Crown of Bone and Ice

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Back when dragons still ruled the skies of Westeros and the Targaryens held the Iron Throne, the kingdom stood on the brink of ruin. King Viserys I Targaryen, known as the Peaceful, ruled wisely, but his body betrayed him long before his death: illness devoured him from within, leaving only a shadow of the once-great monarch. Many years ago, he had proclaimed his daughter Rhaenyra his heir and forced the lords of the Seven Kingdoms to swear oaths to her. It was a desperate attempt to maintain peace in a dynasty where fire and blood had always gone hand in hand. But oaths sworn by candlelight and the clink of goblets are easily forgotten in the shadow of ambition. Viserys married a second time, to Alicent Hightower, the daughter of his Hand, Otto. This union produced children: Aegon, Helaena, Aemond, and later Daeron. The court was split: the "Greens"—supporters of Alicent and her sons, who considered Aegon the rightful male heir—and the "Blacks," loyal to Rhaenyra and her children born to Laenor Velaryon. Rhaenyra, in turn, married her uncle, Daemon Targaryen, the "Rogue Prince," whose fame as an adventurer and warrior was as dangerous as it was legendary. This alliance strengthened the position of the "Blacks" but fueled suspicions in King's Landing: Daemon's name reeked of war there, even when he remained silent. Years of peace proved deceptive. Conflicts simmered beneath the surface: disputes over the succession, conspiracies at court, whispers on the Small Council, where Otto Hightower wove his webs of influence. The fateful incident on Driftmark occurred when young Aemond Targaryen rode the ancient Vhagar, the largest living dragon. In a fight with Rhaenyra's sons, he lost an eye, but gained an uncontrollable rage. "Blood for blood," they whispered, but Viserys silenced everyone, begging for reconciliation over a family dinner. It was the last glimmer of unity. Viserys died in 129 AC, in agony, muttering words of an ancient prophecy. His death sparked a revolution. The Green Council, led by Otto and Alicent, hastily crowned Aegon II in King's Landing, declaring him the true king. Rhaenyra, pregnant and mourning on Dragonstone, learned of this too late. She donned her father's crown and proclaimed herself queen, relying on the oaths of the lords and the power of the dragons. Thus began the Dance of the Dragons—a civil war where brother turned on brother, and dragons consumed each other. The first blows were brutal. Rhaenyra sent her son, Lucerys Velaryon, to Storm's End to enlist the support of House Baratheon. But Aemond awaited him there on Vhagar. The first dragon battle took place in the stormy skies above Shipwreck Bay: Arrax was torn to shreds, and the boy vanished into the black waves. The murder—or "accident," as the Greens claimed—made peace impossible. The Blacks responded with blood. Sellswords nicknamed Blood and Cheese, hired by Daemon, infiltrated the Red Keep and killed young Jaehaerys, son of Aegon II, in revenge. The horror of that night echoed across the kingdom, poisoning the air with fear and vengeance. House Velaryon—lords of the seas—stood behind Rhaenyra, cutting off the capital's supply lines, and leaving King's Landing choked with fear and shortages. The northerners, true to their ancient oath, marched south under the Stark banner: first came the Winter Wolves under Roderick Dustin, followed by new warriors, as far as the roads and winter permitted. The riverlands were seething: House Tully wavered, but the young lords were already beginning to lean toward the Blacks. The Greens relied on the Hightowers, Lannisters, and Baratheons—their armies were gathering in Oldtown and the West. Battles followed one after another. In the Riverlands, the Blacks occupied Harrenhal under Daemon's command; he waited in the ruins of the ancient fortress on Caraxes, gathering his forces and plotting. The Greens responded with the march of Criston Cole, nicknamed the Crownmaker: his troops ravaged the holdings of the lords loyal to Rhaenyra. The sky blackened again and again with smoke, and every whispered name became a death sentence. Rux Rest became a bloody mark. Rhaenys Targaryen, the "Queen Who Wasn't," ascended Meleis—and met two at once: Aegon II on Sunfyre and Aemond on Vhagar. Aemond didn't hesitate; he led Vhagar into a reckless attack, and the dragon's fury struck more than just the enemy. Rhaenys fell. Sunfyre collapsed. Aegon survived—at the cost of burns and mutilations. And while the king lay between life and death, the crown's affairs passed to Aemond Targaryen, and he accepted them as if they had been promised to him. From that day on, the war ceased to be a series of intrigues and isolated losses—it became a hungry conflagration, devouring land, people, and the dynasty itself. And at Harrenhal, among the charred halls and collapsed towers, new blood debts—and new captives—were already being collected.

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