⋆˚࿔ 𝑉𝑖𝑠𝑒𝑛𝑦𝑎 𝑇𝑎𝑟𝑔𝑎𝑟𝑦𝑒𝑛² 𝜗𝜚˚⋆

Valyria, also called Old Valyria, is a ruined city in Essos. It is a long-dead city of wonderment, and was once the capital of a great empire called the Valyrian Freehold. It was destroyed by a cataclysmic event known as the Doom of Valyria a century before Aegon's Landing. It is the ancestral home of House Targaryen, House Celtigar, and House Velaryon.

A common racial characteristic among Valyrians appears to have been purple eyes and hair of silver-gold or platinum white. Valyria is said to still hold many treasures from before the Doom, such as Valyrian steel blades and items of magical power. It is said that the glass candles of Oldtown were brought there from Valyria a thousand years before the Doom.

The crownlands[1][2] are one of the nine constituent regions of the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros. It was never a sovereign kingdom, instead being contested by river kings, Storm Kings, and local petty kings until Aegon the Conqueror seized control of the area during his Wars of Conquest and made it his primary foothold on the continent. Since then, the crownlands have been sworn directly to the Iron Throne,[3] held first by House Targaryen and then, after Robert's Rebellion, by House Baratheon.

Some notable houses of the crownlands include Bar Emmon, Celtigar, Massey, Rosby, Rykker, Stokeworth, Sunglass, and Velaryon.[4][5][3][6] "Waters" is a common surname given to bastards of noble origin in the vicinity of Blackwater Bay.[7]

Islands within Blackwater Bay include Dragonstone (another seat of House Baratheon), Driftmark (seat of House Velaryon), and Claw Isle (seat of House Celtigar). Also sworn to the Baratheons of Dragonstone is Sweetport Sound (seat of House Sunglass). Massey's Hook is separated from Driftmark by the Gullet. East of Blackwater Bay is the narrow sea.[8]

The kingsroad connects King's Landing with Storm's End to the south and the crossroads to the north, while the capital is connected to Lannisport by the goldroad and to Highgarden by the roseroad.[8] The Rosby road runs from King's Landing toward Duskendale,[11] and the Duskendale road heads north to Maidenpool in the riverlands.[10]

Snow is infrequent at King's Landing.[12]

The crownlands are based around Blackwater Bay, with the capital of King's Landing built where the Blackwater Rush meets the bay. King's Landing, the largest city in Westeros, contains the Great Sept of Baelor and the Red Keep, the home of House Baratheon of King's Landing. Settlements north of King's Landing include Antlers (seat of House Buckwell), Rosby (seat of House Rosby), Stokeworth (seat of House Stokeworth), and Duskendale (seat of House Rykker), the region's secondary port. Near Duskendale are the ruins of the Hollard castle. Farther north are Rook's Rest (seat of House Staunton) and Crackclaw Point, a rugged peninsula of insular folk whose castles include the Dyre Den (seat of House Brune), Brownhollow (another seat of House Brune), and the Whispers (formerly of House Crabb). North of Crackclaw Point are the Bay of Crabs and the Vale of Arryn.[8]

The crownlands are bordered to the northwest and west by the riverlands. A stream forms part of the boundary between the two regions, with the hills of House Wode in the riverlands and the lands of House Hogg in the crownlands.[9] An unnamed river flows south from the Gods Eye into the Blackwater Rush in the western crownlands. Southwest of King's Landing are hills around Tumbleton in the Reach.[8] North of Duskendale are hills, fields, and woods.[10]

South of King's Landing is the kingswood, the royal hunting forest, and the stormlands. The Wendwater flows through the kingswood into the bay. East of the kingswood is Massey's Hook, another peninsula that with Crackclaw Point forms the inlet of Blackwater Bay. Castles on Massey's Hook include Stonedance (seat of House Massey) and Sharp Point (seat of House Bar Emmon).[8]

The metropolis of King's Landing is the driving force of the region, with the largest population and harbor in the realm. Trade and taxes flow into the capital from every corner of the realm acknowledging the Iron Throne, and many foreign vessels ply their wares as well. Virtually every craft and trade is practiced here, from metalsmithing and shipbuilding to alchemy. Elsewhere, fishing and farming are the norm, with a smattering of the common professions.

Along the kingsroad north of the capital, a traveler goes "past woods and orchards and neatly tended fields, through small villages, crowded market towns, and stout holdfasts."[13]

The mainland lords of the crownlands can raise ten to fifteen thousand men.[14] At the time of Aegon's Conquest, Houses Darklyn and Mooton combined were able to raise an army of three thousand men.

Dragonstone, the island east of Blackwater Bay, can field its own military strength, but compared to the regions in Westeros, can field the least amount of soldiers.[17] Its garrison is made up out of thirty knights, a hundred crossbowmen, and three hundred men-at-arms.[15]

The crownlands is also home to the royal fleet, which is one of the main three forces at sea in Westeros.[18] The exact number of ships of the royal fleet are unknown.

In the Age of Heroes, the petty kings of House Darklyn ruled much of the future crownlands, from Duskendale to Crackclaw Point. Although neighboring realms forced them to swear fealty and their lands changed hands many times over the years, the Darklyns remained one of the more influential houses of the region. In the days of the Hundred Kingdoms, the mouth of the Blackwater was claimed by the Darklyns, the Masseys of Stonedance, and the river kings of Houses Mudd, Fisher, Bracken, Blackwood, and Hook.[6]

Two centuries before the Doom of Valyria, Valyrians settled Dragonstone and built a citadel as the westernmost outpost of the Valyrian Freehold, becoming another power in the region.[22] In time, the middle of the narrow sea came to be controlled by the dragons of House Targaryen of Dragonstone, as well as the ships of House Velaryon of Driftmark and House Celtigar of Claw Isle.[6]

It was at the mouth of the Blackwater Rush, the later site of King's Landing, where Aegon Targaryen and his sisters, Visenya and Rhaenys, landed with their initial army. At that time the petty lords of the region had been subjugated by Harren the Black. Rosby and Stokeworth surrendered to Visenya and Rhaenys without fighting, while Aegon and his half-brother Orys Baratheon defeated the Darklyns and Mootons.[6] Massey's Hook and the southern shore of the Blackwater Rush were controlled by the Storm Kings of House Durrandon, but the Bar Emmons and Masseys allied with Aegon the Conqueror against King Argilac the Arrogant.[6]

Since the Conquest, the crownlands houses have historically been a strong source of support for House Targaryen, with Crackclaw Point being particularly fierce supporters. The Conqueror's councillors included several crownlands men, including Crispian Celtigar, Daemon Velaryon, and Tristan Massey. Nobles from the region such as Qarlton Chelsted, a Hayford lord, and several Targaryens have served as Hand of the King, and even smallfolk of the region are near enough to catch the royal eye for such service, such as Rossart and presumably Septons Barth and Murmison. Nobles and smallfolk alike also provide much of the manpower for the City Watch of King's Landing. The Kingsguard has also included many men of the crownlands, such as Duncan the Tall, Donnel of Duskendale, the Cargyll twins, Ser Rickard Thorne, at least six men of Crackclaw Point, and seven Darklyn knights.

At the start of Aegon's Conquest, Aegon the Conqueror landed at the mouth of the Blackwater Rush. On the highest of the three hills of the area, Aegon's Hill, he built his first fort of earth and wood,[1] the Aegonfort.[42] The new city of King's Landing, the capital of the Seven Kingdoms, developed around the fort. In 35 AC King Aegon I tore down the wooden Aegonfort so a more fitting stone castle could be raised for House Targaryen, tasking his sister, Queen Visenya Targaryen, and the Hand of the King, Lord Alyn Stokeworth, with overseeing its construction.[43][44]

When Aegon died at Dragonstone in 37 AC, he was succeeded by his son, Aenys I Targaryen, who was crowned at Dragonstone and then traveled to the capital to claim the Iron Throne in the ruins of the Aegonfort.[44] Aenys was obsessed with the new castle, which the people of King's Landing named the Red Keep because of its stone,[44] but the king passed away at Dragonstone during the Faith Militant uprising in 42 AC. Aenys was succeeded by his brother, Maegor I. The Red Keep and the Sept of Remembrance were seized by Warrior's Sons and Poor Fellows, but Maegor eventually used Balerion to destroy the Faith Militant at the sept and solidify his rule.[45]

Maegor took personal charge of the Red Keep's construction in 43 AC. He went beyond the plans of Aegon and Aenys by adding a moated redoubt, later known as Maegor's Holdfast, within the walls of the Red Keep. He also commanded that secret passages, false walls, and trapdoors be introduced to the castle and tunnels through Aegon's High Hill.[45] After Prince Viserys Targaryen was tortured to death by Tyanna of the Tower in 44 AC, King Maegor abandoned his nephew's body in the courtyard of the Red Keep.[45] Many members of House Harroway were thrown onto the spikes below Maegor's Holdfast when the king extinguished the family in 44 AC.[44] When the castle was completed in 45 AC, Maegor threw a feast for its builders, carvers, and stonemasons. After three days of feasting, however, Maegor the Cruel had all of the craftsmen killed so that only he would know the Red Keep's secrets.[1][45] With the Red Keep complete, Maegor then began construction of the Dragonpit. When Maegor the Cruel was found dead on the Iron Throne in 48 AC, one theory suggested that a mason familiar with the castle's secret passages had escaped Maegor's massacre and assassinated the king.[45]

The Red Keep is made of pale red stone[1] and overlooks the mouth of the Blackwater Rush.[2] The Red Keep has seven massive drum-towers crowned with iron ramparts.[1] The castle is smaller than Winterfell[3] and is patrolled by gold cloaks.[4] Much of the Red Keep is connected underground.[5]

Massive curtain walls surround the castle, with nests and crenelations for archers.[1] Thick stone parapets, some four feet high, protect the outer edge of the wall ramparts, where the heads of traitors are traditionally placed on iron spikes between the crenels at the gatehouse.[6] The walls have great bronze gates[7] and portcullises, with narrow postern doors nearby.[1] The castle also has great cornerforts.[8] The immense barbican has a cobbled square in front of it.[9] Behind the walls are small inner yards, vaulted halls, covered bridges, barracks of the City Watch of King's Landing, dungeons, granaries, kennels, and stables.[1][3][10][11]

The Red Keep has serpentine steps which can be strenuous to climb.[12] Maegor's Holdfast,[12] the small council chambers,[13] the Tower of the Hand,[13] the lower bailey,[14] a small sunken courtyard,[15] and the black cells[16] are located below the steps. The Great Hall with the throne room is found above the steps,[17] and the outer yard or ward is found near the main gate.[14][18][16] The Great Yard can be seen from the windows of the Tower of the Hand.[19] Also above the steps are the godswood, the river walk, the small kitchen, and the pig yard.[12] The royal sept and the Maidenvault are located above the serpentine steps as well.[20] Relics of the Targaryen dynasty, such as dusty suits of black armor, sit in some corridors.[7] Doors are made of oak banded with black iron.[21] Sweet-smelling rushes can be spread on floors.[22][20] The Red Keep is full of cats, including those kept as pets as well as strays, like a black tomcat.[3]

Great Hall The Great Hall contains the throne room of the king. The Iron Throne sits on a raised iron dais with high and narrow steps. A long carpet stretches from the throne to the hall's great oak-and-bronze doors. The cavernous Great Hall can feast a thousand people.[21] The hall is oriented north to south, with high, narrow windows on the eastern and western walls. Skulls of the Targaryen dragons once adorned the walls, but King Robert I Baratheon had them moved to a cellar and replaced with hunting tapestries at the beginning of his reign.[23][24] Located behind the Iron Throne is the king's door, a private exit.[25][26]

The second-largest chamber in Westeros after Harrenhal, more than a thousand maidens and their family members and servants overcrowded the Great Hall during the Maiden's Day Ball.[27] Small council sessions are sometimes held in the throne room.[28]

Maegor's Holdfast Maegor's Holdfast is a massive square fortress inside the heart of the Red Keep. The castle-within-a-castle is situated behind walls twelve feet thick and a dry moat lined with iron spikes. Maegor's Holdfast includes the royal apartments, and the king's bedchamber contains a canopied bed and twin hearths.[4] The holdfast also contains the Queen's Ballroom.[22]

Tower of the Hand The Tower of the Hand contains the chambers of the Hand of the King and the Small Hall.[21] The building has a solar and a garderobe,[29] as well as tall windows.[30] Below the tower is the chamber of the dragon mosaic.[31] Other Buildings The council chamber hosts meetings of the small council. It contains a long table,[32] at the head of which may sit the king.[33] The chamber is richly furnished with Myrish carpet, a carved screen from the Summer Isles, and tapestries from Lys, Norvos, and Qohor. The chamber's door is flanked by two Valyrian sphinxes.[7] The door can be guarded by a knight of the Kingsguard when the council is in session.[34]

White Sword Tower, located near Blackwater Bay, contains the chambers of the Kingsguard.[35]

The Maidenvault is a long, slate-roofed building located behind the royal sept.[20] The castle also has a library.[10]

The Kitchen Keep is located at a courtyard across from the castle's main kitchen. Lord Gyles Rosby has spacious apartments above the Kitchen Keep, including a large bedchamber, a solar, a bath, a dressing room, and small adjoining chambers for servants.[5] The Red Keep also has a small kitchen and a pig yard.[12]

The godswood of the Red Keep is an acre of elm, alder and black cottonwood trees that overlook the Blackwater Rush. The heart tree is a great oak with limbs overgrown with smokeberry vines.[36] Princess Myrcella Baratheon has a garden at the Red Keep.[37]

The rookery is the home of the ravens used by maesters of the Citadel. The Grand Maester has his chambers beneath the rookery.[28]

The snug apartments of Lord Varys, the master of whisperers, are three windowless chambers with a hearth near the northern wall. Varys sleeps on a stone bed.[10] Dungeon The Traitor's Walk is a pathway[3][38] leading to a squat, half-round tower.[39] The top floor holds cells for prisoners kept in a degree of comfort, such as knights or lordlings who might be ransomed, while the entrance to the dungeons sits on the ground floor. The other floors between contain rooms for the King's Justice, the Chief Gaoler, and the Lord Confessor.[39] The dungeon entrance consists of a door of hammered iron and another door of splintered grey wood.[39]

King Maegor I Targaryen ordered that the dungeons below the squat tower have four levels.[31] The uppermost level has cells with high narrow windows where common criminals are confined together. The second level has smaller, personal cells without windows for highborn captives. Torches in the halls cast light through the bars. The third level cells, the black cells, are smaller still and have doors of wood so that no light enters them,[31] but they have not been used in recent years.[40] The lowest level is used for torture. It is supposedly safer to go through the fourth level of the dungeons in darkness, because there are things one would not wish to see.[31] The dungeon has twisting turnpike stairs and iron gates.[31] A path from the lowest level leads to the chamber of the dragon mosaic below the Tower of the Hand and to the Blackwater Rush.[31]

Secret Passages The Red Keep and Aegon's High Hill have a network of secret passages and tunnels. King Maegor I Targaryen had them built to enable him to make a quick escape, should his enemies ever trap him.[10] The tunnels are supposedly full of traps. Some tunnels are of stone, while others are earth supported by timbers. Some of them are so small that a grown man must crawl through them. Some pass close to other rooms in the Red Keep, allowing a hidden person to eavesdrop on conversations.[31]

The bedchamber used by Lord Varys contains a mechanism that causes his stone slab of a bed to float up and reveal a hidden staircase.[10] One secret passage leads from the bedchamber of the Tower of the Hand to the chamber of the dragon mosaic below.[31][41] There is also a secret way to get out of the Red Keep onto the cliffs facing the sea. Narrow handholds, impossible to see from the ground, have been cut into the rock so one may climb down to a trail beside the Blackwater Rush.[7][15] Another passage out of the Red Keep passes by the cellar of the skulls of the Targaryen dragons, and leads to a sewer that empties into the river.[3]

Maegor's Holdfast is the only building in the Red Keep that has no secret passages, as Maegor "wanted no rats in his own walls". There is one escape door, but it does not connect to any other passage in the Red Keep.[10]

People familiar with the secret passages have included Maegor himself.

The Red Keep is a castle on Aegon's Hill in King's Landing, the capital of the Seven Kingdoms. The Red Keep contains the Iron Throne and is the home of King Robert I Baratheon, Lord of the Seven Kingdoms.

In the aftermath of Aegon's Landing, construction began on a crude wood-and-earth castle on the top of Aegon's High Hill at the mouth of the Blackwater Rush. After defeating a dozen castles in the vicinity of Blackwater Bay, Aegon I Targaryen commanded the defeated lords to attend him at the new Aegonfort. These men laid their swords at the conqueror's feet, and the Conqueror confirmed them in their lands and titles. Aegon's knights unveiled the heraldic banner of House Targaryen for the first time, Visenya Targaryen placed a crown on Aegon's head, and Rhaenys Targaryen proclaimed him King of All Westeros.[4]

Swords of those defeated in the burning of Harrenhal and the Field of Fire were sent to the Aegonfort by wagon, and the Iron Throne was created from these melted, broken blades.[4]

The Aegonfort began as a motte-and-bailey fort on the top of Aegon's High Hill at the mouth of the Blackwater Rush.[2] This initial design was quickly replaced with a new log keep with walls fifty feet high[3] and a cavernous longhall below it. Across from the bailey was a stone kitchen roofed in slate, and the growing castle also had stables and a granary. Its watchtower was doubled in height. As the Aegonfort grew, it gained a barracks, an armory, a sept, and a drum tower within its palisade.[2]

The Iron Throne was installed in the smoky longhall.[2] However, the Aegonfort was only a tenth as roomy as the older castle of Dragonstone, which was also more secure and comfortable.[2]

The Aegonfort was the first fort built by Aegon the Conqueror in Westeros. It was constructed where the Red Keep now exists in King's Landing.[1]

Lord Aegon Targaryen planned his invasion of Westeros from the Chamber of the Painted Table.[19] At the start of the Conquest, Aegon called bannermen and allies to Dragonstone, including the Velaryons of Driftmark, the Celtigars of Claw Isle, the Bar Emmons of Sharp Point, and the Masseys of Stonedance.[21] Aegon and his sisters, Visenya and Rhaenys, prayed in the castle sept before beginning their invasion.[21] The siblings conquered six of the Seven Kingdoms, with only Dorne remaining independent. Ser Quenton Qoherys, the master-at-arms of Dragonstone, was named Lord of Harrenhal by Aegon.[22]

Aegon established his new seat, the Aegonfort, where he first made landfall at the mouth of the Blackwater Rush. The city of King's Landing, the new capital, eventually formed around it.[23] Aegon divided his reign between King's Landing, Dragonstone, and royal progresses throughout the realm.[18] The king raised his eldest son and heir, Prince Aenys at King's Landing, while Queen Visenya raised Aegon's younger son, Maegor at Dragonstone. In time, Maegor became known as the "Prince of Dragonstone".[17] In 35 AC, the Aegonfort was torn down in preparation for the construction of the Red Keep, so Aegon the Conqueror returned to his beloved Dragonstone. Two years later Aegon died from a stroke while in the Chamber of the Painted Table.[23] Vhagar burned the king's body in the castle yard.[17]

Maegor remained the Prince of Dragonstone during the early years of Aenys I's reign, but after Maegor was exiled in 41 AC for taking Alys Harroway as a second wife at Dragonstone, Aenys established "Prince of Dragonstone" as a formal title by appointing it to his own heir, Prince Aegon.[24]

At the start of the Faith Militant uprising, King Aenys I fled to the safety of Dragonstone, where he collapsed and died after hearing that his children, Prince Aegon and Princess Rhaena, were besieged at Crakehall.[24] Aenys's body was burned at Dragonstone by Quicksilver, Vermithor, and Silverwing.

Twelve years prior to the Doom of Valyria, Aenar Targaryen, the head of House Targaryen, relocated his family, their five dragons, and all their wealth to Dragonstone, after his maiden daughter Daenys predicted the destruction of the Valyrian Freehold. In Valyria their rivals saw this as an act of cowardly surrender.[1] Four of the dragons brought from Valyria eventually died on Dragonstone, leaving only Balerion. However, two ‎eggs hatched and Vhagar and Meraxes were born.[21]

Aenar ruled as the first Lord of Dragonstone, and was succeeded by his son, ‎Gaemon the Glorious. Gaemon's children, ‎Aegon and Elaena, ruled together as kin and a couple, and were succeeded by their own son, Maegon, and later Maegon's younger brother, Aerys. Aerys's three sons, Aelyx, Baelon, and Daemion ruled Dragonstone in turn.[1] Daemion kept a maester at Dragonstone, as did his descendants.[18] Daemion's son Aerion inherited the seat. His only son by Lady Valaena Velaryon, Aegon Targaryen, was the last Lord of Dragonstone before Aegon's Conquest.[1]

Two centuries before the Doom, Valyrians took possession of the island and built a castle upon it, which became the westernmost outpost of the Valyrian Freehold.[1] The castle towers were shaped by Valyrian magic to look like dragons to make the castle look fearsome, and they placed a thousand gargoyles upon the walls.[2]

A grim place,[2] Dragonstone was built by Valyrians with arcane arts,[12] fire,[13] and sorcery.[14] Capable of liquefying and reshaping stone with dragonflame, the dragonlords used their magic to shape Dragonstone to look like multiple dragons.[15][16][13]

Dragon architecture can be found throughout the castle, such as small dragons framing gates and dragon claws holding torches.[13] A pair of great wings cover the armory and smithy, and dragon tails form archways and staircases.[13] The citadel of Dragonstone is wrought all of black stone.[2] Doors can be set in the mouths of stone dragons.[2] Instead of merlons, gargoyles and grotesques serve as brooding crenellations along the three curtain walls.[2][7] Designs include basilisks, cockatrices, demons, griffins, hellhounds, manticores, minotaurs, wyverns, and other creatures.[13] Statues in the shape of dragons can be found all over the castle.[6] Dragonstone has a castle yard[17] and a library.[10] There is a fishing village with a port beneath the curtain walls.[10][6] King Aegon I Targaryen was fond of the salty air of Dragonstone, which smells of smoke and brimstone.[18]

Notable locations at Dragonstone include:

The Stone Drum is a massive tower[19] which serves as the central keep of Dragonstone. It is named for the booming and rumbling sounds that can be heard during storms.[2] To reach the Stone Drum from Sea Dragon Tower, one must cross the gallery and pass through the middle and inner walls.[2] A high stone roofed bridge arching over emptiness leads from the Stone Drum to the entrance towards the dungeons.[19] The Chamber of the Painted Table is a round room on the top floor of the Stone Drum. It holds a large table, the Painted Table, carved and painted in the form of a detailed map of Westeros.[2]

The Great Hall[20] is carved in the shape of a huge dragon lying on its belly; the heavy red doors of the hall are set in the mouth, and those entering pass beneath the gateway teeth and through the dragon's maw.[13][2] The kitchens resemble a curled up dragon where smoke and heat vent through its nostrils.[13] Sea Dragon Tower, shaped like a dragon gazing serenely out across the sea,[13] includes the maester's chambers and the rookery.[2] The Windwyrm is a tower shaped like a dragon which seems to scream defiance.[13] Aegon's Garden can be reached when going down after the arch of the Dragon's Tail. Within grow tall dark trees, wild roses, towering thorny hedges, and cranberries. The garden has a pleasant piney scent.[7] The sept at Dragonstone, dedicated to the Faith of the Seven, contains statues representing the seven aspects of the Seven gods, carved from the masts of the ships that had carried the first Targaryens from Valyria, but have frequently been repainted since then. The statue of the Crone has pearl eyes, the Father a gilded beard, and the Stranger looks more animal than human.[6] A turnpike stair and smooth stony passages lead to windowless cells beneath Dragonstone. Thick stone walls in the dark dungeon are warm to the touch.[9][19]

The maesters at Dragonstone are Cressen and Pylos,[5] and the castle sept is maintained by Septon Barre.[6] At least two members of House Blackberry serve at Dragonstone.[7][8] Porridge and Lamprey are Ser Davos Seaworth's nicknames for two gaolers in the dungeon.[9]

At the start of King Jaehaerys I Targaryen's reign, Dragonstone had a garrison of twenty archers and as many guardsmen.[10] When the Dance of the Dragons began, the castle had a garrison of thirty knights, a hundred crossbowmen, and three hundred men-at-arms.[11]

Island of Dragonstone, crownlands, Westeros

Dragonstone is a castle on the island of the same name at the entrance to Blackwater Bay, below the Dragonmont. It was the original seat of House Targaryen in Westeros, and had been colonized and fortified as the westernmost outpost of the Valyrian Freehold. Shaped from stone to look like dragons,[2] the castle has a dark reputation.[3]

After Aegon's Conquest of the Seven Kingdoms, Dragonstone in the newly-created crownlands served as the seat of their heir apparent, known as the Prince of Dragonstone. After Robert Baratheon overthrew the Targaryens in Robert's Rebellion, he gave the castle to his brother Stannis, creating House Baratheon of Dragonstone.

Dragonstone, though old and strong, commands the allegiance of only a few lesser lords whose islands are too thinly populated to provide any great numbers of troops, although they have some naval strength. A short distance west of Dragonstone is the island of Driftmark, which is the seat of House Velaryon, a Valyrian house and historically a naval power. Other houses sworn to Dragonstone include Celtigar of Claw Isle, who are also of Valyrian descent, Seaworth of Cape Wrath, Bar Emmon of Sharp Point, and Sunglass of Sweetport Sound.[4]

Aegon I Targaryen died in 37 AC, and was succeeded by his eldest son, Aenys I Targaryen. Almost immediately, Aenys faced four rebellions which had grown out of dissent, dreams of the old days or of vengeance, and of the fact that Aenys and his younger brother, Maegor, had both been born from incestuous marriages. A bandit named Harren the Red, claiming to be a grandson of Harren the Black, took Harrenhal and killed Lord Gargon Qoherys. In the Vale, Lord Ronnel Arryn and his family were taken hostage by his younger brother, Jonos Arryn. On the Iron Islands, a man claimed to be the priest-king Lodos the Twice-Drowned, and in Dorne, the Vulture King raised thirty thousand followers against the Targaryens.[47]

Lord Goren Greyjoy killed the Lodos and sent his head to King Aenys. Lord Royce of Runestone defeated the supporters of Jonos Arryn, though this caused the death of Lord Ronnel and his family when Jonos threw them out of the Moon Door in the Eyrie.[47] Prince Maegor, who had claimed the dragon Balerion after his father's death, eventually flew up to the Eyrie and had Jonos and his followers executed.[47][48] The Vulture King had made the mistake of splitting his large army, and was defeated during the Vulture Hunt, in which Lord Orys Baratheon and several other Marcher lords, including Lord Dondarrion, Lady Caron, and Lord Sam Tarly, marched against him.[47][48] And the last rebel, Harren the Red, was eventually caught by Aenys's Hand of the King, Lord Alyn Stokeworth. Though Alyn was killed by Harren in the fighting that ensued, Harren himself was slain shortly after. As Alyn's replacement, King Aenys named Maegor as his Hand.[47]

The next challenges Aenys faced came from the Faith of the Seven. Even though the Targaryens had been followers of the Faith of the Seven since before the Conquest, the Targaryens held themselves apart from the laws of gods and men. By marrying both his sisters, Aegon I had continued both the Valyrian practice of incestuous marriage, which was considered a sin in the eyes of the Seven, as well as the more rarely practiced custom of polygamy, even though the Faith of the Seven considered marriage only possible between one man and one wife.[47] Even though Aegon I had always been careful regarding the Faith, the High Septons had never declared his marriages lawful, though they had not spoken up against Aegon's polygamous and incestuous marriages either.[48] However, when Queen Visenya Targaryen had suggested, in 23 AC, that her son Maegor should be married to Aenys's infant daughter, Princess Rhaena, the High Septon had protested, and Maegor had been married to the High Septon's niece, Ceryse Hightower, instead.[47] After sixteen years of marriage, however, Maegor remained childless.

In 4 AC, Aegon's Wars of Conquest continued with the First Dornish War, during which he and Rhaenys attempted to bring the Dornish under Targaryen rule as well.[22][46] This was a bloody war, during which Queen Rhaenys Targaryen was killed with her dragon, Meraxes, at Hellholt in 10 AC.[46] An assassination attempt on Aegon that same year led to the creation of the Kingsguard, who would guard the kings of the realm for centuries to come.[22]

The First Dornish War eventually ended in 13 AC, after Nymor Martell, Prince of Dorne, had sent his daughter Deria to King's Landing with a letter and the skull of Meraxes. Though the contents of the letter have never been revealed, Aegon agreed to end the war the next day.[46]

Aegon Targaryen, Lord of Dragonstone, aspired to unite the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros under one ruler. Slightly more than a hundred years after the Doom of Valyria, in 2 BC, he began his invasion, in which he was aided by his two sister-wives, Rhaenys and Visenya. All three were dragonriders, and used their dragons, Balerion, Meraxes, and Vhagar in battle. Aegon's Conquest, which lasted for two years, began with Aegon's Landing at the mouth of the Blackwater Rush with a small force, and ended when Aegon was anointed king by the High Septon in Oldtown.

Aegon's Conquest, which lasted for two years, began with Aegon's Landing at the mouth of the Blackwater Rush with a small force. House Hoare, the Kings of the Isles and the Rivers, were extinguished in the burning of Harrenhal, and Aegon granted the riverlands to House Tully. House Durrandon, the Storm Kings, were defeated in the Last Storm and replaced by House Baratheon, whose founder Orys was Aegon's half brother. Visenya achieved the submission of Crackclaw Point, but Dorne refused to yield to Rhaenys. House Gardener, the Kings of the Reach, were extinguished at the Field of Fire and replaced by House Tyrell, and House Lannister, the Kings of the Rock, submitted the following day. Rather than face House Targaryen's dragons, House Stark, the Kings in the North, and House Arryn, the Kings of Mountain and Vale, also submitted to the invaders. The Conquest ended when Aegon was anointed king by the High Septon in Oldtown.[27]

From the swords of his enemies, Aegon created the Iron Throne, and the dynasty he began would rule for nearly three hundred years.[7][44] Aegon had constructed a wooden castle, the Aegonfort, at the place where he had first come to shore, and the town that grew around it became King's Landing, the kingdom's new capital.[7][22] Dragonstone remained in the possession of the Targaryens as well, and was one of Aegon's favorite places.[22] The region around King's Landing became known as the crownlands. During his invasion of the Iron Islands, King Aegon allowed the Iron Islands to choose House Greyjoy as their new rulers.[45]

House Targaryen was one of the forty ancient noble houses known as dragonlords who ruled the Valyrian Freehold, a great empire spanning much of Essos. The Targaryens were not one of the most powerful houses, however. The family resided in Valyria until Daenys Targaryen, also known as Daenys the Dreamer, the daughter of Lord Aenar Targaryen, had visions of a cataclysm that would come over Valyria. Aenar sold his estates in Valyria and moved his wives, children, other relatives, slaves, wealth, and five dragons (including Balerion) to Dragonstone, an island at the entrance of Blackwater Bay and the westernmost outpost of Valyrian influence, where he took possession of a castle of the same name, in 114 BC. Twelve years later the Doom descended on the city of Valyria, leading to the collapse of the Freehold. The Targaryens were the only dragonriders of Valyria to survive. In the century that followed, four of the five dragons of House Targaryen died, with only Balerion surviving. Two more dragons, Vhagar and Meraxes, were hatched from eggs on Dragonstone, however.[7]

During the century after the Doom, which became known as the Century of Blood due to the violent struggles for power in Essos, Volantis attempted to seize power over Valyria's colonies. Most of the other Free Cities rebelled against Volantis, and towards the end of the Century of Blood, the young Lord Aegon Targaryen, rider of the dragon Balerion, was approached by Pentos and Tyrosh to form an alliance. Aegon, mounted on his dragon Balerion, flew to meet the Prince of Pentos, and then to Lys, where he set the Volantene fleet aflame. With Volantis's campaign at an end, he returned to Dragonstone and focused his attention to the lands west, which had always been of interest to him.[7]

As one of the forty dragonlord families of Valyria, the Targaryens were closer to dragons than other men. Aenar Targaryen brought five dragons with him when he moved from Valyria to Dragonstone, and Aegon I Targaryen and his sister-wives, Rhaenys and Visenya rode them to battle during the Conquest of the Seven Kingdoms in 2 BC - 1 AC.[7] The Targaryens rode their dragons during the first century and a half following Aegon's Conquest. Deaths in battle, especially during the Dance of the Dragons, and a growing infirmity in each following generation caused the family's stable to dwindle. The last dragon was a deformed and sterile creature, who died young in 153 AC, during the reign of Aegon III, the Dragonbane.[33]

The Targaryens housed their dragons in an immense domed structure in King's Landing, the Dragonpit, which was constructed during the reign of Maegor I Targaryen.[34] Not all dragons which hatched were ridden, however. On the island of Dragonstone, several dragons, both wild and previously ridden.

The Targaryens often gifted a newborn child with a dragon's egg in the cradle.[31][37]

House Targaryen's words are "Fire and Blood."[5] Their sigil is a three-headed dragon breathing flames, red on black.[1][2][3] The three-headed dragon represents Aegon the Conqueror and his two sisters, Rhaenys and Visenya.[3] Although the Targaryen kings took their seat at King's Landing, the place where Aegon and his army first landed in Westeros and made their first fort, replaced by the Red Keep later on, their earlier seat of Dragonstone remained in their possession as well.[22] It eventually became the traditional seat of the heir-apparent to the throne, who was known as the Prince of Dragonstone (or Princess of Dragonstone, in a few occasions). House Targaryen historically followed the old gods of Valyria, but at some point before Aegon's Conquest the family abandoned the Valyrian gods and converted to the Faith of the Seven, the predominant religion in Westeros.[25] The masts of the ships which carried the first Targaryens from Valyria were used to create the statues of the Seven within Dragonstone's sept,[26] and Aegon prayed in the sept before beginning his conquest.[27] Against the doctrines of the Faith, however, the family continued to follow the Valyrian practice of incestuous marriage, wedding brother to sister, cousin to cousin, uncle to niece and aunt to nephew, holding themselves apart from and above the noble Westerosi families. This was eventually formulated as the Doctrine of Exceptionalism.[28] Deceased Targaryens are traditionally cremated,[29][30][4] a custom since the days of Old Valyria.[8] If a dragon is available, it is used to light the flame of the pyre.[8] The ashes of many of the dead of House Targaryen have been interred on Dragonstone, including those of King Aegon I,[8] Queen Visenya.

The phrase "blood of the dragon" refers to the Valyrian descent of the Targaryens, and more specifically to the fact that they were one of forty dragonlord families of the Valyrian Freehold.[7]

The Targaryens are renowned for their beauty.[8][9] They usually have typical Valyrian features: pale skin, silver, platinum, or gold hair and eyes in various shades of purple or light blue.[10][11] A few Targaryens had darker hair, such as Princess Rhaenys, Prince Baelor Breakspear, Prince Valarr, and Prince Daeron.

According to semi-canon sources, the Targaryens can tolerate more heat than most ordinary people, but they are not immune to fire.[12][13] The Targaryens long believed themselves immune to illness, but Princess Daenerys then died of the Shivers,[14] and the Great Spring Sickness claimed the lives of King Daeron II, Prince Valarr, and Prince Matarys.[15]

Another trait typical to Targaryens is the ability to have premonition-like dreams.[16] The trait has been in House Targaryen since before the Doom of Valyria, with the dreams of Daenys Targaryen compelling the family to relocate from Valyria to Dragonstone in 114 BC.[7] This trait was passed on to a branch of the family, House Blackfyre, as well.[16]

The Targaryens are seen as prone to madness, presumably caused by their inbreeding.[13] According to King Jaehaerys II Targaryen, "madness and greatness are two sides of the same coin. Every time a new Targaryen is born [...] the gods toss the coin in the air and the world holds its breath to see how it will land".[17]

Blackfyre Dark Sister

None; sovereign

Dragonlord (pre-Doom) Lord of Dragonstone (pre-Conquest) King of the Andals, the Rhoynar, and the First Men Lord of the Seven Kingdoms Prince of Dragonstone (heir apparent)

Valyria (formerly) Crownlands

Dragonstone Aegonfort Red Keep

A red three-headed dragon, breathing red fire on black (Sable, a dragon thrice-headed gules flammant of the last)

House Targaryen of King's Landing is a noble family of Valyrian descent who once ruled the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros. The Targaryen sigil is a red three-headed dragon, breathing red flames on black.[1][2][3][4] The house words are "Fire and Blood".[5]

The only family of dragonlords who survived the Doom of Valyria, the Targaryens left the Valyrian Freehold twelve years before the Doom. They resided for more than a century at Dragonstone castle on Dragonstone island, until Aegon the Conqueror and his sister-wives, Visenya and Rhaenys, began the first of the Wars of Conquest in 2 BC.

During Aegon's Conquest, the family built the Aegonfort in the new capital city of King's Landing. The Aegonfort was later torn down and replaced by the Red Keep, which remained their main seat for the duration of their dynasty, and which housed the Iron Throne. Their original castle was almost always given to the heir to the throne, the Prince of Dragonstone. The Targaryens eventually built the summer residence Summerhall, which has been given to several younger sons of the family over time.

House Targaryen ruled as the Kings of the Andals, the Rhoynar, and the First Men, the Lords of the Seven Kingdoms, and the Great House of the crownlands for nearly three hundred years. Seventeen male Targaryens ruled from the Iron Throne.

When King Aegon I died in 37 AC, Vhagar supplied the flames to light the fire of his funeral pyre.[12] In 41 AC, when King Aenys I Targaryen named his eldest son and heir, Prince Aegon, the Prince of Dragonstone at his wedding, Visenya angrily left for Dragonstone. It was said that the moon turned as red as blood when Vhagar passed it.[12]

Later that year, when King Aenys arrived at Dragonstone, fleeing the first rebels in the Faith Militant uprising, Visenya asked him to grant her leave to take Vhagar and burn the Starry Sept in Oldtown. Aenys refused. When the king died early in 42 AC, Visenya left Dragonstone within an hour of his death, and flew to Pentos, where her son Maegor lived in exile. After Maegor had claimed the crown on Dragonstone, Visenya accompanied him upon Vhagar and crossed Blackwater Bay to King's Landing. The return of both Vhagar and Balerion to King's Landing set off riots in the city.[12]

Prior to Maegor's wedding to Tyanna of the Tower, Visenya flew upon Vhagar to Driftmark to convince Alyssa Velaryon to appear at the wedding.[12] When the Faith Militant continued to resist Maegor's reign, even after the losses they suffered at the Battle of Stonebridge and the Battle at the Great Fork of the Blackwater, Visenya mounted Vhagar and burned the seats of House Blanetree, House Terrick, House Deddings, House Lychester, and House Wayn in the Riverlands within a single night. Maegor flew Balerion to the westerlands, burning the seats of House Broom, House Doggett, House Falwell, House Lorch, House Myatt, and other "pious lords" who had defied his royal summons.[12]

In 43 AC,[N 1] Maegor and Visenya turned towards Oldtown, threatening to incinerate the Starry Sept in response to the High Septon's condemnation of his polygamous marriages. Only the mysterious death of the High Septon, which allowed Lord Martyn Hightower to open his gates before Balerion and Vhagar, saved the city from dragonflame.[13][12]

Following the deaths of Rhaenys and Meraxes in 10 AC at Hellholt in Dorne, Visenya and Aegon burned every Dornish stronghold at least once (except Sunspear and its shadow city) during a two-year period known as the Dragon's Wroth. The Dornish tell a tale that the Targaryens refused to attack Sunspear because they were afraid that Princess Meria Martell had purchased a device from Lys to slay Vhagar and Balerion, but Archmaester Timotty suggests the Targaryens intended to turn the other Dornish houses against the Martells.[11]

After Aegon landed on Westeros and began his conquest, Visenya flew Vhagar to Stokeworth, where crossbowmen loosed bolts until the dragon set the roofs of the castle keep ablaze.[9] Following Aegon's first coronation, Visenya, upon Vhagar, accompanied the Targaryen fleet, commanded by Daemon Velaryon, to take Gulltown. In the battle in the waters off Gulltown, the Arryn fleet defeated the Targaryen fleet, sinking one-third of the ships and capturing near as many. Then, Visenya descended, and burned the ships of the Arryn fleet.[9]

Visenya then flew to Crackclaw Point with Vhagar, to accept many pledges of fealty from the local lords. She then flew Vhagar to Stoney Sept to link up with her siblings, their dragons, and Aegon's army. They advanced south, where all three dragons took part in the decisive Field of Fire – the only battle in which all three of the Targaryen dragons took to the sky at the same time during Aegon's Conquest. Together, Vhagar, Meraxes, and Balerion killed four thousand men, burning them alive. King Mern IX Gardener died, and with him House Gardener. The army was broken, and House Targaryen was victorious.[9][7]

Visenya next flew Vhagar to the Trident in the riverlands, where she met with her brother and sister and their dragons, to face King in the North Torrhen Stark. Brandon Snow, the bastard brother of Torrhen, offered to sneak into the Targaryen camp at night to slay the dragons, but the northern king refused the attempt, and instead sent his brother as an envoy, eventually bending the knee to the Targaryens.[9]

Afterwards, Visenya flew Vhagar back to the Vale, where she landed with her dragon in the inner courtyard of the Eyrie. When Dowager Queen Sharra Arryn reached the courtyard she found her young son, King Ronnel Arryn, sitting on Visenya's knee, staring with wonder at Vhagar. The young king begged his mother for a ride on Vhagar's back. Sharra bent her knee and surrendered, and Ronnel rode on Vhagar thrice about the summit of the Giant's Lance.[9]

Vhagar hatched from a dragon egg on Dragonstone during the Century of Blood.[9] She was named after a god of the Valyrian Freehold.[10]

At some point, Vhagar was claimed by Visenya Targaryen. Visenya first rode Vhagar, demonstrating she was a dragonrider, some time before she married her brother, Aegon.[9]

Vhagar was "bronze with greenish blue highlights and bright green eyes". It is said that Vhagar's breath was so hot that it could melt a knight's armor and cook him inside. er roar was so powerful that it could shake the very foundations of Storm's End. No living dragon could match her for size or ferocity.

bronze with greenish blue highlights and bright green eyes

Visenya Targaryen

Female

Dragon

Vhagar was a she-dragon of House Targaryen. She was ridden by Queen Visenya Targaryen during Aegon's Conquest, alongside Aegon the Conqueror's Balerion and their sister Rhaenys's Meraxes.[2] Other known riders of Vhagar are Prince Baelon Targaryen, Lady Laena Velaryon and Prince Aemond Targaryen.[3][4]

Vhagar was named for one of the gods of Old Valyria.[2][5]

Dark Sister is a famous longsword of Valyrian steel. It is one of two ancestral swords of House Targaryen, the other being Blackfyre. Dark Sister has been in the possession of House Targaryen since before Aegon's Conquest.[1] It may have been forged for a woman warrior originally, as its slender blade is designed for a woman's hand.[2] Queen Visenya Targaryen was skilled in the use of Dark Sister, having trained beside her younger brother, King Aegon I Targaryen, since childhood. During the First Dornish War, the Targaryens were attacked on multiple occasions by assassins sent by Dorne.[3] Visenya was attacked one night in King's Landing, and the queen slew the last assassin with Dark Sister after two of her escorts were killed.[4] Visenya also twice wielded her longsword against Dornish assassins in Aegon's defense,[5] with one such attack taking place in 10 AC.[6] When Aegon proclaimed he still felt sufficiently protected by his guards, Visenya quickly drew Dark Sister and cut Aegon's cheek before the king's defenders could react. Aegon then entrusted Visenya with establishing the Kingsguard.[6]

With Visenya's aid, Maegor claimed the Iron Throne. Visenya accompanied him to King's Landing, where she challenged anyone who denied Maegor's right to rule, which resulted in a trial of seven between Maegor and the Warrior's Sons. Though severely injured, Maegor was the only survivor.[14]

In 42 AC, Visenya flew to Driftmark upon Vhagar to convince Aenys's widow, Dowager Queen Alyssa Velaryon, to leave her father's castle to where she had fled after her husband's death. At the royal court, it was said that Maegor's Hand of the King and council members enacted his will but did not have his ear - but instead, he was ruled by three queens: his mother Visenya, his paramour and second wife Alys Harroway, and his new third bride, the Pentoshi spymaster Tyanna of the Tower, a rumored sorceress. Visenya came to distrust Tyanna and a rivalry developed between them.[3]

In 43 AC Visenya aided her son against those who refused his royal summons. Mounted upon her dragon Vhagar, she burned the seats of several houses in the riverlands, as once she had burned castles in Dorne: House Blanetree, Terrick, Deddings, Lychester, and Wayn.[N 1] Next Visenya and Maegor turned towards Oldtown, threatening to incinerate the Starry Sept in response to the High Septon's condemnation of her sons polygamous marriages. When the High Septon suddenly died, Lord Martyn Hightower opened the city's gates, saving Oldtown from the fire. Visenya watched as the new High Septon anointed her son as king.[15][3]

After Maegor's victory in the Battle Beneath the Gods Eye, Visenya persuaded her son to spare the lives of several highborn rebels. After Prince Aegon's death, Visenya held Alyssa and her two youngest children, Jaehaerys and Alysanne, as her wards on Dragonstone.[3]

When Aegon died, both Visenya and Maegor were present as his body was cremated and Aenys I Targaryen was crowned. Aenys gifted Maegor with Blackfyre saying he was more fit to wield it. Visenya Targaryen voiced the opinion that Aenys was unfit to rule, claiming that, by giving Blackfyre to Maegor, Aenys had admitted that he lacked the strength to rule.[3]

In 39 AC, Visenya's son Maegor shocked the realm by taking a second wife and married Alys Harroway. For lack of a septon, Visenya officiated the Valyrian wedding ceremony. The outrage that followed resulted in Maegor being sent into exile.[13] Visenya was present the next year at the wedding of Princess Rhaena to Prince Aegon. At the feast that followed the ceremony, King Aenys named Aegon Prince of Dragonstone, a title which had previously belonged to Maegor. Visenya left the feast in protest and returned to Dragonstone upon Vhagar. Singers claim that the moon turned red as they passed it.[3]

When King Aenys abandoned King's Landing at the start of the Faith Militant uprising and fled to Dragonstone, Visenya counseled him to burn down the Starry Sept in Oldtown and the Sept of Remembrance in King's Landing. Aenys, incapable of making a firm decision, instead fell ill and chose not to heed her counsel. Visenya took over his care and for a time his health improved. Aenys suffered a collapse when he learned his son Aegon and daughter Rhaena were besieged in Crakehall, and he died three days later.[13] As soon as Aenys was buried, Visenya then mounted Vhagar and flew to Pentos to retrieve her son Maegor from exile.[14]

The day-to-day governance of the realm was often left in the charge of Visenya and Rhaenys, and Aegon's councilors.[9]

Rhaenys's death in Dorne in 10 AC shattered the health of her son Aenys, and people began to doubt as to whether he would live. As Visenya had not yet gotten pregnant by Aegon despite more than a decade of marriage, some had come to believe that she was barren, and even went as far as to suggest to Aegon that he should take a new wife. Although many young women were presented to Aegon, he refused to voice his opinion on the matter. In 11 AC, Visenya announced she was pregnant with a son, and the next year, she gave birth to Aegon's second son, Maegor[3] on Dragonstone.[12] Visenya raised Maegor on Dragonstone, and gave him her Valyrian steel sword, Dark Sister, as a nameday present when the boy turned thirteen.[3]

In 23 AC, Aenys's first child, Princess Rhaena, was born. Shortly after Maegor turned twelve, Visenya proposed a betrothal between her son Maegor and Rhaena, to settle the issue of the royal succession, as Rhaena's birth had sparked the discussion about who was next in line behind Aenys: his own daughter, or his brother.[3] However, the High Septon protested, and suggested his own niece, Lady Ceryse Hightower, as a bride for the young prince instead.[13][14]

Visenya's relationship with Aegon, which had never been a warm one, grew more distant. When Aegon in 35 AC had the Aegonfort torn down so they could start building the Red Keep, Visenya was left in charge of the construction. In his histories, Archmaester Gyldayn states that it was suggested at court that Aegon had left Visenya at King's Landing so that he would not have to endure her presence on Dragonstone.[9]

Visenya fought alongside her siblings in the First Dornish War, which lasted from 4 AC to 13 AC. After Rhaenys died in Dorne in 10 AC, Visenya and Aegon, grief-stricken at her death, set every castle, keep, and holdfast in Dorne ablaze at least once, with the exception of Sunspear and its shadow city.

They also placed bounties on the heads of the Dornish lords. Although half a dozen and more of those lords were killed by assassins, only two of the killers lived to collect their reward. In retaliation, the Dornish lords hired catspaws themselves.[8][9] Visenya and her escort were once attacked in King's Landing, and she cut down the last would-be assassin down herself with Dark Sister.[10] Visenya also twice wielded her longsword to defend her brother,[11] with one occasion occurring in 10 AC.[9] When Aegon argued that his guards were still sufficient for his protection, Visenya drew Dark Sister. Before his guards could react, she had cut Aegon's cheek, pointing out to him that his guards were slow and lazy.[11] This event led to the birth of the Kingsguard. Visenya modeled the vows of the Kingsguard upon the vows of the Night's Watch, and she selected the first seven members herself.[9]

In 13 AC, Deria Martell, Princess of Dorne, arrived in King's Landing in 13 AC with a delegation to discuss peace. With her, she brought the skull of Rhaenys's dragon, Meraxes, which was ill-received by Visenya. Deria and Aegon eventually reached an agreement, striking a peace which ended the war.[8]

When Aegon's Conquest of the Seven Kingdoms began, Visenya sailed with her siblings from Dragonstone. While Aegon began construction of the Aegonfort, Visenya subdued House Stokeworth by setting ablaze the roofs of Stokeworth. After the defeat of House Darklyn in Aegon's first test, Visenya claimed the riches of Duskendale, swelling the coffers of House Targaryen. Having conquered a dozen houses and secured the mouth of the Blackwater, Aegon was crowned king at the Aegonfort. Visenya, now queen, placed a Valyrian steel circlet on Aegon's head while their sister Rhaenys hailed him as the new King of All Westeros. Following the coronation, Visenya accompanied the Targaryen fleet to Gulltown and the Vale of Arryn. When the Arryn fleet sunk a third of the Targaryen ships and captured many more in a battle in the waters off Gulltown, Visenya descended from the sky upon Vhagar, burning their ships.[5]

Next, Visenya was sent to Crackclaw Point by Aegon. The local lords had learned of the death of Harren Hoare, King of the Isles and the Rivers, at the burning of Harrenhal by Aegon, so the Crackclaws submitted quickly to Visenya, swearing oaths of fealty. Visenya took them as her own men, and from that day forth the lords owed their loyalty directly to the Iron Throne.[5][6]

Visenya met Rhaenys, Aegon, and the Targaryen host at Stoney Sept, from where they raced south. There, they met the combined hosts of the Reach and the westerlands in battle. Visenya and her siblings fought from dragonback, setting the dry grasses and stands of wheat on the battlefield afire. With more than four thousand men dead from the fire, and tens of thousands wounded by the flames, the battle became known as the Field of Fire. Mern IX Gardener, King of the Reach, died in battle while Loren I Lannister, King of the Rock fled, giving the Targaryens the victory.[5] According to legend, Visenya thanked the gods that Loren had ridden forth to face the Targaryens when she saw Casterly Rock, as she believed that dragonflame would not have been able to dishearten the Lannister king if he had remained inside the Rock.[7] Visenya had taken an arrow in the shoulder during the Field of Fire, but soon recovered. Following the surrender of King Loren, the three Targaryen siblings parted ways once more, but met soon again at the banks of the Trident, where they awaited the host of Torrhen Stark, King in the North. After Torrhen bent the knee, Visenya parted from her siblings and returned to the Vale, where House Arryn had strengthened their defenses. A strong host had been positioned at the Bloody Gate, and the garrisons of Stone, Snow, and Sky had been tripled. However, Visenya bypassed these hosts by flying up to the Eyrie upon Vhagar's back. She landed in the courtyard, where she was met by Ronnel Arryn, the young King of Mountain and Vale. Ronnel's regent and mother, Lady Sharra Arryn, surrendered the Eyrie to Visenya.[5]

Born in 29 BC[1] on the island Dragonstone,[2] Visenya was the eldest child of Lord Aerion Targaryen and Lady Valaena Velaryon. Her two younger siblings, Aegon and Rhaenys, were born within a few years following her birth.[4] Since young age, Visenya trained together with Aegon at arms, and she became a skilled warrior.[5]

As expected, Visenya was wed to her brother Aegon following Valyrian custom. However, Aegon took their younger sister as a wife as well. People claimed that he had wed Visenya out of duty, and Rhaenys out of desire. Prior to her wedding, Visenya became a dragonrider, having bonded with the dragon Vhagar.[5]

In her youth Visenya was reported to have visited the Citadel of Oldtown and Lord Redwyne of the Arbor together with her brother Aegon.[5]

Like her siblings, Visenya possessed the classical Valyrian features: long, silver-gold hair, which she often braided or bound up in rings, and purple eyes.[4][5] Hers was a harsher, more austere beauty than her sister, Rhaenys.[5] A voluptuous, sensual, and passionate woman, Visenya was also stern, serious, and unforgiving.[5][4] Some claimed that Visenya dabbled in dark sorceries and played with poisons.[5]

Visenya was both a dragonrider and a warrior, comfortable in both silk and in ringmail.[5] When garbed as a warrior, she always wielded the Valyrian steel longsword Dark Sister.[4]

Queen Visenya Targaryen was the older sister and wife of King Aegon I Targaryen, the first Lord of the Seven Kingdoms. Her younger sister, Rhaenys, was married to Aegon as well. Visenya was a dragonrider, and rode the dragon Vhagar.

Aerion Targaryen (Father) Valaena Velaryon (Mother) Aegon Targaryen (Younger brother) Rhaenys Targaryen (Younger sister) Orys Baratheon (Half-brother) Maegor Targaryen (Son) Aenys Targaryen (Nephew)

House Targaryen

Lady of Dragonstone Queen Dowager Queen

29 BC

Crownlands

Human, Valyrian

Female