THE FALL OF VALYRIA
After defeating the Rhoynar people, Valyria controlled half of the continent
of Essos. This vast empire stretched from coast to coast and included
everything from the Narrow Sea to the Shivering Sea.
Valyria ran on slave labor. Thousands of slaves worked deep underground
beneath fourteen volcanoes called the Fourteen Flames, mining gold and silver
for Valyria's wealthy citizens.
About 200 years before Valyria's destruction, the Valyrians built a fortress
on an island called Dragonstone. This was their westernmost outpost - their
foothold closest to the continent of Westeros. Local lords tried to resist, but
Valyria was too strong. Using powerful magic, the Valyrians built a great
citadel there.
For two centuries, Valyrian steel weapons slowly made their way into
Westeros. Dragon riders on their flying dragons became a more common sight over
Blackwater Bay. The Valyrians felt secure in their outpost and focused on their
political schemes back home.
The Doom Strikes
Then disaster struck Valyria - an event called "the Doom." Only
one person seemed to expect it: a woman named Daenys the Dreamer, daughter of
Aenar Targaryen, who had visions of the future.
What caused it? No one knows for certain. Here are the main theories:
- Natural disaster: All fourteen volcanoes erupted at once in a massive
explosion
- Religious punishment: Some priests claimed the Valyrians angered the gods
by worshipping too many different deities
- Failed magic: Some scholars believe Valyria used spells to control the
volcanoes for thousands of years, and when these spells finally failed,
catastrophe followed
- Ancient curse: Perhaps the curse of Garin the Great (a Rhoynar leader)
finally took effect
- Assassination: Political conflicts between powerful Valyrian families may
have led to the murder of too many mages who maintained the volcano-control
spells
The Catastrophe
Whatever the cause, the destruction was total and immediate. The mighty
Valyrian empire - home to dragons and powerful sorcerers - was destroyed in
hours.
The devastation was unimaginable:
- Every hill within 500 miles split open
- The sky filled with ash, smoke, and fire so hot it killed even flying
dragons
- Huge cracks opened in the ground, swallowing palaces, temples, and entire
towns
- Lakes boiled or turned to acid
- Mountains exploded
- Fountains of molten rock shot 1,000 feet into the air
- The ground collapsed in the north, and the sea rushed in
The world's proudest city vanished instantly. The most fertile lands became
scorched wasteland. The death toll would take a century to fully count.
Who Survived?
The Valyrian dragon riders had gathered in Valyria for a meeting - except
for Aenar Targaryen, his family, and his dragons. They had fled to Dragonstone
and survived.
A few others may have survived briefly:
- Some dragon riders in the cities of Tyrosh and Lys escaped the Doom
itself, but angry citizens soon killed them and their dragons
- A dragon rider named Aurion declared himself Emperor of Valyria and flew
off with 30,000 soldiers to reclaim the homeland. Neither he nor his army were
ever seen again.
The age of dragons in Essos was over.
The Century of Blood
With Valyria gone, chaos followed. The powerful city of Volantis tried to
take control of Valyria's former empire. A faction called "the
tigers" (who favored conquest) led Volantis into war with the other Free
Cities.
At first, Volantis succeeded, controlling several cities. But when they
tried to seize too much territory, other cities united against them. Volantis
was defeated in several battles, including one where a young Aegon Targaryen
(the future conqueror of Westeros) flew his dragon Balerion to burn a Volantis
fleet.
Eventually, the "elephants" (Volantis's peace faction, made up of
wealthy merchants) took power and ended the wars.
After defeating Volantis, Aegon lost interest in eastern affairs. He
returned to Dragonstone and turned his attention westward - toward Westeros.
What Remains of Valyria
The ruins of Valyria still exist, but they're cursed and deadly. The area is
now called the Smoking Sea, and strange tales tell of demons haunting the
ruins. The road connecting Volantis to Slaver's Bay is called the "demon
road" and wise travelers avoid it. Ships sent to explore the ruins never
return.
Some cities farther from Valyria's center survived:
- Mantarys: A sinister place where children are born twisted and deformed
- Tolos: Home to the world's best slingers
- Elyria: A less notable city that has allied with other cities on Slaver's
Bay
These surviving cities avoid any attempts to reclaim Valyria's burning
heartland.
---
THE TARGARYEN CONQUEST
[The text transitions here to introduce an account of Targaryen rule,
written by Archmaester Gyldayn, which was discovered in the Citadel's archives]
Dating the Conquest
Historians use "AC" (After the Conquest) and "BC"
(Before the Conquest) to date events. But the Conquest didn't happen in one day
- it took over two years from Aegon's landing to his coronation. Dorne remained
unconquered for much longer.
Aegon counted his reign from his coronation in Oldtown, not from the day he
landed. So most of his actual conquering happened from 2-1 BC.
The Targaryen Background
The Targaryens were pure Valyrian dragonlords. Twelve years before Valyria's
destruction (114 BC), Aenar Targaryen sold everything and moved his entire
family, wealth, slaves, and dragons to Dragonstone.
Other Valyrian families thought this was cowardly. But Aenar's daughter
Daenys had dreamed of Valyria's destruction. When the Doom came twelve years
later, the Targaryens were the only dragonlords to survive.
For about a hundred years after the Doom, the Targaryens focused on eastern
affairs, not Westeros. Several generations of Targaryens ruled Dragonstone
before Aegon the Conqueror was born.
Aegon the Conqueror
Aegon was born on Dragonstone in 27 BC. His parents were Aerion (Lord of
Dragonstone) and Valaena Velaryon. He had two sisters: an older sister Visenya,
and a younger sister Rhaenys.
Following Valyrian tradition of keeping bloodlines pure, Aegon married both
his sisters. People said he married Visenya out of duty and Rhaenys out of
love.
All three siblings were dragon riders:
- Aegon rode Balerion, the Black Dread (the last surviving dragon from
Valyria)
- Visenya rode Vhagar
- Rhaenys rode Meraxes (both hatched on Dragonstone)
Aegon had visited Westeros before his conquest. He even had a massive wooden
table carved in the shape of Westeros, showing all its features - proof of his
long-standing interest in the continent.
Westeros Before the Conquest
Westeros was divided into seven kingdoms, constantly fighting each other:
- The North: Ruled by the Starks of Winterfell
- Dorne: Ruled by the Martells
- The Westerlands: Ruled by the Lannisters of Casterly Rock
- The Reach: Ruled by the Gardeners of Highgarden
- The Vale: Ruled by the Arryns
- The Stormlands: Ruled by Argilac the Arrogant of House Durrandon
- The Riverlands and Iron Islands: Ruled by Harren the Black
The two most aggressive kings were Harren the Black and Argilac the Arrogant
- both ruled territories close to Dragonstone.
Argilac the Arrogant was an aging warrior king whose power had declined over
the years. His only heir was his daughter.
Harren the Black was the most feared king in Westeros, known for his
cruelty. He had spent forty years building a massive castle called Harrenhal.
The Marriage Proposal
Feeling threatened by Harren, King Argilac offered Aegon a deal: marry
Argilac's daughter and receive lands between the Gods Eye lake and the
Blackwater Rush.
Aegon refused. He pointed out that he already had two wives and didn't need
a third. Also, the lands Argilac was offering actually belonged to Harren -
Argilac couldn't give away someone else's property. Clearly, Argilac just
wanted the Targaryens as a buffer between himself and Harren.
Aegon made a counter-offer: he would accept those lands plus additional
territory stretching south to the Wendwater and Mander rivers. The deal would
be sealed by marrying Argilac's daughter to Orys Baratheon - Aegon's childhood
friend and champion.
AEGON'S CONQUEST CONTINUES
Argilac's Insult
Argilac angrily rejected Aegon's terms. Rumors said Orys Baratheon was
Aegon's illegitimate half-brother, and the Storm King refused to dishonor his
daughter by marrying her to a bastard. The suggestion enraged him so much that
he had Aegon's messenger's hands cut off and sent them back in a box with a
message: "These are the only hands your bastard shall have of me."
Aegon didn't reply with words. Instead, he called his friends and allies to
Dragonstone. His forces were small - the Velaryons of Driftmark, the Celtigars
of Claw Isle, and a few lords from Massey's Hook who were technically sworn to
Storm's End but had closer ties to Dragonstone. Aegon consulted with them and
even prayed in the castle's sept, though he'd never been particularly religious
before.
Aegon's Declaration
On the seventh day, ravens flew from Dragonstone to every corner of Westeros
- to all seven kings, to the Citadel of Oldtown, and to lords great and small.
All carried the same message: From this day forward, there would be only one
king in Westeros. Those who bent the knee to Aegon Targaryen could keep their
lands and titles. Those who fought him would be destroyed.
The Landing
Accounts vary on how many soldiers sailed with Aegon - some say 3,000,
others say only a few hundred. This modest force landed at the mouth of the
Blackwater Rush on the northern bank, where three wooded hills rose above a
small fishing village.
This area had been fought over for centuries by various petty kings. The
three hills had once held towers and forts, but now only broken stones and
overgrown ruins remained. Though claimed by both Storm's End and Harrenhal, the
river mouth was undefended. The nearest castles were held by weak lords who had
no love for Harren the Black.
First Victories
Aegon quickly built a wooden fence around the highest hill (later called
Aegon's High Hill) and sent his sisters to secure nearby castles.
- Rosby surrendered to Rhaenys and her dragon Meraxes without a fight
- Stokeworth fired crossbows at Visenya until her dragon Vhagar set the
castle on fire - then they surrendered too
The first real battle came when Lord Darklyn of Duskendale and Lord Mooton
of Maidenpool joined forces with 3,000 men to drive the invaders back to the
sea. Aegon sent Orys Baratheon to attack them on the ground while he attacked
from above on Balerion. Both lords were killed in the one-sided battle. Their
heirs surrendered their castles and swore loyalty to the Targaryens.
Duskendale was a wealthy port city. Visenya didn't allow it to be looted,
but she did claim its riches for the conquerors.
The Three Targaryens
Visenya (the eldest):
- As much a warrior as Aegon himself
- Carried the Valyrian sword Dark Sister and was highly skilled with it
- Had the silver-gold hair and purple eyes of Valyria, but harsh, austere
beauty
- Stern, serious, and unforgiving
- Some said she experimented with poisons and dark magic
Rhaenys (the youngest):
- Completely different from her sister - playful, curious, impulsive
- Not a warrior - loved music, dancing, and poetry
- Supported singers, actors, and puppeteers
- Spent more time riding her dragon than anyone else - she loved flying
above all things
- Said she wanted to fly across the Sunset Sea to see what lay beyond
- Surrounded herself with handsome young men and possibly took some as
lovers
- Despite this, Aegon spent ten nights with Rhaenys for every one with
Visenya
Aegon:
- A mystery even to those who knew him
- Carried the Valyrian sword Blackfyre and was one of the greatest warriors
of his time
- Yet he took no pleasure in fighting and never competed in tournaments
- Only flew his dragon to battle or to travel quickly
- Had a commanding presence but no close friends except Orys Baratheon
- Women were attracted to him, but he remained faithful to his sisters
- Trusted his council and sisters with daily governance but took command
when necessary
- Harsh with rebels but generous with enemies who surrendered
Aegon Crowns Himself
At the crude wooden castle he'd built (the "Aegonfort"), Aegon
commanded the lords he'd defeated to attend him. They laid their swords at his
feet, and he confirmed them in their lands and titles.
To his oldest supporters, he gave new honors:
- Daemon Velaryon - Master of Ships (commander of the royal fleet)
- Triston Massey - Master of Laws
- Crispian Celtigar - Master of Coin
- Orys Baratheon - "My shield, my stalwart, my strong right hand"
(the first King's Hand)
When Aegon's knights unfurled his battle standard - a red three-headed
dragon breathing fire on a black field - the lords saw it as a sign that he was
truly one of them, worthy to be their king.
When Queen Visenya placed a Valyrian steel crown studded with rubies on his
head, and Queen Rhaenys proclaimed him "Aegon, First of His Name, King of
All Westeros, and Shield of His People," the dragons roared and everyone
cheered - especially the common people.
The Seven Kings Respond
The seven kings Aegon meant to dethrone weren't cheering:
- Harren the Black and Argilac the Arrogant called their armies
- King Mern of the Reach rode to meet with King Loren Lannister at Casterly
Rock
- The Princess of Dorne offered to ally with Aegon against Argilac - but as
an equal partner, not a subject
- The boy king of the Vale (Ronnel Arryn) - his mother offered an alliance
in exchange for lands
- King Torrhen Stark of Winterfell met with his advisors to discuss what to
do
The whole realm waited to see where Aegon would strike next.
The Three-Pronged Attack
Within days of his coronation, Aegon's armies marched:
1. South to Storm's End: Orys Baratheon led most of the army, with Queen
Rhaenys and Meraxes
2. North to the Vale: The Targaryen fleet under Daemon Velaryon, with Queen
Visenya and Vhagar
3. Northeast to Harrenhal: Aegon himself marched toward the massive fortress
Harren the Black had just completed
All three forces faced fierce opposition:
- Lords loyal to Storm's End ambushed Orys's forces at the Wendwater,
killing over 1,000 men
- An Arryn fleet (with Braavosi warships) defeated the Targaryen fleet at
Gulltown, killing Admiral Daemon Velaryon
- Aegon was attacked twice near the Gods Eye - once successfully when
Harren's sons crossed the lake in boats and attacked his rear
Dragons Turn the Tide
But in the end, no one could answer the dragons:
- When the Vale's fleet celebrated victory, Queen Visenya descended from the
sky and burned their ships
- When the stormland lords hid in the forests, Queen Rhaenys unleashed
Meraxes and a wall of fire swept through the trees
- When Harren's sons returned across the lake after their victory, Balerion
fell on them from the morning sky and burned the boats and everyone in them
The Riverlands Rebel
Aegon's enemies also faced problems of their own:
- Pirates raided Cape Wrath while Argilac's armies were away
- Dornish raiders swept across the marches
- The Three Sisters rebelled against the Vale
But Harren the Black faced the worst problem. The riverlands people hated
their ironborn overlords. Harren had driven thousands to their deaths building
Harrenhal and had stolen their wealth. So when Lord Edmyn Tully of Riverrun was
summoned to defend Harrenhal, he instead declared for Aegon, raised the dragon
banner, and rode to join him.
This inspired other river lords. One by one, they renounced Harren and
declared for Aegon: the Blackwoods, Mallisters, Vances, Brackens, Pipers,
Freys, Strongs, and more. They all descended on Harrenhal.
The Burning of Harrenhal
Suddenly outnumbered, Harren took refuge in his supposedly impregnable
castle. Harrenhal was the largest castle ever built in Westeros, with five
enormous towers, fresh water, huge underground storage vaults full of supplies,
and massive walls of black stone too high for ladders and too thick for
battering rams. Harren locked the gates and prepared for a siege.
But Aegon had other plans. Once he'd surrounded the castle with his allies,
he sent a maester to negotiate.
The conversation went like this:
Aegon: "Yield now, and you may remain as Lord of the Iron Islands.
Yield now, and your sons will live. I have 8,000 men outside your walls."
Harren: "What's outside my walls doesn't concern me. These walls are
strong and thick."
Aegon: "But not so high as to keep out dragons. Dragons fly."
Harren: "I built in stone. Stone does not burn."
Aegon: "When the sun sets, your line shall end."
Harren reportedly spat at that and returned to his castle. He sent every man
to the walls with spears, bows, and crossbows, promising lands and riches to
whoever could bring down the dragon. Then Harren retired to his tower with his
remaining sons for supper.
As darkness fell, Harren's men watched nervously. When no dragon appeared,
some thought Aegon's threats were empty.
But Aegon had taken Balerion high above the clouds, so high the dragon
looked like a fly against the moon. Then he descended inside the castle walls.
On pitch-black wings, Balerion dove through the night, and when the towers
appeared beneath him, the dragon roared and covered them in black fire shot
through with red.
Stone doesn't burn - but Harrenhal wasn't made only of stone. Wood, wool,
hemp, straw, food, and grain all caught fire. And the ironmen weren't made of
stone either. Screaming and burning, they ran across the yards and fell from
the walls. Even stone will crack and melt if fire is hot enough. The towers of
Harrenhal glowed red like five giant candles and began to twist and melt, with
rivers of molten stone running down their sides.
Harren and his last sons died in the fires that night. House Hoare died with
him, and so did the Iron Islands' control of the riverlands.
The next day, outside the smoking ruins, Aegon accepted an oath from Edmyn
Tully and named him Lord Paramount of the Trident (ruler of the riverlands
under the king). The other river lords swore loyalty to both Aegon as king and
Edmyn Tully as their lord.
When the castle cooled enough to enter, the swords of the dead - many
shattered, melted, or twisted by dragonfire - were gathered and sent back to
the Aegonfort.
The Last Storm
In the south and east, the Storm King's men proved more loyal than Harren's.
Argilac gathered a great army at Storm's End. His castle was mighty, with walls
even thicker than Harrenhal's, and also thought to be impregnable.
But when Argilac heard how Harren had died, he roared that he wouldn't die
cooked inside his castle "like a suckling pig with an apple in his
mouth." The old warrior king decided to meet his enemies in open battle,
sword in hand.
Queen Rhaenys, flying on Meraxes, saw Argilac leave Storm's End and told
Orys Baratheon exactly how many men were coming and how they were arranged.
Orys took a strong position on hills south of Bronzegate and waited.
When the armies met, a storm began - first rain in the morning, then a
howling gale by midday. Argilac's advisors urged him to wait for better
weather, but the Storm King outnumbered the invaders two to one and had four
times as many knights and heavy cavalry. He also noticed the rain was blowing
into the faces of the Targaryen men on the hills. So he ordered the attack.
The battle - known as the Last Storm - lasted into the night and was far
bloodier than the destruction of Harrenhal.
Three times Argilac led his knights uphill, but the steep slopes and muddy
ground from the rain made the horses struggle and founder. The charges lost
momentum.
The storm lords did better sending foot soldiers up the hills. Blinded by
rain, the invaders didn't see them climbing until too late. The rain had made
the bowstrings wet and useless. The storm lords took one hill, then another,
and Argilac's third charge broke through the center... only to encounter Queen
Rhaenys and Meraxes.
Even on the ground, the dragon was deadly. The commanders of the vanguard
and Argilac's personal guard were engulfed in dragonflame. The horses panicked
and fled in terror, crashing into riders behind them and turning the charge
into chaos. The Storm King was thrown from his horse.
But still Argilac fought on. When Orys Baratheon came down the muddy hill
with his men, he found the old king holding off half a dozen attackers, with as
many corpses at his feet.
"Stand aside," Orys commanded. He dismounted to face the king on
equal footing and offered him one last...
....
ARGILAC'S FINAL STAND
When Orys Baratheon came down the muddy hill with his men, he found the old
Storm King holding off half a dozen attackers, with as many corpses at his
feet.
"Stand aside," Orys commanded. He dismounted to meet the king on
equal footing and offered him one last chance to surrender.
Argilac cursed him instead.
So they fought - the old warrior king with his streaming white hair against
Aegon's fierce, black-bearded Hand. Each man wounded the other, but in the end,
the last of the Durrandons got his wish: he died with a sword in his hand and a
curse on his lips.
When word spread that Argilac had fallen, his lords and knights lost heart.
They threw down their swords and fled.
Storm's End Surrenders
For a few days, people feared Storm's End might suffer the same fate as
Harrenhal. Argilac's daughter Argella locked the gates when Orys approached and
declared herself Storm Queen. She told Queen Rhaenys (who flew Meraxes into the
castle to negotiate) that rather than surrender, the defenders would fight to
the last man. "You may take my castle, but you will win only bones and
blood and ashes," she announced.
But the garrison soldiers weren't eager to die. That night they raised a
peace banner, opened the gates, and delivered Lady Argella to Orys Baratheon's
camp - gagged, chained, and naked.
Orys unchained her with his own hands, wrapped his cloak around her, poured
her wine, and spoke gently to her. He told her of her father's courage and how
he died. Afterward, to honor the fallen king, Orys took the Durrandon family's
coat of arms and words as his own. The crowned stag became his symbol, Storm's
End became his home, and Lady Argella became his wife.
The Remaining Kings React
With both the riverlands and stormlands now under Aegon's control, the
remaining kings of Westeros knew their turns were coming.
In the North: King Torrhen Stark called his banners, knowing it would take
time to assemble an army across the vast distances of the North.
In the Vale: Queen Sharra (ruling as regent for her young son Ronnel) took
refuge in the Eyrie, strengthened her defenses, and sent an army to the Bloody
Gate. In her youth, she'd been called "the Flower of the Mountain,"
the fairest maiden in the Seven Kingdoms. Perhaps hoping to sway Aegon with her
beauty, she sent him her portrait and offered to marry him if he would name her
son Ronnel as his heir. The portrait reached Aegon, but it's unknown if he ever
replied - he already had two queens, and Sharra was ten years older than him
and no longer young.
In the West: The two great western kings made an alliance and assembled
their armies to destroy Aegon once and for all.
The Mightiest Host in History
From Highgarden came King Mern IX of House Gardener, King of the Reach, with
a mighty army. At Castle Goldengrove, he met King Loren Lannister of the Rock,
leading his own host from the westerlands.
Together they commanded the mightiest army ever seen in Westeros: 55,000 men
strong, including 600 lords and over 5,000 mounted knights. "Our iron
fist," King Mern boasted. His four sons rode beside him, and both young
grandsons attended him as squires.
The combined army didn't linger - a force that large must keep moving or eat
the countryside bare. They marched northeast through tall grass and golden
wheat fields.
Aegon Responds
When word reached Aegon at his camp by the Gods Eye, he gathered his forces
and advanced to meet them. He commanded only one-fifth as many men as the two
kings, and much of his strength came from riverlords whose loyalty was recent
and untested.
But with his smaller army, Aegon could move much faster. At Stoney Sept,
both his queens joined him with their dragons - Rhaenys from Storm's End and
Visenya from Crackclaw Point. Together the three Targaryens watched from the
sky as their army crossed the Blackwater Rush and raced south.
The Field of Fire
The two armies met on the wide, open plains south of the Blackwater, near
where the Gold Road would one day run.
The two kings rejoiced when their scouts reported back. They had five men
for every one of Aegon's, and far more lords and knights. The land was perfect
for cavalry - wide and open, all grass and wheat. Aegon didn't hold the high
ground like Orys had at the Last Storm. The ground was firm, not muddy. There
was no rain - the day was cloudless, though windy. There had been no rain for
more than two weeks.
King Mern commanded the center with his son Edmund leading the vanguard.
King Loren and his knights formed the right wing, Lord Oakheart the left. With
no natural barriers to protect Aegon's line, the two kings planned to sweep
around both flanks, attack from the rear, and smash through Aegon's center with
their "iron fist" - a massive wedge of armored knights and lords.
Aegon arranged his men in a rough crescent bristling with spears and pikes,
with archers and crossbowmen behind and light cavalry on the flanks. He gave
command to Jon Mooton, Lord of Maidenpool (one of the first to join his cause).
The king himself would fight from the sky with his queens.
Aegon had noticed the lack of rain too. The grass and wheat surrounding the
armies was tall, ripe for harvest... and very dry.
The Battle Begins
The Targaryens waited until the two kings sounded their trumpets and started
forward under a sea of banners. King Mern himself led the charge on his golden
stallion, his son Gawen beside him carrying the banner - a great green hand on
white. Roaring and screaming, urged on by horns and drums, the Gardeners and
Lannisters charged through a storm of arrows and swept aside the Targaryen
spearmen, shattering their ranks.
But by then, Aegon and his sisters were in the air.
Aegon flew above his enemies on Balerion, through a storm of spears, stones,
and arrows, swooping down repeatedly to bathe them in flame. Rhaenys and
Visenya set fires upwind of the enemy and behind them.
The dry grass and wheat caught fire immediately. The wind fanned the flames
and blew smoke into the faces of the advancing armies. The smell of fire
panicked their horses, and as smoke thickened, both horse and rider were
blinded. Their ranks broke as walls of fire rose on every side. Lord Mooton's
men, safely upwind of the fire, waited with bows and spears and easily killed
the burned and burning men who staggered from the inferno.
The battle was named the Field of Fire.
The Aftermath
- Over 4,000 men died in the flames
- Another 1,000 died from swords, spears, and arrows
- Tens of thousands suffered burns, some so severe they were scarred for
life
- King Mern IX died, along with his sons, grandsons, brothers, cousins, and
other relatives. One nephew survived for three days before dying of his burns.
When he died, House Gardener died with him.
- King Loren of the Rock survived by riding through a wall of flame and
smoke when he saw the battle was lost
The Targaryens lost fewer than 100 men. Queen Visenya took an arrow in the
shoulder but recovered quickly. As the dragons fed on the dead, Aegon ordered
the swords of the fallen gathered and sent downriver.
Loren Lannister Surrenders
King Loren was captured the next day. He laid his sword and crown at Aegon's
feet, knelt, and swore loyalty. True to his word, Aegon lifted him back to his
feet and confirmed him in his lands, naming him Lord of Casterly Rock and
Warden of the West. Lord Loren's bannermen followed his example, as did many
surviving lords of the Reach.
Highgarden Falls Without a Fight
The conquest of the west remained incomplete, so Aegon left his sisters and
marched immediately for Highgarden, hoping to secure it before someone else
could seize it.
He found the castle held by its steward, Harlan Tyrell, whose ancestors had
served the Gardeners for centuries. Tyrell surrendered the keys without a fight
and pledged his support. In reward, Aegon granted him Highgarden and all its
domains, naming him Warden of the South and Lord Paramount of the Mander,
giving him authority over all of House Gardener's former vassals.
The King in the North Marches
Aegon planned to continue south to force the submission of Oldtown, the
Arbor, and Dorne, but while at Highgarden, he received news of a new challenge.
Torrhen Stark, King in the North, had crossed the Neck and entered the
riverlands, leading an army of 30,000 fierce Northmen.
Aegon immediately started north to meet him, racing ahead on Balerion. He
sent word to his queens and to all the lords who had bent the knee after
Harrenhal and the Field of Fire.
When Torrhen reached the Trident, he found an army half again the size of
his own waiting south of the river - riverlords, westermen, stormlanders, men
of the Reach, all had come. And above their camp, Balerion, Meraxes, and Vhagar
circled the sky.
The King Who Knelt
Torrhen's scouts had seen the ruins of Harrenhal, where slow red fires still
burned. The King in the North had heard many accounts of the Field of Fire. He
knew the same fate might await him if he tried to cross the river.
Some of his lords urged him to attack anyway, insisting Northern valor would
win the day. Others urged him to fall back to Moat Cailin and make his stand on
Northern soil. The king's bastard brother, Brandon Snow, offered to cross the
Trident alone in darkness to kill the dragons while they slept.
King Torrhen did send Brandon Snow across the Trident - but with three
maesters to negotiate, not to kill.
All through the night, messages went back and forth. The next morning,
Torrhen Stark himself crossed the Trident. There on the south bank, he knelt,
laid the ancient crown of the Kings of Winter at Aegon's feet, and swore to be
his man.
He rose as Lord of Winterfell and Warden of the North - a king no more.
From that day to this, Torrhen Stark is remembered as the King Who Knelt.
But no Northman left burned bones beside the Trident, and the swords Aegon
collected from Lord Stark and his vassals weren't twisted, melted, or bent.
The Vale Submits
Once again, Aegon and his queens parted. Aegon turned south toward Oldtown,
while Visenya made a second attempt on the Vale and Rhaenys headed for Dorne.
Queen Sharra Arryn had strengthened Gulltown's defenses, moved a strong army
to the Bloody Gate, and tripled the garrisons at Stone, Snow, and Sky - the
waycastles guarding the approach to the Eyrie.
All these defenses proved useless. Visenya simply flew Vhagar over them all
and landed in the Eyrie's inner courtyard.
When the regent rushed out with a dozen guards, she found Visenya with young
Ronnel Arryn seated on her knee, staring at the dragon in wonder.
"Mother, can I go flying with the lady?" the boy king asked.
No threats were spoken, no angry words exchanged. The two queens smiled and
exchanged courtesies. Then Lady Sharra sent for the three crowns (her regent's
coronet, her son's small crown, and the ancient Falcon Crown that Arryn kings
had worn for a thousand years) and surrendered them to Queen Visenya, along
with the swords of her garrison.
It's said the little king flew three times around the summit of the Giant's
Lance and landed to find himself a little lord. Thus did Visenya bring the Vale
into her brother's realm.
Dorne Resists
Rhaenys had no such easy conquest. Dornish spearmen guarded the Prince's
Pass through the Red Mountains, but Rhaenys flew over them. She descended on
Vaith to demand submission, only to find the castle empty and abandoned. In the
town below, only women, children, and old men remained. When asked where their
lords had gone, they would only say, "Away."
Rhaenys followed the river to Godsgrace, but it too was deserted. Where the
Greenblood met the sea, she found the Planky Town - hundreds of boats joined
together to make a floating city - but only a few old women and small children
looked up as Meraxes circled overhead.
Finally she flew to Sunspear, where she found the Princess of Dorne waiting
in her abandoned castle.
Meria Martell was eighty years old and had ruled Dorne for sixty of those
years. She was very fat, blind, and almost bald, with sallow, sagging skin.
Argilac the Arrogant had called her "the Yellow Toad of Dorne," but
neither age nor blindness had dulled her wits.
"I will not fight you," Princess Meria told Rhaenys, "nor
will I kneel to you. Dorne has no king. Tell your brother that."
"I shall," Rhaenys replied, "but we will come again,
Princess, and next time we shall come with fire and blood."
"Your words," said Princess Meria. "Ours are Unbowed, Unbent,
Unbroken. You may burn us, my lady, but you will not bend us, break us, or make
us bow. This is Dorne. You are not wanted here. Return at your peril."
Thus queen and princess parted, and Dorne remained unconquered.
Oldtown Surrenders
To the west, Aegon met a warmer welcome. Oldtown was the greatest city in
Westeros, ringed with massive walls and ruled by the Hightowers - the oldest,
richest, and most powerful noble house of the Reach. Oldtown was also the
center of the Faith, home of the High Septon (who commanded millions of the
faithful) and the Faith Militant (the fighting orders called the Stars and
Swords).
Yet when Aegon approached Oldtown, he found the city gates open and Lord
Hightower waiting to surrender.
When word of Aegon's landing first reached Oldtown, the High Septon had
locked himself in the Starry Sept for seven days and nights, seeking guidance
from the gods. He took only bread and water and spent all his waking hours in
prayer, moving from altar to altar.
On the seventh day, the Crone lifted her golden lamp to show him the path
ahead. If Oldtown fought Aegon, the city would burn, and the Hightower,
Citadel, and Starry Sept would be destroyed.
Manfred Hightower was a cautious, godly lord. One son served with the
Warrior's Sons, another had recently become a septon. When the High Septon told
him of this vision, Lord Hightower decided not to oppose the Conqueror by
force. Thus no men from Oldtown burned on the Field of Fire, though the
Hightowers were sworn to the Gardeners of Highgarden.
Lord Manfred rode forth to greet Aegon, offering his sword, his city, and
his oath. (Some say he also offered his youngest daughter's hand, which Aegon
politely declined to avoid offending his two queens.)
The Second Coronation
Three days later in the Starry Sept, the High Septon himself anointed Aegon
with seven sacred oils, placed a crown on his head, and proclaimed him Aegon of
House Targaryen, First of His Name, King of the Andals, the Rhoynar, and the
First Men, Lord of the Seven Kingdoms, and Protector of the Realm.
("Seven Kingdoms" was the title used, though Dorne had not
submitted - nor would it for more than a century.)
Only a handful of lords witnessed Aegon's first coronation at the
Blackwater, but hundreds attended his second, and tens of thousands cheered him
in Oldtown's streets as he rode through on Balerion's back.
Among those at this coronation were the maesters of the Citadel. Perhaps for
that reason, this coronation (rather than the Aegonfort crowning or Aegon's
Landing) became the official start of his reign.
The Seven Kingdoms United
Thus were the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros hammered into one great realm by
the will of Aegon the Conqueror and his sisters.
Many thought Aegon would make Oldtown his capital, while others thought he'd
rule from Dragonstone. The king surprised everyone by choosing the new town
rising beneath the three hills at the mouth of the Blackwater - the place where
he and his sisters first set foot in Westeros.
King's Landing, the new town was called.
From there, Aegon ruled his realm, holding court from a great metal seat
made from the melted, twisted, beaten, and broken blades of all his fallen
enemies - a dangerous seat that would soon be known throughout the world as the
Iron Throne of Westeros.
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