The seeds of war are oft planted during times of peace.
So has it been in Westeros. The bloody struggle for the Iron Throne known as the Dance of the Dragons and Lions, fought from 298 AC and 305AC, had its roots a quarter of a century earlier, at the beginning of the longest and most peaceful reign that any of the Kings of the Seven Kingdoms enjoyed, save perhaps that of Jaehaerys I Targaryen, the Conciliator.
King Aerys, the Mad King, had only three children (and countless that did not live past a day) and none had taken root and continued the Targaryen line. His sister, the great Queen Daenyra, the wife of King Robert Baratheon, continued it. Having birthed five, healthy children, only one lived long enough to marry and breed.
But during the reign of King Robert Baratheon, first of his name, many of claims and claimants appeared that many maesters believe that the Dance of the Dragons and Lions, or some similar struggle, was inevitable.
This was not apparent in the early years of Robert's reign, for in Prince Joffrey and Prince Steffon, His Grace had the proverbial "heir and a spare,"and seldom has the realm been blessed with two more able princes.
In 289 AC,at the age of seven, Joffrey was formally anointed Crown Prince and heir to the Iron Throne. While Steffon, at the age of six, was anointed the heir to Storm's End (and Robert hoped the future Hand of the King).
But it was not to be. Joffrey had no interest in sword fighting, or horse riding. He had no interest in lessons, or learning. Steffon was much the opposite.
Knight at fourteen, a tourney champion at sixteen,he became his father's favorite the moment he was born as the great King Robert could see the greatness in the boy at first glance.
Though Steffon never served his father as Hand of the King or any other Small Council Position, that was only because thatoffice was occupied by Jon Arryn, the King's most trusted friend and"companion of my labors."
Nor was Daeron Baratheon any less accomplished.The younger prince earned his knighthood at twelve, and was wed as intelligent as any of his tutors. Though he and Steffon enjoyed a healthy rivalry, no man doubted the love that bound them.
The succession appeared solid as stone.But the stone began to crack in 298 AC, when Joffrey, by drunken mistake, had called his half-sister, the Princess Rhaelle "pretty beyond believe. If she had not come from that dragon whore, I'd fuck her and marry her and give her my golden children".
Prince Steffon and Prince Daeron had been angered by such words, and as Knights do, stood up for the helpless woman, in this case their sister Rhaelle. They had beaten Joffrey ugly, until the Lannister guards intervened, but then the King's Guards intervened on the behalf of the Prince's once they saw the two boys being treated roughly.
The King's Guards drew their swords against the Lannister guards, and it took no genius to know that the Lannisters stood no chance against Ser Barristan the Bold or the others. They retreated, carrying the bloodied Joffrey to his Mother, instead of the Maester.
Once Robert heard of this, he was said to have laughed and said "The beating may teach him to hold his tongue". As if that were ever possible. Joffrey does not hold his tongue.
The rift between the half-brothers grew ever then. Many hailed Steffon as the rightful Prince and heir to the Iron Throne. The Lannisters and their bannermen, and any loyalists hailed Joffrey as the rightful heir.
And here we must digress to say a word about our sources, for much ofwhat happened in the years that followed happened behind closed doors, inthe privacy of stairwells, council rooms, and bedchambers, and the full truthof it will likely never be known.
We have of course the chronicles laid downby Grand Maester Pycelle and his successors, and many a court document aswell, all the royal decrees and proclamations, but these tell only a small partof the story.
For the rest, we must look to accounts written decades later bythe children and grandchildren of those caught up in the events of these times;lords and knights reporting events witnessed by their forebears, third-handrecollections of aged serving men relating the scandals of their youth.
Whilstthese are undoubtedly of use, so much time passed between the event and therecording that many confusions and contradictions have inevitably crept in.Nor do these remembrances always agree.Unfortunately, this is also true of the two accounts by firsthand observersthat have come down to us.
The High Sparrow, who served in the royal sept in King's Landing during much of this time, set down the most detailed history of this period. As a confidant andconfessor to King Joffrey, and later King Tommen, and Queen Cersei, and the Queen Margaery, the High Sparrow was well placed to knowmuch and more of what went on. Nor was he reticent about recording eventhe most shocking and salacious rumors and accusations, though the bulk ofThe Reign of King Joffrey, First of His Name, and the Dance of the Dragons and Lions That Came After remains a sober and somewhat ponderous history.
To balance the High Sparrow, we have The Testimony of the Maids, several testimonies of the nurse maids and the maids that attended her Majesty, Queen Daenyra and her children, and who at various times catered the Queen Daenyra, Prince Steffon, Prince Daeron, Prince Jaerys and the Princess Rhaelle. The maids were thought feeble-minded, so queens, and lords andprinces did not scruple to hide their secrets from them.
Whereas the High Sparrow records the secrets of bedchamber and brothel in hushed,condemnatory tones, the Maids delight in the same, and their Testimonies consists of little but ribald tales and gossip, piling stabbings, poisonings,betrayals, seductions, and debaucheries one atop the other.
How much of thiscan be believed is a question the honest historian cannot hope to answer, but itis worth noting that Queen Cersei had tried to decree that every copy of the Maid's chronicle should be burned.
Fortunately for us, one escaped her fires. High Sparrow and the Maids do not always agree upon particulars, and attimes their accounts are considerably at variance with one another, and withthe court records and the chronicles of Grand Maester Pycelle and hissuccessors.
Yet their tales do explain much and more that might otherwiseseem puzzling, and later accounts confirm enough of their stories to suggestthat they contain at least some portion of truth.
The question of what tobelieve and what to doubt remains for each student to decide.
But we must state the facts.
Jahaerys II Targaryen had a generous, amiable nature, and was well loved by his lords and smallfolk alike. The reign of the King was peaceful and prosperous but short, lasting only three years.
His Grace's open handedness was legendary, and the Red Keep became a place of song and splendor. King Jaehaerys II and Queen Shaera hosted many a feast and tourney,and lavished gold, offices, and honors on their favorites.
At the center of the merriment, cherished and adored by all, was their youngest daughter, Princess Daenyra, the little girl the court singers dubbed "the Realm's Delight", and "the Beauty of Westeros". Though only two when her father died, Daenyra Targaryen was a precocious child, bright and bold and beautiful as only one of dragon's blood can be beautiful.
At seven, she snuck out of the castle for the first time, taking to the streets of Flea Bottom, she returned unharmed by herself and no one knew of her disappearance until she was caught a few weeks later and made to confess.
At eight, the princess was placed into service as a cupbearer...but for her own brother, the king. At table, at tourney, and at court,King Aerys thereafter was seldom seen without his sister by his side.
Meanwhile, the tedium of rule was left largely to the king's small council and his Hand. Lord Tywin Lannister had continued in that office, serving the his best friend as an able man, all agreed, though many found him proud, brusque, and haughty. But he was everything a King should be. Strong, wise, cunning, ambitious, and most importantly, he was always right.
The longer he served, the more imperious Lord Tywin became, it was said, and many great lords and princes came to resen this manner and envy him his access to the Iron Throne.
The greatest of his rivals was Daeron Targaryen, the king's ambitious,impetuous, moody Uncle (a favourite of Princess Daenyra). As charming as he was hot-tempered,Prince Daeron had earned his knight's spurs at six-and-ten, and had been given a sword himself in recognition of his prowess.
Though he had not wed, he had broken his betrothal to Lady Olenna Tyrell (then Redwyne). Prince Daeron found the Reach boring ("In the Reach, the men fuck flowers," he wrote. "You cannot fault them. Their flowers smell and look much prettier than any other lady there"), and soon developed amis like of any lady, be she from the Reach or not. Perhaps it had something to do with his lover, the Ser Jeremy Norridge.
Upon the accession of his nephew to the Iron Throne, the prince petitioned to be the Commander of the City Watch. Aerys (or better yet, Lord Tywin) denied the request, but did allow Daeron to return to court,where he sat on the small council, serving as master of coin from 262-263, and master of laws for half a year in 264.
Meanwhile, Aerys's relationship with his Hand was breaking down as well, the pair's friendship fraying. Where previously Aerys had heeded Tywin's counsel, he now often disagreed with his Hand and did the opposite of what Tywin suggested. When Myr and Tyrosh became involved in a trade war against Volantis , Lord Tywin suggested that Westeros remained neutral. King Aerys, in response, provided and arms to the Volantenes. When House Bracken and House Blackwood had a border dispute, Lord Tywin wanted to act in the favor of House Blackwood, leading to Aerys siding with House Bracken. Over Tywin's objections, Aerys doubled the port fees for Oldtown and King's Landing and tripled them at Lannisport and other ports in Westeros. Trade suffered and a delegation of merchants arrived before the Iron Throne to protest. Aerys lied to them and blamed the matter on his Hand of the King. He restored the port fees to the previous levels, which won him much popularity and acclaim for himself, whilst the king's lies and actions left Tywin with nothing but scorn. Aerys objected to many of Tywin's appointments and filled the offices with men of his own choosing. When Tywin suggested his own brother, Ser Tygett Lannister, as master-at-arms for the Red Keep , Aerys appointed Ser Willem Darry instead.
By now, Aerys had become aware of the tales being told in his kingdoms; that it was Lord Tywin who truly ruled the Seven Kingdoms and that Aerys was but a hollow figurehead. These statements greatly angered the king. When Lord Tywin's captain of the guard, Ser Ilyn Payne, had been overheard to repeat this statement, Aerys had the man's tongue torn out with hot pincers. The angered king became determined to disprove the tales, and to humble Tywin, his "overmighty servant", putting him back into his place.
In 272 AC , to celebrate Aerys's tenth year on the Iron Throne, Tywin hosted the Anniversary Tourney in the capital. Lady Joanna Lannister returned to the court for this event, bringing with her six-year-old twins, Cersei and Jaime. Drunkenly, Aerys asked Joanna if nursing her children had ruined her breasts. Whilst the question was a great amusement for Lord Tywin's rivals, it humiliated Lady Joanna. Lord Tywin attempted to resign the next morning, but Aerys refused to accept. And thus, Tywin Lannister remained Hand of the King.
Courtiers at the court who wished to win the king's favor and gain advancement soon learned the best way to gain the king's eye was to mock and make japes about Lord Tywin. King Aerys continued to undermine and slight his Hand, which amused many lords who were rivals of Lord Tywin or who simply disliked the humorless man. Tywin Lannister suffered all these slights in silence, never showing any public display of weakness. When Joanna Lannister died in childbirth in 273 AC, the king had been heard to remark that Joanna had died, and Tywin had begotten instead his dwarf son (Tyrion Lannister) from the gods, "to teach him some humility at last". These reports would reach Casterly Rock, where Lord Tywin was in mourning. From that moment on, all the old affection between the old childhood friends was gone. Yet still, Lord Tywin continued to serve the realm as Hand of the King, whilst King Aerys grew increasingly violent, suspicious and erratic.
The king's abated slightly with the birth of another son, who he named Jaehaerys, in 274 AC . In fact, Jaehaerys's birth almost restored the king to his old self. This changed when Jaehaerys died later that same year. In a black rage, Aerys had the boy's wet nurse beheaded, convinced it had been her fault. He soon had a change of heart, and declared that his mistress was to blame, having poisoned the young babe. Aerys had her and her entire family tortured and eventually executed. Under torture, all confessed to murdering Prince Jaehaerys, though their accounts on Jaehaerys's death greatly differed from one another.
After this deed, however, Aerys changed his mind yet again. He fasted for a fortnight, and made a walk of repentance across the city, to the Great Sept of Baelor. There, he prayed with the High Septon. When he returned, he announced that he would remain true to his wife and marital vows from that moment forth. From that day on in275 AC, King Aerys II Targaryen lost interest in all other women.
In 276 AC, Rhaella gave birth to a son named Viserys. While the child was healthy enough, Aerys was paranoid about the boy's safety. knights were ordered to stand over the babe, day and night. No one, not even Queen Rhaella, was allowed to be alone with Viserys. Gifts that came from all over the realm for the new prince were piled up in the yard and burned on Aerys's orders, as the king feared they might be cursed or ensorcelled. When Rhaella's milk dried up, Aerys made his own food taster suckle on the nipples of the wet nurse, to ensure there was no poison on them.
Later that year, Lord Tywin Lannister staged a tournament in honor of Viserys's birth at Lannisport. It has been suggested by history that this tourney was arranged as a gesture for reconciliation. At this tourney, Lord Tywin proposed a marriage between his daughter Cersei and Prince Rhaegar to King Aerys. However, Aerys' fear of Tywin's power and ambition led him to reject the offer rudely, saying that Tywin was a mere servant of the crown, and no servant's daughter was fit to marry a prince of royal blood. The tourney ended without a final feast and Aerys departed in a chilly atmosphere. Tywin would not forget the insult.
When a place in the became available, after Ser Harlan Grandison died in his sleep, Aerys decided to appoint Lord Tywin Lannister's eldest (and) son Ser Jaime Lannister (after Tywin's failed attempt at convincing Princess Daenyra to wed his son at Casterly Rock) as the youngest knight ever to join the order. Tywin, and later his son Jaime, came to believe that Aerys had intended this not as an honor but a slight to House Lannister, meant to deprive Tywin of his heir and allow Aerys to hold Jaime hostage for his father's loyalty.
Unknown to Tywin, this scheme had originally been hatched by Tywin's very own daughter, Cersei, who had proposed the idea to King Aerys as she wished for Jaime to join the order as to prevent Tywin from betrothing him to Daenyra, as Tywin had been planning.
Cersei, only a girl, best friend of Daenyra Targaryen had been so jealous of her brother's affections and new attentions to the Princess when Cersei herself had failed at achieving that from Prince Rhaegar, had made the girl half-mad. She had begged the King for the "honor" of letting her brother become a King's Guard.
The King had bought right into her words. And when Cersei had revealed that Ser Jaime had been planning to deflower Princess Daenyra (a lie, but a believable one, funnily enough Ser Jaime does deflower the Princess on Dragonstone later), the King had been mad with anger.
Aerys had made his announcement during court, and Tywin had thanked him openly for the honor the king bestowed upon his House. In reality, he had been furious, and pleading illness, Tywin resign his position as Hand and returned to Casterly Rock, with his daughter (Cersei had been wretched with grief of leaving King's Landing and some maids had heard her screams for hours that night). Aerys accepted Tywin's resignation and appointed Lord Owen Merryweather as his replacement, an amiable but not especially competent old man whose main qualifications as were his willingness to throw lavish feasts and offer the king constant flattery. The young knight Jaime would officially join the Kingsguard in a ceremony at a later date.
With Lord Tywin now gone from court, the new focus of Aerys' mistrust was his own son and heir Prince Rhaegar, who had become wary of his father's behavior. At court, there was growing tension between the factions loyal to the king and those loyal to his heir Prince Rhaegar. Aerys may have been mad and cruel to those he deemed his enemies, but he was lavish with wealth and titles to those who enjoyed his trust.
Aerys had wished for his son, Prince Rhaegar, to marry his sister Princess Daenyra. He wished for his sister to be Queen, as he thought of her as deserving nothing less.
But Daenyra had denied the request and instead escaped to Dragonstone, from where she escaped for Casterly Rock and then back to King's Landing.
The reason behind the Princess's refusal was not what many thought. She did not find women attractive. She was not in love with a Knight or a squire. She did not think incest between Targaryens to be ill willed.
The truth was, she had been happy enough to marry him, as Rhaegar was. He found her beautiful, and he thought he could complete the prophecy when she birthed him three children, Rhaenys, Visenya and Aegon as true born, pure-blooded Valyrian, Targaryens.
But he made the mistake of allowing his lust to win over. He was found abed with Elia Martell, the Dornish Princess who was at court to serve as Daenyra's lady-in-waiting but she never had the chance to, Daenyra escaped before Elia could be assigned.
Daenyra had told Aerys, her brother, about what she had seen in a letter she send from Dragonstone, it was the reason for the hasty wedding of Prince Rhaegar and Princess Elia at the Tourney of Harrenhal.
Now, one must ask themselves, why was it that Rhaegar chose to sleep with Elia when he was betrothed to the most desired, and most beautiful Princess in the entire Realm?
We do not have the answer, but we do have theories.
Perhaps Daenyra wished to keep her maidenhead until the wedding and Rhaegar had grown impatient with his manly desires.
Perhaps Rhaegar was marrying Daenyra out of obligation to his father, to his future as King, and the prophecy and truly desired Elia above all.
Or perhaps, the most probable of all, Rhaegar was not the one to blame. It was Elia who had lured him to her bed. The dornish are after all, well known for their activities in and outside of the bed.
But while Daenyra did run away to Dragonstone and then Casterly Rock, she did not grieve her betrothal to Rhaegar much, if what we are told is the truth.
She grieved her Uncle Daeron more, who had died the year before. And while he had not been beloved by many (especially the Small Council), the young Princess enjoyed his presence and he was ever attentive to her. Whenever he crossed the narrow sea, hebrought her some exotic gift on his return. We are told, they exchanged frequent letters, and Prince Daeron served as nothing more than an advisor and an ear to the Princess.
After all, Daenyra did name her second son after her most favourite Uncle.
Daenyra was oft alone. She had no siblings of her age. Her sister was constantly pregnant, or attending to her queenly duties. Her brother was busy with attending to his Kingly duties, or burning men alive and had no time to spare for his little sister. Rhaegar was travelling, and learning to be the next King.
Daenyra had no one to keep her company other than her maids and her ladies-in-waiting who were rather dull for her taste. Her Uncle Daeron was always there, just a raven away to offer his guidance, his assistance or his ear to listen.
But after he was gone, the Princess retreated further into herself. Until she of course escaped to Dragonstone and the ladies-in-waiting send by her brother and chosen by her sister had arrived.
Daenyra had made fast friends with Cersei and Ashara. It was told to us by the Testimonies of the Maids, that Ashara was the reasonable one of the bunch, while Cersei was the one with the most wildest ideas.
King's Landing is a place filled with rumours and ambition. It is a place that has traitors in every shadow and opportunists at every corner. The wives will spend their afternoons gossiping around the keep and the men will spend their days trying to keep their heads. It is hardly a place for children to survive, let alone grow.
And that is exactly how Daenyra Targaryen and Cersei Lannister became so close...at least in the beginning. They were just trying to survive, just trying to find some connection in a world built on pretty facades and empty promises.
Daenyra and Cersei were two of the only like-minded and like tempered, eligible Ladies at court. Twin was the hand of the King Aerys, second of his name.
Aerys grew to deeply trust the obviously ambitious Tywin through the years. Because of this, Aerys had no idea that he should have mistrusted Tywin when he had offered his daughter and two nieces to be Ladies-in-waiting for the Princess. He is a man who searches for self interest in all of his pursuits; it's how he has gotten so far, after all.
Tywin never cared for his daughter, above the usual "she is my child" feelings. He thought her as too quiet for his taste, lacking any real potential. Her only benefit in his eyes was her eventual marriage prospects. That is not how Cersei saw herself, and Daenyra had been happy to meet another girl who detested the prospect of marriage just as much as she did.
Daenyra thought Cersei kind, certainly too kind for this cruel world they live in. Daenyra thought Cersei intelligent and cunning and she had liked that about her. It reminded Daenyra of herself when she had been younger (after all Daenyra was older than Cersei by four years). But those same qualities that had once attracted Daenyra to Cersei, are the qualities she hates and finds the most revolting in her now.
Daenyra was never seen as a serious contender for the Iron Throne...at first. Rhaegar was the Heir, and then Robert had become the Usurper and then there was Joffrey and Steffon... After all, she was a woman.
Cersei was set on marrying Rhaegar and if not him, then no one else. She had stated as much to her father.
Daenyra was content with remaining at Dragonstone with her ladies-in-waiting and her Knights, to be alone with the company she desired.
Cersei and Daenyra had become close, and Daenyra had trusted her with anything. The Princess had trusted her to bring her to Casterly Rock safely, and later, she even trusted her with her deepest secrets (and with the knowledge that Ser Jaime took her maidenhead).
But something switched in Cersei. It is well known to us now why, but then, no one knew the reason for Cersei's sudden behavior, least of all Daenyra. The Princess had thought shed be happy for Ser Jaime and her, her brother and best friend together at last, as was wanted in the beginning.
It turns out, Cersei had known that Daenyra would reject Jaime as a husband (because of the many times that Daenyra proclaimed she had no need for a husband). That is why she had been so kind and had volunteered Casterly Rock for Daenyra to escape to.
Cersei was in love with her own brother, and when she realized that her brother was in love with someone other than her... well. We know.
Before this, Daenyra had stopped feeling alone never felt alone because she had Cersei. They never lied to each other once...before this.
Daenyra had hoped that once Cersei's son was born, things would change. And she was right. Things were certainly about to change. However, they would not be changing for the better...
In fact, things between her and Cersei would never be the same again.
But we must return to the topic of King Aerys, lest we jump too far ahead. The chapter on Queen Cersei and Queen Daenyra, and their battles before the Dance of Dragons and Lions is yet to come.
We must return to the topic of King Aerys and his Reign to truly understand where the Seven Kingdoms stood before King Robert took over, and the events of "Before the Dance" took place that watered the seeds of doubt, hate and rivalry.
While many would argue that King Aerys had lost his mind and his humanity a long time ago (if he had any to begin with), the testimonies of the Maids would dare to argue.
One maid had put a claim forward, claiming that the King Aerys and the Princess Daenyra were on friendly relations, and the King was oft asking his little sister for advice.
Much like King Robert, King Aerys seemingly could not go on with a decision without consulting with his little sister, and perhaps if he did it more often, many bad decisions could have been avoided. But he only began to consult her near the end of his reign, when the worst was already done, and nothing could be done to improve their situation.
Somehow he (Aerys) had gotten it in his head that Prince Lewyn must have betrayed Rhaegar on the Trident, but he thought he could keep Dorne loyal so long as he kept Elia and Aegon by his side. The traitors want my city, Ser Jaime heard him tell Rossart, but I'll give them naught but ashes. Let Robert be king over charred bones and cooked meat. The Targaryens never bury their dead, they burn them. Aerys meant to have the greatest funeral pyre of them all.
The maid apparently even overheard a conversation the Princess and the King had privately. Daenyra had been upset during dinner that she shared with Aerys and Rhaella, and Aerys had asked her to stay afterwards to ask her what the problem was.
Daenyra had stated that her tutor believed her to be stupid. Why else did he wish to assign very little work, and explain everything in great detail even when she said she understood?
Aerys had an explanation.
"Your mathematics tutor does not think you are stupid", Aerys had allegedly said. "He thinks I am frightening. That I ask too much of him".
A moment had passed, according to the maid before the King continued.
"And I ask too much of you", he continued, and then quieter. "And everyone else".
Daenyra had been quick to reassure her brother that it was not true. While silently, even she agreed with all that it was true. Aerys expected too much and his madness allowed him to see too little.
But these rare moments of brotherly love that Aerys had shared with his little sister ever since she was born (he had doted upon her just as their parents had, if not more) are what Daenyra had held onto.
It was why she was never heard to insult the King, even after his death. Not out of solidarity or because he was her brother. But because of love. For him, for her sister. For the life they had lost too early.
And when he had died... by the hands of Ser Jaime Lannister.
A piece of her broke.
But whatever happened on Dragonstone, was the final blow to the heart.
The only two persons, or men this writer supposes, that would know what happened on that wretched stone is Ser Barristan Selmy, the Queen's loyal friend and guard, and Ser Jaime Lannister.
Because if there is one thing the people who "don't know what happened" agree on, it's that if anything happened, Ser Jaime was the cause of it.