House of the Dragon chronicles the events before and during the great Targaryen civil war known as The Dance of Dragons. This war is crucial to Westerosi history as it would see the decline of the dynasty that ruled for hundreds of years. If this war hadn’t taken place, perhaps the dragon riders would have never been deposed in Robert’s rebellion. Perhaps they would have been able to stand united and defeat the White Walkers. Who’s to say dragons wouldn’t have continued to roam the skies by the time of Jon Snow and Daenerys? No one will ever know, but as was learned in the prequel’s premiere, the Targaryens knew the dead would eventually come.
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House of the Dragon shocked everyone with its connection to its predecessor through Aegon the Conqueror’s prophecy. The first Targaryen king foresaw the dead marching again, thousands of years after their first assault from the north, and he knew the realm would need to be united if they hoped to beat this threat. Aegon’s vision has hung over the series for nine episodes so far, and it will likely continue to do so in the coming seasons. Rhaenyra isn’t just about to go to war for the kingdom. She’ll be fighting for the realm and every generation afterward. As the first season winds to a close, it’s a good time to learn about the man who took Westeros by force, with fire and blood. This is the history of Aegon the Conqueror and the formation of The Seven Kingdoms.
Before the Conquest
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Believe it or not, the Targaryens didn’t sail straight from the ruins of Old Valyria to conquer Westeros. They spent many years at Dragonstone after the fall and before the conquest. Lord Aenor Targaryen had moved his family to the island after his daughter had spoken of a dream foreseeing the Doom 12 years before it happened, just as Aegon foresaw the return of the White Walkers. Dragonstone, the island on the eastern shore of Westeros, became the home of the world’s last remaining dragon lords for centuries.
The Targaryens remained on Dragonstone for over a century and had little to no interest in Westeros. To them, the continent was only worth a visit, not an entire conquest, not that it would have done them much good to try anyway. At the time, they only had over 1000 men and one dragon. But the dragon lords would not live quietly on their private island forever as Aegon soon took their dragon, Balerion the Black Dread, to fight for the Free Cities of Essos against Volantis, a city that desired to fill the void left behind by Valyria. It was during this conflict that the world would be reminded of the ferocity and raw power of dragons for the first time in over a century.
Seven Kingdoms for the Taking
HBO
George R.R. Martin’s works hardly mentioned Aegon’s vision, but showrunner Ryan J. Condal stated in an interview with Polygon that the author himself confirmed its legitimacy and allowed the producers to insert it into the show as the root cause for Aegon the Conqueror’s conquest. It wouldn’t have been possible with only Balerion. The Targaryens were fortunate enough to hatch the dragons Vhagar and Miraxys for Aegon’s sisters Visenya and Rhaenys, who would eventually become his wives per family custom.
Having called in his banners, Aegon sent letters to every ruler in the Seven Kingdoms announcing himself as the king of Westeros. Anyone who kneeled would be spared and allowed to retain their lands and titles while those who refused would see no mercy. Understandably, many lords took exception to this threat. Houses Rosby and Stokeworth became the first to kneel upon seeing dragons at their gates, and Duskendale and Maidenpool soon followed when their lords burned in their keeps. For every man Aegon lost, he would recoup his losses with the bannermen of lords who kneeled. Many were kneeling before long, if not to protect their people, then themselves.
The most infamous lord to challenge Aegon was Harren the Black of Harrenhal. By now, everyone knows the story of his massive keep. Built to be impenetrable, the lord never considered attacks from above. As thick as his walls were, they melted like wax under The Black Dreads flames, killing Harren’s entire family and ending their line. Having heard what happened, House Tully was the first of the Riverland houses to kneel to Aegon, and thus was named the new Paramounts of the Trident. The Storm Kings would follow soon after, with the Aegon’s hand Orys Baratheon being named the new lord of Storms End, thus beginning the Baratheon line.
The Field of Fire
Every war has its defining battle. The Field of Fire may be perhaps the most devastating encounter in Westerosi history, but it set the stage for Aegon to achieve victory. Two kings combined their forces to create the largest army (55,000) in Westeros history. They met the Targaryens at the Blackwater Rush, but even their numbers were no match for dragons. In their first battle together, Aegon and his sisters set the middle of the army ablaze, burning over 5000 men alive. One of the king’s entire households was wiped from existence while the other was enough to surrender. He was named Warden of the West. His name was Loren Lannister.
Many more lords would kneel when they heard of the Field of Fire, but a surprising few still would not budge. One was the Queen Regent Sharra Arryn, but she quickly changed her mind when she entered her chamber to find her son sitting in Visenya’s lap. Three dragon rides for her son later, and the Arryns were named Wardens of the East. Then, there was House Stark. Having amassed an army twice the size of Aegon’s, the North would either win or burn. Submission was not an option. However, King Torren Stark now knew what became of lords who faced the dragon lords. Casting aside his pride, the Starks were named Wardens of the North, and Torren would forever be known as the King who kneeled.
After two years of fighting, The High Septon of Oldtown named Aegon King of the Seven Kingdoms under the Faith of the Seven. He didn’t have all Seven Kingdoms yet, though. There was still one holdout.
Dorne still refused to yield, but they had learned from the rest of Westeros’s mistakes. Using Guerilla warfare, Dornish forces used a series of attack-and-run tactics to fight off the Targaryens. It was unusual but effective, and they managed to land the first real blow in the war. A scorpion bolt struck Meraxes in the eye, killing the dragon and Rhaenys with it, although her body was never recovered, so it’s unknown if she truly perished. The fighting would continue for another few years until finally house Martell and the Targaryens agreed to peace terms. Dorne formally joined the Seven Kingdoms almost two centuries later through marriage.
A Time of Peace
From the conclusion of the war with Dorne until his death, Westeros was at peace. Aegon spent much of his time traveling and ingratiating himself with the lords of his newly acquired domain to knit the realm together. The Seven Kingdoms had hardly gotten along before he arrived, so uniting them was no easy matter, but following the war, things quickly improved. Trade was relegated from Duskendale and Maidenpool to Kings landing, around which a great wall was built for protection. He had the Sept of Remembrance built and started construction on the Red Keep, which would be finished by Maegor the Cruel. His sister-wife Visenya established the King’s Guard for his protection.
It was a time of great prosperity, but like most in Westeros, it would not last. Aegon died at the age of 46 while regaling his grandsons with stories of the past, one of whom was Viserys I, played by Paddy Considine in House of the Dragon. 16 Targaryen Kings followed Aegon. It can be presumed that each one carried the hidden secret of Aegon’s vision. Rhaenyra is the current bearer of the prophecy, but time will tell if she was able to pass it on to any of her heirs. It’s known that the civil war that’s about to take place will start the decline of the Targaryen dynasty. Many dragons will be lost. Will Aegon’s vision be lost as well?
