Editing Rickard Thorne (section)

==History==

[[File:Rickard Thorne.jpg|thumb|300px|Rickard Thorne defending Prince [[Maelor Targaryen]], as depicted by Douglas Wheatley in ''[[Fire & Blood]]'']]
After the death of King [[Viserys I Targaryen]] in {{Date|129}}, Rickard choose the side of King [[Aegon II Targaryen]] and the [[greens]] in the ensuing civil war known as the [[Dance of the Dragons]].{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Blacks and the Greens}}

In {{Date|130}}, during the [[fall of King's Landing]], when Queen [[Rhaenyra Targaryen]]'s [[dragon]]s first appeared in the skies above the city, Lord [[Larys Strong]], the [[master of whisperers]], smuggled King Aegon II, Princess [[Jaehaera Targaryen|Jaehaera]], and Prince [[Maelor Targaryen]] to safety through a [[secret passage]] known only to Larys within [[Maegor's Holdfast]]. The party was accompanied by two members of the [[Kingsguard]], Ser Rickard and Ser [[Willis Fell]].{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - The Red Dragon and the Gold}} Ser Willis was charged to bring Jaehaera to [[Storm's End]], and Maelor was put in Rickard's charge. Rickard swore to bring the three-year-old prince safely to [[Oldtown]].{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Triumphant}} 

After the escape, Queen Rhaenyra posted huge rewards for information leading to the capture of Aegon, Jaehaera, Maelor, and Larys, as well as the "false knights" Willis and Rickard. When that failed to produce anything, Rhaenyra sent out hunting parties of "[[knights inquisitor]]" to seek out the escapees, and punish anyone who helped them.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Triumphant}} 

Rickard Thorne traveled incognito, and claimed Maelor was his son. At the [[blacks]]-held [[Bitterbridge]], Rickard attempted to stay at the [[Hogs Head]], a disreputable inn, but there were no rooms left. Rickard showed a [[silver]] [[currency|stag]] to the innkeep, [[Ben Buttercakes]], and Ben allowed him to stay in the stables, if he cleaned them first. Once Rickard did so, Ben offered him a drink, as a pretext for his stableboy to search for more money in Rickard's belongings. [[Sly (stableboy)|Sly]] did not find any coins, but he did find Maelor's [[dragon egg]], wrapped in Rickard's white cloak. When Sly informed the inn's common room of his discovery, Rickard fled the inn with Maelor, slaying Ben on his way out and stealing a [[horse]] from the stables, while a mob of people followed. Not long after, Rickard was killed by crossbowmen on the city's stone bridge, though the Kingsguard clung to his charge until the end. A washerwoman, [[Willow Pound-Stone]], had to tear a crying Maelor from his arms.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Triumphant}}

However, once the mob killed Rickard and seized Maelor, they did not know what to do with him. They debated whether to bring him to far away King's Landing for Rhaenyra's reward, or take him to nearby [[Longtable]] and the camp of the [[greens|green]] Lord [[Ormund Hightower]], who might pay more for Maelor. A fight broke out between Sly the stableboy, the crossbowman who had killed Rickard, and Willow Pound-Stone, who said no one was going to hurt her new son. It is disputed what happened next: [[Mushroom]] claims Willow Pound-Stone accidentally crushed Maelor to death, [[Eustace (Dance of the Dragons)|Eustace]] says he was chopped into six pieces by a butcher so everyone might have a piece, and [[Munkun]] writes that Maelor was torn apart by the mob. All that is known for sure is that by the time [[Lady Caswell]] and her knights arrived, Maelor was dead.{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Triumphant}}

Lady Caswell, after hanging those responsible for the prince's death, had Ser Rickard's corpse and Maelor's head sent to Queen [[Rhaenyra Targaryen|Rhaenyra]] at [[King's Landing]].{{Ref|FAB|The Dying of the Dragons - Rhaenyra Triumphant}}