If you like to skip to the good part, HBO’s House of The Dragon must be testing your patience with its pacing. Season 2 has just ended and the war has been deferred to season 3, which showrunner Ryan Condal has confirmed is going to be full-blown war.
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Massive spoilers ahead for House of the Dragon season 2 finale and Fire & Blood!
With the Riverland armies of the Blacks poised to take over King’s Landing for their Queen, Rhaneyra’s new dragonriders, and the support of the Starks, Arryns, and Freys, it looks like the Blacks might have the upper hand. But the Greens still have Aemond and Vhagar, and the Hightower host with Prince Daeron and his dragon Tessarion marching forth to join Criston Cole and Gwayne Hightower. And the Triarchy has joined the Greens too, intending to break the Gullet blockade by Velaryon ships.
For those impatient to find out what happens next, here’s the entire timeline of the Dance of the Dragons as we know it from George R.R. Martin’s Fire and Blood.
A Full Timeline of the Targaryen Civil War
Prelude to the Dance
This spans everything that happens in House of The Dragon season 1, from Viserys naming Rhaneyra his heir (and snubbing his brother Daemon) and telling her about the prophecy of Aegon’s A Song of Ice and Fire dream, to him marrying his daughter’s closest companion, Alicent Hightower, and having four children by her—Aegon, Helaena, Aemond, and Daeron.
Rhaenyra, though married to Ser Laenor Velaryon, has three sons—Jacaerys, Lucerys, and Joffrey Velaryon—presumed to be bastards by Ser Harwin Strong, and not by her husband. After the death of Lady Laena Velaryon, the second wife of Prince Daemon Targaryen, and her brother, Ser Laenor, Daemon and Rhaenyra marry, and have three more children—Aegon the younger, Viserys, and a stillborn daughter, Visenya. And Prince Aegon is married to his sister, Princess Helaena, and in the series, they have twins, Prince Jaehaerys and Princess Jaehaera.
The Dance of the Dragons begins
The Dance of the Dragons begins with King Viserys’ death. Queen Alicent claims that on his deathbed, her husband changed his mind and named Aegon king. Within hours of the king’s death, the Small Council is convened, where the Hand of the King, Ser Otto Hightower, reveals the plot to put Aegon on the Iron Throne instead of Rhaenyra. Many council members like Tyland Lannister and Ser Criston Cole support the coup, except for Lord Lyman Beesbury who is then killed on the spot.
Ravens are sent out to call for pledges of allegiance, and those who deny are put to the sword. Princess Rhaenys Targaryen, who is in the Red Keep, is imprisoned in her chambers until she can declare for Aegon.
The two coronations
The Lord Commander of the Kingsguard, Ser Criston Cole crowns King Aegon II with the Valyrian steel crown of Aegon the Conqueror, and his sister-wife Helaena becomes the new Queen. Princess Rhaneys escapes, riding her dragon Meleys right into the ceremony, causing a stampede and destruction to express her displeasure at the usurping, before flying away.
Rhaenyra is unaware of her father’s passing until Princess Rhaenys reports of Aegon’s coronation. Ser Steffon Darklyn of the Kingsuard arrives at Dragonstone bearing the golden crown of King Jaehaerys I and Viserys I, which Daemon then places upon Rhaenyra’s brow, crowning her the true Queen of the Seven Kingdoms. Prince Jacaerys is crowned the Prince of Dragonstone, as is customary for the royal heir, and Prince Lucerys is now the heir to the throne of Driftmark.
A son for a son
Both Targaryen rulers send their family members on dragons as emissaries to other lords and ladies to seek their allegiance. Both Prince Aemond Targaryen and Prince Lucerys Velaryon arrive at Storm’s End to seek Lord Borros Baratheon’s support for Aegon and Rhaenyra, respectively. When they begin fighting, an irritated Borros dispatches them, but their fight continues in the air, on dragons. Aemond’s Vhagar chomps on Luke’s much younger dragon, Arrax, over Shipbreaker’s Bay, killing them both.
When news of Luke’s death is received, Aegon throws a feast to honour his brother, while Ser Otto and Alicent berate him for his rash behaviour. Rhaenyra is broken over her son’s death, and Prince Jacaerys somewhat blames himself for suggesting the idea of sending Luke as an emissary. Daemon decides to retaliate. In an event known as ‘Blood & Cheese’, Daemon seeks Mysaria’s help to seek out a Gold Cloak and a ratcatcher in the castle’s employ to kill Prince Aemond, as revenge. A son for a son.
However, unable to find Aemond, Blood and Cheese brutally behead the two-year-old prince Prince Jaehaerys, son of King Aegon II and Queen Helaena.
The fallout from Blood and Cheese and capture of Harrenhal
The death of the young prince spreads ill will against Rhaenyra and causes strife in the kingdom, with people choosing sides between the Blacks and the Greens. The Battle of the Burning Mill is the first mini-skirmish, fought between the Black-supporting House Blackwood and the Green-supporting House Bracken, with centuries of enmity already between them.
Rhaenyra is angry at Daemon for his cruelty and disregard for her authority, and he leaves in anger for Harrenhal in a bid to claim the castle for his wife. Ser Simon Strong, the castellan, gives it up without a fight, honouring the oath sworn by his nephew Lord Lyonel Strong.
The Velaryon fleet creates a blockade in the Gullet in Blackwater Bay, barring merchant ships from entering King’s Landing, causing a scarcity of resources in the capital. An execution attempt is orchestrated on Queen Rhaenyra by one of the Cargyll twins of the Kingsguard, Ser Arryk, who is in service of King Aegon and Ser Criston. His twin, Ser Erryk, is in the Queensguard of Rhaenyra. The two brothers fight, Ser Erryk manages to kill his brother and protect his queen, but then kills himself out of guilt.
After being berated for his stupid plan, King Aegon fires his grandsire, Ser Otto Hightower as his Hand because he believes his approach isn’t aggressive enough for war, and replaces him with Ser Criston Cole. Ser Otto is said to have returned to his house’s seat in Oldtown, where Alicent’s fourth son, Prince Daeron, had been fostering with the Hightowers.
The Battle of Rook’s Rest
Ser Criston Cole, along with Ser Gwayne Hightower, begins sacking castles in the Crownlands that support Rhaenyra, starting with Duskendale, the seat of House Darklyn. Lord Gunthor Darklyn, the nephew of Ser Steffon Darklyn of the Queensguard, is beheaded. The next target is Rook’s Rest, the seat of House Staunton since their lord has a seat on Rhaenyra’s council.
Queen Rhaenyra dispatches Princess Rhaenys on her dragon Meleys, the Red Queen, to Rook’s Rest. However, it’s a trap set by Cole, with Prince Aemond and his formidable dragon Vhagar, lying in wait to attack. But before they can, King Aegon II flies in on his dragon Sunfyre and begins fighting Rhaenys and Meleys. The latter are experienced fighters and manage to hurt Sunfyre, but then Aemond commands Vhagar’s dragon flame at them, burning even Aegon and his dragon Sunfyre grievously.
In the aftermath, a weakened Meleys is attacked and killed by Vhagar, and she and her rider, the Queen That Never Was, Rhaenys Targaryen, plummet to their deaths. A partially burnt Aegon and badly wounded Sunfyre fall in the woods. While HOTD implies that Aegon is brought back to King’s Landing and Sunfyre is dead, in Fire & Blood, Sunfyre is still at Rook’s Rest, wounded and recuperating.
In the absence of King Aegon II, the Small Council passes on the Dowager Queen Alicent’s request, and chooses Aemond as the Prince Regent and Protector of the Realm.
The Red Sowing
In the aftermath of Rhaenys’ death, Rhaenyra makes a heartbroken and angry Lord Corlys Velaryon her Hand to keep his support. He eventually accepts. Having lost two dragons, Rhaenyra needs more dragonriders. Prince Jacaerys suggests calling upon dragonseed (Targaryen bastards) to attempt to claim the riderless dragons on Dragonstone to add to their strengths. The Red Sowing or Sowing of the Seeds begins, in secrecy.
Two dragonseed from King’s Landing, a blacksmith called Hugh (son of Saera Targaryen) and a drunkard called Ulf (claiming to be a bastard brother of Viserys and Daemon) claim the dragons Vermithor and Silverwing, respectively. Lord Corlys Velaryon’s bastard son Addam of Hull claims his half-brother Ser Laenor Velaryon’s dragon, Seasmoke.
In the book, we have the wild dragon Sheepstealer claimed by a girl (parents unknown) named Nettles, who eventually gets close to Daemon Targaryen. However, House of The Dragon is taking a different route, and her character seems to have been merged with Daemon’s daughter, Rhaena Targaryen, who is sent to The Vale by Rhaenyra along with her younger sons and a few dragon eggs, but could claim Sheepstealer instead in season 3.
Battle of the Gullet
Rhaenyra’s younger sons Aegon and Viserys are aboard the ship, the Gay Abandon, en route Pentos, when the Triarchy’s ships capture their’s on their way to breaking the Velaryon ships’ Gullet blockade. Young Aegon’s dragon Stormcloud is mortally wounded (and dies) but is able to carry Aegon back to Dragonstone. Viserys, with only a dragon egg, is left behind and captured by Admiral Lohar but presumed dead by the Blacks.
To rescue his brother, Prince Jacaerys flies on his dragon Vermax to the Battle of the Gullet, with the dragonseeds by his side. They burn the Lysene pirate ships, but Vermax is mortally wounded, Prince Jace is unable to escape, and dies. The Lysene pirates sack Spicetown and High Tide, and destroy the Lord Corlys’ castle completely with fire. However, they too suffer major losses and are unable to fight in the Targaryen civil war again. The Velaryon fleet is also severely reduced but they still persist.
Battle of the Honeywine
A fortnight after Gullet is the Battle of the Honeywine, where certain houses of the Reach that do not support the Greens, such as Houses Beesbury (as revenge for Lord Lyman’s death in the Small Council), Flowers, Tarly, and Costayne, block the Hightower host from both sides so it’s unable to retreat anywhere. But Prince Daeron flies in on his dragon Tessarion (the Blue Queen) and manages to save the day.
Battles of the Red Fork, Acorn Hall, and Lakeshore (Fishfeed)
On Aemond’s behest, he and Criston Cole march on Harrenhal where they believe Daemon is, but find the castle empty, thinking they’ve won. Aemond orders Ser Simon Strong and his family executed, but takes the seer Alys Rivers as his bedmate. Daemon is marching toward King’s Landing to join Rhaenyra in taking the capital.
Meanwhile, three separate battles are fought by the Black and Green armies. At Red Fork, an army of westermen led by Jason Lannister defeats an army of River lords. However, Lord Jason perishes. Three days later, Lord Tarbeck (also a western lord) is killed at the battle of Acorn Hall. Lord Lefford then takes charge of the westermen army and leads them towards Harrenhal to join Aemond and Cole.
However, they are waylaid by armies of the north and the Riverlands, which include Houses Dustin, Frey, Blackwood, and others, in one of the bloodiest land battles in the Targaryen war. The Battle of Lakeshore (or Fishfeed) decimates the Lannister armies.
The Fall of King’s Landing
Taking advantage of Aemond and Vhagar’s absence, and angry over the death of her son and heir, Queen Rhaenyra finally storms into King’s Landing with her dragons, her husband Daemon Targaryen, and the Velaryon fleet. The capital falls to her without resistance. Queens Alicent and Helaena are taken prisoner, and Ser Otto Hightower is executed. Tyland Lannister is subjected to grievous torture to make him reveal where he hid the Crown’s gold but to no avail.
Rhaenyra strikes a deal with Dalton Greyjoy of the Iron Islands and makes him the Master of Ships. The Ironborn fleet ravages the westerlands, which don’t have the Lannister army to protect them anymore, and even tries to get into Lannisport unsuccessfully.
At Harrenhal, there’s a rift between Aemond and Cole, unable to decide what to do next. Cole takes the army and marches south to join Prince Daeron, who is marching with the Hightower armies to a town in the Reach called Tumbleton. Aemond continues to burn the Riverlands with Vhagar as a way to incite Rhaenyra.
Butcher’s Ball
This is the battle where Criston Cole dies. ‘Nuff said?
Marching towards the Reach with a vastly reduced army, Criston Cole encounters “feasting corpses,” staged bodies to taunt the greens throughout their path. Finally, south of God’s Eye lake, the Riverlands and northern armies ambush Cole’s army. Cole’s offer to surrender is rejected, after which he offers to fight the three lords leading the charge in single combat. However, before the fight can begin, he is felled by arrows. The remainder of his army is slain, thus earning this battle the name, Butcher’s Ball.
This is one of the biggest blows to the Greens’ cause. But is the war over yet? Not even close!
The Dragonseed Betrayers at the First Battle of Tumbleton
Remember the concerns about the dragonseed’s loyalty? At the first battle of Tumbleton, the Black army is fighting against the Greens’ Hightower army, when they are joined by the dragonseed Hugh Hammer and Ulf the White. However, the two betray the Blacks and defect to the Greens for reasons unknown. Along with Prince Daeron’s dragon Tessarion, Hugh’s Vermithor and Ulf’s Silverwing burn the town of Tumbleton.
The betrayal drives Rhaenyra to paranoia about the loyalty of Addam, who is now a Velaryon along with his brother Alyn, after Lord Corlys had petitioned Rhaenyra to legitimise his bastards so he could name Addam the heir to Driftmark. Rhaenyra orders Addam imprisoned, but he escapes on Seasmoke after being alerted by Corlys, for which Corlys is then thrown into prison.
The Fall of Dragonstone
After escaping from King’s Landing, Lord Larys has smuggled a disguised King Aegon II into Dragonstone, where he finds that his assumed dead dragon Sunfyre is alive. Reunited, they manage to find some supporters who hate Rhaenyra, and take control of a poorly defended Dragonstone. Baela Targaryen tries to escape on her dragon Moondancer. However, in a dance between the dragons, King Aegon loses his legs. His dragon Sunfyre blinds Baela’s dragon and eventually kills Moondancer. A burnt and injured Baela is taken captive.
Battle Above the God’s Eye
In the book, Daemon is supposed to be in Maidenpool when Aemond is burning through the Riverlands, along with the dragonseed Nettles, with whom he grows close. Some accounts claim they are lovers, some that they were like father and daughter. And after the dragonseeds’ betrayal, when Rhaenyra orders Nettles dead, he lets her escape on Sheepstealer to somewhere far away. However, in House of The Dragon, Nettles has been merged with his daughter Rhaena Targaryen, so it’ll be interesting to see how that shapes up.
Daemon decides to go to Harrenhal and await his nephew, Aemond. It is said that for thirteen days, Daemon waits in the godswood of the castle, slashing the weirwood tree once each day. On the fourteenth day, Aemond arrives with a pregnant Alys on Vhagar, drops her off at Harrenhal with a kiss, and then he and Daemon fight above the God’s Eye lake.
As their dragons attack each other, both falling towards the lake, Daemon jumps from Caraxes to drive his sword Dark Sister into Aemond’s other eye, killing him. That’s how Aemond’s skeleton is also found days later in the lake, still strapped to Vhagar’s with the sword in his eye socket. Caraxes dies beneath the walls of Harrenhal. However, Daemon’s body is never found, and some stories claim he escaped. Maybe it has to do something with the prophecy?
It is also believed that on or around the same time as the Battle of the God’s Eye, Helaena Targaryen jumps to her death.
The King’s Landing Riot and Storming of the Dragonpit
With Lord Corlys imprisoned, Rhaenyra loses the support of the Velaryon fleet. Upon Helaena’s death, which some believe to be murder, riots break out in King’s Landing over grief for the beloved queen. The Gold Cloaks are killed, a random bastard hedge knight is crowned king, and a newly emerging, overzealous prophet called ‘the Shepherd’ leads an angry mob to believe that Rhaenyra can no longer protect them.
The mob storms the Dragonpit to kill the dragons. Rhaenyra’s third son, Joffrey Velaryon tries to ride her dragon Syrax to the pit, perhaps to stop the riot, but dragons don’t usually let another rider ride them without their rider present. She throws him off, and it kills him. The rioters kill the dragons in the pit, including Joffrey’s dragon Tyraxes, Helaena’s dragon Dreamfyre (who burns many before dying), and even Rhaenyra’s dragon, Syrax.
With the city lost, Rhaenyra is advised by the council to flee with her only surviving son, Aegon, to Duskendale.
Second Battle of Tumbleton
After learning of the King’s Landing riots, the Hightower army at Tumbleton wants to make a move on the city and crown the only remaining Green leader, Prince Daeron, as the Prince of Dragonstone, since King Aegon was still AWOL. However, the dragonseed Hugh and Ulf act pouty, claiming they deserve better than just small lordships in exchange for their services in the war.
Hugh Hammer rides Vermithor, now the largest dragon in the realm, and proclaims himself king, with Ulf supporting his claim out of greed. A few of the lords of the Reach, including Lord Unwin Peake, along with Daeron, plot to kill the two dragonseed.
However, before this can happen, Addam Velaryon, on his dragon Seasmoke, an army of Rivermen and House Tully, attacks the Hightower armies’ lowered defenses. One of the plotters kills Hugh Hammer. Prince Daeron also died in the battle. Addam and Seasmoke fight the dragons Vermithor and Tessarion, with Vermithor ripping off Seasmoke’s head, and killing Addam Velaryon as well. Both Vermithor and Tessarion also die.
Ulf the White sleeps through the battle, but is eventually poisoned to death. Though riderless, Silverwing survives the Dance and goes on to live as a wild dragon for several years after. The Greens’ army has no leader or dragon; therefore, Lord Peake leads it in a retreat.
King Aegon II vs. Queen Rhaenyra at Dragonstone
Rhaenyra and her son Aegon are not given asylum anywhere after fleeing from King’s Landing. She is forced to sell her golden crown to get passage on a ship to Dragonstone for herself and the few men who remain to protect her.
On Dragonstone is Aegon II. His men killed Rhaenyra’s entourage, and it is finally Aegon and Sunfyre versus a dragon-less Rhaenyra. Aegon feeds Rhaenyra to his dragon Sunfyre, while her son Aegon the Younger has to watch. He is eventually taken hostage, as Aegon II plans to return to King’s Landing to claim the Iron Throne. Sunfyre finally succumbs to his wounds, having served his rider well.
The return of the king
In the period between Rhaenyra’s departure and the arrival of Aegon II to King’s Landing, there is utter chaos at the capital, with several pretenders to the throne rising from the smallfolk. However, Lord Borros Baratheon captures King’s Landing in Aegon’s name. He releases all the prisoners Rhaenyra had put in the black cells, including Queen Alicent and Lord Corlys Velaryon, who is raised to Aegon’s Small Council.
King Aegon II returns to King’s Landing and finds out that his only surviving heir is his daughter, Princess Jaehaera, who had been a ward at Storm’s End. At the behest of his mother, he agrees to marry the daughter of Lord Borros Baratheon. Although from House of The Dragon, we know that Aegon’s genitals were severely damaged during Rook’s Rest, so this bit might not be included in the series.
At the behest of Lord Corlys, Alicent reluctantly agrees to betroth Princess Jaehaera to Rhaenyra’s son, Aegon the Younger. Aegon II wants Alyn Velaryon (now heir to Driftmark) to swear fealty to him, or he threatens to behead Baela Targaryen, who remains his prisoner and is kept in chains. But luckily, it doesn’t come to it, because Lord Larys arranges for Baela to be whisked away to safety.
The final battle
The Lads, a group of young Riverlands leaders that include Benjicot Blackwood, Lord Oscar Tully, and Alysanne Blackwood, march with their armies towards King’s Landing. Lord Baratheon arrives from King’s Landing to head them off, and manages to kill a few before dying himself. With the capital city now defenseless, the Lads decide to capture it, with Cregan Stark’s northern army and the army from The Vale joining to strengthen their numbers.
The end of the Dance of the Dragons
With the Lads at their doorstep, Lord Corlys advises King Aegon II to surrender the city to them and join the Night’s Watch. However, Aegon wants to chop a body part of his nephew, the younger Aegon, to send a message to the Lads. Before he can do this, someone—possibly Lord Larys—poisons Aegon II and kills him. Alicent is once again imprisoned. When Cregan Stark takes charge of King’s Landing, he frowns upon the treachery and hangs 22 men suspected of regicide, including Lord Larys (thus ending the line of House Strong); however, Lord Corlys is spared after pleas are made on his behalf at court.
With the death of King Aegon II, the Dance of the Dragons, spanning two years, finally comes to an end. Rhaenyra’s son, Aegon III is crowned king, and Princess Jaehaera is his queen, while a bunch of lords that are loyal to the realm, including Lord Corlys Velaryon and Lord Tyland Lannister, are made regents that will rule the kingdom on young Aegon’s behalf. Alicent is still alive, yet not of sound mind. She refuses to attend the royal wedding of her grandchildren and is confined to one part of the Red Keep, where she descends into madness, until her death from a sickness that takes over the city some years later.
Key players who survived the Targaryen civil war include Lord Corlys Velaryon, who lived long until his very natural death at a ripe old age. His legitimised bastard Alyn Velaryon was Lord of Driftmark for many years after and undertook several voyages that would’ve made his father proud. He was the one who returned the presumed dead Prince Viserys II to King’s Landing, who would eventually become king after his brother Aegon III passed away. Viserys II is the grandsire of Brynden Rivers, the Three-Eyed Raven that Daemon saw in his vision. It is through Viserys II’s line that Rhaegar Targaryen and Daenerys Targaryen would be born.
Baela and Rhaena Targaryen both survive and live lavish lives, with Baela eventually marrying Alyn Velaryon and having a couple of children with him, and Rhaena in a political marriage with Lord Corwyn Corbray. After his death, Rhaena marries Lord Garmund Hightower, with whom she has six daughters, who would’ve been the ancestors of Margaery Tyrell, the wife of King Joffrey I, and later, King Tommen I Baratheon.
Notes
Bear in mind that House of The Dragon doesn’t always follow the book because GRRM wrote it like a collection of accounts as opposed to hard facts. This has allowed HOTD the creative liberty to fill in the gaps with its interpretation of what could’ve actually happened, what the characters’ true motivations were, and even play with the timelines a bit.
The show’s pacing, which has been criticised for being too glacial and filler-heavy, will take two more seasons, according to showrunner Ryan Condal, to finish telling the Dance of The Dragons story.