her ''khalasar'', Ser [[Jorah]], [[Barristan Selmy|Arstan Whitebeard]] and [[Belwas|Strong Belwas]].{{Ref|aCoK|64}}

===''A Storm of Swords''===
Several days into the trip, Ser [[Jorah]] manages to convince Daenerys to go to [[Astapor]], one of the great [[slave]] cities of [[Slaver's Bay]], to purchase [[Unsullied]] so she can return to [[Illyrio]] with an army at her back. He also kisses her and professes his love for her.{{Ref|aSoS|9}} Once in [[Astapor]], Daenerys begins to have doubts about using [[slave]]s, still she agrees to purchases an army of every [[Unsullied]] in the ciry in exchange for her Dragon [[Drogon]]. She is given a slave [[Missandei]] as a gift from the [[Good Masters]]. Dany accepts, but she then frees [[Missandei]]. Dany tells Missandei that she can leave Dany's service whenever she wishes, but Missandei remains close and loyal to Dany.

After taking control of the [[Unsullied]], Dany reclaims [[Drogon]] and commands him to use his fires against the [[Astapor]]i leaders. She then uses the Unsullied to [[Sack of Astapor|conquer the city]]. After the fighting, she proclaims all Astapori slaves free, including her Unsullied, giving her the name ''Breaker of Shackles'', or ''Breaker of Chains''. The [[Unsullied]] and many new [[Freedmen]] choose to follow her in her future battles. After forming a council to rule Astapor, she sets out for the next great slave city [[Yunkai]].{{Ref|aSoS|27}}

[[Yunkai]] hires two sellsword companies, the [[Stormcrows]] and the [[Second Sons]], in addition to conscripting a force of some four thousand slave soldiers. Daenerys parleys with the captains of the companies, hoping to convince them to switch sides. Her arguments convince one of the Stormcrows' commanders, [[Daario Naharis]], to assassinate his colleagues and pledge the company to Daenerys. To the Second Sons, Daenerys offers a great store of wine as tribute then [[Battle of Yunkai|attacks]] them in the night while they are drunk and sleeping. With the Stormcrows' betrayal and the Second Sons' drunkenness, Yunkai's [[slave]] army is unable to withstand Daenerys's Unsullied. The entire Yunkish army is slain, captured, or put to flight, and Yunkai surrenders a few days later.{{Ref|aSoS|42}}

Daenerys next made for [[Meereen]], the last of the great slave cities. Near Meereen, Daenerys is nearly killed by the [[Mero|Titan's Bastard]], the former captain of the Second Sons. [[Barristan Selmy|Arstan Whitebeard]] slays the Bastard, and finally reveals his true identity as [[Barristan Selmy]], a famous knight of her father's [[Kingsguard]] who had served the Usurper [[Robert Baratheon]] after the end of the Rebellion. He claims to have seen the error of his ways and to seeking her out as the true heir to the [[Seven Kingdoms]]. Selmy also reveals that [[Jorah Mormont]], still Daenerys's trusted right arm, has been sending reports on her actions to the spymaster in [[King's Landing]], [[Varys|Lord Varys]], hoping for a pardon from [[Robert Baratheon|King Robert]]. Daenerys feels betrayed by each of them, though both fervently wish to atone for their actions. During her [[Siege of Meereen]], she sends them on a covert suicide mission through the sewers, half hoping that they will die in the attempt. The mission succeeds and wins the city with minimal blood. Barristan humbly submits to his Queen's judgment and is forgiven. [[Jorah]] stubbornly continues to insist that he had done nothing wrong, and Daenerys is forced to banish him from her service, despite her desire to pardon him.{{Ref|aSoS|57}}

Having captured [[Meereen]], Dany turns her eyes toward [[Westeros]]. Through talks with Barristan about her homeland and its history, however, she learns that there is much she does not know about ruling. Upon hearing that Astapor and Yunkai cannot maintain the peace she had hoped to bring, she resolves to bring order to [[Slaver's Bay]] before leaving it behind. By this time, she is close on seventeen years.

===''A Feast for Crows''===

Tales told by sailors reach [[Westeros]], dragons in [[Asshai]], dragons in [[Qarth]], dragons in [[Meereen]], [[Dothraki]] dragons, dragons freeing [[slave]]s … each telling differs from the last, but only in details. All speak of [[dragons]], and a beautiful young queen. {{Ref|aFfC|Prologue}}

===''A Dance with Dragons''===

Dany struggles as ruler of [[Meereen]], mainly due to the constant threats surrounding her. A portion of Meereen's former slaving families who call themselves the [[Sons of the Harpy]] fight a shadow war with her followers, attacking lone freedmen or [[Unsullied]] in the black of night and drawing a harpy nearby with the man's blood.{{Ref|aDwD|2}} The sons have also scrawled graffiti on the walls of Meereen in blood promising a death to the families of any who serve the Dragon Queen. In Meereen, men traditionally wear their oiled black and red hair in varying shapes in homage to [[Ghis|Ghiscari]] culture. The Meereenese who now serve Dany shave their heads, symbolizing the abandonment of old Meereen to serve the new. These men are known as [[Shavepates]], and are led by [[Skahaz mo Kandaq]], known as ''the Shavepate''. Another of her Meereenese councilors is the seneschal, [[Reznak mo Reznak]].

Three fighting companies were also formed by Daenerys, their members comprised from her freeman. The company names are [[Mother's Men]]; The Company of the [[Free Brothers]]; and the [[Stalwart Shields]]. They have been receiving their training in arms from [[Grey Worm]].

Daenery's dragons have grown wilder, hunting sheep and livestock. Eventually a petitioner comes to her, presenting the bones of his six-year-old girl daughter "[[Hazzea]]", claiming the "[[Drogon|winged shadow]]" had killed her.{{Ref|aDwD|2}} Prompted by this, Dany has her Unsullied capture the dragons using nets and chains and lock them below ground to prevent any more such killings. In a closed fighting pit, [[Viserion]] and [[Rhaegal]] are captured (though several Unsullied lose their lives in the process), but Drogon escapes and disappears. During this time, she has a vision of [[Quaithe]] that offers her prophetic advice, most specifically warning her not to trust her seneschal.{{Ref|aDwD|11}}

Daenerys has enemies outside Meereen as well as in. Since she ended the slave trade in [[Slaver's Bay]], several of the [[Free Cities]] that rely upon the slave trade of the slave cities to fuel their economy have promised help to the [[Yunkai]] to bring her down. Yunkai has hired sellsword legions such as the [[Long Lances]], the [[Company of the Cat]] and the [[Windblown]]. Legions have also arrived from [[New Ghis]]. The Yunkai host first takes [[Astapor]] from [[Cleon|Cleon the Butcher King]], its most recent ruler, and puts thousands of its inhabitants to the sword or sends them again into slavery.{{Ref|aDwD|25}} An escaped rider who managed to flee in the confusion of the siege brings word of this to Dany in Meereen. Unfortunately word is not the only thing he brings, as he is infected with the [[bloody flux]].{{Ref|aDwD|30}} Several other Astapori citizens flee to Meereen, bringing the disease with them.

The merchant emissary [[Xaro Xhoan Daxos]] arrives from [[Qarth]] bearing a gift of thirteen ships in exchange for Dany's abandon of Slaver's Bay and departure for [[Westeros]]. Dany wishes to go, but the thirteen ships are not enough to take her entire army of Unsullied, Dothraki, sellswords and freedmen. The Shavepates beg her not to go. If she does, they who served her and their families will die by the Sons of the Harpy. She refuses Xaro, which prompts [[Qarth]] to join the Yunkai against her.{{Ref|aDwD|16}} Deaths of freedmen and Unsullied continue to grow nightly, and several former freed slave women are raped by the Sons of the Harpy before having their throats slit open. Daenerys takes the children of several Meereenese families of dubious loyalty as [[Cupbearers of Daenerys Targaryen|Cupbearers]] in name, but hostages in truth in hopes that would stop the killing. The killings only continue though and Daenerys refuses to harm the child hostages. In despair and loneliness, Dany takes [[Daario Naharis]] as a lover. A plan is put to her by the [[Graces|Meereenese priestess]], the Green Grace [[Galazza Galare]], suggesting that Dany should wed the Meereenese noble [[Hizdahr zo Loraq]] to bring peace. Dany agrees, on the condition that Hizdahr can promise her 90 days of peace. Hizdahr agrees.{{Ref|aDwD|23}} [[Ben Plumm|Brown Ben Plumm]], captain of the [[Second Sons]], learns that Dany can no longer control her dragons, and takes his company go over to the Yunkai.

At this point, [[Quentyn Martell]] of [[Dorne]] arrives to make a marriage claim, but is rejected because Dany has already promised to wed Hizdahr. After Hizdahr zo Loraq succeeds at keeping his promise, Dany weds him.{{Ref|aDwD|43}} Under his direction, Dany, much to her disgust, suggests peace terms with Yunkai. She promises if they leave Meereen and don't enslave any of the former slaves she freed, she won't disrupt the slave trade of Slaver's Bay any further. The Yunkai agree.{{Ref|aDwD|50}} To mark the occasion, the [[fighting pits]] are reopened and several gladiators (who freely agreed to compete) battle in the arena of [[Daznak's Pit]]. During the event, Drogon appears, drawn to the screams of the crowd and the smell of death. He kills a boar in the arena, but is then attacked by the animal handler [[Harghaz]]. Dany, seeing her "child" in pain, runs out in the arena to him as she sees other pit fighters going to kill the dragon. Dany manages to mount the dragon and ride him out of the arena.{{Ref|aDwD|52}} Many in Meereen suspect that she is dead.{{Ref|aDwD|55}} She is alive with Drogon, however, thousands of leagues away. She and her dragon are eventually discovered by the ''khalasar'' of [[Jhaqo|Khal Jhaqo]].{{Ref|aDwD|71}}

==Gallery of Daenerys Targaryen==
<gallery>
File:Drogon in Daznak's Pit.jpg
File:Daenerys by carrie best.jpg
File:Viserys Daenerys Targaryen hbo.jpg
File:Moon of my life by celestialfrost.jpg
File:GOT_tvseries_Daenerys.png
File:Daenerys targareyen by teiiku.jpg
File:Dany dragon.jpg
File:Daenerys by quickreaver.jpg
File:Dany_and_silver_in_the_Dothraki_Sea.jpg
</gallery>

==Family==
{{Targaryen_tree_now}}

==References and Notes==
{{references|3|refs=
<ref name=hbo>[http://www.hbo.com/game-of-thrones/index.html#/game-of-thrones/cast-and-crew.html/eNrjcmbOYC5kzlfPz0lxzEvMqSzJTA5ITE-1S8xN1SzLTEnNh4k65+eVpFaUsEknlpbkF+QkVtqWFJWmcjIysgEhAGCyFzg= HBO Cast and crew page]</ref>
}}
{{EnWP|Daenerys Targaryen|small=yes}}

{{Template:POV Characters}}
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[[Category:POV characters|Targaryen, Daenerys]]
[[Category:Noblewomen|Targaryen, Daenerys]]
[[Category:Monarchs|Targaryen, Daenerys]]
[[Category:House Targaryen]]

[[es:Daenerys Targaryen]]
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[[ru:Дейенерис I Таргариен]]
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[[es:Daenerys Targaryen]]

Daenerys Targaryen

2012-07-21T05:04:08Z

Penelope:

{{Infobox character
| Character_name= [[File:House_Targaryen_crest.PNG|50px|left]]'''Daenerys Targaryen''' [[File:House_Targaryen_crest.PNG|50px|right]]
| image = [[Image:Daenerys.jpg|300px]]
| Played_by = Emilia Clarke
| image_caption = Daenerys Targaryen with Dragons, by Amoka©
| Alias = Dany Daenerys Stormborn The Unburnt Mother of Dragons Mother Mysha The Silver Queen Silver Lady Child of Three {{Ref|aCoK|48}} {{Ref|aCoK|63}} Daughter of Death {{Ref|aCoK|48}} {{Ref|aCoK|63}} Slayer of Lies{{Ref|aCoK|48}} {{Ref|aCoK|63}} Bride of Fire{{Ref|aCoK|48}} {{Ref|aCoK|63}}
| Title = Queen of the Andals and the Rhoynar and the First Men, Lord of the Seven Kingdoms ''Khaleesi'' of the Great Grass Sea Breaker of Shackles/Chains Queen of Meereen Princess of Dragonstone
| Allegiance = [[House Targaryen]]
| Race =
| Culture = [[Valyria]]
| Spouse = [[Khal Drogo]] 1st [[Hizdahr zo Loraq]] 2nd
| Place_of_Birth= [[Dragonstone]]
| Date_of_Birth = {{Date|284}}
| Place_of_Death=
| Date_of_Death =
| Books = [[A Game of Thrones]] (POV) [[A Clash of Kings]] (POV) [[A Storm of Swords]] (POV) [[A Feast for Crows]] (Mentioned) [[A Dance with Dragons]] (POV)
| Played_by = [[w:Emilia Clarke|Emilia Clarke]]
| TV_series = [[Game of Thrones - Season 1|Season 1]]{{!}} [[Game of Thrones - Season 2|Season 2]]
}}

{{See homonyms | Daenerys Targaryen (disambiguation)}}

'''Daenerys Targaryen''', known as '''Daenerys Stormborn''' or '''Dany''', is the last confirmed member of the ancient [[House Targaryen|Targaryen Dynasty]] and one of the primary [[POV Character|POV characters]] in the book series. In the [[Game of Thrones|TV series]], Daenerys is played by Emilia Clarke.<ref name=hbo/>

==Character and Appearance==
Danaerys is a young woman in her early teens. She is short of stature and very beautiful, with the silver-blonde hair and [[purple eyes]] for which [[House Targaryen]] has always been known.{{Ref|aGoT|3}}

In her youth, Dany was a meek, timid girl with little confidence or self-esteem. She knew no life other than one of exile, dependent and in constant fear of her brother [[Viserys Targaryen|Viserys]]. He was the only family she knew, but was often a cruel guardian, prone to mood swings and fits of violence. Her marriage to [[Khal Drogo]] was a turning point for her; adapting to life in the Dothraki ''[[khalasar]]'' was difficult, but it allowed her to begin to achieve independence from her abusive brother, and she emerged from the experience as a strong, confident, courageous woman. Nevertheless, she has not forgotten what it was like to be a victimized child, and her experiences have left her with a compassion that is unusual in a would-be conqueror. She is determined to bring justice through her reign, and has made ending [[slavery]] a particular priority. Despite her strong moral compass, however, she is capable of dealing ruthlessly with her enemies.

It was often said that the Targaryen kings tended to be either madmen or brilliant rulers, and Daenerys seems to have inherited a natural gift for leadership as her birthright. Her followers generally regard her with great respect and love, and she is often compared to her deceased brother [[Rhaegar Targaryen|Rhaegar]], a similarly charismatic leader who was known for his skill, determination, scholarly mind and strong sense of justice. Her primary weakness as a ruler is her youth and relative inexperience; however, she has a keen intellect and learns quickly from her mistakes.

Although she has matured enough to recognize that Viserys was weak, cowardly and cruel, his abiding obsession with regaining the crown he felt was his birthright has instilled in Daenerys a similar belief that reclaiming the [[Seven Kingdoms]] is both her right and her duty as the last of the Targaryens, and it remains the paramount goal of her life. Nevertheless, [[Westeros]] is a foreign land that she has never seen with her own eyes, and she sometimes longs wistfully for the house with a red door in [[Braavos]] that has come to symbolize her lost childhood.

==History==
Daenerys is the only daughter and youngest child of King [[Aerys II Targaryen]] and his sister-wife, Queen [[Rhaella Targaryen|Rhaella]]. Daenerys was conceived during the last month of [[Robert's Rebellion|the rebellion]] that would ultimately end her family's reign over the [[Seven Kingdoms]]. Shortly thereafter, her mother was sent with the young prince Viserys to the family ancestral seat of [[Dragonstone]] to escape the coming [[Sack of King's Landing]]. Daenerys was born while as a great storm raged in the harbor at Dragonstone, sinking what remained of the Targaryen fleet; for this reason she is sometimes known as "Daenerys Stormborn." Her mother died from complications of labor.

By this time, the war was already lost. [[Robert Baratheon]] had claimed the throne and Aerys had already been killed along with the rest of the royal family, leaving Daenerys and her older brother Viserys as the only living Targaryen heirs. The garrison at Dragonstone decided to surrender and turn them over to the rebels in exchange for their lives, but before they could act on this plan, Ser [[Willem Darry]] and several other loyal retainers rescued the children and smuggled them into exile, sailing to the [[Braavos|Free City of Braavos]], where they lived for years in a house with a red door. Ser Willem was old and sickly, but Dany remembers that he always treated her kindly. After his death, the servants drove the young Targaryens from the house. Dany wept as they were forced out.{{Ref|aGoT|3}}

The Targaryen loyalists who raised the two children considered Viserys the rightful ruler of the [[Seven Kingdoms]] despite the family's defeat and exile, as did Viserys himself. He regarded it as his duty to revenge himself on the usurpers who murdered his family and reclaim the birthright that had been stolen from him when he was only a child. In the years that followed Ser Willem's death, Viserys wandered the nine [[Free Cities]] with his sister, trying to raise support to retake the [[Iron Throne]], which earned him the mocking title of "The Beggar King."

As a result of this long humiliation, Viserys grew bitter and obsessed with his long-denied birthright. Daenerys was the only convenient target for his frustration, and over time he even came to blame her for their mother's death. He took pride in his lack of control of his own temper, regarding it as proof that he was a true heir to the Targaryen kings; he regularly warned Daenerys not to "wake the dragon" by angering him. He often spoke to her of the importance of preserving the purity of their royal bloodline through the ancient [[Valyria|Valyrian]] practice of dynastic incest, so Dany grew up believing she would one day wed her brother. She was bright enough to realize that most of Viserys' plans for retaking the Seven Kingdoms were unrealistic, and as she had no memory of [[Westeros]] herself, his dream meant little to her; instead she longed to return to the house with the red door, which in her mind became a symbol for the childhood she had lost. With no family other than the abusive Viserys and no expectation of ever escaping his control, Dany grew into a fearful and docile young woman.

The two last Targaryens eventually found the help they sought in the [[Pentos|Free City of Pentos]], in the form of a rich and powerful magister, [[Illyrio Mopatis]], who invited them to stay in his manse and offered his help in reclaiming [[Iron Throne|their throne]].{{Ref|aGoT|3}}

==Recent Events==
[[File:Daenerys and handmaidens.png|200px|thumb|left|Daenerys and her handmaidens Doreah and Irri ([[Game of Thrones|Tv]])]]

===''A Game of Thrones''===

While Daenerys and [[Viserys Targaryen|her brother]] were staying at the manse of [[Illyrio Mopatis]] in [[Pentos]], Illyrio arranged a marriage between Dany and the powerful [[Dothraki]] warlord [[Khal Drogo]]. In return, Drogo was to provide Viserys with ten thousand warriors for his campaign to retake the [[Iron Throne]]. Dany's opinion was not consulted, and she realized this “marriage” was little different from being sold into slavery. She told her brother she did not wish to marry Khal Drogo, but Viserys only threatened that she would “wake the dragon” if she failed to please the ''[[khal]]''. Despairing, Dany saw no choice but to do her best to avoid her brother's wrath, as she always had.{{Ref|aGoT|3}}

At the wedding, the exiled [[Westeros]]i [[knight]] Ser [[Jorah Mormont]] pledged his sword to the Targaryen cause. Dany received three petrified dragon eggs from Illyrio, three handmaidens ([[Irri]], [[Jhiqui]] and [[Doreah]]) from her brother, and [[The Silver|a magnificent silver filly]] from Drogo. She was frightened by the seemingly barbaric Dothraki culture and particularly terrified of her bridegroom, a powerfully built man who shared no common language with her. After the ceremony she wept in terror, waiting for him to rape her, but Drogo proved to be a surprisingly considerate lover. He established that he understood the word “no” and began touching her gently and gradually, only having intercourse with her after she expressed her consent and initiated it.{{Ref|aGoT|11}}

Life in the ''[[khalasar]]'' was difficult at first; Dany was lonely and unaccustomed to spending her days on horseback. Nevertheless, she was determined to embrace her new life. Gradually her body strengthened and she began to enjoy the sense of freedom that came with the nomadic lifestyle. The first real turning point came when Viserys flew into one of his rages at her and Dany, for the first time in her life, fought back, shoving him away – and found herself backed up by [[Jhogo]], who whipped Viserys and asked the ''[[khaleesi]]'' how he ought to be punished. Dany began to realize that Viserys was ultimately a pathetic bully, and that she herself might not be as worthless as her brother had always claimed. From this day forward, she began to assert herself more and more.{{Ref|aGoT|23}} She lost her fear of both the Dothraki and her brother, becoming a strong and confident woman who little resembled the timid girl who had left Pentos. Drogo was pleased with her growing courage, and they developed a loving relationship.

Drogo took Daenerys east to [[Vaes Dothrak]] and presented her to the ''[[dosh khaleen]]''. By the time they arrived, Daenerys, now fourteen, was pregnant with Drogo's child.{{Ref|aGoT|23}} She took part in the [[stallion heart]] ceremony, and the ''dosh khaleen'' foretold that her son would be "the [[Stallion Who Mounts the World]]," a long-prophesied leader who would unite the Dothraki into a single ''khalasar'' and conquer the world. Dany announced that the child would be named [[Rhaego]] in honor of her deceased brother [[Rhaegar Targaryen|Rhaegar]].{{Ref|aGoT|46}}

Meanwhile, Viserys was growing increasingly impatient for the aid he had been promised in return for Dany's marriage. The situation finally came to a head when Viserys broke Dothraki law by drawing a blade in the sacred city, threatening both Daenerys and her unborn child. Drogo announced that Viserys would have the golden crown he deserved and dumped a pot of molten gold over his head, killing him and making Daenerys the last Targaryen. Dany watched impassively.

With Viserys' death, Drogo lost interest in the notion of invading Westeros, despite Dany's attempts to persuade him. This changed, however, when Ser Jorah prevented an assassin from poisoning Daenerys and discovered that [[Robert Baratheon]] had placed a price on her head. Enraged, Drogo vowed before his ''khalasar'' to avenge this insult by conquering Westeros to seat his son on the [[Iron Throne]] that his mother's ancestors had once held.{{Ref|aGoT|56}}

The ''khalasar'' continued east, pillaging foreign lands with the intent of selling slaves for ships to make the crossing to Westeros. During one such raid of a [[Lhazareen]] town, Daenerys grew disturbed by the treatment of the defeated and finally gave orders to stop every rape she saw, claiming the victims as her personal slaves and taking them under her protection. The Dothraki were angered by the ''khaleesi'' denying them their traditional right to rape captives, but Daenerys held her ground, and Khal Drogo, delighted by his wife's boldness, supported her decision.<ref>[[A Game of Thrones]], [[A Game of Thrones-Chapter 61|Chapter 61]], Daenerys</ref>

Drogo was injured in the raid. A Lhazareen priestess, [[Mirri Maz Duur]], offered to treat him, and although Drogo's [[Bloodrider|bloodriders]] reviled the woman as a ''[[maegi]]'', Dany felt that she could trust her, as Mirri was one of the women she had rescued.<ref>[[A Game of Thrones]], [[A Game of Thrones-Chapter 61|Chapter 61]], Daenerys</ref> However, Drogo did not follow the priestess' advice, and the wound festered, making him too weak to ride. Ser Jorah explained to Dany that her position as ''khaleesi'' had been entirely dependent on Drogo, and without him, both she and her unborn son were likely to be killed. Desperate, she begged Mirri Maz Duur to save her husband, ignoring the possible consequences of [[Magic|blood magic]]. During the rite, Dany went into labor and Ser Jorah carried her into Drogo's tent, where Mirri Maz Duur was in the process of summoning dark spirits.{{Ref|aGoT|64}} When Dany awoke days later, she learned that Rhaego was stillborn, while Drogo lived only as a catatonic husk. Mirri Maz Duur revealed that this was the true price of the blood magic, and that she felt no gratitude toward Daenerys, who had "rescued" her only after she had been raped multiple times and seen her community destroyed.

Daenerys euthanized Drogo and was abandoned by most of the ''khalasar'', which broke into rival war-bands.{{Ref|aGoT|68}} Ser Jorah urged her to flee with him into the east, while the men of Dany's ''khas'' offered to escort her to Vaes Dothrak to take her place as a former ''khaleesi'' among the ''dosh khaleen''. Dany, however, was unwilling to give up on her destiny. She ordered Mirri Maz Duur bound to Drogo's funeral pyre and placed the three dragon eggs around Drogo's corpse, then announced to Drogo's remaining followers that she was freeing those who were enslaved, and would lead them all to glory if they chose to follow her. She offered to [[Aggo]], [[Jhogo]] and [[Rakharo]] the traditional gifts of a ''khal'' to his bloodriders; each refused, saying that to serve as bloodrider to a woman would shame them, but Daenerys ignored their comments. Ser Jorah accepted her offer, and she named him the first of her [[Kingsguard|Queensguard]].

Daenerys then walked unflinchingly into the flames. The resulting magic restored life to the eggs, from which three [[dragon|dragons]] hatched, the first known for centuries. Daenerys emerged from the fire unharmed. Drogo's former ''khalasar'', now hers more surely than they had ever been Drogo's, knelt in awe. Aggo, Jhogo and Rakharo willingly swore themselves as her bloodriders, and Daenerys became the first female Dothraki war-leader, a ''[[khaleesi]]'' in her own right.{{Ref|aGoT|72}}

===''A Clash of Kings''===

Daenerys names the three dragons [[Viserion]], [[Rhaegal]] and [[Drogon]], after her two deceased brothers and her late husband, respectively. She decided to follow a red star that appeared in the sky, following the ritual that gave birth to her dragons. Daenerys and what little remains of Drogo's ''khalasar'' wander in the direction of the star to a desolate area known as the [[Red Waste]] where they find an ancient, abandoned city, which Daenerys names [[Vaes Tolorro]]. There they recover from the deadly ravages of the desert while Daenerys sends out scouts in all directions. One scout returns with three emissaries from the great city of [[Qarth]]. Daenerys accompanies them to Qarth, where she learns of King [[Robert Baratheon]]'s death and the war in the [[Seven Kingdoms]]. She tries to secure aid from the merchant emissary [[Xaro Xhoan Daxos]] in conquering [[Westeros]], but the merchants of Qarth are only interested in obtaining her dragons. {{Ref|aCoK|12}}{{Ref|aCoK|27}}

Daenerys turns to one of the other emissaries, a [[warlocks|warlock]] called [[Pyat Pree]]. Against the judgment of her friends and counselors, she agrees to visit the warlock's leaders, the [[House of the Undying|Undying Ones]], in their hall, the [[House of the Undying]]. After viewing several mysterious portents and hearing vague prophecies, Daenerys realizes that the warlocks are plotting against her, and she destroys the House of the Undying with the aid of [[Drogon]]. With nowhere else to turn, Daenerys considers the suggestions of the third emissary, the masked woman [[Quaithe]] of [[Asshai]], that she must go further east to conquer the west.{{Ref|aCoK|48}}

After the incident in the house of the Undying the warlocks conspired to see her dead. Daenerys seeking passage out of [[Qarth]] visited the docks, where she notices that two men she does not recognize are following her and [[Jorah Mormont|Ser Jorah]]. Daenerys becomes distracted and is off her guard when a [[Sorrowful Men|Sorrowful Man]] assassin tries to poison her with a [[manticore]]. One of her mysterious followers intercedes and knocks the manticore away just in time to thwart the murder. The two men introduce themselves as agents sent by [[Illyrio Mopatis|Magister Illyrio]]. One of them, a huge eunuch and former pit fighter called [[Belwas|Strong Belwas]], was to be her bodyguard. The one who saved her life was Belwas's squire, an older [[Westeros]]i man called [[Barristan Selmy|Arstan Whitebeard]]. Along with the two men, [[Illyrio]] has sent three merchant ships to transport Dany and her people to [[Pentos]]. Daenerys claims the three ships and their cargo for her own. She decrees that the ships that bring her home must bear different names and renames them [[Vhagar (ship)|Vhagar]], [[Meraxes (ship)|Meraxes]] and [[Balerion (ship)|Balerion]] and sets sail for [[Pentos]] with her ''khalasar'', Ser [[Jorah]], [[Barristan Selmy|Arstan Whitebeard]] and [[Belwas|Strong Belwas]].{{Ref|aCoK|64}}

===''A Storm of Swords''===
Several days into the trip, Ser [[Jorah]] manages to convince Daenerys to go to [[Astapor]], one of the great [[slave]] cities of [[Slaver's Bay]], to purchase [[Unsullied]] so she can return to [[Illyrio]] with an army at her back. He also kisses her and professes his love for her.{{Ref|aSoS|9}} Once in [[Astapor]], Daenerys begins to have doubts about using [[slave]]s, still she agrees to purchases an army of every [[Unsullied]] in the ciry in exchange for her Dragon [[Drogon]]. She is given a slave [[Missandei]] as a gift from the [[Good Masters]]. Dany accepts, but she then frees [[Missandei]]. Dany tells Missandei that she can leave Dany's service whenever she wishes, but Missandei remains close and loyal to Dany.

After taking control of the [[Unsullied]], Dany reclaims [[Drogon]] and commands him to use his fires against the [[Astapor]]i leaders. She then uses the Unsullied to [[Sack of Astapor|conquer the city]]. After the fighting, she proclaims all Astapori slaves free, including her Unsullied, giving her the name ''Breaker of Shackles'', or ''Breaker of Chains''. The [[Unsullied]] and many new [[Freedmen]] choose to follow her in her future battles. After forming a council to rule Astapor, she sets out for the next great slave city [[Yunkai]].{{Ref|aSoS|27}}

[[Yunkai]] hires two sellsword companies, the [[Stormcrows]] and the [[Second Sons]], in addition to conscripting a force of some four thousand slave soldiers. Daenerys parleys with the captains of the companies, hoping to convince them to switch sides. Her arguments convince one of the Stormcrows' commanders, [[Daario Naharis]], to assassinate his colleagues and pledge the company to Daenerys. To the Second Sons, Daenerys offers a great store of wine as tribute then [[Battle of Yunkai|attacks]] them in the night while they are drunk and sleeping. With the Stormcrows' betrayal and the Second Sons' drunkenness, Yunkai's [[slave]] army is unable to withstand Daenerys's Unsullied. The entire Yunkish army is slain, captured, or put to flight, and Yunkai surrenders a few days later.{{Ref|aSoS|42}}

Daenerys next made for [[Meereen]], the last of the great slave cities. Near Meereen, Daenerys is nearly killed by the [[Mero|Titan's Bastard]], the former captain of the Second Sons. [[Barristan Selmy|Arstan Whitebeard]] slays the Bastard, and finally reveals his true identity as [[Barristan Selmy]], a famous knight of her father's [[Kingsguard]] who had served the Usurper [[Robert Baratheon]] after the end of the Rebellion. He claims to have seen the error of his ways and to seeking her out as the true heir to the [[Seven Kingdoms]]. Selmy also reveals that [[Jorah Mormont]], still Daenerys's trusted right arm, has been sending reports on her actions to the spymaster in [[King's Landing]], [[Varys|Lord Varys]], hoping for a pardon from [[Robert Baratheon|King Robert]]. Daenerys feels betrayed by each of them, though both fervently wish to atone for their actions. During her [[Siege of Meereen]], she sends them on a covert suicide mission through the sewers, half hoping that they will die in the attempt. The mission succeeds and wins the city with minimal blood. Barristan humbly submits to his Queen's judgment and is forgiven. [[Jorah]] stubbornly continues to insist that he had done nothing wrong, and Daenerys is forced to banish him from her service, despite her desire to pardon him.{{Ref|aSoS|57}}

Having captured [[Meereen]], Dany turns her eyes toward [[Westeros]]. Through talks with Barristan about her homeland and its history, however, she learns that there is much she does not know about ruling. Upon hearing that Astapor and Yunkai cannot maintain the peace she had hoped to bring, she resolves to bring order to [[Slaver's Bay]] before leaving it behind. By this time, she is close on seventeen years.

===''A Feast for Crows''===

Tales told by sailors reach [[Westeros]], dragons in [[Asshai]], dragons in [[Qarth]], dragons in [[Meereen]], [[Dothraki]] dragons, dragons freeing [[slave]]s … each telling differs from the last, but only in details. All speak of [[dragons]], and a beautiful young queen. {{Ref|aFfC|Prologue}}

===''A Dance with Dragons''===

Dany struggles as ruler of [[Meereen]], mainly due to the constant threats surrounding her. A portion of Meereen's former slaving families who call themselves the [[Sons of the Harpy]] fight a shadow war with her followers, attacking lone freedmen or [[Unsullied]] in the black of night and drawing a harpy nearby with the man's blood.{{Ref|aDwD|2}} The sons have also scrawled graffiti on the walls of Meereen in blood promising a death to the families of any who serve the Dragon Queen. In Meereen, men traditionally wear their oiled black and red hair in varying shapes in homage to [[Ghis|Ghiscari]] culture. The Meereenese who now serve Dany shave their heads, symbolizing the abandonment of old Meereen to serve the new. These men are known as [[Shavepates]], and are led by [[Skahaz mo Kandaq]], known as ''the Shavepate''. Another of her Meereenese councilors is the seneschal, [[Reznak mo Reznak]].

Three fighting companies were also formed by Daenerys, their members comprised from her freeman. The company names are [[Mother's Men]]; The Company of the [[Free Brothers]]; and the [[Stalwart Shields]]. They have been receiving their training in arms from [[Grey Worm]].

Daenery's dragons have grown wilder, hunting sheep and livestock. Eventually a petitioner comes to her, presenting the bones of his six-year-old girl daughter "[[Hazzea]]", claiming the "[[Drogon|winged shadow]]" had killed her.{{Ref|aDwD|2}} Prompted by this, Dany has her Unsullied capture the dragons using nets and chains and lock them below ground to prevent any more such killings. In a closed fighting pit, [[Viserion]] and [[Rhaegal]] are captured (though several Unsullied lose their lives in the process), but Drogon escapes and disappears. During this time, she has a vision of [[Quaithe]] that offers her prophetic advice, most specifically warning her not to trust her seneschal.{{Ref|aDwD|11}}

Daenerys has enemies outside Meereen as well as in. Since she ended the slave trade in [[Slaver's Bay]], several of the [[Free Cities]] that rely upon the slave trade of the slave cities to fuel their economy have promised help to the [[Yunkai]] to bring her down. Yunkai has hired sellsword legions such as the [[Long Lances]], the [[Company of the Cat]] and the [[Windblown]]. Legions have also arrived from [[New Ghis]]. The Yunkai host first takes [[Astapor]] from [[Cleon|Cleon the Butcher King]], its most recent ruler, and puts thousands of its inhabitants to the sword or sends them again into slavery.{{Ref|aDwD|25}} An escaped rider who managed to flee in the confusion of the siege brings word of this to Dany in Meereen. Unfortunately word is not the only thing he brings, as he is infected with the [[bloody flux]].{{Ref|aDwD|30}} Several other Astapori citizens flee to Meereen, bringing the disease with them.

The merchant emissary [[Xaro Xhoan Daxos]] arrives from [[Qarth]] bearing a gift of thirteen ships in exchange for Dany's abandon of Slaver's Bay and departure for [[Westeros]]. Dany wishes to go, but the thirteen ships are not enough to take her entire army of Unsullied, Dothraki, sellswords and freedmen. The Shavepates beg her not to go. If she does, they who served her and their families will die by the Sons of the Harpy. She refuses Xaro, which prompts [[Qarth]] to join the Yunkai against her.{{Ref|aDwD|16}} Deaths of freedmen and Unsullied continue to grow nightly, and several former freed slave women are raped by the Sons of the Harpy before having their throats slit open. Daenerys takes the children of several Meereenese families of dubious loyalty as [[Cupbearers of Daenerys Targaryen|Cupbearers]] in name, but hostages in truth in hopes that would stop the killing. The killings only continue though and Daenerys refuses to harm the child hostages. In despair and loneliness, Dany takes [[Daario Naharis]] as a lover. A plan is put to her by the [[Graces|Meereenese priestess]], the Green Grace [[Galazza Galare]], suggesting that Dany should wed the Meereenese noble [[Hizdahr zo Loraq]] to bring peace. Dany agrees, on the condition that Hizdahr can promise her 90 days of peace. Hizdahr agrees.{{Ref|aDwD|23}} [[Ben Plumm|Brown Ben Plumm]], captain of the [[Second Sons]], learns that Dany can no longer control her dragons, and takes his company go over to the Yunkai.

At this point, [[Quentyn Martell]] of [[Dorne]] arrives to make a marriage claim, but is rejected because Dany has already promised to wed Hizdahr. After Hizdahr zo Loraq succeeds at keeping his promise, Dany weds him.{{Ref|aDwD|43}} Under his direction, Dany, much to her disgust, suggests peace terms with Yunkai. She promises if they leave Meereen and don't enslave any of the former slaves she freed, she won't disrupt the slave trade of Slaver's Bay any further. The Yunkai agree.{{Ref|aDwD|50}} To mark the occasion, the [[fighting pits]] are reopened and several gladiators (who freely agreed to compete) battle in the arena of [[Daznak's Pit]]. During the event, Drogon appears, drawn to the screams of the crowd and the smell of death. He kills a boar in the arena, but is then attacked by the animal handler [[Harghaz]]. Dany, seeing her "child" in pain, runs out in the arena to him as she sees other pit fighters going to kill the dragon. Dany manages to mount the dragon and ride him out of the arena.{{Ref|aDwD|52}} Many in Meereen suspect that she is dead.{{Ref|aDwD|55}} She is alive with Drogon, however, thousands of leagues away. She and her dragon are eventually discovered by the ''khalasar'' of [[Jhaqo|Khal Jhaqo]].{{Ref|aDwD|71}}

==Gallery of Daenerys Targaryen==
<gallery>
File:Drogon in Daznak's Pit.jpg
File:Daenerys by carrie best.jpg
File:Viserys Daenerys Targaryen hbo.jpg
File:Moon of my life by celestialfrost.jpg
File:GOT_tvseries_Daenerys.png
File:Daenerys targareyen by teiiku.jpg
File:Dany dragon.jpg
File:Daenerys by quickreaver.jpg
File:Dany_and_silver_in_the_Dothraki_Sea.jpg
</gallery>

==Family==
{{Targaryen_tree_now}}

==References and Notes==
{{references|3|refs=
<ref name=hbo>[http://www.hbo.com/game-of-thrones/index.html#/game-of-thrones/cast-and-crew.html/eNrjcmbOYC5kzlfPz0lxzEvMqSzJTA5ITE-1S8xN1SzLTEnNh4k65+eVpFaUsEknlpbkF+QkVtqWFJWmcjIysgEhAGCyFzg= HBO Cast and crew page]</ref>
}}
{{EnWP|Daenerys Targaryen|small=yes}}

{{Template:POV Characters}}
{{Template:Kings of Westeros}}

[[Category:POV characters|Targaryen, Daenerys]]
[[Category:Noblewomen|Targaryen, Daenerys]]
[[Category:Monarchs|Targaryen, Daenerys]]
[[Category:House Targaryen]]

[[es:Daenerys Targaryen]]
[[fr:Daenerys Targaryen]]
[[ru:Дейенерис I Таргариен]]
[[zh:丹妮莉丝·坦格利安]]
[[es:Daenerys Targaryen]]

Aerys II Targaryen

2012-07-21T03:53:14Z

Penelope:

{{Infobox monarch
| name = [[File:House_Targaryen_crest.PNG|50px|left]] '''Aerys II''' [[File:House_Targaryen_crest.PNG|50px|right]]
| image = [[Image:AERYS II.jpg|350px]]
| image_caption = Aerys II by [http://en.amokanet.ru/gallery/martin/ Amoka©]
| reign = {{Date|262}} - {{Date|283}}
| coronation =
| othertitles = King of the Seven Kingdoms
| alias = The Mad King King Scab
| fullname = Aerys Targaryen Second of His Name
| predecessor = [[Jaehaerys II]]
| successor = [[Robert Baratheon]]
| suc-type =
| heir = [[Rhaegar Targaryen]]
| queen = [[Rhaella Targaryen]]
| consort =
| spouse =
| issue = [[Rhaegar Targaryen|Rhaegar]], [[Viserys Targaryen|Viserys]], [[Daenerys Targaryen|Daenerys]].
| royalhouse = [[House Targaryen]]
| dynasty =
| royalanthem =
| father = [[Jaehaerys II]]
| mother =
| dateofbirth = {{Date|243}}
| placeofbirth =
| dateofdeath = {{Date|283}}
| placeofdeath = The [[Red Keep]] in [[King's Landing]]
| dateofburial =
| placeofburial =
| Books =
| Played_by =
| TV_series =
}}
[[File:Tywin and Aerys.jpg|thumb|350px|[[Tywin Lannister]] Aerys [[King's Hand|Hand]]]]
[[File:Ilyn Payne loosing his tongue.jpg|thumb|350px|Aerys deals with disturbing rumours - taking Ser [[Ilyn Payne]] tongue with hot pincers]]

'''Aerys II Targaryen''', also called '''Aerys the Mad''', '''the Mad King''', and '''King Scab''', was the seventeenth and last member of the [[House Targaryen|Targaryen]] dynasty to sit the [[Iron Throne]], ruling from {{Date|262}} to {{Date|283}}.

Aerys showed great promise at the start of his reign, bringing peace and prosperity to the [[Seven Kingdoms]], but later descended into insanity following the brief uprising known as the [[Defiance of Duskendale]], in which he was held prisoner for several months by a rebellious lord. After that, his paranoia and cruelty grew out of control.

==Character and appearance==
In his youth, Aerys II was charming, generous, handsome and resolute, although somewhat quick to anger. As he grew older, he became increasingly jealous, suspicious and cruel, prone to furious outbursts. After the Defiance of Duskendale, these characteristics became more pronounced. He began to see every unexplained event or act of minor defiance as evidence of fearful conspiracies against him, and devised sadistic punishments for those he imagined to be his enemies. He developed a fascination with fire, which eventually grew so consuming that he could only become sexually aroused by watching someone burn to death. His marriage to his sister-wife [[Rhaella Targaryen|Rhaella]], while never happy, became sexually abusive later in his reign.

By the end of his life, Aerys' madness had taken a serious toll on his appearance, so that although only in his forties when he died, he looked much older. He ate little and became gaunt as a result of his fear of poison. After repeatedly cutting himself on the [[Iron Throne]] he developed a phobia about blades, and forbade any sharp implements in his presence other than the swords of his [[Kingsguard]], refusing even to trim his nails or hair. His fingernails grew to nearly a foot long, and his hair and beard hung far past his shoulders in wild tangles. He wore the elaborate dragon-emblazoned crown of Aegon IV.{{Ref|aFfC|16}} <ref> Targaryen Kings. (November 1, 2005) [http://www.westeros.org/Citadel/SSM/Category/C91/ So Spake Martin]</ref>

==Early life==
Aerys was born to Prince [[Jaehaerys II Targaryen|Jaehaerys]], the second son of King [[Aegon V Targaryen|Aegon V]]. While still a teenager, Aerys was married to his sister [[Rhaella Targaryen|Rhaella]] in the Targaryen tradition. The marriage was arranged by his grandfather, [[Aegon V Targaryen]], after he heard a prophecy that the [[Azor Ahai|Prince that was Promised]] would be born from their line. According to Ser [[Barristan Selmy]], who was present at the wedding, there was no fondness between the two. In {{Date|259}}, Rhaella became pregnant and gave birth to their son [[Rhaegar Targaryen|Rhaegar]] (later in life they would have another son [[Viserys Targaryen|Viserys]], and a daughter [[Daenerys Targaryen|Daenerys]]).

Rhaegar was born in blood and grief during the blaze known as the [[Tragedy of Summerhall]] that killed King Aegon V, his heir Prince [[Duncan Targaryen|Duncan]] and many others. Aerys' father Jaehaerys only ruled for three years before he passed away, and Aerys became king as Aerys II Targaryen.

==Early reign==
Aerys's reign began in {{Date|262}} with great promise. Under his father and grandfather, the court at [[King's Landing]] had become stuffy, filled with old men, so he brought sweeping changes, replacing many at court with younger faces. Impressed by the ruthlessness of the young Lord [[Tywin Lannister]] in dealing with houses [[Reyne-Tarbeck Rebellion|rebelling]] against [[Casterly Rock]], Aerys named Tywin as the [[King's Hand]].

The first dozen years of Aerys' rule were peaceful. The realm recovered from the tragic events at Summerhall and grew both rich and strong. However, events and problems arose which turned the character of Aerys' reign into something very different.

Aerys had heard disturbing rumours regarding his rule and even a boast that it was the Hand who truly ruled the realm (a boast that cost Lord Tywin's captain of guard Ser [[Ilyn Payne]] his tongue{{Ref|aFfC|27}}). Jealous of the respect and even fear afforded to Tywin, Aerys resolved to rely less on his Hand and solve some problems himself. In {{Date|276}}, Aerys attended a tournament held in [[Lannisport]], the tourney staged by [[Tywin Lannister]] to welcome the King to the West. Aerys' son and heir Rhaegar (then aged seventeen) competed and performed well in the joust. At the tournament Tywin proposed a marriage between his daughter [[Cersei Lannister|Cersei]] and [[Rhaegar Targaryen|Rhaegar]] but Aerys' fear of Tywin's power led him to reject the offer.

Later, Aerys had closer ties established between the [[Iron Throne]] and [[Dorne]] when Prince Rhaegar was married to Princess [[Elia Martell]], with Lord Tywin taking the marriage as a slight.

==The Defiance of Duskendale==
:{{See also|Defiance of Duskendale}}
In late {{Date|276}}, Lord [[Denys Darklyn]] of [[Duskendale]], under the influence of his Myrish wife, decided to withhold port taxes from the crown. Aerys was determined to settle this issue himself. Taking a small force (with only one [[Kingsguard]] knight), Aerys personally marched to Duskendale to arrest and execute Lord Denys. Lord Denys panicked and took Aerys as prisoner. The king was held for six months while Tywin amassed an army and besieged the town in what became known as the [[Defiance of Duskendale]]. Eventually Ser [[Barristan Selmy]] of the Kingsguard managed to rescue the king. In his fury, Aerys ordered every last branch of House Darklyn to be utterly destroyed, its members tortured at excruciating length before being burned alive.

Many attribute Aerys' madness to his experience with the rebels during the Defiance of Duskendale, which began the rot in his reign. Aerys no longer trusted his son [[Rhaegar Targaryen|Rhaegar]], his wife, and especially his [[Hand of the King]], [[Tywin Lannister]]. After this event Aerys never left the Red Keep for many years. Hearing about the talents of [[Varys]] from across the narrow sea, Aerys appointed the eunuch as the Master of Whisperers, so he could alert the king to any perceived threats. Aerys became brutal and capricious, indulging his fascination for fire, notably the magical and highly flammable substance called [[wildfire]].

==The War of the Usurper==
:{{See also|War of the Usurper}}
After not leaving the Red Keep for almost five years, Aerys attended the [[Tourney at Harrenhal]] in {{Date|281}}, only because [[Varys]] claimed Prince Rhaegar planned on using the [[tournament]] as an excuse to gather lords to him to cast down his father (it is unknown whether this is true or not).{{Ref|aDwD|67}}.

A year after the tourney at Harrenhal, Prince Rhaegar supposedly kidnapped [[Lyanna Stark]] and took her south. Her eldest brother [[Brandon Stark|Brandon]] and several friends, the sons of prominent northern lords, rode to King's Landing. Brandon on arriving roared for Rhaegar to ''"come out and die."'' Rhaegar not present, but Aerys was. Aerys had them all arrested for plotting his son's murder and demanded their fathers present themselves at court to answer the charges against their sons. They did so, but Aerys capriciously had them all executed. He had [[Rickard Stark]] burned alive by wildfire as his son Brandon watched. Brandon was strapped to a device that strangled him the more he struggled to try and free his father. This brutal act, accompanied by Aerys' seeming sanction of Lyanna Stark's abduction, started a chain of events that later became known as the [[War of the Usurper]].

Aerys's [[King's Hand|Hand]] at the start of the rebellion was Lord [[Owen Merryweather]], who was soon replaced for his failure to contain the unrest in its early stages. Aerys next turned to Lord [[Jon Connington]], a close friend to Rhaegar, but he lost to rebel forces at [[Stoney Sept]] in the [[Battle of the Bells]] and was replaced by Lord [[Qarlton Chelsted]].

Following the rebel victory at the [[Battle of the Bells]], Aerys, now fearful that the rebels might actually win, hatched a [[The Wildfire Plot|plan]] to have his pyromancers create a huge reserve of wildfire and secret it around the city of King's Landing, planning to burn the entire city down (and kill all of its half million inhabitants) rather than surrender the city intact. [[Qarlton Chelsted|Lord Qarlton Chelsted]] upon discovering the plot confronted Aerys, and when he failed to dissuade him from this course of action resigned his handship, flinging his chain of office at Aerys' feet. Aerys had him burned alive.

During this period the [[Alchemists' Guild]] of King's Landing gained unprecedented power and authority. Aerys made the head of the Alchemist's Guild, Lord [[Rossart]], his final [[Hand of the King]]. According to [[Jaime Lannister]], Aerys would have bathed in wildfire himself if he dared.

After the royal army was defeated and his son and heir Rhaegar slain at the [[Battle of the Trident]], Aerys sent his pregnant wife Queen Rhaella and Prince Viserys to [[Dragonstone]], though he kept Princess [[Elia Martell|Elia]] and her children at the Red Keep as hostages to ensure [[House Martell]] and [[Dorne]] remained loyal to the Targaryens.

==Death==
Mere hours before the lead elements of the rebel host led by Eddard Stark arrived, 12,000 Westerland forces under Lord Tywin Lannister reached the city and pledged themselves to the Targaryen cause. Aerys ignored [[Varys]]' plea that he not admit Tywin's forces to the city. Instead, he acted on the advice of Grand Maester [[Pycelle]] and made the mistake of opening the city gates. However, the Lannisters were lying about their faith from the beginning, and once inside, the Lannister army proceeded to sack the city.

Aerys, aware that it was the end, ordered his pyromancers to ignite the wildfire beneath the city and burn King's Landing to the ground with all its people rather than let the rebels take the city. [[Jaime Lannister]] stated that Aerys, in his madness, did not believe he would die, but like [[Aerion Targaryen]] believed the fire would allow him to be reborn as a [[Dragons|dragon]] so he could crush his enemies. However, before the orders could be carried out, Ser Jaime slew the pyromancers. He then betrayed his Kingsguard oath and slew King Aerys at the foot of the Iron Throne, so he could not give the orders to burn the city to someone else. Jaime's actions prevented the genocide of the city's population.{{Ref|aGoT|3}}

==Genealogy==
{{Template:Targaryen_tree_now}}

==TV series==
The [[Game of Thrones]] TV series deviated from the books, by removing Aerys's father [[Jaehaerys II Targaryen]] and making him son of King [[Aegon V Targaryen]], rather than his grandson. The reason for this appears to be to simplify the relationship between Maester Aemon and the other Targaryens. Additionally, an actor was cast to play Aerys II in a flashback in [[Game of Thrones - Season 1|Season 1]], but the scene was cut for time and pacing.

==Quotes==
{{Quote|The traitors want [[King's Landing|my city]] ... but I’ll give them naught but ashes. Let [[Robert Baratheon|Robert]] be king over charred bones and cooked meat.}}

==References and Notes==
{{references|2}}

{{Template:Kings of Westeros}}

[[Category:Nobles|Targaryen, Aerys II]]
[[Category:Monarchs|Targaryen, Aerys II]]
[[Category:House Targaryen]]
[[fr:Aerys II Targaryen]][[ru:Эйрис II Таргариен]]
[[es:Aerys II Targaryen]][[zh:伊里斯·坦格利安二世]]

Aerys II Targaryen

2012-07-21T03:51:13Z

Penelope:

{{Infobox monarch
| name = [[File:House_Targaryen_crest.PNG|50px|left]] '''Aerys II''' [[File:House_Targaryen_crest.PNG|50px|right]]
| image = [[Image:AERYS II.jpg|350px]]
| image_caption = Aerys II by [http://en.amokanet.ru/gallery/martin/ Amoka©]
| reign = {{Date|262}} - {{Date|283}}
| coronation =
| othertitles = King of the Seven Kingdoms
| alias = The Mad King King Scab
| fullname = Aerys Targaryen Second of His Name
| predecessor = [[Jaehaerys II]]
| successor = [[Robert Baratheon]]
| suc-type =
| heir = [[Rhaegar Targaryen]]
| queen = [[Rhaella Targaryen]]
| consort =
| spouse =
| issue = [[Rhaegar Targaryen|Rhaegar]], [[Viserys Targaryen|Viserys]], [[Daenerys Targaryen|Daenerys]].
| royalhouse = [[House Targaryen]]
| dynasty =
| royalanthem =
| father = [[Jaehaerys II]]
| mother =
| dateofbirth = {{Date|243}}
| placeofbirth =
| dateofdeath = {{Date|283}}
| placeofdeath = The [[Red Keep]] in [[King's Landing]]
| dateofburial =
| placeofburial =
| Books =
| Played_by =
| TV_series =
}}
[[File:Tywin and Aerys.jpg|thumb|350px|[[Tywin Lannister]] Aerys [[King's Hand|Hand]]]]
[[File:Ilyn Payne loosing his tongue.jpg|thumb|350px|Aerys deals with disturbing rumours - taking Ser [[Ilyn Payne]] tongue with hot pincers]]

'''Aerys II Targaryen''', also called '''Aerys the Mad''', '''the Mad King''', and '''King Scab''', was the seventeenth and last member of the [[House Targaryen|Targaryen]] dynasty to sit the [[Iron Throne]], ruling from {{Date|262}} to {{Date|283}}.

Aerys showed great promise at the start of his reign, bringing peace and prosperity to the [[Seven Kingdoms]], but later descended into insanity following the brief uprising known as the [[Defiance of Duskendale]], in which he was held prisoner for several months by a rebellious lord. After that, his paranoia and cruelty grew out of control.

==Character and appearance==
In his youth, Aerys II was charming, generous, handsome and resolute, although somewhat quick to anger. As he grew older, he became increasingly jealous, suspicious and cruel, prone to furious outbursts. After the Defiance of Duskendale, these characteristics became more pronounced. He began to see every unexplained event or act of minor defiance as evidence of fearful conspiracies against him, and devised sadistic punishments for those he imagined to be his enemies. He developed a fascination with fire, which eventually grew so consuming that he could only become sexually aroused by watching someone burn to death. His marriage to his sister-wife [[Rhaella Targaryen|Rhaella]], while never happy, became sexually abusive later in his reign.

By the end of his life, Aerys' madness had taken a serious toll on his appearance, so that although only in his forties when he died, he looked much older. He ate little and became gaunt as a result of his fear of poison. After repeatedly cutting himself on the [[Iron Throne]] he developed a phobia about blades, and refused to allow any sharp implements in his presence other than the swords of his [[Kingsguard]], refusing even to trim his nails or hair. His fingernails grew to nearly a foot long, and his hair and beard hung far past his shoulders in wild tangles. He wore the elaborate dragon-emblazoned crown of Aegon IV.{{Ref|aFfC|16}} <ref> Targaryen Kings. (November 1, 2005) [http://www.westeros.org/Citadel/SSM/Category/C91/ So Spake Martin]</ref>

==Early life==
Aerys was born to Prince [[Jaehaerys II Targaryen|Jaehaerys]], the second son of King [[Aegon V Targaryen|Aegon V]]. While still a teenager, Aerys was married to his sister [[Rhaella Targaryen|Rhaella]] in the Targaryen tradition. The marriage was arranged by his grandfather, [[Aegon V Targaryen]], after he heard a prophecy that the [[Azor Ahai|Prince that was Promised]] would be born from their line. According to Ser [[Barristan Selmy]], who was present at the wedding, there was no fondness between the two. In {{Date|259}}, Rhaella became pregnant and gave birth to their son [[Rhaegar Targaryen|Rhaegar]] (later in life they would have another son [[Viserys Targaryen|Viserys]], and a daughter [[Daenerys Targaryen|Daenerys]]).

Rhaegar was born in blood and grief during the blaze known as the [[Tragedy of Summerhall]] that killed King Aegon V, his heir Prince [[Duncan Targaryen|Duncan]] and many others. Aerys' father Jaehaerys only ruled for three years before he passed away, and Aerys became king as Aerys II Targaryen.

==Early reign==
Aerys's reign began in {{Date|262}} with great promise. Under his father and grandfather, the court at [[King's Landing]] had become stuffy, filled with old men, so he brought sweeping changes, replacing many at court with younger faces. Impressed by the ruthlessness of the young Lord [[Tywin Lannister]] in dealing with houses [[Reyne-Tarbeck Rebellion|rebelling]] against [[Casterly Rock]], Aerys named Tywin as the [[King's Hand]].

The first dozen years of Aerys' rule were peaceful. The realm recovered from the tragic events at Summerhall and grew both rich and strong. However, events and problems arose which turned the character of Aerys' reign into something very different.

Aerys had heard disturbing rumours regarding his rule and even a boast that it was the Hand who truly ruled the realm (a boast that cost Lord Tywin's captain of guard Ser [[Ilyn Payne]] his tongue{{Ref|aFfC|27}}). Jealous of the respect and even fear afforded to Tywin, Aerys resolved to rely less on his Hand and solve some problems himself. In {{Date|276}}, Aerys attended a tournament held in [[Lannisport]], the tourney staged by [[Tywin Lannister]] to welcome the King to the West. Aerys' son and heir Rhaegar (then aged seventeen) competed and performed well in the joust. At the tournament Tywin proposed a marriage between his daughter [[Cersei Lannister|Cersei]] and [[Rhaegar Targaryen|Rhaegar]] but Aerys' fear of Tywin's power led him to reject the offer.

Later, Aerys had closer ties established between the [[Iron Throne]] and [[Dorne]] when Prince Rhaegar was married to Princess [[Elia Martell]], with Lord Tywin taking the marriage as a slight.

==The Defiance of Duskendale==
:{{See also|Defiance of Duskendale}}
In late {{Date|276}}, Lord [[Denys Darklyn]] of [[Duskendale]], under the influence of his Myrish wife, decided to withhold port taxes from the crown. Aerys was determined to settle this issue himself. Taking a small force (with only one [[Kingsguard]] knight), Aerys personally marched to Duskendale to arrest and execute Lord Denys. Lord Denys panicked and took Aerys as prisoner. The king was held for six months while Tywin amassed an army and besieged the town in what became known as the [[Defiance of Duskendale]]. Eventually Ser [[Barristan Selmy]] of the Kingsguard managed to rescue the king. In his fury, Aerys ordered every last branch of House Darklyn to be utterly destroyed, its members tortured at excruciating length before being burned alive.

Many attribute Aerys' madness to his experience with the rebels during the Defiance of Duskendale, which began the rot in his reign. Aerys no longer trusted his son [[Rhaegar Targaryen|Rhaegar]], his wife, and especially his [[Hand of the King]], [[Tywin Lannister]]. After this event Aerys never left the Red Keep for many years. Hearing about the talents of [[Varys]] from across the narrow sea, Aerys appointed the eunuch as the Master of Whisperers, so he could alert the king to any perceived threats. Aerys became brutal and capricious, indulging his fascination for fire, notably the magical and highly flammable substance called [[wildfire]].

==The War of the Usurper==
:{{See also|War of the Usurper}}
After not leaving the Red Keep for almost five years, Aerys attended the [[Tourney at Harrenhal]] in {{Date|281}}, only because [[Varys]] claimed Prince Rhaegar planned on using the [[tournament]] as an excuse to gather lords to him to cast down his father (it is unknown whether this is true or not).{{Ref|aDwD|67}}.

A year after the tourney at Harrenhal, Prince Rhaegar supposedly kidnapped [[Lyanna Stark]] and took her south. Her eldest brother [[Brandon Stark|Brandon]] and several friends, the sons of prominent northern lords, rode to King's Landing. Brandon on arriving roared for Rhaegar to ''"come out and die."'' Rhaegar not present, but Aerys was. Aerys had them all arrested for plotting his son's murder and demanded their fathers present themselves at court to answer the charges against their sons. They did so, but Aerys capriciously had them all executed. He had [[Rickard Stark]] burned alive by wildfire as his son Brandon watched. Brandon was strapped to a device that strangled him the more he struggled to try and free his father. This brutal act, accompanied by Aerys' seeming sanction of Lyanna Stark's abduction, started a chain of events that later became known as the [[War of the Usurper]].

Aerys's [[King's Hand|Hand]] at the start of the rebellion was Lord [[Owen Merryweather]], who was soon replaced for his failure to contain the unrest in its early stages. Aerys next turned to Lord [[Jon Connington]], a close friend to Rhaegar, but he lost to rebel forces at [[Stoney Sept]] in the [[Battle of the Bells]] and was replaced by Lord [[Qarlton Chelsted]].

Following the rebel victory at the [[Battle of the Bells]], Aerys, now fearful that the rebels might actually win, hatched a [[The Wildfire Plot|plan]] to have his pyromancers create a huge reserve of wildfire and secret it around the city of King's Landing, planning to burn the entire city down (and kill all of its half million inhabitants) rather than surrender the city intact. [[Qarlton Chelsted|Lord Qarlton Chelsted]] upon discovering the plot confronted Aerys, and when he failed to dissuade him from this course of action resigned his handship, flinging his chain of office at Aerys' feet. Aerys had him burned alive.

During this period the [[Alchemists' Guild]] of King's Landing gained unprecedented power and authority. Aerys made the head of the Alchemist's Guild, Lord [[Rossart]], his final [[Hand of the King]]. According to [[Jaime Lannister]], Aerys would have bathed in wildfire himself if he dared.

After the royal army was defeated and his son and heir Rhaegar slain at the [[Battle of the Trident]], Aerys sent his pregnant wife Queen Rhaella and Prince Viserys to [[Dragonstone]], though he kept Princess [[Elia Martell|Elia]] and her children at the Red Keep as hostages to ensure [[House Martell]] and [[Dorne]] remained loyal to the Targaryens.

==Death==
Mere hours before the lead elements of the rebel host led by Eddard Stark arrived, 12,000 Westerland forces under Lord Tywin Lannister reached the city and pledged themselves to the Targaryen cause. Aerys ignored [[Varys]]' plea that he not admit Tywin's forces to the city. Instead, he acted on the advice of Grand Maester [[Pycelle]] and made the mistake of opening the city gates. However, the Lannisters were lying about their faith from the beginning, and once inside, the Lannister army proceeded to sack the city.

Aerys, aware that it was the end, ordered his pyromancers to ignite the wildfire beneath the city and burn King's Landing to the ground with all its people rather than let the rebels take the city. [[Jaime Lannister]] stated that Aerys, in his madness, did not believe he would die, but like [[Aerion Targaryen]] believed the fire would allow him to be reborn as a [[Dragons|dragon]] so he could crush his enemies. However, before the orders could be carried out, Ser Jaime slew the pyromancers. He then betrayed his Kingsguard oath and slew King Aerys at the foot of the Iron Throne, so he could not give the orders to burn the city to someone else. Jaime's actions prevented the genocide of the city's population.{{Ref|aGoT|3}}

==Genealogy==
{{Template:Targaryen_tree_now}}

==TV series==
The [[Game of Thrones]] TV series deviated from the books, by removing Aerys's father [[Jaehaerys II Targaryen]] and making him son of King [[Aegon V Targaryen]], rather than his grandson. The reason for this appears to be to simplify the relationship between Maester Aemon and the other Targaryens. Additionally, an actor was cast to play Aerys II in a flashback in [[Game of Thrones - Season 1|Season 1]], but the scene was cut for time and pacing.

==Quotes==
{{Quote|The traitors want [[King's Landing|my city]] ... but I’ll give them naught but ashes. Let [[Robert Baratheon|Robert]] be king over charred bones and cooked meat.}}

==References and Notes==
{{references|2}}

{{Template:Kings of Westeros}}

[[Category:Nobles|Targaryen, Aerys II]]
[[Category:Monarchs|Targaryen, Aerys II]]
[[Category:House Targaryen]]
[[fr:Aerys II Targaryen]][[ru:Эйрис II Таргариен]]
[[es:Aerys II Targaryen]][[zh:伊里斯·坦格利安二世]]

Talk:Knight of the Laughing Tree

2012-07-21T03:16:33Z

Penelope:

In the format and style that the article is currently written in it contains originally research. In my opinion this is not suitable for a wiki. The article should not speculate about possible identities. The speculation itself is personal and therefore not newsworthy for the wiki. 
However if on a number of fan forums there is speculation about the identity then THAT is newsworthy; it is the opinion of a lot of people (as opposed to the opinion of the writer) and the wiki can present it in a neutral way. It is then for the reader to decide which theory (if any) he or she believes. Of course the info should be restricted to presenting the major theories and it should include references, with links, where these theories are discussed.

I am willing to change the article myself but as a lot of effort was just done to change it I thought it better to discuss it first.[[User:Scafloc|Scafloc]] 23:34, 20 July 2012 (UTC)

:Well, I wouldn't at all mind taking the "Theories" section out, or moving them to their own page; it was already there, and presented a bunch of fan theories in an incomplete and partly unbalanced way (e.g. it originally stated outright that Howland Reed was the leading candidate, which is certainly an opinion, and not even the most popular one from what I can tell), so I figured if there was going to be any discussion of theory at all it was better to expand it. Most of the information I've got there is paraphrased from the Citadel link at the bottom of the article, with the main exception being the stuff about Ashara Dayne, which is a theory I remember some folks defending at great length in some threads on the westeros.org forums a few years back. (It's not a theory I share, FWIW, but as it seemed to have about as much evidence as some of the other leading candidates already mentioned I thought it was worth throwing her in.) The discussions are old enough that I'm not sure if I'd be able to find it again, but I can give it a shot. [[User:Penelope|Penelope]] 03:16, 21 July 2012 (UTC)

Knight of the Laughing Tree

2012-07-21T03:06:40Z

Penelope:

[[File:Laughing Tree COA.png|thumb|Knight of Laughing Tree Shield]]
The '''Knight of the Laughing Tree''' was a [[mystery knight]] who fought at the [[Tourney at Harrenhal]]. He defended the honor of [[Howland Reed]] by challenging and defeating three knights whose squires had bullied him, demanding that they chastise the squires in order to ransom back their horses and armor.

The Knight of the Laughing Tree is so called because of the blazon on his shield, a smiling [[weirwood|heart tree]]. His true identity remains unknown.

==History==
Most of what is known about the Knight of the Laughing Tree comes from a story told by [[Meera Reed]] to [[Bran Stark]].

According to Meera's tale, a [[Crannogmen|crannogman]] - most likely her own father, Howland Reed - came to [[Harrenhal]] to attend the [[Tourneys in Westeros|tourney]] and found himself bullied by three squires, who mocked and beat him. Although they were boys in their early teens, all were considerably larger than Reed himself. He was rescued by [[Lyanna Stark]], who shouted indignantly that Reed was [[Rickard Stark|her father]]'s [[Feudalism|bannerman]] and beat off his attackers with a tourney sword. Lyanna then sought medical care for Reed's injuries and introduced him to her brothers.

That evening, Lyanna persuaded Reed to attend the feast marking the start of the tournament. There she identified the three squires who had attacked him as serving [[House Haigh]], [[House Blount]] and [[House Frey]]. [[Benjen Stark]] offered Reed a horse and armor in order to avenge himself, but although the crannogman dearly wished to do so, he had little experience with riding horses and none whatsoever with actual jousting. With no idea how to seek his revenge, Reed prayed that night to the [[old gods]] for help.

The tournament began the next day, and each of the knights whose squires had attacked Reed were victorious. On the second day, a mystery knight appeared to enter the lists. He was short of stature and clad in ill-fitting, mismatched armor, his shield blazoned with the image of a laughing heart tree. In a booming voice he challenged each of the three knights, and defeated them all. When they came to ransom their horses and armor, the mystery knight only charged them to teach their squires honor.

That evening many swore to unmask the Knight of the Laughing Tree, but he did not appear the next day. The paranoid King [[Aerys II]], certain that the mystery knight had to be an enemy conspiring against him, ordered Prince [[Rhaegar Targaryen]] to discover his identity, but all that could be found was the shield with the smiling weirwood, hanging from a tree.<ref>[[A Storm of Swords]], [[A Storm of Swords-Chapter 24|Chapter 24]], Bran</ref>

==Theories==
The Knight of the Laughing Tree's identity is currently unknown, but Meera's story contains several potential clues.

The mystery knight must have been someone who knew about Howland Reed's experience with the squires and was motivated to avenge him. He was significantly shorter than most knights, and had access to someone else's armor. He was competent enough at the joust to defeat three knights who had made it through the first day of the tourney, but as none of them were particularly well-known, he need not have been unusually skilled. Meera was surprised that Bran had never heard the story before, which suggests that the Knight may have been either a [[House Stark|Stark]], or someone close to the family.

Strong possibilities include:

* '''Lyanna Stark'''. Lyanna was known to be something of a tomboy, and is strongly implied to have had an interest in learning to fight; as she was an extremely skilled rider, the idea that she might have secretly practiced jousting is highly plausible. Her brother [[Eddard Stark|Ned]] described her as headstrong, hot-tempered and somewhat reckless, and the story makes it clear that she was indignant on Reed's behalf. As a woman, it is likely that she would have been unusually short compared to most knights, and Benjen could have helped her find armor. Most intriguingly, this theory offers a possible answer to the mystery of why [[Rhaegar Targaryen]], who eventually won the tournament, passed over [[Elia Martell|his own wife]] to crown Lyanna his [[Queen of Love and Beauty]]; if Rhaegar succeeded in discovering that Lyanna was the Knight of the Laughing Tree, he might have seen it as a way to honor her valor without putting her in danger by revealing what she had done.

* '''Howland Reed''' himself. Like most crannogmen, he is known to have been short of stature. As Reed knew nothing of jousting, this theory requires the belief that the old gods answered his prayer by granting him supernatural skill. A related theory suggests that the Knight might have been a '''[[Children of the Forest|Child of the Forest]]''', sent by the old gods to act as Reed's champion. Bran suggests both of these theories.

* '''Benjen Stark'''. As a son of House Stark, he certainly would have been a trained fighter, and was still young enough to be shorter than most fully-grown men. He was the one who suggested the idea of seeking vengeance to Reed in the first place, and claimed that he knew where to find armor to borrow.

* '''Eddard Stark'''. Ned was a close friend of Howland Reed in later years, took House Stark's responsibility to defend its bannermen very seriously, and was certainly a well-trained fighter. However, there is nothing to indicate that he was unusually short, and the image of a ''laughing'' weirwood seems at odds with Ned's somber personality.

* '''[[Ashara Dayne]]'''. Dayne was present at the feast, where she spoke with both Ned and [[Brandon Stark]]. She might have learned of Reed's plight from one of them, and as she is rumored to have been in love with one or both brothers, could have planned to impress them by defending Reed. Whether Dayne had trained to fight is unknown, but it would not be terribly unusual for a [[Dorne|Dornishwoman]] to do so, although jousting is not a Dornish tradition. Furthermore, Meera describes Dayne as having "laughing purple eyes," which resonates with the Knight's chosen sigil of a laughing weirwood.

==References and Notes==
{{references}}
*[http://www.westeros.org/Citadel/FAQ/Entry/Who_was_the_Knight_of_the_Laughing_Tree/ The Citadel: FAQ - 6.2.7. ''Who was the Knight of the Laughing Tree?'']
[[Category:Terms]]

[[fr:Chevalier d'Aubier rieur]][[zh:笑面树骑士]]

Children of the Forest

2012-07-21T02:56:23Z

Penelope:

[[File:Children of the Forest.jpg|thumb|350px|Child of the Forest, in its natural habitat]]
[[File:Children of the Forest greenseers.jpg|thumb|350px|Depiction of [[Greenseer]] sing the songs of the earth]]

The '''Children of the Forest''', sometimes referred to simply as the "children" are a mysterious non-human race that originally inhabited [[Westeros]] continent, long before the arrival of the [[First Men]] during the [[Dawn Age]], more than 12,000 years ago.

==Culture==
Little is known about the children. They are a mysterious and magical people who have not been seen by humans for thousands of years. Tales describe them as diminutive humanoid creatures, dark and beautiful, at their tallest no larger than children. The [[giants]] call them ''woh dak nag gram'' ('little squirrel people'). They call themselves in the [[True Tongue]] those who ''sing the songs of the earth''. {{Ref|aDwD|13}}

The children did not use metal, weave cloth or build cities; instead they lived off the land, using stone implements, wearing bark leg-bindings and shirts of woven leaves, dwelling in caves, crannogs, and hidden tree villages. Males and females both hunted side by side. They were a people with a deep connection to the land.{{Ref|aGoT|66}} The children wielded [[obsidian]] weapons and bows in battle, but also used powerful [[magic]].

Legends say the children of the forest were gifted with supernatural powers and magic; having power over the beasts of the wood, the ability to wear an animal’s skin, and the skill to create music so beautiful as to bring tears to the eyes of any who heard it, and the [[greensight]] ability (although the [[Maesters]] believe that the greensight was not magic, simply another kind of knowledge). It was the children who carved the faces on the [[weirwood]]s to keep watch over the woods.{{Ref|aCoK|28}} They believe that their wisdom had something to do with the faces in the trees {{Ref|aCoK|28}} The children of the forest believed that the weirwood trees were the Gods, and when they died they became a part of them.{{ref|aDwD|36}}

==Appearance==
They were smaller than men with nut-brown skin, dappled like a deer's with paler spots. They had large ears that could hear things that no man could hear.

They usually had large eyes, great golden cat's eyes, that could see down passages where a boy's eyes saw only blackness. A few had green or red eyes; these had the gift of [[greensight]] to be [[greenseer]]s.

Their hands had only three fingers and a thumb, with sharp black claw instead of nails.{{Ref|aDwD|34}} Slight as they were, the children were quick and graceful.

==History==
It is unknown for how long the children lived alone in [[Westeros]], nor where they themselves came from. Eventually about 12,000 years ago, they came in contact with the [[First Men]], the first outsiders. These invaders brought with them bronze, great leathern shields, and the first [[horse]]s and their own gods. Burning the great [[Weirwood]]s as they came, leading to [[War_of_the_First_Men_and_the_Children_of_the_Forest|war]] between the two.

The two races fought a desperate war for dominance, the children used their magic to shatter the [[Stepstones|Arm of Dorne]], the land-bridge through which the first men came, in a futile attempt to end the invasion and later flooded the Neck, legend has it that the children called upon their [[Old Gods|gods]] from the [[Children's Tower]] to send the hammer of the waters to smash the Neck, but it was not enough to stop the advance of the [[First Men]]. Eventually they fought one another to a standstill. The two races agreed to peaceful coexistence and signed the [[Pact]] on the [[Isle of Faces]], granting the open lands to humanity and the forests to the Children.

The Pact lasted for four thousand years before the enigmatic [[Others]] invaded from the uttermost north, bringing death and destruction to both races, during an extended period of winter known as [[The Long Night]], the children of the forest joined with the First Men, to fight against the Others in the [[The Long Night#War for the Dawn|War for the Dawn]]. Eventually the [[Others]] were driven back into the [[Lands of Always Winter]].

The children of the forest taught the worship of the Old Gods to the First Men, but this was largely supplanted in the South by the [[Faith of the Seven]] after the [[Andal|Andal Invasion]]. Relations between the children and humans grew distant over the years, until they ceased altogether. By the time of Aegon's Landing, humans had not seen the children for thousands of years.{{Ref|aGoT|66}}

After the [[The Long Night#War for the Dawn|War for the Dawn]], the First Men and the children of the forest lived in relative peace, but in these years, the children of the forest began their slow withdrawal from the lands of men, retreating deeper into their forests and beyond the [[Wall]].

During the [[Age of Heroes]] it was also recorded by the [[Night's Watch]] that the [[children of the forest]] gave the black brothers a hundred obsidian daggers every year.{{Ref|aFfC|5}}

==Existence==
Although people in [[Westeros]] believe the children of the forest to be extinct there are a few that still live in the world of men. A dwindling remnant of their population is located far north of the [[Wall]], in [[cave of the three-eyed crow|a cave system under a hill]]; the entrance is a warded cleft in the hillside.{{Ref|aDwD|34}}

The caves are timeless, vast, silent. They are home to more than three score living singers and the bones of thousands dead, and extend far below the hollow hill. The children of the forest live with whom they refer to as ''the [[Three-eyed crow|Last Greenseer]]''. In the caves there are passages that go deep, bottomless pits and sudden shafts, forgotten ways that lead to the very center of the earth. [[Leaf]] tells [[Bran Stark]] that even the children of the forest have not explored them all, even though they have lived there for a thousand thousand man-years. [[Bran]] realises that they are indeed singers, he hears them singing. They sing in the [[True Tongue]] so he cannot understand the words, but their voices are as pure as the winter air. {{Ref|aDwD|34}}

[[Bran]] asks [[Leaf]] were the rest of the children are, she replies:

{{Quote|Gone down into the earth … Into the stones, into the trees. Before the [[First Men]] came all this land that you call [[Westeros]] was home to us, yet even in those days we were few. The gods gave us long lives but not great numbers, lest we overrun the world as deer will overrun a wood where there are no wolves to hunt them. That was in the dawn of days, when our sun was rising. Now it sinks, and this is our long dwindling. The [[giants]] are almost gone as awell, they who were our bane and our brothers. The great lions of the [[westerlands|western hills]] have been slain, the [[unicorns]] are all but gone, the [[mammoth]]s down to a few hundered. The [[direwolf|direwolves]] will outlast us all, but their time will come as well. In the world that men have made, there is no room for them, or us.{{Ref|aDwD|34}}}}

==Known children of the forest==
*[[Leaf]]
*[[Ash]]
*[[Scales]]
*[[Black Knife]]
*[[Snowylocks]]
*[[Coals]]

==References and Notes==
{{References|2}}
{{Template:Creatures}}
[[Category:Sentient species]]
[[Category:Cultures]]

[[fr:Enfants de la forêt]]
[[ru:Дети Леса]]
[[zh:森林之子]]

Knight of the Laughing Tree

2012-07-21T02:51:51Z

Penelope:

[[File:Laughing Tree COA.png|thumb|Knight of Laughing Tree Shield]]
The '''Knight of the Laughing Tree''' was a [[mystery knight]] who fought at the [[Tourney at Harrenhal]]. He defended the honor of [[Howland Reed]] by challenging and defeating three knights whose squires had bullied him, demanding that they chastise the squires in order to ransom back their horses and armor.

The Knight of the Laughing Tree is so called because of the blazon on his shield, a smiling [[weirwood|heart tree]]. His true identity remains unknown.

==History==
Most of what is known about the Knight of the Laughing Tree comes from a story told by [[Meera Reed]] to [[Bran Stark]].

According to Meera's tale, a [[Crannogmen|crannogman]] - most likely her own father, Howland Reed - came to [[Harrenhal]] to attend the [[Tourneys in Westeros|tourney]] and found himself bullied by three squires, who mocked and beat him. None were older than fifteen, but all were considerably larger than Reed himself. He was rescued by [[Lyanna Stark]], who shouted indignantly that Reed was [[Rickard Stark|her father]]'s [[Feudalism|bannerman]] and beat off his attackers with a tourney sword. Lyanna then sought medical care for Reed's injuries and introduced him to her brothers.

That evening, Lyanna persuaded Reed to attend the feast marking the start of the tournament. There she identified the three squires who had attacked him as serving [[House Haigh]], [[House Blount]] and [[House Frey]]. [[Benjen Stark]] offered Reed a horse and armor in order to avenge himself, but although the crannogman dearly wished to do so, he had little experience with riding horses and none whatsoever with actual jousting. With no idea how to seek his revenge, Reed prayed that night to the [[old gods]] for help.

The tournament began the next day, and each of the knights whose squires had attacked Reed were victorious. On the second day, a mystery knight appeared to enter the lists. He was short of stature and clad in ill-fitting, mismatched armor, his shield blazoned with the image of a laughing heart tree. In a booming voice he challenged each of the three knights, and defeated them all. When they came to ransom their horses and armor, the mystery knight only charged them to teach their squires honor.

That evening many swore to unmask the Knight of the Laughing Tree, but he did not appear the next day. The paranoid King [[Aerys II]], certain that the mystery knight had to be an enemy conspiring against him, ordered Prince [[Rhaegar Targaryen]] to discover his identity, but all that could be found was the shield with the smiling weirwood, hanging from a tree.<ref>[[A Storm of Swords]], [[A Storm of Swords-Chapter 24|Chapter 24]], Bran</ref>

==Theories==
The Knight of the Laughing Tree's identity is currently unknown, but Meera's story contains several potential clues.

The mystery knight must have been someone who knew about Howland Reed's experience with the squires and was motivated to avenge him. He was significantly shorter than most knights, and had access to someone else's armor. He was competent enough at the joust to defeat three knights who had made it through the first day of the tourney, but as none of them were particularly well-known, he need not have been unusually skilled. Meera was surprised that Bran had never heard the story before, which suggests that the Knight may have been either a [[House Stark|Stark]], or someone close to the family.

Strong possibilities include:

* '''Lyanna Stark'''. Lyanna was known to be something of a tomboy, and is strongly implied to have had an interest in learning to fight; as she was an extremely skilled rider, the idea that she might have secretly practiced jousting is highly plausible. Her brother [[Eddard Stark|Ned]] described her as headstrong, hot-tempered and somewhat reckless, and the story makes it clear that she was indignant on Reed's behalf. As a woman, she would most likely have been unusually short compared to most knights, and Benjen could have helped her find armor. Most intriguingly, this theory offers a possible answer to the mystery of why [[Rhaegar Targaryen]], who eventually won the tournament, passed over [[Elia Martell|his own wife]] to crown Lyanna his [[Queen of Love and Beauty]]; if Rhaegar succeeded in discovering that Lyanna was the Knight of the Laughing Tree, he might have seen it as a way to honor her valor without putting her in danger by revealing what she had done.

* '''Howland Reed''' himself. Like most crannogmen, he is known to have been short of stature. As Reed knew nothing of jousting, this theory requires the belief that the old gods answered his prayer by granting him supernatural skill. A related theory suggests that the Knight might have been a '''[[Children of the Forest|Child of the Forest]]''', sent by the old gods to act as Reed's champion. Bran suggests both of these theories.

* '''Benjen Stark'''. As a son of House Stark, he certainly would have been a trained fighter, and was still young enough to be shorter than most fully-grown men. He was the one who suggested the idea of seeking vengeance to Reed in the first place, and claimed that he knew where to find armor to borrow.

* '''Eddard Stark'''. Ned was a close friend of Howland Reed in later years, took House Stark's responsibility to defend its bannermen very seriously, and was certainly a well-trained fighter. However, there is nothing to indicate that he was unusually short, and the image of a ''laughing'' weirwood seems at odds with Ned's somber personality.

* '''[[Ashara Dayne]]'''. Dayne was present at the feast, where she spoke with both Ned and [[Brandon Stark]]. She might have learned of Reed's plight from one of them, and as she is rumored to have been in love with one or both brothers, could have planned to impress them by defending Reed. Whether Dayne had trained to fight is unknown, but it would not be terribly unusual for a [[Dorne|Dornishwoman]] to do so, although jousting is not a Dornish tradition. Furthermore, Meera describes Dayne as having "laughing purple eyes," which resonates with the Knight's chosen sigil of a laughing weirwood.

==References and Notes==
{{references}}
*[http://www.westeros.org/Citadel/FAQ/Entry/Who_was_the_Knight_of_the_Laughing_Tree/ The Citadel: FAQ - 6.2.7. ''Who was the Knight of the Laughing Tree?'']
[[Category:Terms]]

[[fr:Chevalier d'Aubier rieur]][[zh:笑面树骑士]]

Knight of the Laughing Tree

2012-07-21T02:51:23Z

Penelope:

[[File:Laughing Tree COA.png|thumb|Knight of Laughing Tree Sheild]]
The '''Knight of the Laughing Tree''' was a [[mystery knight]] who fought at the [[Tourney at Harrenhal]]. He defended the honor of [[Howland Reed]] by challenging and defeating three knights whose squires had bullied him, demanding that they chastise the squires in order to ransom back their horses and armor.

The Knight of the Laughing Tree is so called because of the blazon on his shield, a smiling [[weirwood|heart tree]]. His true identity remains unknown.

==History==
Most of what is known about the Knight of the Laughing Tree comes from a story told by [[Meera Reed]] to [[Bran Stark]].

According to Meera's tale, a [[Crannogmen|crannogman]] - most likely her own father, Howland Reed - came to [[Harrenhal]] to attend the [[Tourneys in Westeros|tourney]] and found himself bullied by three squires, who mocked and beat him. None were older than fifteen, but all were considerably larger than Reed himself. He was rescued by [[Lyanna Stark]], who shouted indignantly that Reed was [[Rickard Stark|her father]]'s [[Feudalism|bannerman]] and beat off his attackers with a tourney sword. Lyanna then sought medical care for Reed's injuries and introduced him to her brothers.

That evening, Lyanna persuaded Reed to attend the feast marking the start of the tournament. There she identified the three squires who had attacked him as serving [[House Haigh]], [[House Blount]] and [[House Frey]]. [[Benjen Stark]] offered Reed a horse and armor in order to avenge himself, but although the crannogman dearly wished to do so, he had little experience with riding horses and none whatsoever with actual jousting. With no idea how to seek his revenge, Reed prayed that night to the [[old gods]] for help.

The tournament began the next day, and each of the knights whose squires had attacked Reed were victorious. On the second day, a mystery knight appeared to enter the lists. He was short of stature and clad in ill-fitting, mismatched armor, his shield blazoned with the image of a laughing heart tree. In a booming voice he challenged each of the three knights, and defeated them all. When they came to ransom their horses and armor, the mystery knight only charged them to teach their squires honor.

That evening many swore to unmask the Knight of the Laughing Tree, but he did not appear the next day. The paranoid King [[Aerys II]], certain that the mystery knight had to be an enemy conspiring against him, ordered Prince [[Rhaegar Targaryen]] to discover his identity, but all that could be found was the shield with the smiling weirwood, hanging from a tree.<ref>[[A Storm of Swords]], [[A Storm of Swords-Chapter 24|Chapter 24]], Bran</ref>

==Theories==
The Knight of the Laughing Tree's identity is currently unknown, but Meera's story contains several potential clues.

The mystery knight must have been someone who knew about Howland Reed's experience with the squires and was motivated to avenge him. He was significantly shorter than most knights, and had access to someone else's armor. He was competent enough at the joust to defeat three knights who had made it through the first day of the tourney, but as none of them were particularly well-known, he need not have been unusually skilled. Meera was surprised that Bran had never heard the story before, which suggests that the Knight may have been either a [[House Stark|Stark]], or someone close to the family.

Strong possibilities include:

* '''Lyanna Stark'''. Lyanna was known to be something of a tomboy, and is strongly implied to have had an interest in learning to fight; as she was an extremely skilled rider, the idea that she might have secretly practiced jousting is highly plausible. Her brother [[Eddard Stark|Ned]] described her as headstrong, hot-tempered and somewhat reckless, and the story makes it clear that she was indignant on Reed's behalf. As a woman, she would most likely have been unusually short compared to most knights, and Benjen could have helped her find armor. Most intriguingly, this theory offers a possible answer to the mystery of why [[Rhaegar Targaryen]], who eventually won the tournament, passed over [[Elia Martell|his own wife]] to crown Lyanna his [[Queen of Love and Beauty]]; if Rhaegar succeeded in discovering that Lyanna was the Knight of the Laughing Tree, he might have seen it as a way to honor her valor without putting her in danger by revealing what she had done.

* '''Howland Reed''' himself. Like most crannogmen, he is known to have been short of stature. As Reed knew nothing of jousting, this theory requires the belief that the old gods answered his prayer by granting him supernatural skill. A related theory suggests that the Knight might have been a '''[[Children of the Forest|Child of the Forest]]''', sent by the old gods to act as Reed's champion. Bran suggests both of these theories.

* '''Benjen Stark'''. As a son of House Stark, he certainly would have been a trained fighter, and was still young enough to be shorter than most fully-grown men. He was the one who suggested the idea of seeking vengeance to Reed in the first place, and claimed that he knew where to find armor to borrow.

* '''Eddard Stark'''. Ned was a close friend of Howland Reed in later years, took House Stark's responsibility to defend its bannermen very seriously, and was certainly a well-trained fighter. However, there is nothing to indicate that he was unusually short, and the image of a ''laughing'' weirwood seems at odds with Ned's somber personality.

* '''[[Ashara Dayne]]'''. Dayne was present at the feast, where she spoke with both Ned and [[Brandon Stark]]. She might have learned of Reed's plight from one of them, and as she is rumored to have been in love with one or both brothers, could have planned to impress them by defending Reed. Whether Dayne had trained to fight is unknown, but it would not be terribly unusual for a [[Dorne|Dornishwoman]] to do so, although jousting is not a Dornish tradition. Furthermore, Meera describes Dayne as having "laughing purple eyes," which resonates with the Knight's chosen sigil of a laughing weirwood.

==References and Notes==
{{references}}
*[http://www.westeros.org/Citadel/FAQ/Entry/Who_was_the_Knight_of_the_Laughing_Tree/ The Citadel: FAQ - 6.2.7. ''Who was the Knight of the Laughing Tree?'']
[[Category:Terms]]

[[fr:Chevalier d'Aubier rieur]][[zh:笑面树骑士]]

Ashara Dayne

2012-07-21T00:45:55Z

Penelope:

{{Infobox character
| Character_name = [[file:Dayne.png|50px|left]] Ashara Dayne [[file:Dayne.png|50px|right]]
| image =
| image_caption =
| Alias =
| Title =
| Allegiance = [[House Dayne]]
| Race =
| Culture = [[Westeros]]
| Spouse =
| Place_of_Birth =
| Date_of_Birth =
| Place_of_Death = [[Starfall]]
| Date_of_Death = {{date|283}}
| Books = [[A Game of Thrones]] (Mentioned) [[A Clash of Kings]] (Mentioned) [[A Storm of Swords]] (Mentioned) [[A Dance with Dragons]] (Mentioned)
| coat-of-arms =
| Played_by =
| TV_series =
}}

'''Ashara Dayne''' was a noblewoman of [[House Dayne]], the younger sister of the famous [[knight]] Ser [[Arthur Dayne]]. She committed suicide shortly after the end of [[Robert's Rebellion]].

==Appearance==
Ashara was tall, with long dark hair and haunting [[violet eyes]].{{Ref|aGoT|6}} She had a reputation for beauty. Many men were infatuated with her, including [[Barristan Selmy]] and, according to rumor, [[Eddard Stark]].

==History==
Ashara was a lady-in-waiting to Princess [[Elia Martell]]. She was present at the [[Tourney at Harrenhal]] where she danced with several men, including [[Eddard Stark]] after his brother [[Brandon Stark|Brandon]] spoke with her. After the end of [[Robert's Rebellion]] a rumor arose that Ashara was Eddard Stark's lover and the possible mother of [[Jon Snow]].{{Ref|aGoT|6}}{{Ref|aCoK|45}}

After the events of the [[Tower of Joy]], Ned Stark went to Starfall to inform House Dayne of Ser Arthur's death and return to them his greatsword, [[Dawn]]. Ashara jumped from the top of one of the towers of [[Starfall]], called the Palestone Sword, on the cliff atop the sea.{{Ref|aSoS|43}} It is widely supposed that she was overcome by grief over her brother's death. Her body was never recovered.

Ser [[Barristan Selmy]] revealed that Ashara killed herself because she gave birth to a stillborn daughter. According to Selmy, a Stark bedded her at [[Harrenhal]] during the tourney and got her with child. In Selmy's account, it was grief at the death of her child and shame at the way Stark had dishonored her that led to Ashara's suicide.{{Ref|aDwD|67}}

==Family==
{{Dayne tree}}

==References and Notes==
{{references|2}}

[[Category:Noblewomen|Dayne, Ashara]]
[[Category:Characters from Dorne|Dayne, Ashara]]
[[Category:House Dayne]]

[[fr:Ashara Dayne]]
[[pt:Ashara Dayne]]
[[es:Ashara Dayne]]Эшара Дейн]][[zh:亚夏拉·戴恩]]

Jorah Mormont

2012-07-21T00:29:07Z

Penelope:

{{Infobox character
| Character_name = [[File:House_Mormont2.PNG|50px|left]] '''Jorah Mormont''' [[File:House_Mormont2.PNG|50px|right]]
| image = [[File:Jorah Mormont.jpg|250px]]
| image_caption =
| Alias = Jorah the Andal
| Title = Ser
| Allegiance = [[House Mormont]]
[[House Targaryen]]
[[Second Sons]]
| Race =
| Culture = [[Bear Island]]
| Spouse = 1st: Unknown [[House Glover|Glover]] 2nd: [[Lynesse Hightower]]
| Place_of_Birth =
| Date_of_Birth = Around {{Date|255}} <ref>Jorah says to [[Daenerys Targaryen]] he is thrice her age. [[A Storm of Swords]], [[A Storm of Swords-Chapter 42|Chapter 42]], Daenerys</ref>
| Place_of_Death =
| Date_of_Death =
| Books = [[A Game of Thrones]] (Appears) [[A Clash of Kings]] (Appears) [[A Storm of Swords]] (Appears) [[A Dance with Dragons]] (Appears)
| coat-of-arms =
| Played_by = [[List of actors of the televised series#Iain Glen,Jorah Mormont|Iain Glen]]
| TV_series = [[Game of Thrones - Season 1|Season 1]] {{!}} [[Game of Thrones - Season 2|Season 2]]
}}

Ser '''Jorah Mormont''' is an exiled [[knight]], the former head of [[House Mormont]] and lord of [[Bear Island]]. He fled [[Westeros]] to escape execution for [[Slavery|trading in slaves]] and took up work as a [[Mercenary|mercenary]] in the [[Free Cities]], eventually entering the service of the last [[House Targaryen|Targaryens]]. He becomes one of the most trusted companions of [[Daenerys Targaryen]].

==Appearance==
Jorah is a large middle-aged man, swarthy and very hairy.<ref>[[A Storm of Swords]], [[A Storm of Swords-Chapter 8|Chapter 8]], page 77, Daenerys</ref> <ref>[[A Storm of Swords]], [[A Storm of Swords-Chapter 42|Chapter 42]], page 388, Daenerys</ref> He is balding, but still strong and fit.<ref>[[A Storm of Swords]], [[A Storm of Swords-Chapter 42|Chapter 42]], page 388, Daenerys</ref> Daenerys considers him not particularly handsome.<ref>[[A Game of Thrones]], Chapter 23, Daenerys</ref>

==History==
When Jorah matured, his father [[Jeor Mormont]] joined the [[Night's Watch]] in order to give his son the lordship of [[House Mormont]]. Jorah fought in the [[Greyjoy Rebellion]], during which he distinguished himself by showing exemplary courage on the battlefield, being one of the first men through the breach during the siege of [[Pyke]]. He received a [[Knight|knighthood]] in recognition of his bravery.

In contrast to his successful military career, Jorah has been unlucky in love. His first marriage was plagued by infertility. Jorah's wife, a member of [[House Glover]], was unable to carry a child to term throughout their ten years of marriage, and died after her third miscarriage.

During the [[Tourney at Lannisport]] celebrating the victory over the Greyjoy rebels, Jorah met the woman who would be his second wife: [[Lynesse Hightower]]. He was immediately smitten with her beauty, asking and receiving her permission to wear her favor in the tournament. Jorah fought remarkably well, winning an improbable victory over all challengers to name Lynesse his [[Queen of Love and Beauty]]. That very night he asked Lynesse's father [[Leyton Hightower|Lord Leyton]] for her hand in marriage, and Leyton agreed.

Although both had married for love, the marriage did not remain happy for long. Having spent her life up to that point as part of [[House Hightower|a wealthy family]] in the mild, prosperous and densely populated [[The Reach|Reach]], Lynesse was unprepared for life on the harsh and isolated [[Bear Island]] and quickly grew miserable. Jorah attempted to reproduce the lifestyle his wife was accustomed to by lavishing her with expensive gifts, but only succeeded in driving himself into financial ruin.

Desperate to pay off his debts, he resorted to breaking one of the [[Seven Kingdoms]]' oldest taboos: participating in [[Slavery|the slave trade]]. When House Mormont's overlord, [[Eddard Stark]], learned that Ser Jorah had sold convicted poachers to a [[Tyrosh|Tyroshi]] slaver, he condemned Jorah to the traditional penalty: death. Rather than join his father in taking the black, Jorah fled with Lynesse to [[Lys]], where he attempted to make his living as a [[Mercenary|sellsword]]. With the relationship already strained by their exile and Jorah still unable to afford the lifestyle his wife desired, Lynesse finally left him while he was fighting the [[Braavos|Braavosi]] on the [[Rhoyne]]. Heartbroken and exiled from his homeland, Jorah remained in the [[Free Cities]] and continued to work as an unaffiliated mercenary, selling his sword to the highest bidder.<ref>[[A Clash of Kings]], [[A Clash of Kings-Chapter 12|Chapter 12]], page 119, Daenerys</ref>

==Recent Events==
===''A Game of Thrones''===
[[File:Jorah_Mormont.PNG|300px|thumb|Iain Glen as Ser Jorah Mormont ([[Game of Thrones|TV series]])]]
[[File:Jorah Fights Quotho.png|thumb|300px|Ser Jorah fights Qotho.]]

At the wedding of [[Daenerys Targaryen]] to [[Khal Drogo]] in [[Pentos]], [[Viserys Targaryen]] took Ser Jorah into his service. Hoping to earn a royal pardon, Jorah secretly reported all the Targaryens' movements to [[Varys]]. He held Viserys in contempt, saying that [[Rhaegar Targaryen|Rhaegar]] was the last true dragon, while Viserys was "less than the shadow of a snake." However, he increasingly came to admire Daenerys for her courage and integrity. He stood by and watched when Viserys was killed by Khal Drogo, but acted to prevent an assassination attempt against Daenerys by a wineseller and reported to Daenerys and Drogo that [[Robert Baratheon]] had set a price on her head.

He stayed loyal when Khal Drogo was near death, urging Dany to flee with him to the east in order to save herself and her unborn child, and slew Drogo's [[bloodrider]] [[Qotho]] in single combat when he rebelled against Daenerys' orders. When Dany refused to flee, he feared that she planned to commit suicide upon Drogo's pyre, and begged her to promise him that she would not. Jorah was the only one of Daenerys' followers to willingly swear fealty to her as queen even before the birth of her [[dragons]]. He was the first to come and find her after the fires of Drogo's pyre died down, and fell to his knees in shock upon seeing her nursing the dragons.

===''A Clash of Kings''===
Jorah begins to fall in love with Daenerys and eventually stops sending reports.<ref>[[A Storm of Swords]], [[A Storm of Swords-Chapter 71|Chapter 71]], Daenerys</ref> He sends his last report from [[Qarth]].

He visits the docks on her behest and attempts to find a ship to take them to [[Westeros]]. An attempt is made on Daenerys' life by a [[Sorrowful Men]] assassin but is thwarted by an unknown stranger. The stranger introduces himself as [[Barristan Selmy|Arstan Whitebeard]] along with [[Strong Belwas]] who came on behest from [[Illyrio Mopatis]] to take them all back to [[Pentos]]. They brought three ships with them. Jorah, however, is distrustful of Whitebeard.

===''A Storm of Swords''===
Jorah finally makes his move, kissing Daenerys when they are alone. He confesses his love and repeatedly suggests they marry, but she always refuses. Although Dany still treasures Jorah's friendship and advice, his advances begin to make her uncomfortable.

Jorah suggests they sail for [[Slaver's Bay]] to buy [[Unsullied]]. He commands her army to victory against [[Yunkai]].

When "Arstan Whitebeard" is revealed to be [[Barristan Selmy]], he reveals Jorah's former status as an informer to Daenerys. Ser Jorah pleads that he stopped sending reports long ago when he fell in love with her, and Daenerys decides to send them both on a dangerous mission into the sewers of [[Meereen]] as punishment and a chance at redemption. The mission succeeds, and upon their return to court, Ser Barristan begs Daenerys' forgiveness and she gladly gives it. Jorah, however, insists that she ''owes'' him forgiveness on account of his love and history of faithful service. Although Dany wishes to forgive him, she knows that as long as he maintains this attitude she cannot do so without undermining her own authority. She banishes Jorah from her service, swearing to kill him if she ever sees him again. Crushed by her rejection, Jorah leaves.

===''A Feast of Crows''===
Heartbroken and exiled, Ser Jorah travels east toward [[Volantis]].

===''A Dance with Dragons''===
While in a brothel in Volantis, Jorah hired a beautiful whore with silver hair and he later spotted the dwarf [[Tyrion Lannister]], taking him prisoner. Ser Jorah planned to bring Tyrion to Daenerys to regain her favor and forgiveness. He arranged passage to [[Meereen]] with the help of the [[Widow of the waterfront]]. During the journey, a dwarf woman named [[Penny]] joins the pair as they travel to [[Meereen]] to reach Daenerys. However, the ship is captured by slavers and the trio are bought at auction outside Meereen by [[Yezzan zo Qaggaz]]. Upon being captured and enslaved by the [[Yunkai]], the slavers had a demon's face tattooed on Mormont's cheeks, to show him as an unruly and fierce slave.

Brown [[Ben Plumm]] attempted to buy Ser Jorah so he could present his head as a "wedding gift" to Daenerys but was outbid as was [[Zahrina]], a Yunkai slaver who purchased slaves to die in the [[fighting pits]]. Ser Jorah was devastated when he learned Daenerys is remarried.

After Qaggaz died of "The [[Pale Mare]]", the trio escapes. Tyrion arranged for the three to join the sellsword company the [[Second Sons]], under the command of Brown [[Ben Plumm]]. Mormont stated to [[Tyrion Lannister]] that they needed to bring the [[Second Sons]] back over to the side [[Meereen]] as the [[Yunkai]] had lost the war, they just didn't know it yet. Tyrion agreed.

==Quotes==
{{Quote|''{{:Feature quote/7}}''}}

{{Quote|''The common people pray for rain, healthy children, and a summer that never ends. It is no matter to them if the high lords play their game of thrones, so long as they are left in peace. They never are.'' <ref>[[A Game of Thrones]], [[A Game of Thrones-Chapter 23|Chapter 23]], Daenerys</ref>}}

==Family==
{{Mormont tree}}

==References and Notes==
{{References|3}}
{{EnWP|Minor houses in A Song of Ice and Fire|small=yes}}

[[Category:Nobles|Mormont, Jorah]]
[[Category:Knights|Mormont, Jorah]]
[[Category:Outlaws|Mormont, Jorah]]
[[Category:Slaves and freedmen|Mormont, Jorah]]
[[Category:Characters from the North|Mormont, Jorah]]
[[Category:House Mormont]]
[[Category:Mercenaries]]
[[Category:Second Sons]]
[[Category:Courtiers and followers of Daenerys|Mormont, Jorah]]

[[fr:Jorah Mormont]][[ru:Джорах Мормонт]]
[[zh:乔拉·莫尔蒙]]
[[es:Jorah Mormont]][[zh:乔拉·莫尔蒙]]

Jorah Mormont

2012-07-21T00:19:54Z

Penelope:

{{Infobox character
| Character_name = [[File:House_Mormont2.PNG|50px|left]] '''Jorah Mormont''' [[File:House_Mormont2.PNG|50px|right]]
| image = [[File:Jorah Mormont.jpg|250px]]
| image_caption =
| Alias = Jorah the Andal
| Title = Ser
| Allegiance = [[House Mormont]]
[[House Targaryen]]
[[Second Sons]]
| Race =
| Culture = [[Bear Island]]
| Spouse = 1st: Unknown [[House Glover|Glover]] 2nd: [[Lynesse Hightower]]
| Place_of_Birth =
| Date_of_Birth = Around {{Date|255}} <ref>Jorah says to [[Daenerys Targaryen]] he is thrice her age. [[A Storm of Swords]], [[A Storm of Swords-Chapter 42|Chapter 42]], Daenerys</ref>
| Place_of_Death =
| Date_of_Death =
| Books = [[A Game of Thrones]] (Appears) [[A Clash of Kings]] (Appears) [[A Storm of Swords]] (Appears) [[A Dance with Dragons]] (Appears)
| coat-of-arms =
| Played_by = [[List of actors of the televised series#Iain Glen,Jorah Mormont|Iain Glen]]
| TV_series = [[Game of Thrones - Season 1|Season 1]] {{!}} [[Game of Thrones - Season 2|Season 2]]
}}

Ser '''Jorah Mormont''' is an exiled [[knight]], the former head of [[House Mormont]] and lord of [[Bear Island]]. He fled [[Westeros]] to escape execution for [[Slavery|trading in slaves]] and took up work as a [[Mercenary|mercenary]] in the [[Free Cities]], eventually entering the service of the last [[House Targaryen|Targaryens]]. He becomes one of the most trusted companions of [[Daenerys Targaryen]].

==Appearance==
Jorah is a large middle-aged man, swarthy and very hairy.<ref>[[A Storm of Swords]], [[A Storm of Swords-Chapter 8|Chapter 8]], page 77, Daenerys</ref> <ref>[[A Storm of Swords]], [[A Storm of Swords-Chapter 42|Chapter 42]], page 388, Daenerys</ref> He is balding, but still strong and fit.<ref>[[A Storm of Swords]], [[A Storm of Swords-Chapter 42|Chapter 42]], page 388, Daenerys</ref> Daenerys considers him not particularly handsome.<ref>[[A Game of Thrones]], Chapter 23, Daenerys</ref>

==History==
When Jorah matured, his father [[Jeor Mormont]] joined the [[Night's Watch]] in order to give his son the lordship of [[House Mormont]]. Jorah fought in the [[Greyjoy Rebellion]], during which he distinguished himself by showing exemplary courage on the battlefield, being one of the first men through the breach during the siege of [[Pyke]]. He received a [[Knight|knighthood]] in recognition of his bravery.

In contrast to his successful military career, Jorah has been unlucky in love. His first marriage was plagued by infertility. Jorah's wife, a member of [[House Glover]], was unable to carry a child to term throughout their ten years of marriage, and died after her third miscarriage.

During the [[Tourney at Lannisport]] celebrating the victory over the Greyjoy rebels, Jorah met the woman who would be his second wife: [[Lynesse Hightower]]. He was immediately smitten with her beauty, asking and receiving her permission to wear her favor in the tournament. Jorah fought remarkably well, winning an improbable victory over all challengers to name Lynesse his [[Queen of Love and Beauty]]. That very night he asked Lynesse's father [[Leyton Hightower|Lord Leyton]] for her hand in marriage, and Leyton agreed.

Although both had married for love, the marriage did not remain happy for long. Having spent her life up to that point as part of [[House Hightower|a wealthy family]] in the mild, prosperous and densely populated [[The Reach|Reach]], Lynesse was unprepared for life on the harsh and isolated [[Bear Island]] and quickly grew miserable. Jorah attempted to reproduce the lifestyle his wife was accustomed to by lavishing her with expensive gifts, but only succeeded in driving himself into financial ruin.

Desperate to pay off his debts, he resorted to breaking one of the [[Seven Kingdoms]]' oldest taboos: participating in [[Slavery|the slave trade]]. When House Mormont's overlord, [[Eddard Stark]], learned that Ser Jorah had sold convicted poachers to a [[Tyrosh|Tyroshi]] slaver, he condemned Jorah to the traditional penalty: death. Rather than join his father in taking the black, Jorah fled with Lynesse to [[Lys]], where he attempted to make his living as a [[Mercenary|sellsword]]. With the relationship already strained by their exile and Jorah still unable to afford the lifestyle his wife desired, Lynesse finally left him while he was fighting the [[Braavos|Braavosi]] on the [[Rhoyne]]. Heartbroken and exiled from his homeland, Jorah remained in the [[Free Cities]] and continued to work as an unaffiliated mercenary, selling his sword to the highest bidder.<ref>[[A Clash of Kings]], [[A Clash of Kings-Chapter 12|Chapter 12]], page 119, Daenerys</ref>

==Recent Events==
===''A Game of Thrones''===
[[File:Jorah_Mormont.PNG|300px|thumb|Iain Glen as Ser Jorah Mormont ([[Game of Thrones|TV series]])]]
[[File:Jorah Fights Quotho.png|thumb|300px|Ser Jorah fights Qotho.]]

At the wedding of [[Daenerys Targaryen]] to [[Khal Drogo]] in [[Pentos]], [[Viserys Targaryen]] took Ser Jorah into his service. Hoping to earn a royal pardon, Jorah secretly reported all the Targaryens' movements to [[Varys]]. He held Viserys in contempt, saying that [[Rhaegar Targaryen|Rhaegar]] was the last true dragon, while Viserys was "less than the shadow of a snake." However, he increasingly came to admire Daenerys for her courage and integrity. He stood by and watched when Viserys was killed by Khal Drogo, but acted to prevent an assassination attempt against Daenerys by a wineseller and reported to Daenerys and Drogo that [[Robert Baratheon]] had set a price on her head.

He stayed loyal when Khal Drogo was near death, urging Dany to flee with him to the east in order to save herself and her unborn child, and slew Drogo's [[Bloodriders|bloodrider]] [[Qotho]] in single combat when he rebelled against Daenerys' orders. When Dany refused to flee, he feared that she planned to commit suicide upon Drogo's pyre, and begged her to promise him that she would not. Jorah was the only one of Daenerys' followers to willingly swear fealty to her as queen even before the birth of her [[dragons]]. He was the first to come and find her after the fires of Drogo's pyre died down, and fell to his knees in shock upon seeing her nursing the dragons.

===''A Clash of Kings''===
Jorah begins to fall in love with Daenerys and eventually stops sending reports.<ref>[[A Storm of Swords]], [[A Storm of Swords-Chapter 71|Chapter 71]], Daenerys</ref> He sends his last report from [[Qarth]].

He visits the docks on her behest and attempts to find a ship to take them to [[Westeros]]. An attempt is made on Daenerys' life by a [[Sorrowful Men]] assassin but is thwarted by an unknown stranger. The stranger introduces himself as [[Barristan Selmy|Arstan Whitebeard]] along with [[Strong Belwas]] who came on behest from [[Illyrio Mopatis]] to take them all back to [[Pentos]]. They brought three ships with them. Jorah, however, is distrustful of Whitebeard.

===''A Storm of Swords''===
Jorah finally makes his move, kissing Daenerys when they are alone. He confesses his love and repeatedly suggests they marry, but she always refuses. Although Dany still treasures their friendship, his advances begin to make her uncomfortable.

Jorah suggests they sail for [[Slaver's Bay]] to buy [[Unsullied]]. He commands her army to victory against [[Yunkai]].

When "Arstan Whitebeard" is revealed to be [[Barristan Selmy]], he reveals Jorah's former status as an informer to Daenerys. Ser Jorah pleads that he stopped sending reports long ago when he fell in love with her, and Daenerys decides to send them both on a dangerous mission into the sewers of [[Meereen]] as punishment and a chance at redemption. The mission succeeds, and upon their return to court, Ser Barristan begs Daenerys' forgiveness and she gladly gives it. Jorah, however, insists that she ''owes'' him forgiveness on account of his love and history of faithful service. Although Dany wishes to forgive him, she knows that as long as he maintains this attitude she cannot do so without undermining her own authority. She banishes Jorah from her service, swearing to kill him if she ever sees him again. Crushed by her rejection, Jorah leaves.

===''A Feast of Crows''===
Heartbroken and exiled, Ser Jorah travels east toward [[Volantis]].

===''A Dance with Dragons''===
While in a brothel in Volantis, Jorah hired a beautiful whore with silver hair and he later spotted the dwarf [[Tyrion Lannister]], taking him prisoner. Ser Jorah planned to bring Tyrion to Daenerys to regain her favor and forgiveness. He arranged passage to [[Meereen]] with the help of the [[Widow of the waterfront]]. During the journey, a dwarf woman named [[Penny]] joins the pair as they travel to [[Meereen]] to reach Daenerys. However, the ship is captured by slavers and the trio are bought at auction outside Meereen by [[Yezzan zo Qaggaz]]. Upon being captured and enslaved by the [[Yunkai]], the slavers had a demon's face tattooed on Mormont's cheeks, to show him as an unruly and fierce slave.

Brown [[Ben Plumm]] attempted to buy Ser Jorah so he could present his head as a "wedding gift" to Daenerys but was outbid as was [[Zahrina]], a Yunkai slaver who purchased slaves to die in the [[fighting pits]]. Ser Jorah was devastated when he learned Daenerys is remarried.

After Qaggaz died of "The [[Pale Mare]]", the trio escapes. Tyrion arranged for the three to join the sellsword company the [[Second Sons]], under the command of Brown [[Ben Plumm]]. Mormont stated to [[Tyrion Lannister]] that they needed to bring the [[Second Sons]] back over to the side [[Meereen]] as the [[Yunkai]] had lost the war, they just didn't know it yet. Tyrion agreed.

==Quotes==
{{Quote|''{{:Feature quote/7}}''}}

{{Quote|''The common people pray for rain, healthy children, and a summer that never ends. It is no matter to them if the high lords play their game of thrones, so long as they are left in peace. They never are.'' <ref>[[A Game of Thrones]], [[A Game of Thrones-Chapter 23|Chapter 23]], Daenerys</ref>}}

==Family==
{{Mormont tree}}

==References and Notes==
{{References|3}}
{{EnWP|Minor houses in A Song of Ice and Fire|small=yes}}

[[Category:Nobles|Mormont, Jorah]]
[[Category:Knights|Mormont, Jorah]]
[[Category:Outlaws|Mormont, Jorah]]
[[Category:Slaves and freedmen|Mormont, Jorah]]
[[Category:Characters from the North|Mormont, Jorah]]
[[Category:House Mormont]]
[[Category:Mercenaries]]
[[Category:Second Sons]]
[[Category:Courtiers and followers of Daenerys|Mormont, Jorah]]

[[fr:Jorah Mormont]][[ru:Джорах Мормонт]]
[[zh:乔拉·莫尔蒙]]
[[es:Jorah Mormont]][[zh:乔拉·莫尔蒙]]

Jorah Mormont

2012-07-21T00:19:04Z

Penelope:

{{Infobox character
| Character_name = [[File:House_Mormont2.PNG|50px|left]] '''Jorah Mormont''' [[File:House_Mormont2.PNG|50px|right]]
| image = [[File:Jorah Mormont.jpg|250px]]
| image_caption =
| Alias = Jorah the Andal
| Title = Ser
| Allegiance = [[House Mormont]]
[[House Targaryen]]
[[Second Sons]]
| Race =
| Culture = [[Bear Island]]
| Spouse = 1st: Unknown [[House Glover|Glover]] 2nd: [[Lynesse Hightower]]
| Place_of_Birth =
| Date_of_Birth = Around {{Date|255}} <ref>Jorah says to [[Daenerys Targaryen]] he is thrice her age. [[A Storm of Swords]], [[A Storm of Swords-Chapter 42|Chapter 42]], Daenerys</ref>
| Place_of_Death =
| Date_of_Death =
| Books = [[A Game of Thrones]] (Appears) [[A Clash of Kings]] (Appears) [[A Storm of Swords]] (Appears) [[A Dance with Dragons]] (Appears)
| coat-of-arms =
| Played_by = [[List of actors of the televised series#Iain Glen,Jorah Mormont|Iain Glen]]
| TV_series = [[Game of Thrones - Season 1|Season 1]] {{!}} [[Game of Thrones - Season 2|Season 2]]
}}

Ser '''Jorah Mormont''' is an exiled [[knight]], the former head of [[House Mormont]] and lord of [[Bear Island]]. He fled [[Westeros]] to escape execution for [[Slavery|trading in slaves]] and took up work as a [[Mercenary|mercenary]] in the [[Free Cities]], eventually entering the service of the last [[House Targaryen|Targaryens]]. He becomes one of the most trusted companions of [[Daenerys Targaryen]].

==Appearance==
Jorah is a large middle-aged man, swarthy and very hairy.<ref>[[A Storm of Swords]], [[A Storm of Swords-Chapter 8|Chapter 8]], page 77, Daenerys</ref> <ref>[[A Storm of Swords]], [[A Storm of Swords-Chapter 42|Chapter 42]], page 388, Daenerys</ref> He is balding, but still strong and fit.<ref>[[A Storm of Swords]], [[A Storm of Swords-Chapter 42|Chapter 42]], page 388, Daenerys</ref> Daenerys considers him not particularly handsome.<ref>[[A Game of Thrones]], Chapter 23, Daenerys</ref>

==History==
When Jorah matured, his father [[Jeor Mormont]] joined the [[Night's Watch]] in order to give his son the lordship of [[House Mormont]]. Jorah fought in the [[Greyjoy Rebellion]], during which he distinguished himself by showing exemplary courage on the battlefield, being one of the first men through the breach during the siege of [[Pyke]]. He received a [[Knight|knighthood]] in recognition of his bravery.

In contrast to his successful military career, Jorah has been unlucky in love. His first marriage was plagued by infertility. Jorah's wife, a member of [[House Glover]], was unable to carry a child to term throughout their ten years of marriage, and died after her third miscarriage.

During the [[Tourney at Lannisport]] celebrating the victory over the Greyjoy rebels, Jorah met the woman who would be his second wife: [[Lynesse Hightower]]. He was immediately smitten with her beauty, asking and receiving her permission to wear her favor in the tournament. Jorah fought remarkably well, winning an improbable victory over all challengers to name Lynesse his [[Queen of Love and Beauty]]. That very night he asked Lynesse's father [[Leyton Hightower|Lord Leyton]] for her hand in marriage, and Leyton agreed.

Although both had married for love, the marriage did not remain happy for long. Having spent her life up to that point as part of [[House Hightower|a wealthy family]] in the mild, prosperous and densely populated [[The Reach|Reach]], Lynesse was unprepared for life on the harsh and isolated [[Bear Island]] and quickly grew miserable. Jorah attempted to reproduce the lifestyle his wife was accustomed to by lavishing her with expensive gifts, but only succeeded in driving himself into financial ruin.

Desperate to pay off his debts, he resorted to breaking one of the [[Seven Kingdoms]]' oldest taboos: participating in [[Slavery|the slave trade]]. When House Mormont's overlord, [[Eddard Stark]], learned that Ser Jorah had sold convicted poachers to a [[Tyrosh|Tyroshi]] slaver, he condemned Jorah to the traditional penalty: death. Rather than join his father in taking the black, Jorah fled with Lynesse to [[Lys]], where he attempted to make his living as a [[Mercenary|sellsword]]. With the relationship already strained by their exile and Jorah still unable to afford the lifestyle his wife desired, Lynesse finally left him while he was fighting the [[Braavos|Braavosi]] on the [[Rhoyne]]. Heartbroken and exiled from his homeland, Jorah remained in the [[Free Cities]] and continued to work as an unaffiliated mercenary, selling his sword to the highest bidder.<ref>[[A Clash of Kings]], [[A Clash of Kings-Chapter 12|Chapter 12]], page 119, Daenerys</ref>

==Recent Events==
===''A Game of Thrones''===
[[File:Jorah_Mormont.PNG|300px|thumb|Iain Glen as Ser Jorah Mormont ([[Game of Thrones|TV series]])]]
[[File:Jorah Fights Quotho.png|thumb|300px|Ser Jorah fights Qotho.]]

At the wedding of [[Daenerys Targaryen]] to [[Khal Drogo]] in [[Pentos]], [[Viserys Targaryen]] took Ser Jorah into his service. Hoping to earn a royal pardon, Jorah secretly reported all the Targaryens' movements to [[Varys]]. He held Viserys in contempt, saying that [[Rhaegar Targaryen|Rhaegar]] was the last true dragon, while Viserys was "less than the shadow of a snake." However, he increasingly came to admire Daenerys for her courage and integrity. He stood by and watched when Viserys was killed by Khal Drogo, but acted to prevent an assassination attempt against Daenerys by a wineseller and reported to Daenerys and Drogo that [[Robert Baratheon]] had set a price on her head.

He stayed loyal when Khal Drogo was near death, urging Dany to flee with him to the east in order to save herself and her unborn child, and slew Drogo's [[Bloodriders|bloodrider]] [[Qotho]] in single combat when he rebelled against Daenerys' orders. When Dany refused to flee, he feared that she planned to commit suicide upon Drogo's pyre, and begged her to promise him that she would not. Jorah was the only one of Daenerys' followers to willingly swear fealty to her as queen even before the birth of her [[dragons]]. He was the first to come and find her after the fires of Drogo's pyre died down, and fell to his knees in shock upon seeing her nursing the dragons.

===''A Clash of Kings''===
Jorah begins to fall in love with Daenerys and eventually stops sending reports.<ref>[[A Storm of Swords]], [[A Storm of Swords-Chapter 71|Chapter 71]], Daenerys</ref> He sends his last report from [[Qarth]].

He visits the docks on her behest and attempts to find a ship to take them to [[Westeros]]. An attempt is made on Daenerys' life by a [[Sorrowful Men]] assassin but is thwarted by an unknown stranger. The stranger introduces himself as [[Barristan Selmy|Arstan Whitebeard]] along with [[Strong Belwas]] who came on behest from [[Illyrio Mopatis]] to take them all back to [[Pentos]]. They brought three ships with them. Jorah, however, is distrustful of Whitebeard.

===''A Storm of Swords''===
Jorah finally makes his move, kissing Daenerys when they are alone. He confesses his love and repeatedly suggests they marry, but she always refuses.

Jorah suggests they sail for [[Slaver's Bay]] to buy [[Unsullied]]. He commands her army to victory against [[Yunkai]].

When "Arstan Whitebeard" is revealed to be [[Barristan Selmy]], he reveals Jorah's former status as an informer to Daenerys. Ser Jorah pleads that he stopped sending reports long ago when he fell in love with her, and Daenerys decides to send them both on a dangerous mission into the sewers of [[Meereen]] as punishment and a chance at redemption. The mission succeeds, and upon their return to court, Ser Barristan begs Daenerys' forgiveness and she gladly gives it. Jorah, however, insists that she ''owes'' him forgiveness on account of his love and history of faithful service. Although Dany wishes to forgive him, she knows that as long as he maintains this attitude she cannot do so without undermining her own society. She banishes Jorah from her service, swearing to kill him if she ever sees him again. Crushed by her rejection, Jorah leaves.

===''A Feast of Crows''===
Heartbroken and exiled, Ser Jorah travels east toward [[Volantis]].

===''A Dance with Dragons''===
While in a brothel in Volantis, Jorah hired a beautiful whore with silver hair and he later spotted the dwarf [[Tyrion Lannister]], taking him prisoner. Ser Jorah planned to bring Tyrion to Daenerys to regain her favor and forgiveness. He arranged passage to [[Meereen]] with the help of the [[Widow of the waterfront]]. During the journey, a dwarf woman named [[Penny]] joins the pair as they travel to [[Meereen]] to reach Daenerys. However, the ship is captured by slavers and the trio are bought at auction outside Meereen by [[Yezzan zo Qaggaz]]. Upon being captured and enslaved by the [[Yunkai]], the slavers had a demon's face tattooed on Mormont's cheeks, to show him as an unruly and fierce slave.

Brown [[Ben Plumm]] attempted to buy Ser Jorah so he could present his head as a "wedding gift" to Daenerys but was outbid as was [[Zahrina]], a Yunkai slaver who purchased slaves to die in the [[fighting pits]]. Ser Jorah was devastated when he learned Daenerys is remarried.

After Qaggaz died of "The [[Pale Mare]]", the trio escapes. Tyrion arranged for the three to join the sellsword company the [[Second Sons]], under the command of Brown [[Ben Plumm]]. Mormont stated to [[Tyrion Lannister]] that they needed to bring the [[Second Sons]] back over to the side [[Meereen]] as the [[Yunkai]] had lost the war, they just didn't know it yet. Tyrion agreed.

==Quotes==
{{Quote|''{{:Feature quote/7}}''}}

{{Quote|''The common people pray for rain, healthy children, and a summer that never ends. It is no matter to them if the high lords play their game of thrones, so long as they are left in peace. They never are.'' <ref>[[A Game of Thrones]], [[A Game of Thrones-Chapter 23|Chapter 23]], Daenerys</ref>}}

==Family==
{{Mormont tree}}

==References and Notes==
{{References|3}}
{{EnWP|Minor houses in A Song of Ice and Fire|small=yes}}

[[Category:Nobles|Mormont, Jorah]]
[[Category:Knights|Mormont, Jorah]]
[[Category:Outlaws|Mormont, Jorah]]
[[Category:Slaves and freedmen|Mormont, Jorah]]
[[Category:Characters from the North|Mormont, Jorah]]
[[Category:House Mormont]]
[[Category:Mercenaries]]
[[Category:Second Sons]]
[[Category:Courtiers and followers of Daenerys|Mormont, Jorah]]

[[fr:Jorah Mormont]][[ru:Джорах Мормонт]]
[[zh:乔拉·莫尔蒙]]
[[es:Jorah Mormont]][[zh:乔拉·莫尔蒙]]

Jorah Mormont

2012-07-21T00:05:53Z

Penelope:

{{Infobox character
| Character_name = [[File:House_Mormont2.PNG|50px|left]] '''Jorah Mormont''' [[File:House_Mormont2.PNG|50px|right]]
| image = [[File:Jorah Mormont.jpg|250px]]
| image_caption =
| Alias = Jorah the Andal
| Title = Ser
| Allegiance = [[House Mormont]]
[[House Targaryen]]
[[Second Sons]]
| Race =
| Culture = [[Bear Island]]
| Spouse = 1st: Unknown [[House Glover|Glover]] 2nd: [[Lynesse Hightower]]
| Place_of_Birth =
| Date_of_Birth = Around {{Date|255}} <ref>Jorah says to [[Daenerys Targaryen]] he is thrice her age. [[A Storm of Swords]], [[A Storm of Swords-Chapter 42|Chapter 42]], Daenerys</ref>
| Place_of_Death =
| Date_of_Death =
| Books = [[A Game of Thrones]] (Appears) [[A Clash of Kings]] (Appears) [[A Storm of Swords]] (Appears) [[A Dance with Dragons]] (Appears)
| coat-of-arms =
| Played_by = [[List of actors of the televised series#Iain Glen,Jorah Mormont|Iain Glen]]
| TV_series = [[Game of Thrones - Season 1|Season 1]] {{!}} [[Game of Thrones - Season 2|Season 2]]
}}

Ser '''Jorah Mormont''' is an exiled [[knight]], the former head of [[House Mormont]] and lord of [[Bear Island]]. He fled [[Westeros]] to escape execution for [[Slavery|trading in slaves]] and took up work as a [[Mercenary|mercenary]] in the [[Free Cities]], eventually entering the service of the last [[House Targaryen|Targaryens]]. He becomes one of the most trusted companions of [[Daenerys Targaryen]].

==Appearance==
Jorah is a large middle-aged man, swarthy and very hairy.<ref>[[A Storm of Swords]], [[A Storm of Swords-Chapter 8|Chapter 8]], page 77, Daenerys</ref> <ref>[[A Storm of Swords]], [[A Storm of Swords-Chapter 42|Chapter 42]], page 388, Daenerys</ref> He is balding, but still strong and fit.<ref>[[A Storm of Swords]], [[A Storm of Swords-Chapter 42|Chapter 42]], page 388, Daenerys</ref> Daenerys considers him not particularly handsome.<ref>[[A Game of Thrones]], Chapter 23, Daenerys</ref>

==History==
When Jorah matured, his father [[Jeor Mormont]] joined the [[Night's Watch]] in order to give his son the lordship of [[House Mormont]]. Jorah fought in the [[Greyjoy Rebellion]], during which he distinguished himself by showing exemplary courage on the battlefield, being one of the first men through the breach during the siege of [[Pyke]]. He received a [[Knight|knighthood]] in recognition of his bravery.

In contrast to his successful military career, Jorah has been unlucky in love. His first marriage was plagued by infertility. Jorah's wife, a member of [[House Glover]], was unable to carry a child to term throughout their ten years of marriage, and died after her third miscarriage.

During the [[Tourney at Lannisport]] celebrating the victory over the Greyjoy rebels, Jorah met the woman who would be his second wife: [[Lynesse Hightower]]. He was immediately smitten with her beauty, asking and receiving her permission to wear her favor in the tournament. Jorah fought remarkably well, winning an improbable victory over all challengers to name Lynesse his [[Queen of Love and Beauty]]. That very night he asked Lynesse's father [[Leyton Hightower|Lord Leyton]] for her hand in marriage, and Leyton agreed.

Although both had married for love, the marriage did not remain happy for long. Having spent her life up to that point as part of [[House Hightower|a wealthy family]] in the mild, prosperous and densely populated [[The Reach|Reach]], Lynesse was unprepared for life on the harsh and isolated [[Bear Island]] and quickly grew miserable. Jorah attempted to reproduce the lifestyle his wife was accustomed to by lavishing her with expensive gifts, but only succeeded in driving himself into financial ruin.

Desperate to pay off his debts, he resorted to breaking one of the [[Seven Kingdoms]]' oldest taboos: participating in [[Slavery|the slave trade]]. When House Mormont's overlord, [[Eddard Stark]], learned that Ser Jorah had sold convicted poachers to a [[Tyrosh|Tyroshi]] slaver, he condemned Jorah to the traditional penalty: death. Rather than join his father in taking the black, Jorah fled with Lynesse to [[Lys]], where he attempted to make his living as a [[Mercenary|sellsword]]. With the relationship already strained by their exile and Jorah still unable to afford the lifestyle his wife desired, Lynesse finally left him while he was fighting the [[Braavos|Braavosi]] on the [[Rhoyne]]. Heartbroken and exiled from his homeland, Jorah remained in the [[Free Cities]] and continued to work as an unaffiliated mercenary, selling his sword to the highest bidder.<ref>[[A Clash of Kings]], [[A Clash of Kings-Chapter 12|Chapter 12]], page 119, Daenerys</ref>

==Recent Events==
===''A Game of Thrones''===
[[File:Jorah_Mormont.PNG|300px|thumb|Iain Glen as Ser Jorah Mormont ([[Game of Thrones|TV series]])]]
[[File:Jorah Fights Quotho.png|thumb|300px|Ser Jorah fights Qotho.]]

At the wedding of [[Daenerys Targaryen]] to [[Khal Drogo]] in [[Pentos]], [[Viserys Targaryen]] took Ser Jorah into his service. Hoping to earn a royal pardon, Jorah secretly reported all the Targaryens' movements to [[Varys]]. He held Viserys in contempt, saying that [[Rhaegar Targaryen|Rhaegar]] was the last true dragon, while Viserys was "less than the shadow of a snake." However, he increasingly came to admire Daenerys for her courage and integrity. He stood by and watched when Viserys was killed by Khal Drogo, but acted to prevent an assassination attempt against Daenerys by a wineseller and reported to Daenerys and Drogo that [[Robert Baratheon]] had set a price on her head.

He stayed loyal when Khal Drogo was near death, urging Dany to flee with him to the east in order to save herself and her unborn child, and slew Drogo's [[Bloodriders|bloodrider]] [[Qotho]] in single combat when he rebelled against Daenerys' orders. When Dany refused to flee, he feared that she planned to commit suicide upon Drogo's pyre, and begged her to promise him that she would not. Jorah was the only one of Daenerys' followers to willingly swear fealty to her as queen even before the birth of her [[dragons]]. He was the first to come and find her after the fires of Drogo's pyre died down, and fell to his knees in shock upon seeing her nursing the dragons.

===''A Clash of Kings''===
Jorah began to fall in love with the beautiful young Daenerys and eventually stopped sending reports.<ref>[[A Storm of Swords]], [[A Storm of Swords-Chapter 71|Chapter 71]], Daenerys</ref> He sent his last report from [[Qarth]]. He visited the docks on her behest and attempted to find a ship to take them to [[Westeros]]. An attempt is made on Daenerys' life by a [[Sorrowful Men]] assassin but is thwarted by an unknown stranger. The stranger introduces himself as [[Barristan Selmy|Arstan Whitebeard]] along with [[Strong Belwas]] who came on behest from [[Illyrio Mopatis]] to take them all back to [[Pentos]]. They brought three ships with them. Jorah, however, is distrustful of Whitebeard.

===''A Storm of Swords''===
Ser Jorah finally made his move on Daenerys, kissing her when they were alone in the Cabin of the ship. He proclaimed his love repeatedly and suggested that they marry, but she always refused. It was Jorah who suggested they sail for Slavers bay to buy [[Unsullied]]. He commanded her army to victory against the [[Yunkai]].

When "Arstan Whitebeard" was revealed to be [[Barristan Selmy]], he revealed Jorah's early betrayal to Daenerys. Ser Jorah pleaded with his queen for forgiveness, and Daenerys decided to send them both on a dangerous mission into the sewers of [[Meereen]] as punishment and a chance for redemption.<ref>[[A Storm of Swords]], [[A Storm of Swords-Chapter 57|Chapter 57]], Daenerys</ref> The mission succeeded, but Jorah continued to insist that he had done nothing wrong. Daenerys could not forgive him as she did Ser Barristan, and she banished Jorah from her service, swearing to kill him if she saw him again. Crushed by her rejection, Jorah left.

===''A Feast of Crows''===
Heartbroken and exiled, Ser Jorah traveled east toward [[Volantis]].

===''A Dance with Dragons''===
While in a brothel in Volantis, Jorah hired a beautiful whore with silver hair and he later spotted the dwarf [[Tyrion Lannister]], taking him prisoner. Ser Jorah planned to bring Tyrion to Daenerys to regain her favor and forgiveness. He arranged passage to [[Meereen]] with the help of the [[Widow of the waterfront]]. During the journey, a dwarf woman named [[Penny]] joins the pair as they travel to [[Meereen]] to reach Daenerys. However, the ship is captured by slavers and the trio are bought at auction outside Meereen by [[Yezzan zo Qaggaz]]. Upon being captured and enslaved by the [[Yunkai]], the slavers had a demon's face tattooed on Mormont's cheeks, to show him as an unruly and fierce slave.

Brown [[Ben Plumm]] attempted to buy Ser Jorah so he could present his head as a "wedding gift" to Daenerys but was outbid as was [[Zahrina]], a Yunkai slaver who purchased slaves to die in the [[fighting pits]]. Ser Jorah was devastated when he learned Daenerys is remarried.

After Qaggaz died of "The [[Pale Mare]]", the trio escapes. Tyrion arranged for the three to join the sellsword company the [[Second Sons]], under the command of Brown [[Ben Plumm]]. Mormont stated to [[Tyrion Lannister]] that they needed to bring the [[Second Sons]] back over to the side [[Meereen]] as the [[Yunkai]] had lost the war, they just didn't know it yet. Tyrion agreed.

==Quotes==
{{Quote|''{{:Feature quote/7}}''}}

{{Quote|''The common people pray for rain, healthy children, and a summer that never ends. It is no matter to them if the high lords play their game of thrones, so long as they are left in peace. They never are.'' <ref>[[A Game of Thrones]], [[A Game of Thrones-Chapter 23|Chapter 23]], Daenerys</ref>}}

==Family==
{{Mormont tree}}

==References and Notes==
{{References|3}}
{{EnWP|Minor houses in A Song of Ice and Fire|small=yes}}

[[Category:Nobles|Mormont, Jorah]]
[[Category:Knights|Mormont, Jorah]]
[[Category:Outlaws|Mormont, Jorah]]
[[Category:Slaves and freedmen|Mormont, Jorah]]
[[Category:Characters from the North|Mormont, Jorah]]
[[Category:House Mormont]]
[[Category:Mercenaries]]
[[Category:Second Sons]]
[[Category:Courtiers and followers of Daenerys|Mormont, Jorah]]

[[fr:Jorah Mormont]][[ru:Джорах Мормонт]]
[[zh:乔拉·莫尔蒙]]
[[es:Jorah Mormont]][[zh:乔拉·莫尔蒙]]

Jorah Mormont

2012-07-21T00:04:10Z

Penelope:

{{Infobox character
| Character_name = [[File:House_Mormont2.PNG|50px|left]] '''Jorah Mormont''' [[File:House_Mormont2.PNG|50px|right]]
| image = [[File:Jorah Mormont.jpg|250px]]
| image_caption =
| Alias = Jorah the Andal
| Title = Ser
| Allegiance = [[House Mormont]]
[[House Targaryen]]
[[Second Sons]]
| Race =
| Culture = [[Bear Island]]
| Spouse = 1st: Unknown [[House Glover|Glover]] 2nd: [[Lynesse Hightower]]
| Place_of_Birth =
| Date_of_Birth = Around {{Date|255}} <ref>Jorah says to [[Daenerys Targaryen]] he is thrice her age. [[A Storm of Swords]], [[A Storm of Swords-Chapter 42|Chapter 42]], Daenerys</ref>
| Place_of_Death =
| Date_of_Death =
| Books = [[A Game of Thrones]] (Appears) [[A Clash of Kings]] (Appears) [[A Storm of Swords]] (Appears) [[A Dance with Dragons]] (Appears)
| coat-of-arms =
| Played_by = [[List of actors of the televised series#Iain Glen,Jorah Mormont|Iain Glen]]
| TV_series = [[Game of Thrones - Season 1|Season 1]] {{!}} [[Game of Thrones - Season 2|Season 2]]
}}

Ser '''Jorah Mormont''' is an exiled [[knight]], the former head of [[House Mormont]] and lord of [[Bear Island]]. He fled [[Westeros]] to escape execution for [[Slavery|trading in slaves]] and took up work as a [[Mercenary|mercenary]] in the [[Free Cities]], eventually entering the service of the last [[House Targaryen|Targaryens]]. He becomes one of the most trusted companions of [[Daenerys Targaryen]].

==Appearance==
Jorah is a large middle-aged man, swarthy and very hairy.<ref>[[A Storm of Swords]], [[A Storm of Swords-Chapter 8|Chapter 8]], page 77, Daenerys</ref> <ref>[[A Storm of Swords]], [[A Storm of Swords-Chapter 42|Chapter 42]], page 388, Daenerys</ref> He is balding, but still strong and fit.<ref>[[A Storm of Swords]], [[A Storm of Swords-Chapter 42|Chapter 42]], page 388, Daenerys</ref> Daenerys considers him not particularly handsome.<ref>[[A Game of Thrones]], Chapter 23, Daenerys</ref>

==History==
When Jorah matured, his father [[Jeor Mormont]] joined the [[Night's Watch]] in order to give his son the lordship of [[House Mormont]]. Jorah fought in the [[Greyjoy Rebellion]], during which he distinguished himself by showing exemplary courage on the battlefield, being one of the first men through the breach during the siege of [[Pyke]]. He received a [[Knight|knighthood]] in recognition of his bravery.

In contrast to his successful military career, Jorah has been unlucky in love. His first marriage was plagued by infertility. Jorah's wife, a member of [[House Glover]], was unable to carry a child to term throughout their ten years of marriage, and died after her third miscarriage.

During the [[Tourney at Lannisport]] celebrating the victory over the Greyjoy rebels, Jorah met the woman who would be his second wife: [[Lynesse Hightower]]. He was immediately smitten with her beauty, asking and receiving her permission to wear her favor in the tournament. Jorah fought remarkably well, winning an improbable victory over all challengers to name Lynesse his [[Queen of Love and Beauty]]. That very night he asked Lynesse's father [[Leyton Hightower|Lord Leyton]] for her hand in marriage, and Leyton agreed.

Although both had married for love, the marriage did not remain happy for long. Having spent her life up to that point as part of [[House Hightower|a wealthy family]] in the mild, prosperous and densely populated [[The Reach|Reach]], Lynesse was unprepared for life on the harsh and isolated [[Bear Island]] and quickly grew miserable. Jorah attempted to reproduce the lifestyle his wife was accustomed to by lavishing her with expensive gifts, but only succeeded in driving himself into financial ruin.

Desperate to pay off his debts, he resorted to breaking one of the [[Seven Kingdoms]]' oldest taboos: participating in [[Slavery|the slave trade]]. When House Mormont's overlord, [[Eddard Stark]], learned that Ser Jorah had sold convicted poachers to a [[Tyrosh|Tyroshi]] slaver, he condemned Jorah to the traditional penalty: death. Rather than join his father in taking the black, Jorah fled with Lynesse to [[Lys]], where he attempted to make his living as a [[Mercenary|sellsword]]. With the relationship already strained by their exile and Jorah still unable to afford the lifestyle his wife desired, Lynesse finally left him while he was fighting the [[Braavos|Braavosi]] on the [[Rhoyne]]. Heartbroken and exiled from his homeland, Jorah remained in the [[Free Cities]] and continued to work as an unaffiliated mercenary, selling his sword to the highest bidder.<ref>[[A Clash of Kings]], [[A Clash of Kings-Chapter 12|Chapter 12]], page 119, Daenerys</ref>

==Recent Events==
===''A Game of Thrones''===
[[File:Jorah_Mormont.PNG|300px|thumb|Iain Glen as Ser Jorah Mormont ([[Game of Thrones|TV series]])]]
[[File:Jorah Fights Quotho.png|thumb|300px|Ser Jorah fights Qotho.]]

At the wedding of [[Daenerys Targaryen]] to [[Khal Drogo]] in [[Pentos]], [[Viserys Targaryen]] took Ser Jorah into his service. Hoping to earn a royal pardon, Jorah secretly reported all the Targaryens' movements to [[Varys]]. He held Viserys in contempt, saying that [[Rhaegar Targaryen|Rhaegar]] was the last true dragon, while Viserys was "less than the shadow of a snake." However, he increasingly came to admire Daenerys for her courage and integrity. He stood by and watched when Viserys was killed by Khal Drogo, but acted prevented an assassination attempt against Dany by a wineseller and reported to Dany and Drogo that [[Robert Baratheon]] had placed a price on her head.

He stayed loyal when Khal Drogo was near death, urging Dany to flee with him to the east in order to save herself and her unborn child, and slew Drogo's [[Bloodriders|bloodrider]] [[Qotho]] in single combat when he rebelled against Daenerys' orders. When Dany refused to flee, he feared that she planned to commit suicide upon Drogo's pyre and begged her to promise him that she would not. Jorah was the only one of Daenerys' followers to swear fealty to her as queen even before the birth of her [[dragons]]. He was the first to come and find her after the fires of Drogo's pyre died down, and fell to his knees in shock upon seeing her nursing the dragons.

===''A Clash of Kings''===
Jorah began to fall in love with the beautiful young Daenerys and eventually stopped sending reports.<ref>[[A Storm of Swords]], [[A Storm of Swords-Chapter 71|Chapter 71]], Daenerys</ref> He sent his last report from [[Qarth]]. He visited the docks on her behest and attempted to find a ship to take them to [[Westeros]]. An attempt is made on Daenerys' life by a [[Sorrowful Men]] assassin but is thwarted by an unknown stranger. The stranger introduces himself as [[Barristan Selmy|Arstan Whitebeard]] along with [[Strong Belwas]] who came on behest from [[Illyrio Mopatis]] to take them all back to [[Pentos]]. They brought three ships with them. Jorah, however, is distrustful of Whitebeard.

===''A Storm of Swords''===
Ser Jorah finally made his move on Daenerys, kissing her when they were alone in the Cabin of the ship. He proclaimed his love repeatedly and suggested that they marry, but she always refused. It was Jorah who suggested they sail for Slavers bay to buy [[Unsullied]]. He commanded her army to victory against the [[Yunkai]].

When "Arstan Whitebeard" was revealed to be [[Barristan Selmy]], he revealed Jorah's early betrayal to Daenerys. Ser Jorah pleaded with his queen for forgiveness, and Daenerys decided to send them both on a dangerous mission into the sewers of [[Meereen]] as punishment and a chance for redemption.<ref>[[A Storm of Swords]], [[A Storm of Swords-Chapter 57|Chapter 57]], Daenerys</ref> The mission succeeded, but Jorah continued to insist that he had done nothing wrong. Daenerys could not forgive him as she did Ser Barristan, and she banished Jorah from her service, swearing to kill him if she saw him again. Crushed by her rejection, Jorah left.

===''A Feast of Crows''===
Heartbroken and exiled, Ser Jorah traveled east toward [[Volantis]].

===''A Dance with Dragons''===
While in a brothel in Volantis, Jorah hired a beautiful whore with silver hair and he later spotted the dwarf [[Tyrion Lannister]], taking him prisoner. Ser Jorah planned to bring Tyrion to Daenerys to regain her favor and forgiveness. He arranged passage to [[Meereen]] with the help of the [[Widow of the waterfront]]. During the journey, a dwarf woman named [[Penny]] joins the pair as they travel to [[Meereen]] to reach Daenerys. However, the ship is captured by slavers and the trio are bought at auction outside Meereen by [[Yezzan zo Qaggaz]]. Upon being captured and enslaved by the [[Yunkai]], the slavers had a demon's face tattooed on Mormont's cheeks, to show him as an unruly and fierce slave.

Brown [[Ben Plumm]] attempted to buy Ser Jorah so he could present his head as a "wedding gift" to Daenerys but was outbid as was [[Zahrina]], a Yunkai slaver who purchased slaves to die in the [[fighting pits]]. Ser Jorah was devastated when he learned Daenerys is remarried.

After Qaggaz died of "The [[Pale Mare]]", the trio escapes. Tyrion arranged for the three to join the sellsword company the [[Second Sons]], under the command of Brown [[Ben Plumm]]. Mormont stated to [[Tyrion Lannister]] that they needed to bring the [[Second Sons]] back over to the side [[Meereen]] as the [[Yunkai]] had lost the war, they just didn't know it yet. Tyrion agreed.

==Quotes==
{{Quote|''{{:Feature quote/7}}''}}

{{Quote|''The common people pray for rain, healthy children, and a summer that never ends. It is no matter to them if the high lords play their game of thrones, so long as they are left in peace. They never are.'' <ref>[[A Game of Thrones]], [[A Game of Thrones-Chapter 23|Chapter 23]], Daenerys</ref>}}

==Family==
{{Mormont tree}}

==References and Notes==
{{References|3}}
{{EnWP|Minor houses in A Song of Ice and Fire|small=yes}}

[[Category:Nobles|Mormont, Jorah]]
[[Category:Knights|Mormont, Jorah]]
[[Category:Outlaws|Mormont, Jorah]]
[[Category:Slaves and freedmen|Mormont, Jorah]]
[[Category:Characters from the North|Mormont, Jorah]]
[[Category:House Mormont]]
[[Category:Mercenaries]]
[[Category:Second Sons]]
[[Category:Courtiers and followers of Daenerys|Mormont, Jorah]]

[[fr:Jorah Mormont]][[ru:Джорах Мормонт]]
[[zh:乔拉·莫尔蒙]]
[[es:Jorah Mormont]][[zh:乔拉·莫尔蒙]]

Knight of the Laughing Tree

2012-07-20T23:38:07Z

Penelope:

The '''Knight of the Laughing Tree''' was a [[mystery knight]] who fought at the [[Tourney at Harrenhal]]. He defended the honor of [[Howland Reed]] by challenging and defeating three knights whose squires had bullied him, demanding that they chastise the squires in order to ransom back their horses and armor.

The Knight of the Laughing Tree is so called because of the blazon on his shield, a smiling [[weirwood|heart tree]]. His true identity remains unknown.

==History==
Most of what is known about the Knight of the Laughing Tree comes from a story told by [[Meera Reed]] to [[Bran Stark]].

According to Meera's tale, a crannogman - most likely her own father, Howland Reed - came to [[Harrenhal]] to attend the [[Tourneys in Westeros|tourney]] and found himself bullied by three squires, who beat and mocked him. None were older than fifteen, but all were considerably larger than Reed himself. He was rescued by [[Lyanna Stark]], who shouted indignantly that Reed was [[Rickard Stark|her father]]'s [[Feudalism|bannerman]] and beat off his attackers with a tourney sword. Lyanna then sought medical care for Reed's injuries and introduced him to her brothers.

That evening, Lyanna persuaded Reed to attend the feast marking the start of the tournament. There she identified the three squires who had attacked him as serving [[House Haigh]], [[House Blount]] and [[House Frey]]. [[Benjen Stark]] offered Reed a horse and armor in order to avenge himself, but although the crannogman dearly wished to do so, he had little experience with riding horses and none whatsoever with actual jousting. With no idea how to seek his revenge, Reed prayed that night to the [[old gods]] for help.

The tournament began the next day, and each of the knights whose squires had attacked Reed were victorious. On the second day, the Knight of the Laughing Tree appeared to enter the lists. He was short of stature and clad in ill-fitting, mismatched armor, his shield blazoned with the image of a smiling weirwood. In a booming voice he challenged each of the three knights, and defeated them all. When they came to ransom their horses and armor, the mystery knight only charged them to teach their squires honor.

Many swore that evening to unmask the Knight of the Laughing Tree, but he did not appear the next day. The paranoid King [[Aerys II]], certain that the mystery knight had to be an enemy conspiring against him, ordered Prince [[Rhaegar Targaryen]] to discover his identity, but all that could be found was the shield with the laughing weirwood, hanging from a tree.<ref>[[A Storm of Swords]], [[A Storm of Swords-Chapter 24|Chapter 24]], Bran</ref>

==Theories==
The Knight of the Laughing Tree's identity is currently unknown, but Meera's story contains several potential clues.

The mystery knight must have been someone who knew about Howland Reed's experience with the squires and was motivated to avenge him. The Knight was significantly shorter than most men, and had access to someone else's armor. He was competent enough at the joust to defeat three knights who had made it through the first day of the tourney, but as none of them were particularly well-known, he need not have been unusually skilled. Meera was surprised that Bran had never heard the story before, which suggests that the Knight may have been either a Stark, or someone close to the family.

Strong possibilities include:

* '''Lyanna Stark'''. Lyanna was known to be something of a tomboy, and is strongly implied to have had an interest in learning to fight; as she was an extremely skilled rider, the idea that she might have secretly practiced jousting is highly plausible. Her brother [[Eddard Stark|Ned]] described her as headstrong, hot-tempered and somewhat reckless, and the story makes it clear that she was indignant on Reed's behalf. As a woman, she would most likely have been unusually short compared to most knights, and Benjen could have helped her find armor. Most intriguingly, this theory offers a possible answer to the mystery of why [[Rhaegar Targaryen]], who eventually won the tournament, passed over [[Elia Martell|his own wife]] to crown Lyanna his [[Queen of Love and Beauty]]; if Rhaegar succeeded in discovering that Lyanna was the Knight of the Laughing Tree, he might have seen it as a way to honor her valor without putting her in danger by revealing what she had done.

* '''Howland Reed''' himself. Like most [[crannogmen]], he is known to have been short of stature. As Reed knew nothing of jousting, this theory requires the belief that the old gods answered his prayer by granting him supernatural skill. A related theory suggests that the Knight might have been a '''[[Children of the Forest|Child of the Forest]]''', sent by the old gods to act as Reed's champion. Bran suggests both of these theories.

* '''Benjen Stark'''. As a son of a Great House, he certainly would have been a trained fighter, and was still young enough to be shorter than most fully-grown men. He was the one who suggested the idea of seeking vengeance to Reed in the first place, and claimed that he knew where to find armor to borrow.

* '''Eddard Stark'''. Ned was a close friend of Howland Reed in later years, took House Stark's responsibility to defend its bannermen very seriously, and was certainly a well-trained fighter. However, there is nothing to indicate that he was unusually short, and the image of a ''laughing'' weirwood seems at odds with Ned's somber personality.

* '''[[Ashara Dayne]]'''. Dayne was present at the feast, where she spoke with both Ned and [[Brandon Stark]]. She might have learned of Reed's plight from one of them, and as she is rumored to have been in love with one or both brothers, could have planned to impress them by defending Reed. Whether Dayne was trained as a fighter is unknown, but it would not be terribly unusual for a [[Dorne|Dornishwoman]] to do so, although jousting itself is not a Dornish tradition. Furthermore, Meera describes Dayne as having "laughing purple eyes," which resonates with the Knight's chosen sigil of a laughing weirwood.

==References and Notes==
{{references}}
*[http://www.westeros.org/Citadel/FAQ/Entry/Who_was_the_Knight_of_the_Laughing_Tree/ The Citadel: FAQ - 6.2.7. ''Who was the Knight of the Laughing Tree?'']
[[Category:Terms]]

[[fr:Chevalier d'Aubier rieur]][[zh:笑面树骑士]]

Knight of the Laughing Tree

2012-07-20T23:37:06Z

Penelope:

The '''Knight of the Laughing Tree''' was a [[mystery knight]] who fought at the [[Tourney at Harrenhal]]. He defended the honor of [[Howland Reed]] by challenging and defeating three knights whose squires had bullied him, demanding that they chastise the squires in order to ransom back their horses and armor.

The Knight of the Laughing Tree is so called because of the blazon on his shield, a smiling [[weirwood|heart tree]]. His true identity remains unknown.

==History==
Most of what is known about the Knight of the Laughing Tree comes from a story told by [[Meera Reed]] to [[Bran Stark]].

According to Meera's tale, a crannogman - most likely her own father, Howland Reed - came to [[Harrenhal]] to attend the [[Tourneys in Westeros|tourney]] and found himself bullied by three squires, who beat and mocked him. None were older than fifteen, but all were considerably larger than Reed himself. He was rescued by [[Lyanna Stark]], who shouted indignantly that Reed was [[Rickard Stark|her father]]'s [[Feudalism|bannerman]] and beat off his attackers with a tourney sword. Lyanna then sought medical care for Reed's injuries and introduced him to her brothers.

That evening, Lyanna persuaded Reed to attend the feast marking the start of the tournament. There she identified the three squires who had attacked him as serving [[House Haigh]], [[House Blount]] and [[House Frey]]. [[Benjen Stark]] offered Reed a horse and armor in order to avenge himself, but although the crannogman dearly wished to do so, he had little experience with riding horses and none whatsoever with actual jousting. That night, Reed prayed to the [[old gods]] for help.

The tournament began the next day, and each of the knights whose squires had attacked Reed were victorious. On the second day, the Knight of the Laughing Tree appeared to enter the lists. He was short of stature and clad in ill-fitting, mismatched armor, his shield blazoned with the image of a smiling weirwood. In a booming voice he challenged each of the three knights, and defeated them all. When they came to ransom their horses and armor, the mystery knight only charged them to teach their squires honor.

Many swore that evening to unmask the Knight of the Laughing Tree, but he did not appear the next day. The paranoid King [[Aerys II]], certain that the mystery knight had to be an enemy conspiring against him, ordered Prince [[Rhaegar Targaryen]] to discover his identity, but all that could be found was the shield with the laughing weirwood, hanging from a tree.<ref>[[A Storm of Swords]], [[A Storm of Swords-Chapter 24|Chapter 24]], Bran</ref>

==Theories==
The Knight of the Laughing Tree's identity is currently unknown, but Meera's story contains several potential clues.

The mystery knight must have been someone who knew about Howland Reed's experience with the squires and was motivated to avenge him. The Knight was significantly shorter than most men, and had access to someone else's armor. He was competent enough at the joust to defeat three knights who had made it through the first day of the tourney, but as none of them were particularly well-known, he need not have been unusually skilled. Meera was surprised that Bran had never heard the story before, which suggests that the Knight may have been either a Stark, or someone close to the family.

Strong possibilities include:

* '''Lyanna Stark'''. Lyanna was known to be something of a tomboy, and is strongly implied to have had an interest in learning to fight; as she was an extremely skilled rider, the idea that she might have secretly practiced jousting is highly plausible. Her brother [[Eddard Stark|Ned]] described her as headstrong, hot-tempered and somewhat reckless, and the story makes it clear that she was indignant on Reed's behalf. As a woman, she would most likely have been unusually short compared to most knights, and Benjen could have helped her find armor. Most intriguingly, this theory offers a possible answer to the mystery of why [[Rhaegar Targaryen]], who eventually won the tournament, passed over [[Elia Martell|his own wife]] to crown Lyanna his [[Queen of Love and Beauty]]; if Rhaegar succeeded in discovering that Lyanna was the Knight of the Laughing Tree, he might have seen it as a way to honor her valor without putting her in danger by revealing what she had done.

* '''Howland Reed''' himself. Like most [[crannogmen]], he is known to have been short of stature. As Reed knew nothing of jousting, this theory requires the belief that the old gods answered his prayer by granting him supernatural skill. A related theory suggests that the Knight might have been a '''[[Children of the Forest|Child of the Forest]]''', sent by the old gods to act as Reed's champion. Bran suggests both of these theories.

* '''Benjen Stark'''. As a son of a Great House, he certainly would have been a trained fighter, and was still young enough to be shorter than most fully-grown men. He was the one who suggested the idea of seeking vengeance to Reed in the first place, and claimed that he knew where to find armor to borrow.

* '''Eddard Stark'''. Ned was a close friend of Howland Reed in later years, took House Stark's responsibility to defend its bannermen very seriously, and was certainly a well-trained fighter. However, there is nothing to indicate that he was unusually short, and the image of a ''laughing'' weirwood seems at odds with Ned's somber personality.

* '''[[Ashara Dayne]]'''. Dayne was present at the feast, where she spoke with both Ned and [[Brandon Stark]]. She might have learned of Reed's plight from one of them, and as she is rumored to have been in love with one or both brothers, could have planned to impress them by defending Reed. Whether Dayne was trained as a fighter is unknown, but it would not be terribly unusual for a [[Dorne|Dornishwoman]] to do so, although jousting itself is not a Dornish tradition. Furthermore, Meera describes Dayne as having "laughing purple eyes," which resonates with the Knight's chosen sigil of a laughing weirwood.

==References and Notes==
{{references}}
*[http://www.westeros.org/Citadel/FAQ/Entry/Who_was_the_Knight_of_the_Laughing_Tree/ The Citadel: FAQ - 6.2.7. ''Who was the Knight of the Laughing Tree?'']
[[Category:Terms]]

[[fr:Chevalier d'Aubier rieur]][[zh:笑面树骑士]]

Knight of the Laughing Tree

2012-07-20T23:32:36Z

Penelope:

The '''Knight of the Laughing Tree''' was a [[mystery knight]] who fought at the [[Tourney at Harrenhal]]. He defended the honor of [[Howland Reed]] by challenging and defeating three knights whose squires had bullied him, demanding that they chastise the squires in order to ransom back their horses and armor.

The Knight of the Laughing Tree's identity remains unknown. The blazon on his shield was a smiling [[weirwood|heart tree]], hence the title ''Knight of the Laughing Tree''.

==History==
Most of what is known about the Knight of the Laughing Tree comes from a story told by [[Meera Reed]] to [[Bran Stark]].

According to Meera's tale, a crannogman - most likely her own father, Howland Reed - came to [[Harrenhal]] to attend the [[Tourneys in Westeros|tourney]] and found himself bullied by three squires, who beat and mocked him. None were older than fifteen, but all were considerably larger than Reed himself. He was rescued by [[Lyanna Stark]], who shouted indignantly that Reed was [[Rickard Stark|her father]]'s [[Feudalism|bannerman]] and beat off his attackers with a tourney sword. Lyanna then sought medical care for Reed's injuries and introduced him to her brothers.

That evening, Lyanna persuaded Reed to attend the feast marking the start of the tournament. There she identified the three squires who had attacked him as serving [[House Haigh]], [[House Blount]] and [[House Frey]]. [[Benjen Stark]] offered Reed a horse and armor in order to avenge himself, but although the crannogman dearly wished to do so, he had little experience with riding horses and none whatsoever with actual jousting. That night, Reed prayed to the [[old gods]] for help.

The tournament began the next day, and each of the knights whose squires had attacked Reed were victorious. On the second day, the Knight of the Laughing Tree appeared to enter the lists. He was short of stature and clad in ill-fitting, mismatched armor, his shield blazoned with the image of a smiling weirwood. In a booming voice he challenged each of the three knights, and defeated them all. When they came to ransom their horses and armor, the mystery knight only charged them to teach their squires honor.

Many swore that evening to unmask the Knight of the Laughing Tree, but he did not appear the next day. The paranoid King [[Aerys II]], certain that the mystery knight had to be an enemy conspiring against him, ordered Prince [[Rhaegar Targaryen]] to discover his identity, but all that could be found was the shield with the laughing weirwood, hanging from a tree.<ref>[[A Storm of Swords]], [[A Storm of Swords-Chapter 24|Chapter 24]], Bran</ref>

==Theories==
The Knight of the Laughing Tree's identity is currently unknown, but Meera's story contains several potential clues.

The mystery knight must have been someone who knew about Howland Reed's experience with the squires and was motivated to avenge him. The Knight was significantly shorter than most men, and had access to someone else's armor. He was competent enough at the joust to defeat three knights who had made it through the first day of the tourney, but as none of them were particularly well-known, he need not have been unusually skilled. Meera was surprised that Bran had never heard the story before, which suggests that the Knight may have been either a Stark, or someone close to the family.

Strong possibilities include:

* '''Lyanna Stark'''. Lyanna was known to be something of a tomboy, and is strongly implied to have had an interest in learning to fight; as she was an extremely skilled rider, the idea that she might have secretly practiced jousting is highly plausible. Her brother [[Eddard Stark|Ned]] described her as headstrong, hot-tempered and somewhat reckless, and the story makes it clear that she was indignant on Reed's behalf. As a woman, she would most likely have been unusually short compared to most knights, and Benjen could have helped her find armor. Most intriguingly, this theory offers a possible answer to the mystery of why [[Rhaegar Targaryen]], who eventually won the tournament, passed over [[Elia Martell|his own wife]] to crown Lyanna his [[Queen of Love and Beauty]]; if Rhaegar succeeded in discovering that Lyanna was the Knight of the Laughing Tree, he might have seen it as a way to honor her valor without putting her in danger by revealing what she had done.

* '''Howland Reed''' himself. Like most [[crannogmen]], he is known to have been short of stature. As Reed knew nothing of jousting, this theory requires the belief that the old gods answered his prayer by granting him supernatural skill. A related theory suggests that the Knight might have been a '''[[Children of the Forest|Child of the Forest]]''', sent by the old gods to act as Reed's champion. Bran suggests both of these theories.

* '''Benjen Stark'''. As a son of a Great House, he certainly would have been a trained fighter, and was still young enough to be shorter than most fully-grown men. He was the one who suggested the idea of seeking vengeance to Reed in the first place, and claimed that he knew where to find armor to borrow.

* '''Eddard Stark'''. Ned was a close friend of Howland Reed in later years, took House Stark's responsibility to defend its bannermen very seriously, and was certainly a well-trained fighter. However, there is nothing to indicate that he was unusually short, and the image of a ''laughing'' weirwood seems at odds with Ned's somber personality.

* '''Ashara Dayne'''. Dayne was present at the feast, where she spoke with both Ned and [[Brandon Stark]]. She might have learned of Reed's plight from one of them, and as she is rumored to have been in love with one or both brothers, could have planned to impress them by defending Reed. Whether Dayne was trained as a fighter is unknown, but it would not be terribly unusual for a [[Dorne|Dornishwoman]] to do so, although jousting itself is not a Dornish tradition. Furthermore, Meera describes Dayne as having "laughing purple eyes," which resonates with the Knight's chosen sigil of a laughing weirwood.

==References and Notes==
{{references}}
*[http://www.westeros.org/Citadel/FAQ/Entry/Who_was_the_Knight_of_the_Laughing_Tree/ The Citadel: FAQ - 6.2.7. ''Who was the Knight of the Laughing Tree?'']
[[Category:Terms]]

[[fr:Chevalier d'Aubier rieur]][[zh:笑面树骑士]]

Knight of the Laughing Tree

2012-07-20T23:17:47Z

Penelope:

The '''Knight of the Laughing Tree''' was a [[mystery knight]] who fought at the [[Tourney at Harrenhal]]. He defended the honor of [[Howland Reed]] by challenging and defeating three knights whose squires had bullied him, demanding that they chastise the squires in order to ransom back their horses and armor.

The Knight of the Laughing Tree's identity remains unknown. The blazon on his shield was a smiling [[weirwood|heart tree]], hence the title ''Knight of the Laughing Tree''.

==History==
Most of what is known about the Knight of the Laughing Tree comes from a story told by [[Meera Reed]] to [[Bran Stark]].

According to Meera's tale, a crannogman - most likely her own father, Howland Reed - came to [[Harrenhal]] to attend the [[Tourneys in Westeros|tourney]] and found himself bullied by three squires, who beat and mocked him. None were older than fifteen, but all were considerably larger than Reed himself. He was rescued by [[Lyanna Stark]], who shouted indignantly that Reed was [[Rickard Stark|her father]]'s [[Feudalism|bannerman]] and beat off his attackers with a tourney sword. Lyanna then sought medical care for Reed's injuries and introduced him to her brothers.

That evening, Lyanna persuaded Reed to attend the feast marking the start of the tournament. There she identified the three squires who had attacked him as serving [[House Haigh]], [[House Blount]] and [[House Frey]]. [[Benjen Stark]] offered Reed a horse and armor in order to avenge himself, but although the crannogman dearly wished to do so, he had little experience with riding horses and none whatsoever with actual jousting. That night, Reed prayed to the [[old gods]] for help.

The tournament began the next day, and each of the knights whose squires had attacked Reed were victorious. On the second day, the Knight of the Laughing Tree appeared to enter the lists. He was short of stature and clad in ill-fitting and mismatched armor, his shield blazoned with the image of a smiling weirwood. In a booming voice, he challenged each of the three knights, and defeated them all. When they came to ransom their horses and armor, the mystery knight only charged them to teach their squires honor.

Many swore that evening to unmask the Knight of the Laughing Tree, but he did not appear the next day. The paranoid King [[Aerys II]], certain that the mystery knight had to be an enemy conspiring against him, ordered Prince [[Rhaegar Targaryen]] to discover his identity, but all that could be found was the shield with the laughing weirwood, hanging from a tree.<ref>[[A Storm of Swords]], [[A Storm of Swords-Chapter 24|Chapter 24]], Bran</ref>

==Theories==
The Knight of the Laughing Tree's identity is currently unknown, but Meera's story contains several potential clues.

The mystery knight must have been someone who knew about Howland Reed's experience with the squires and was motivated to avenge him. The Knight was significantly shorter than most men, and had access to someone else's armor. He was competent enough at jousting to defeat three knights who had made it through the first day of the tourney, but as none of them were particularly well-known, he need not have been unusually skilled. Meera was surprised that Bran had never heard the story before, which suggests that the Knight may have been either a Stark, or someone close to the family.

Strong possibilities include:

* '''Lyanna Stark'''. Lyanna was known to be a something of a tomboy, and is strongly implied to have had an interest in learning to fight; as she was an extremely skilled rider, the idea that she might have secretly practiced jousting is highly plausible. Her brother [[Eddard Stark|Ned]] described her as headstrong, hot-tempered and somewhat reckless, and the story makes it clear that she was indignant on Reed's behalf. As a woman, she would most likely have been unusually short compared to most knights, and Benjen could have helped her find armor. Most intriguingly, this theory offers a possible answer to the mystery of why [[Rhaegar Targaryen]], who eventually won the tournament, passed over [[Elia Martell|his own wife]] to crown Lyanna his [[Queen of Love and Beauty]]; if Rhaegar succeeded in discovering that Lyanna was the Knight of the Laughing Tree, he might have seen it as a way to honor her valor without putting her in danger by revealing what she had done.

* '''Howland Reed''' himself. Like most [[crannogmen]], he is known to have been short of stature. As Reed knew nothing of jousting, this theory requires the belief that the old gods answered his prayer by granting him supernatural skill. A related theory suggests that the Knight might have been a '''[[Children of the Forest|Child of the Forest]]''', sent by the old gods to act as Reed's champion. Bran suggests both of these theories.

* '''Benjen Stark'''. As a male child of a Great House, he certainly would have been a trained fighter, and was still young enough to be shorter than most fully-grown men. He was the one who suggested the idea of seeking vengeance to Reed in the first place, and claimed that he knew where to find armor to borrow.

* '''Eddard Stark'''. Ned was a close friend of Howland Reed in later years, took House Stark's responsibility to defend its bannermen very seriously, and certainly would have been a trained fighter. However, there is nothing to indicate that he was unusually short, and the image of a ''laughing'' weirwood seems at odds with Ned's somber personality.

* '''Ashara Dayne'''. Dayne was present at the feast, where she spoke with both Ned and [[Brandon Stark]]. She might have learned of Reed's plight from one of them, and as she is rumored to have been in love with one or both brothers, could have planned to impress them by defending Reed. Whether Dayne was trained as a fighter is unknown, but it would not be terribly unusual for a [[Dorne|Dornishwoman]] to do so, although jousting itself is not a Dornish tradition. Furthermore, Meera describes Dayne as having "laughing purple eyes," which resonates with the Knight's chosen sigil of a laughing weirwood.

==References and Notes==
{{references}}
*[http://www.westeros.org/Citadel/FAQ/Entry/Who_was_the_Knight_of_the_Laughing_Tree/ The Citadel: FAQ - 6.2.7. ''Who was the Knight of the Laughing Tree?'']
[[Category:Terms]]

[[fr:Chevalier d'Aubier rieur]][[zh:笑面树骑士]]

Knight of the Laughing Tree

2012-07-20T22:53:29Z

Penelope:

The '''Knight of the Laughing Tree''' was a [[mystery knight]] who fought at the [[Tourney at Harrenhal]]. He defeated three knights whose squires had bullied Howland Reed, demanding that they chastise their squires in order to ransom back their horses and armor.

The Knight of the Laughing Tree's identity remains unknown. He was small of stature and wore ill-fitting, mismatched armor. The blazon on his shield was a smiling [[weirwood|heart tree]], hence the title ''Knight of the Laughing Tree''.

==History==
Most of what is known about the Knight of the Laughing Tree comes from a story told by [[Meera Reed]] to [[Bran Stark]].

According to Meera's tale, a crannogman - most likely her own father, [[Howland Reed]] - came to [[Harrenhal]] to attend the [[Tourneys in Westeros|tourney]] and found himself bullied by three squires, who beat and mocked him. None were older than fifteen, but all were considerably larger than Reed himself. He was rescued by [[Lyanna Stark]], who shouted indignantly that Reed was her father's [[Feudalism|bannerman]] and beat off his attackers with a tourney sword. Lyanna then sought medical care for Reed's injuries and introduced him to her brothers.

That evening Lyanna persuaded Reed to attend the feast marking the start of the tournament. There she identified the three squires who had attacked him as serving [[House Haigh]], [[House Blount]] and [[House Frey]]. [[Benjen Stark]] offered Reed a horse and armor in order to avenge himself, but although the crannogman dearly wished to do so, he was totally inexperienced at jousting. That night Reed prayed to the [[old gods]] for help.

The tournament began the next day, and each of the knights whose squires had attacked Reed were victorious. On the second day, the Knight of the Laughing Tree appeared to enter the lists. He challenged each of the three knights and defeated them all. When they came to ransom their horses and armor, the mystery knight only charged them to "Teach your squires honor."

Many swore that evening to unmask the mystery knight, but he did not appear the next day. The paranoid King [[Aerys II]], certain that the Knight of the Laughing Tree had to be an enemy conspiring against him, ordered Prince [[Rhaegar Targaryen]] to discover his identity, but all that could be found was the shield with the laughing weirwood, hanging from a tree.<ref>[[A Storm of Swords]], [[A Storm of Swords-Chapter 24|Chapter 24]], Bran</ref>

==Theories==
The Knight of the Laughing Tree's identity is currently unknown, but Meera's story contains several potential clues.

The mystery knight must have been someone who knew about Howland Reed's experience with the squires and was motivated to avenge him. The Knight of the Laughing Tree was significantly shorter than most men, and almost certainly did not have his own armor (as ill-fitting armor would be a significant disadvantage), but did have access to someone else's. He was a competent enough jouster to defeat three knights, but as none of them were particularly well-known, he need not have been unusually skilled. Meera was surprised that Bran had never heard the story before, which suggests that the Knight may have been either a Stark, or someone close to the family.

Strong possibilities include:

* '''Lyanna Stark'''. Lyanna was known to be a something of a tomboy, and is strongly implied to have had an interest in learning to fight; as she was an extremely skilled rider, the idea that she might have secretly practiced jousting is highly plausible. Her brother [[Eddard Stark|Ned]] described her as headstrong, hot-tempered and somewhat reckless, and we know that she was indignant on Reed's behalf. As a woman, she would most likely have been unusually short compared to most knights, and would not have had her own armor. Most intriguingly, this theory offers a possible answer to the mystery of why [[Rhaegar Targaryen]], who eventually won the tournament, passed over [[Elia Martell|his own wife]] to crown Lyanna his [[Queen of Love and Beauty]]; if Rhaegar succeeded in discovering that Lyanna was the Knight of the Laughing Tree, he might have seen it as a way to honor her valor without putting her in danger from King Aerys by revealing what she had done.

* '''Howland Reed''' himself. As Reed knew nothing of jousting, this theory requires the belief that the old gods answered his prayer by granting him supernatural skill. A related theory suggests that the Knight might have been a '''[[Children of the Forest|Child of the Forest]]''', sent by the old gods to act as Reed's champion. Bran suggests both of these theories.

* '''Benjen Stark'''. As a male child of a Great House, he certainly would have been a trained fighter, and was still young enough to be shorter than most fully-grown men. It's unclear whether he would have had his own armor at this time, but he told Reed he knew where to find some, and he was the one who suggested the idea of seeking vengeance to Reed in the first place.

* '''Ashara Dayne'''. Dayne was present at the feast, where she spoke with [[Brandon Stark]] and danced with Ned. She might have learned of Reed's plight from one of them, and as she is rumored to have been in love with one or both brothers, could have planned to impress them by defending Reed. Whether Dayne was trained as a fighter is unknown, but it would not be terribly unusual for a [[Dorne|Dornishwoman]] to do so, although jousting is not a Dornish tradition. Furthermore, Meera describes Dayne as having "laughing purple eyes," which resonates with the Knight's chosen sigil of a laughing weirwood.

* '''Eddard Stark'''. Ned was a close friend of Howland Reed in later years, took House Stark's responsibility to defend its bannermen very seriously, and certainly would have been a trained fighter. However, there is nothing to indicate that he was unusually short, and the image of a ''laughing'' weirwood seems at odds with Ned's somber personality.

==References and Notes==
{{references}}
*[http://www.westeros.org/Citadel/FAQ/Entry/Who_was_the_Knight_of_the_Laughing_Tree/ The Citadel: FAQ - 6.2.7. ''Who was the Knight of the Laughing Tree?'']
[[Category:Terms]]

[[fr:Chevalier d'Aubier rieur]][[zh:笑面树骑士]]

Daenerys Targaryen

2012-07-20T21:05:56Z

Penelope:

{{Infobox character
| Character_name= [[File:House_Targaryen_crest.PNG|50px|left]]'''Daenerys Targaryen''' [[File:House_Targaryen_crest.PNG|50px|right]]
| image = [[Image:Daenerys.jpg|300px]]
| Played_by = Emilia Clarke
| image_caption = Daenerys Targaryen with Dragons, by Amoka©
| Alias = Dany Daenerys Stormborn The Unburnt Mother of Dragons Mother Mysha The Silver Queen Silver Lady Child of Three {{Ref|aCoK|48}} {{Ref|aCoK|63}} Daughter of Death {{Ref|aCoK|48}} {{Ref|aCoK|63}} Slayer of Lies{{Ref|aCoK|48}} {{Ref|aCoK|63}} Bride of Fire{{Ref|aCoK|48}} {{Ref|aCoK|63}}
| Title = Queen of the Andals and the Rhoynar and the First Men, Lord of the Seven Kingdoms ''Khaleesi'' of the Great Grass Sea Breaker of Shackles/Chains Queen of Meereen Princess of Dragonstone
| Allegiance = [[House Targaryen]]
| Race =
| Culture = [[Valyria]]
| Spouse = [[Khal Drogo]] 1st [[Hizdahr zo Loraq]] 2nd
| Place_of_Birth= [[Dragonstone]]
| Date_of_Birth = {{Date|284}}
| Place_of_Death=
| Date_of_Death =
| Books = [[A Game of Thrones]] (POV) [[A Clash of Kings]] (POV) [[A Storm of Swords]] (POV) [[A Feast for Crows]] (Mentioned) [[A Dance with Dragons]] (POV)
| Played_by = [[w:Emilia Clarke|Emilia Clarke]]
| TV_series = [[Game of Thrones - Season 1|Season 1]]{{!}} [[Game of Thrones - Season 2|Season 2]]
}}

{{See homonyms | Daenerys Targaryen (disambiguation)}}

'''Daenerys Targaryen''', known as '''Daenerys Stormborn''' or '''Dany''', is the last confirmed member of the ancient [[House Targaryen|Targaryen Dynasty]] and one of the primary [[POV Character|POV characters]] in the book series. In the [[Game of Thrones|TV series]], Daenerys is played by Emilia Clarke.<ref name=hbo/>

==Character and Appearance==
Danaerys is a young woman in her early teens. She is short of stature and very beautiful, with the silver-blonde hair and [[purple eyes]] for which [[House Targaryen]] has always been known.{{Ref|aGoT|3}}

In her youth, Dany was a meek, timid girl with little confidence or self-esteem. She knew no life other than one of exile, dependent and in constant fear of her brother [[Viserys Targaryen|Viserys]]. He was the only family she knew, but was often a cruel guardian, prone to mood swings and fits of violence. Her marriage to [[Khal Drogo]] was a turning point for her; adapting to life in the Dothraki ''[[khalasar]]'' was difficult, but it allowed her to begin to achieve independence from her abusive brother, and she emerged from the experience as a strong, confident, courageous woman. Nevertheless, she has not forgotten what it was like to be a victimized child, and her experiences have left her with a compassion that is unusual in a would-be conqueror. She is determined to bring justice through her reign, and has made ending [[slavery]] a particular priority. Despite her strong moral compass, however, she is capable of dealing ruthlessly with her enemies.

It was often said that the Targaryen kings tended to be either madmen or brilliant rulers, and Daenerys seems to have inherited a natural gift for leadership as her birthright. Her followers generally regard her with great respect and love, and she is often compared to her deceased brother [[Rhaegar Targaryen|Rhaegar]], a similarly charismatic leader who was known for his skill, determination, scholarly mind and strong sense of justice. Her primary weakness as a ruler is her youth and relative inexperience; however, she has a keen intellect and learns quickly from her mistakes.

Although she has matured enough to recognize that Viserys was weak, cowardly and cruel, his abiding obsession with regaining the crown he felt was his birthright has instilled in Daenerys a similar belief that reclaiming the [[Seven Kingdoms]] is both her right and her duty as the last of the Targaryens, and it remains the paramount goal of her life. Nevertheless, [[Westeros]] is a foreign land that she has never seen with her own eyes, and she sometimes longs wistfully for the house with a red door in [[Braavos]] that has come to symbolize her lost childhood.

==History==
Daenerys is the only daughter and youngest child of King [[Aerys II Targaryen]] and his sister-wife, Queen [[Rhaella Targaryen|Rhaella]]. Daenerys was conceived during the last month of [[Robert's Rebellion|the rebellion]] that would ultimately end her family's reign over the [[Seven Kingdoms]]. Shortly thereafter, her mother was sent with the young prince Viserys to the family ancestral seat of [[Dragonstone]] to escape the coming [[Sack of King's Landing]]. Daenerys was born while as a great storm raged in the harbor at Dragonstone, sinking what remained of the Targaryen fleet; for this reason she is sometimes known as "Daenerys Stormborn." Her mother died from complications of labor.

By this time, the war was already lost. [[Robert Baratheon]] had claimed the throne and Aerys had already been killed along with the rest of the royal family, leaving Daenerys and her older brother Viserys as the only living Targaryen heirs. The garrison at Dragonstone decided to surrender and turn them over to the rebels in exchange for their lives, but before they could act on this plan, Ser [[Willem Darry]] and several other loyal retainers rescued the children and smuggled them into exile, sailing to the [[Braavos|Free City of Braavos]], where they lived for years in a house with a red door. Ser Willem was old and sickly, but Dany remembers that he always treated her kindly. After his death, the servants drove the young Targaryens from the house. Dany wept as they were forced out.{{Ref|aGoT|3}}

The Targaryen loyalists who raised the two children considered Viserys the rightful ruler of the [[Seven Kingdoms]] despite the family's defeat and exile, as did Viserys himself. He regarded it as his duty to revenge himself on the usurpers who murdered his family and reclaim the birthright that had been stolen from him when he was only a child. In the years that followed Ser Willem's death, Viserys wandered the nine [[Free Cities]] with his sister, trying to raise support to retake the [[Iron Throne]], which earned him the mocking title of "The Beggar King."

As a result of this long humiliation, Viserys grew bitter and obsessed with his long-denied birthright. Daenerys was the only convenient target for his frustration, and over time he even came to blame her for their mother's death. He took pride in his lack of control of his own temper, regarding it as proof that he was a true heir to the Targaryen kings; he regularly warned Daenerys not to "wake the dragon" by angering him. He often spoke to her of the importance of preserving the purity of their royal bloodline through the ancient [[Valyria|Valyrian]] practice of dynastic incest, so Dany grew up believing she would one day wed her brother. She was bright enough to realize that most of Viserys' plans for retaking the Seven Kingdoms were unrealistic, and as she had no memory of [[Westeros]] herself, his dream meant little to her; instead she longed to return to the house with the red door, which in her mind became a symbol for the childhood she had lost. With no family other than the abusive Viserys and no expectation of ever escaping his control, Dany grew into a fearful and docile young woman.

The two last Targaryens eventually found the help they sought in the [[Pentos|Free City of Pentos]], in the form of a rich and powerful magister, [[Illyrio Mopatis]], who invited them to stay in his manse and offered his help in reclaiming [[Iron Throne|their throne]].{{Ref|aGoT|3}}

==Recent Events==
[[File:Daenerys and handmaidens.png|200px|thumb|left|Daenerys and her handmaidens Doreah and Irri ([[Game of Thrones|Tv]])]]

===''A Game of Thrones''===

While Daenerys and [[Viserys Targaryen|her brother]] were staying at the manse of [[Illyrio Mopatis]] in [[Pentos]], Illyrio arranged a marriage between Dany and the powerful [[Dothraki]] warlord [[Khal Drogo]]. In return, Drogo was to provide Viserys with ten thousand warriors for his campaign to retake the [[Iron Throne]]. Dany's opinion was not consulted, and she realized this “marriage” was little different from being sold into slavery. She told her brother she did not wish to marry Khal Drogo, but Viserys only threatened that she would “wake the dragon” if she failed to please the ''[[khal]]''. Despairing, Dany saw no choice but to do her best to avoid her brother's wrath, as she always had.{{Ref|aGoT|3}}

At the wedding, the exiled [[Westeros]]i [[knight]] Ser [[Jorah Mormont]] pledged his sword to the Targaryen cause. Dany received three petrified dragon eggs from Illyrio, three handmaidens ([[Irri]], [[Jhiqui]] and [[Doreah]]) from her brother, and [[The Silver|a magnificent silver filly]] from Drogo. She was frightened by the seemingly barbaric Dothraki culture and particularly terrified of her bridegroom, a powerfully built man who shared no common language with her. After the ceremony she wept in terror, waiting for him to rape her, but Drogo proved to be a surprisingly considerate lover. He established that he understood the word “no” and began touching her gently and gradually, only having intercourse with her after she expressed her consent and initiated it.{{Ref|aGoT|11}}

Life in the ''[[khalasar]]'' was difficult at first; Dany was lonely and unaccustomed to spending her days on horseback. Nevertheless, she was determined to embrace her new life. Gradually her body strengthened and she began to enjoy the sense of freedom that came with the nomadic lifestyle. The first real turning point came when Viserys flew into one of his rages at her and Dany, for the first time in her life, fought back, shoving him away – and found herself backed up by [[Jhogo]], who whipped Viserys and asked the ''[[khaleesi]]'' how he ought to be punished. Dany began to realize that Viserys was ultimately a pathetic bully, and that she herself might not be as worthless as her brother had always claimed. From this day forward, she began to assert herself more and more.{{Ref|aGoT|23}} She lost her fear of both the Dothraki and her brother, becoming a strong and confident woman who little resembled the timid girl who had left Pentos. Drogo was pleased with her growing courage, and they developed a loving relationship.

Drogo took Daenerys east to [[Vaes Dothrak]] and presented her to the ''[[dosh khaleen]]''. By the time they arrived, Daenerys, now fourteen, was pregnant with Drogo's child.{{Ref|aGoT|23}} She took part in the [[stallion heart]] ceremony, and the ''dosh khaleen'' foretold that her son would be "the [[Stallion Who Mounts the World]]," a long-prophesied leader who would unite the Dothraki into a single ''khalasar'' and conquer the world. Dany announced that the child would be named [[Rhaego]] in honor of her deceased brother [[Rhaegar Targaryen|Rhaegar]].{{Ref|aGoT|46}}

Meanwhile, Viserys was growing increasingly impatient for the aid he had been promised in return for Dany's marriage. His demands for Khal Drogo's immediate help in conquering [[Westeros]] grew increasingly frequent and petulant, but Drogo responded with public humiliation, and Dany refused to let him bully her any longer. The situation finally came to a head when Viserys broke Dothraki law by drawing a blade in the sacred city, threatening both Daenerys and her unborn child. Drogo announced that Viserys would have the golden crown he deserved and dumped a pot of molten gold over his head, killing him and making Daenerys the last Targaryen. Dany watched impassively, thinking only:
{{Quote|''He was no dragon. Fire cannot kill a dragon.''<ref>[[A Game of Thrones]], [[A Game of Thrones-Chapter 46|Chapter 46]], Daenerys</ref>}}

With Viserys' death, Drogo lost interest in the notion of invading Westeros, despite Dany's attempts to persuade him. This changed, however, when Ser Jorah prevented an assassin from poisoning Daenerys and discovered that [[Robert Baratheon]] had placed a price on her head. Enraged, Drogo vowed before his ''khalasar'' to avenge this insult by conquering Westeros to seat his son on the [[Iron Throne]] that his mother's ancestors had once held.{{Ref|aGoT|56}}

The ''khalasar'' continued east, pillaging foreign lands with the intent of selling slaves for ships to make the crossing to Westeros. During one such raid of a [[Lhazareen]] town, Daenerys grew disturbed by the treatment of the defeated and finally gave orders to stop every rape she saw, claiming the victims as her personal slaves and taking them under her protection. At this Ser Jorah looked at her oddly and said:

{{Quote|''“You are your brother’s sister, in truth.”'' ''“Viserys?”'' ''"No,”'' he answered. ''“Rhaegar.”'' <ref>[[A Game of Thrones]], [[A Game of Thrones-Chapter 61|Chapter 61]], Daenerys</ref>}}

The Dothraki were angered by the ''khaleesi'' denying them their traditional right to rape captives, but Daenerys held her ground, and Khal Drogo, delighted by his wife's boldness, supported her decision.<ref>[[A Game of Thrones]], [[A Game of Thrones-Chapter 61|Chapter 61]], Daenerys</ref>

Drogo was injured in the raid. Although he dismissed it as a minor wound, Dany was concerned. A Lhazareen priestess, [[Mirri Maz Duur]], offered to treat him, and although Drogo's [[Bloodrider|bloodriders]] reviled the woman as a ''[[maegi]]'', Dany felt that she could trust her, as Mirri was one of the women she had rescued.<ref>[[A Game of Thrones]], [[A Game of Thrones-Chapter 61|Chapter 61]], Daenerys</ref> However, Drogo did not follow the priestess' advice, and the wound festered, making him too weak to ride. Ser Jorah explained to Dany that her position as ''khaleesi'' had been entirely dependent on Drogo, and without him, both she and her unborn son were likely to be killed. Desperate, she begged Mirri Maz Duur to save her husband, ignoring the possible consequences of [[Magic|blood magic]]. During the rite, Dany went into labor and Ser Jorah carried her into Drogo's tent, where Mirri Maz Duur was in the process of summoning dark spirits.{{Ref|aGoT|64}} When Dany awoke days later, she found that Rhaego was stillborn, while Drogo lived only as a catatonic husk. Mirri Maz Duur revealed that this was the true price of the blood magic, and that she felt no gratitude toward Daenerys, who had "rescued" her only after she had been raped multiple times and seen her community destroyed.

Daenerys euthanized Drogo and was abandoned by most of the ''khalasar'', which broke into rival war-bands.{{Ref|aGoT|68}} Ser Jorah urged her to flee with him into the east, while the men of Dany's ''khas'' offered to escort her to Vaes Dothrak to take her place as a former ''khaleesi'' among the ''dosh khaleen''. Dany, however, was unwilling to give up on her destiny. She ordered Mirri Maz Duur bound to Drogo's funeral pyre and placed the three dragon eggs around Drogo's corpse, then announced to Drogo's remaining followers that she was freeing those who were enslaved, and would lead them all to glory if they chose to follow her. She offered to [[Aggo]], [[Jhogo]] and [[Rakharo]] the traditional gifts of a ''khal'' to his bloodriders; each refused, saying that to serve as bloodrider to a woman would shame them, but Daenerys ignored their comments. Ser Jorah accepted her offer, and she named him the first of her [[Kingsguard|Queensguard]].

Daenerys then walked unflinchingly into the flames. The resulting magic restored life to the eggs, from which three [[dragon|dragons]] hatched, the first known for centuries. Daenerys emerged from the fire unharmed, proving herself to be the true blood of the dragon. Drogo's former ''khalasar'', now hers more surely than they had ever been Drogo's, knelt in awe, proclaiming her ''the Unburnt'' and ''the Mother of Dragons''. Aggo, Jhogo and Rakharo willingly swore themselves as her bloodriders, and Daenerys became the first female Dothraki war-leader, a ''[[khaleesi]]'' in her own right.{{Ref|aGoT|72}}

===''A Clash of Kings''===

Daenerys names the three dragons [[Viserion]], [[Rhaegal]] and [[Drogon]], after her two deceased brothers and her late husband, respectively. She decided to follow a red star that appeared in the sky, following the ritual that gave birth to her dragons. Daenerys and what little remains of Drogo's ''khalasar'' wander in the direction of the star to a desolate area known as the [[Red Waste]] where they find an ancient, abandoned city, which Daenerys names [[Vaes Tolorro]]. There they recover from the deadly ravages of the desert while Daenerys sends out scouts in all directions. One scout returns with three emissaries from the great city of [[Qarth]]. Daenerys accompanies them to Qarth, where she learns of King [[Robert Baratheon]]'s death and the war in the [[Seven Kingdoms]]. She tries to secure aid from the merchant emissary [[Xaro Xhoan Daxos]] in conquering [[Westeros]], but the merchants of Qarth are only interested in obtaining her dragons. {{Ref|aCoK|12}}{{Ref|aCoK|27}}

Daenerys turns to one of the other emissaries, a [[warlocks|warlock]] called [[Pyat Pree]]. Against the judgment of her friends and counselors, she agrees to visit the warlock's leaders, the [[House of the Undying|Undying Ones]], in their hall, the [[House of the Undying]]. After viewing several mysterious portents and hearing vague prophecies, Daenerys realizes that the warlocks are plotting against her, and she destroys the House of the Undying with the aid of [[Drogon]]. With nowhere else to turn, Daenerys considers the suggestions of the third emissary, the masked woman [[Quaithe]] of [[Asshai]], that she must go further east to conquer the west.{{Ref|aCoK|48}}

After the incident in the house of the Undying the warlocks conspired to see her dead. Daenerys seeking passage out of [[Qarth]] visited the docks, where she notices that two men she does not recognize are following her and [[Jorah Mormont|Ser Jorah]]. Daenerys becomes distracted and is off her guard when a [[Sorrowful Men|Sorrowful Man]] assassin tries to poison her with a [[manticore]]. One of her mysterious followers intercedes and knocks the manticore away just in time to thwart the murder. The two men introduce themselves as agents sent by [[Illyrio Mopatis|Magister Illyrio]]. One of them, a huge eunuch and former pit fighter called [[Belwas|Strong Belwas]], was to be her bodyguard. The one who saved her life was Belwas's squire, an older [[Westeros]]i man called [[Barristan Selmy|Arstan Whitebeard]]. Along with the two men, [[Illyrio]] has sent three merchant ships to transport Dany and her people to [[Pentos]]. Daenerys claims the three ships and their cargo for her own. She decrees that the ships that bring her home must bear different names and renames them [[Vhagar (ship)|Vhagar]], [[Meraxes (ship)|Meraxes]] and [[Balerion (ship)|Balerion]] and sets sail for [[Pentos]] with her ''khalasar'', Ser [[Jorah]], [[Barristan Selmy|Arstan Whitebeard]] and [[Belwas|Strong Belwas]].{{Ref|aCoK|64}}

===''A Storm of Swords''===
Several days into the trip, Ser [[Jorah]] manages to convince Daenerys to go to [[Astapor]], one of the great [[slave]] cities of [[Slaver's Bay]], to purchase [[Unsullied]] so she can return to [[Illyrio]] with an army at her back. He also kisses her and professes his love for her.{{Ref|aSoS|9}} Once in [[Astapor]], Daenerys begins to have doubts about using [[slave]]s, still she agrees to purchases an army of every [[Unsullied]] in the ciry in exchange for her Dragon [[Drogon]]. She is given a slave [[Missandei]] as a gift from the [[Good Masters]]. Dany accepts, but she then frees [[Missandei]]. Dany tells Missandei that she can leave Dany's service whenever she wishes, but Missandei remains close and loyal to Dany.

After taking control of the [[Unsullied]], Dany reclaims [[Drogon]] and commands him to use his fires against the [[Astapor]]i leaders. She then uses the Unsullied to [[Sack of Astapor|conquer the city]]. After the fighting, she proclaims all Astapori slaves free, including her Unsullied, giving her the name ''Breaker of Shackles'', or ''Breaker of Chains''. The [[Unsullied]] and many new [[Freedmen]] choose to follow her in her future battles. After forming a council to rule Astapor, she sets out for the next great slave city [[Yunkai]].{{Ref|aSoS|27}}

[[Yunkai]] hires two sellsword companies, the [[Stormcrows]] and the [[Second Sons]], in addition to conscripting a force of some four thousand slave soldiers. Daenerys parleys with the captains of the companies, hoping to convince them to switch sides. Her arguments convince one of the Stormcrows' commanders, [[Daario Naharis]], to assassinate his colleagues and pledge the company to Daenerys. To the Second Sons, Daenerys offers a great store of wine as tribute then [[Battle of Yunkai|attacks]] them in the night while they are drunk and sleeping. With the Stormcrows' betrayal and the Second Sons' drunkenness, Yunkai's [[slave]] army is unable to withstand Daenerys's Unsullied. The entire Yunkish army is slain, captured, or put to flight, and Yunkai surrenders a few days later.{{Ref|aSoS|42}}

Daenerys next made for [[Meereen]], the last of the great slave cities. Near Meereen, Daenerys is nearly killed by the [[Mero|Titan's Bastard]], the former captain of the Second Sons. [[Barristan Selmy|Arstan Whitebeard]] slays the Bastard, and finally reveals his true identity as [[Barristan Selmy]], a famous knight of her father's [[Kingsguard]] who had served the Usurper [[Robert Baratheon]] after the end of the Rebellion. He claims to have seen the error of his ways and to seeking her out as the true heir to the [[Seven Kingdoms]]. Selmy also reveals that [[Jorah Mormont]], still Daenerys's trusted right arm, has been sending reports on her actions to the spymaster in [[King's Landing]], [[Varys|Lord Varys]], hoping for a pardon from [[Robert Baratheon|King Robert]]. Daenerys feels betrayed by each of them, though both fervently wish to atone for their actions. During her [[Siege of Meereen]], she sends them on a covert suicide mission through the sewers, half hoping that they will die in the attempt. The mission succeeds and wins the city with minimal blood. Barristan humbly submits to his Queen's judgment and is forgiven. [[Jorah]] stubbornly continues to insist that he had done nothing wrong, and Daenerys is forced to banish him from her service, despite her desire to pardon him.{{Ref|aSoS|57}}

Having captured [[Meereen]], Dany turns her eyes toward [[Westeros]]. Through talks with Barristan about her homeland and its history, however, she learns that there is much she does not know about ruling. Upon hearing that Astapor and Yunkai cannot maintain the peace she had hoped to bring, she resolves to bring order to [[Slaver's Bay]] before leaving it behind. By this time, she is close on seventeen years.

===''A Feast for Crows''===

Tales told by sailors reach [[Westeros]], dragons in [[Asshai]], dragons in [[Qarth]], dragons in [[Meereen]], [[Dothraki]] dragons, dragons freeing [[slave]]s … each telling differs from the last, but only in details. All speak of [[dragons]], and a beautiful young queen. {{Ref|aFfC|Prologue}}

===''A Dance with Dragons''===

Dany struggles as ruler of [[Meereen]], mainly due to the constant threats surrounding her. A portion of Meereen's former slaving families who call themselves the [[Sons of the Harpy]] fight a shadow war with her followers, attacking lone freedmen or [[Unsullied]] in the black of night and drawing a harpy nearby with the man's blood.{{Ref|aDwD|2}} The sons have also scrawled graffiti on the walls of Meereen in blood promising a death to the families of any who serve the Dragon Queen. In Meereen, men traditionally wear their oiled black and red hair in varying shapes in homage to [[Ghis|Ghiscari]] culture. The Meereenese who now serve Dany shave their heads, symbolizing the abandonment of old Meereen to serve the new. These men are known as [[Shavepates]], and are led by [[Skahaz mo Kandaq]], known as ''the Shavepate''. Another of her Meereenese councilors is the seneschal, [[Reznak mo Reznak]].

Three fighting companies were also formed by Daenerys, their members comprised from her freeman. The company names are [[Mother's Men]]; The Company of the [[Free Brothers]]; and the [[Stalwart Shields]]. They have been receiving their training in arms from [[Grey Worm]].

Daenery's dragons have grown wilder, hunting sheep and livestock. Eventually a petitioner comes to her, presenting the bones of his six-year-old girl daughter "[[Hazzea]]", claiming the "[[Drogon|winged shadow]]" had killed her.{{Ref|aDwD|2}} Prompted by this, Dany has her Unsullied capture the dragons using nets and chains and lock them below ground to prevent any more such killings. In a closed fighting pit, [[Viserion]] and [[Rhaegal]] are captured (though several Unsullied lose their lives in the process), but Drogon escapes and disappears. During this time, she has a vision of [[Quaithe]] that offers her prophetic advice, most specifically warning her not to trust her seneschal.{{Ref|aDwD|11}}

Daenerys has enemies outside Meereen as well as in. Since she ended the slave trade in [[Slaver's Bay]], several of the [[Free Cities]] that rely upon the slave trade of the slave cities to fuel their economy have promised help to the [[Yunkai]] to bring her down. Yunkai has hired sellsword legions such as the [[Long Lances]], the [[Company of the Cat]] and the [[Windblown]]. Legions have also arrived from [[New Ghis]]. The Yunkai host first takes [[Astapor]] from [[Cleon|Cleon the Butcher King]], its most recent ruler, and puts thousands of its inhabitants to the sword or sends them again into slavery.{{Ref|aDwD|25}} An escaped rider who managed to flee in the confusion of the siege brings word of this to Dany in Meereen. Unfortunately word is not the only thing he brings, as he is infected with the [[bloody flux]].{{Ref|aDwD|30}} Several other Astapori citizens flee to Meereen, bringing the disease with them.

The merchant emissary [[Xaro Xhoan Daxos]] arrives from [[Qarth]] bearing a gift of thirteen ships in exchange for Dany's abandon of Slaver's Bay and departure for [[Westeros]]. Dany wishes to go, but the thirteen ships are not enough to take her entire army of Unsullied, Dothraki, sellswords and freedmen. The Shavepates beg her not to go. If she does, they who served her and their families will die by the Sons of the Harpy. She refuses Xaro, which prompts [[Qarth]] to join the Yunkai against her.{{Ref|aDwD|16}} Deaths of freedmen and Unsullied continue to grow nightly, and several former freed slave women are raped by the Sons of the Harpy before having their throats slit open. Daenerys takes the children of several Meereenese families of dubious loyalty as [[Cupbearers of Daenerys Targaryen|Cupbearers]] in name, but hostages in truth in hopes that would stop the killing. The killings only continue though and Daenerys refuses to harm the child hostages. In despair and loneliness, Dany takes [[Daario Naharis]] as a lover. A plan is put to her by the [[Graces|Meereenese priestess]], the Green Grace [[Galazza Galare]], suggesting that Dany should wed the Meereenese noble [[Hizdahr zo Loraq]] to bring peace. Dany agrees, on the condition that Hizdahr can promise her 90 days of peace. Hizdahr agrees.{{Ref|aDwD|23}} [[Ben Plumm|Brown Ben Plumm]], captain of the [[Second Sons]], learns that Dany can no longer control her dragons, and takes his company go over to the Yunkai.

At this point, [[Quentyn Martell]] of [[Dorne]] arrives to make a marriage claim, but is rejected because Dany has already promised to wed Hizdahr. After Hizdahr zo Loraq succeeds at keeping his promise, Dany weds him.{{Ref|aDwD|43}} Under his direction, Dany, much to her disgust, suggests peace terms with Yunkai. She promises if they leave Meereen and don't enslave any of the former slaves she freed, she won't disrupt the slave trade of Slaver's Bay any further. The Yunkai agree.{{Ref|aDwD|50}} To mark the occasion, the [[fighting pits]] are reopened and several gladiators (who freely agreed to compete) battle in the arena of [[Daznak's Pit]]. During the event, Drogon appears, drawn to the screams of the crowd and the smell of death. He kills a boar in the arena, but is then attacked by the animal handler [[Harghaz]]. Dany, seeing her "child" in pain, runs out in the arena to him as she sees other pit fighters going to kill the dragon. Dany manages to mount the dragon and ride him out of the arena.{{Ref|aDwD|52}} Many in Meereen suspect that she is dead.{{Ref|aDwD|55}} She is alive with Drogon, however, thousands of leagues away. She and her dragon are eventually discovered by the ''khalasar'' of [[Jhaqo|Khal Jhaqo]].{{Ref|aDwD|71}}

==Gallery of Daenerys Targaryen==
<gallery>
File:Drogon in Daznak's Pit.jpg
File:Daenerys by carrie best.jpg
File:Viserys Daenerys Targaryen hbo.jpg
File:Moon of my life by celestialfrost.jpg
File:GOT_tvseries_Daenerys.png
File:Daenerys targareyen by teiiku.jpg
File:Dany dragon.jpg
File:Daenerys by quickreaver.jpg
File:Dany_and_silver_in_the_Dothraki_Sea.jpg
</gallery>

==Family==
{{Targaryen_tree_now}}

==References and Notes==
{{references|3|refs=
<ref name=hbo>[http://www.hbo.com/game-of-thrones/index.html#/game-of-thrones/cast-and-crew.html/eNrjcmbOYC5kzlfPz0lxzEvMqSzJTA5ITE-1S8xN1SzLTEnNh4k65+eVpFaUsEknlpbkF+QkVtqWFJWmcjIysgEhAGCyFzg= HBO Cast and crew page]</ref>
}}
{{EnWP|Daenerys Targaryen|small=yes}}

{{Template:POV Characters}}
{{Template:Kings of Westeros}}

[[Category:POV characters|Targaryen, Daenerys]]
[[Category:Noblewomen|Targaryen, Daenerys]]
[[Category:Monarchs|Targaryen, Daenerys]]
[[Category:House Targaryen]]

[[es:Daenerys Targaryen]]
[[fr:Daenerys Targaryen]]
[[ru:Дейенерис I Таргариен]]
[[zh:丹妮莉丝·坦格利安]]
[[es:Daenerys Targaryen]]

Cohollo

2012-07-20T20:51:44Z

Penelope:

{{Character
| Character_name = '''Cohollo'''
| image =
| image_caption =
| Alias =
| Title = ''Ko'' [[Bloodrider]] of Khal Drogo
| Allegiance = [[Khal]] [[Drogo]]
| Race =
| Culture = [[Dothraki]]
| Spouse =
| Place_of_Birth =
| Date_of_Birth =
| Place_of_Death = [[Dothraki Sea]]
| Date_of_Death = +/-[[298 AL]]
| Books = [[A Game of Thrones]] (Appears)
| coat-of-arms =
}}

'''Cohollo''' is a [[bloodrider]] to [[Khal]] [[Drogo]].

==Appearance==
He is the oldest of the bloodriders, a squat bald man with a crooked nose and a mouth full of broken teeth.

==History==
He saved Khal [[Drogo]] from sellswords when he was still young.<ref>[[A Game of Thrones]], [[A Game of Thrones-Chapter 36|Chapter 36]], Daenerys</ref>

==Recent Events==
===A Game of Thrones===
As a wedding gift to the newly wed [[Daenerys Targaryen]] and ''[[Khal]]'' [[Drogo]], Cohollo gave them an ''[[arakh]]'' chased in gold.<ref>[[A Game of Thrones]], [[A Game of Thrones-Chapter 11|Chapter 11]], Daenerys</ref> When [[Viserys Targaryen]] bared steel during a feast in [[Vaes Dothrak]] and threatened Daenerys, Drogo ordered his bloodriders to seize him. Qotho pinned Viserys while the others disarmed him.<ref>[[A Game of Thrones]], [[A Game of Thrones-Chapter 46|Chapter 46]], Daenerys</ref> Cohollo always treated Daenerys kindly until she attempted to heal Drogo with the help of [[Mirri Maz Duur]]. Fearing the ''[[maegi]]'', Cohollo and the other bloodriders attempted to stop her. He was killed by [[Aggo]] during the attempt.<ref>[[A Game of Thrones]], [[A Game of Thrones-Chapter 64|Chapter 64]], Daenerys</ref>

==References and Notes==
{{references|2}}

[[Category:Characters from the Dothraki Sea]]
[[fr:Cohollo]][[zh:科霍罗]][[ru:Кохолло]]

Qotho

2012-07-20T20:46:16Z

Penelope:

{{Character
| Character_name = Qotho
| image = [[File:Qotho.png|350px|Dar Salim as Qotho]]
| Played_by = Dar Salim
| image_caption =
| Alias =
| Title = [[Bloodrider]] of Khal Drogo
| Allegiance =
| Race =
| Culture = [[Dothraki]]
| Spouse =
| Place_of_Birth =
| Date_of_Birth =
| Place_of_Death = [[Dothraki Sea]]
| Date_of_Death = [[298 AL]]
| Books = [[A Game of Thrones]] (Appears)
| coat-of-arms =
}}

'''Qotho''' is a [[bloodrider]] to Khal [[Drogo]]. Qotho was ultimately slain by Ser [[Jorah Mormont]] in the [[Dothraki Sea]].<ref>[[A Game of Thrones]], [[A Game of Thrones-Chapter 61|Chapter 61]], Daenerys</ref> In the [[Game of Thrones|TV series]] he is played by Dar Salim.<ref>[http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0944947/epcast Game of Thrones (2011) - Episodes cast] on IMDB</ref>

==Recent Events==
===A Game of Thrones===
As a wedding gift to the newly wed [[Daenerys Targaryen]] and [[Khal]] [[Drogo]], Qotho gave them a double curved [[dragonbone]] bow.<ref>[[A Game of Thrones]], [[A Game of Thrones-Chapter 11|Chapter 11]], Daenerys</ref>

Qotho was known as the most sadistic of Drogo's bloodriders. He had cruel eyes and quick hands that liked to hurt. He left bruises on [[Doreah]]’s pale skin, and sometimes made [[Irri]] sob in the night. Even his horses reacted to him with fear.<ref>[[A Game of Thrones]], [[A Game of Thrones-Chapter 36|Chapter 36]], Daenerys</ref>

When [[Viserys Targaryen]] bared steel during a feast in [[Vaes Dothrak]] and threatened Daenerys, Drogo ordered his bloodriders to seize him. Qotho pinned Viserys while the others disarmed him.<ref>[[A Game of Thrones]], [[A Game of Thrones-Chapter 46|Chapter 46]], Daenerys</ref>

After Drogo's injury, Daenerys intended to take her husband to the ''maegi'' [[Mirri Maz Duur]] to heal him, but Drogo's bloodriders, including Qotho, attempted to stop this from happening. Qotho killed [[Quaro]] in the ensuing fight and was in turn killed by Ser Jorah Mormont.<ref>[[A Game of Thrones]], [[A Game of Thrones-Chapter 64|Chapter 64]], Daeneyrs</ref>

==References and Notes==
{{references|3}}

===See Also===
See also the [http://gameofthrones.wikia.com/wiki/Qotho Qotho article] on the Game of Thrones wiki.

[[Category:Characters from the Dothraki Sea]]
[[fr:Qotho]]
[[es:Qotho]][[ru:Квото]][[zh:柯索]]