during the Sack of King’s Landing,
— [PRINCE AEGON], a babe, slain during the Sack of King’s Landing,
— his brother, PRINCE OBERYN, the Red Viper,
— his household:
— AREO HOTAH, a Norvoshi sellsword, captain of guards,
— MAESTER CALEOTTE, counselor, healer, and tutor,
— his knights and lord bannermen:
— EDRIC DAYNE, Lord of Starfall.
The principal houses sworn to Sunspear include Jordayne, Santagar, Allyrion, Toland, Yronwood, Wyl, Fowler, and Dayne.
The Old Dynasty
HOUSE TARGARYEN
The Targaryens are the blood of the dragon, descended from the high lords of the ancient Freehold of Valyria, their heritage proclaimed in a striking (some say inhuman) beauty, with lilac or indigo or violet eyes and hair of silver-gold or platinum white.
Aegon the Dragon’s ancestors escaped the Doom of Valyria and the chaos and slaughter that followed to settle on Dragonstone, a rocky island in the narrow sea. It was from there that Aegon and his sisters Visenya and Rhaenys sailed to conquer the Seven Kingdoms. To preserve the blood royal and keep it pure, House Targaryen has often followed the Valyrian custom of wedding brother to sister. Aegon himself took both his sisters to wife, and fathered sons on each. The Targaryen banner is a three-headed dragon, red on black, the three heads representing Aegon and his sisters. The Targaryen words are Fire and Blood.
THE TARGARYEN SUCCESSION
dated by years after Aegon’s Landing
| 1–37 | Aegon I | Aegon the Conquerer, Aegon the Dragon, |
| 37–42 | Aenys I | son of Aegon and Rhaenys, |
| 42–48 | Maegor I | Maegor the Cruel, son of Aegon and Visenya, |
| 48–103 | Jaehaerys I | the Old King, the Conciliator, Aenys’ son, |
| 103–129 | Viserys I | grandson to Jaehaerys, |
| 129–131 | Aegon II | eldest son of Viserys, |
| (Aegon II’s ascent was disputed by his sister Rhaenyra, a year his elder. Both perished in the war between them, called by singers the Dance of the Dragons.) | ||
| 131–157 | Aegon III | the Dragonbane, Rhaenyra’s son, |
| (The last of the Targaryen dragons died during the reign of Aegon III.) | ||
| 157–161 | Daeron I | the Young Dragon, the Boy King, eldest son of Aegon III, |
| (Daeron conquered Dorne, but was unable to hold it, and died young.) | ||
| 161–171 | Baelor I | the Beloved, the Blessed, septon and king, second son of Aegon III, |
| 171–172 | Viserys II | younger brother of Aegon III, |
| 172–184 | Aegon IV | the Unworthy, eldest son of Viserys, |
| (His younger brother, Prince Aemon the Dragonknight, was champion and some say lover to Queen Naerys.) | ||
| 184–209 | Daeron II | Queen Naerys’ son, by Aegon or Aemon, |
| (Daeron brought Dorne into the realm by wedding the Dornish princess Myriah.) | ||
| 209–221 | Aerys I | second son to Daeron II (left no issue), |
| 221–233 | Maekar I | fourth son of Daeron II, |
| 233–259 | Aegon V | the Unlikely, Maekar’s fourth son, |
| 259–262 | Jaehaerys II | second son of Aegon the Unlikely, |
| 262–283 | Aerys II | the Mad King, only son to Jaehaerys. |
Therein, the line of the dragon kings ended, when Aerys II was dethroned and killed, along with his heir, the crown prince Rhaegar Targaryen, slain by Robert Baratheon on the Trident.
THE LAST TARGARYENS
[KINGS AERYS TARGARYEN], the Second of His
Name, slain by Jaime Lannister during the Sack of King’s Landing,
— his sister and wife, [QUEEN RHAELLA] of House Targaryen, died in childbed on Dragonstone,
— their children:
— [PRINCE RHAEGAR], heir to the Iron Throne, slain by Robert Baratheon on the Trident,
— his wife, [PRINCESS ELIA] of House Martell, slain during the Sack of King’s Landing,
— their children:
— [PRINCESS RHAENYS], a young girl, slain during the Sack of King’s Landing
— [PRINCE AEGON], a babe, slain during the Sack of King’s Landing,
— PRINCE VISERYS, styling himself Viserys, the Third of His Name, Lord of the Seven Kingdoms, called the Beggar King,
— PRINCESS DAENERYS, called Daenerys Stormborn, a maid of thirteen years.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
The devil is in the details, they say.
A book this size has a lot of devils, any one of which will bite you if you don’t watch out. Fortunately, I know a lot of angels.
Thanks and appreciation, therefore, to all those good folks who so kindly lent me their ears and their expertise (and in some cases their books) so I could get all those little details right—to Sage Walker, Martin Wright, Melinda Snodgrass, Carl Keim, Bruce Baugh, Tim O’Brien, Roger Zelazny, Jane Lindskold, and Laura J. Mixon, and of course to Parris.
And a special thanks to Jennifer Hershey, for labors above