The First Blackfyre Rebellion

The Blackfyre Rebellion was a war fought between the loyalist forces of King Daeron II Targaryen and the rebel forces of his half-brother, Daemon I Blackfyre. Conflict arose when Daemon, a bastard son of the late King Aegon IV Targaryen, claimed the throne of his older, true born brother, King Daeron II Targaryen, which resulted in open civil war that divided the Seven Kingdoms.

King Baelor I Targaryen
After King Baelor I Targaryen made peace with Dorne, he returned to King's Landing and annulled his marriage to his eldest sister, Daena. He then locked Daena with his other sisters, Rhaena and Elaena, in the Maidenvault, so they could not tempt the lusts of men. However, Daena contrived to escape her imprisonment on several occasions, and towards the end of her brother's reign became pregnant by her cousin, Prince Aegon (later Aegon IV, below).

In late 170 AC, she gave birth to a bastard son whom she named Daemon. Baelor I, in response to Daemon's birth, began a forty-day fast, which caused his death in 171 AC. After the claims of Daena and her sisters were dismissed, Daena's uncle was crowned as King Viserys II Targaryen. Viserys ruled only for a year, until his own death, after which his eldest son, Prince Aegon, ascended the Iron Throne in 172 AC.

King Aegon IV Targaryen
In addition to his unacknowledged bastard son, Daemon, Aegon had a trueborn son named Daeoron, born in 153 AC, and a daughter, Daenerys, born in 172 AC, by his marriage to his sister-queen, Naerys.

In 182 AC, Aegon knighted his bastard son, Daemon Waters, after the boy won a squire's tourney at the age of twelve. Aegon publicly bestowed Blackfyre, one of the Valyrian steel swords of House Targaryen, on Daemon as well, finally acknowledging him. There were some who felt that the sword symbolized the monarchy as it had been the sword of King Aegon the Conqueror, and had been passed on from king to king ever since. Aegon's public gift of the sword eventually started talk that Daemon should be king. Following the acquisition of the sword, Daemon took the name "Blackfyre" for himself.

Aegon also had several other bastard children, by nine mistresses over the course of his lifetime, and on his deathbed in 184 AC, he legitimized them all.

Daeron II
Prince Daeron ascended the throne as King Daeron II Targaryen, and did all he could to keep the nobly-born Great Bastards close.

Daeron was a cultured and scholarly man, and swept the court clear of Aegon the Unworthy's corruption, depriving several people of their advantageous positions. Daeron placed men of his own in the positions of power, and began negotiations with his brother-in-law, Maron Martell, the Prince of Dorne, which resulted in the wedding of Maron to Daeron's younger sister, Princess Daenerys, in 187 AC, and the joining of Dorne into the Seven Kingdoms.

Many Dornishmen were brought to Daeron's court, and several filled important offices, sowing distrust amongst many who saw the Donish as a long-time enemy of the Seven Kingdoms.

Meanwhile, Daemon Blackfyre had grown into a great warrior of his own and had come to resemble Aegon the Conqueror in appearance according to his supporters, with silver-gold hair and deep purple eyes. Compared to Daeron's round shoulders and mild physique, as well as rumors of his illegitimacy, many began to believe Daemon Blackfyre to be the rightful ruler.

War
The First Blackfyre Rebellion finally broke out in 196 AC, but only lasted a year and divided the Seven Kingdoms. Daemon's decision to claim the throne had been made rashly, and word soon reached Daeron's court that Daemon meant to declare within a month. The Kingsguard was sent to arrest Daemon, but, with the aid of the master-at-arms of the Red Keep, Ser Quentyn Ball, Daemon managed to escape imprisonment.

Daemon reversed the colors of House Targaryen, taking for his own sigil a black dragon on a red field, which led to his nickname, the "black dragon" (with Daeron becoming known as the "red dragon"), and began to mint his own coinage. Over the course of the war, battles were fought between the rebels and loyalists across the Seven Kingdoms.

Half the realm declared for Daemon, but not all houses were eager to pledge their full support. Notably, Houses Hightower, Butterwell, Oakheart and Tarbeck gave support to both Daemon and Daeron, splitting the families up, or keeping a foot in both camps.

Ser Quentyn Ball attacked the westerlands, killing Lord Lefford at the gates of Lannisport and then defeating Lord Damon Lannister in turn. At the crossing of the Mander, Ser Quentyn slew all of Lady Penrose's sons, except for the youngest, whom he spared as a favor to the lady. Lord Leo Tyrell participated in the First Blackfyre Rebellion as well, fighting on behalf of House Targaryen. He won notable victories in the Reach against Daemon Blackfyre's supporters.

During the war, King Daeron II came to consider his Hand of the King, Lord Ambrose Butterwell, to be ineffectual, and in the end Butterwelll's loyalty was questioned. Shortly before the Battle of the Redgrass Field, the final battle of the war, Butterwell was replaced by Lord Hayford, a noted loyalist.

Ser Quentyn Fireball was slain on the eve of the battle of the Redgrass Field by a common archer, in a surprise raid on their camp.

The Battle of the Redgrass Field
The final conflict of the First Blackfyre Rebellion was the Battle of the Redgrass Field, in the Crownlands in late 196 AC. Lord Leo Tyrell's forces could not gather quickly enough to arrive in time for the battle. Lord Donnel Arryn led the vanguard of the Targaryen forces. However, Daemon Blackfyre shattered his lines, leaving the loyalists in peril until Ser Gwayne Corbray of the Kingsguard arrived with reinforcements. Ser Gwayne Corbray and Daemon Blackfyre came face-to-face, and their duel, in which Daemon wielded the Valyrian steel sword Blackfyre and Gwayne the Valyrian steel sword Lady Forlorn, is said to have lasted nearly an hour, before Daemon gained the upper hand. Corbray was wounded, but Daemon dismounted, preventing Corbray from being trampled, and commanded that he was taken off the field.

In the meantime, Brynden Rivers with his archers, the Raven's Teeth, had captured and assumed a position atop the Weeping Ridge, which overlooked the battlefield and allowed them to rain arrows down among Daemon and his commanders. Daemon’s heir Aegon died first, followed by Daemon himself. When Daemon’s second son, Aegon’s twin brother Aemon took up Blackfyre, he was slain as well.

The rebels began to rout, but Aegor "Bittersteel" Rivers claimed Blackfyre and rallied the rebels by leading a charge against the Raven's Teeth. In the ensuing duel, Aegor took out Brynden’s eye. However, Prince Baelor arrived with a host of Dornish spearmen and stormlanders, while his younger brother, Prince Maekar, rallied what remained of the van. As such, Baelor crushed the rebel army against Maekar’s shield wall, a move later called “the hammer and the anvil”.

However, ten thousand men died, and many more were maimed and wounded.

Aftermath
King Daeron's punishment of the rebels was harsher than had been previously expected of him. Those who had supported Daemon lost lands, titles or wealth, and all were forced to give hostages. Lord Gormon Peake lost two of his three castles for his support of Daemon’s cause, while Lady Ball had to give up her only son as a hostage to Prince Maekar, and House Greenmont had to give up Lady Myria to the Prince of Summerhall as well.

Aegor Rivers was able to recover the sword Blackfyre from the battlefield and escaped to the Free Cities, together with Daemon's widow and remaining children.

Singers immortalized the Battle of Redgrass Field in a song about the hammer and the anvil, referring to Baelor and Maekar's strategy.

The First Blackfyre Rebellion left its mark upon Westeros for years to come. Asking a man whether he had fought for the black dragon or the red was considered a dangerous question. Navigation: Home | Index