Fire and Blood

 

Season 2 of the House of the Dragons has already aired. We are on episode 4 as of the writing of this blog where Princess Rhaenys Targaryen volunteered to defend the Rook's Rest and there she died behind her dragon Meleys.

Since June, I have been curious about the origins of the shows I have been watching. Ever since I have read Anne of Green Gables and Little Women, which I have reenacted in a play during my years in elementary, I have been obsessed about finding out the true story behind it. What the authors really wrote in the book.

Episode 5 is coming out on Sunday and will air on Monday in the Philippines. Consequently, I have finished Fire and Blood last night and decided to write about my experience and what this book has revealed to me.

Fire and Blood was set 300 years before Game of Thrones. This was during the conquest of King Aegon Targaryen I all the way to the reign of King Aegon Targaryen III, some years after the Dying of the Dragons where Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen, firstborn daughter and known heir to the throne of King Viserys Targaryen I, and King Aegon Targaryen II, fought and divided the realm to take the Iron Throne. These chapters were the inspiration for the House of the Dragons.

Worthy to note that all of them were Targaryens. Duh?

Anyway, here are my observations:

• Like Princess Rhaenys, daughter of King Jaehaerys I, dying behind her dragon Meleys, Queen Rhaenys I, sister wife to Aegon I, also died when her dragon, Meraxes died.
• I can't understand why they are so obsessed with the Iron Throne. The throne will also kill or maim the occupant. King Viserys I and Princess Rhaenyra were always bleeding after they had sat on the Iron Throne.
• Everyone was so obsessed with how great Aegon The Conqueror was that every generation of Targaryen had a firstborn son named Aegon. If Maegor had a son, surely he would name it Aegon too.
• It became viral that the 3 dragon eggs shown in episode 3 of the House of the Dragons brought by Princess Rhaena to the Vale, together with Joffrey Velaryon and his dragon Tyraxes, Aegon III and his dragon, Stormcloud, and Viserys II with his dragon egg, were Daenerys' dragons were also Dreamfyre's eggs. This isn't true because, in Chapter 9, all 3 of these eggs hatched in Dragonstone, the ancient seat of the Targaryens. There was no Dragonpit in King's Landings yet. It could've been Vhagar's, Syrax's or Silverwing's.
• Daenerys Targaryen (Game of Thrones) was not the first of her name. King Jaehaerys and Queen Alyssanne's first-born daughter was named Daenerys Targaryen and lived until 6 years old,
• Princess Rhaenys had black hair because she was a Baratheon. She was the daughter of Lady Jocelyn Baratheon, daughter of Queen Alyssa, mother of King Jaehaerys I and Queen Alyssanne, from her second marriage to Lord Rogar Baratheon, and Prince Aemon, 2nd son of King Jaehaerys and Queen Alyssanne.
• Addam could have been a Targaryen bastard, not a Velaryon since he's a dragon rider. He's about to ride Seasmoke. It could not have been Laenor because the realm knows he can't have a son. It could not have been Lord Corlys. The Velaryons, though the blood of Old Valyria, we're not dragon riders. 
• Damn! That fight between Aemon with Vhagar, and Daemon with Caraxes, should happen in the House of the Dragons.
• SPOILER ALERT! Aegon II's dragon, Sunfyre ate Rhaenyra in front of her son Aegon III.

Dying of the Dragons was divided into 6 chapters of Fire and Blood and also the most depressing parts of this book. This explains why there were no more dragons in Westeros until Daenerys (Game of Thrones) came with her three dragons which were gifted to her during her wedding to Khal Drogo.

Seasmoke, Tessarion and Vermithor died in the battle at Tumbleton when they fought with each other. Some were saying Tessarion and Seasmoke were doing a mating dance instead of fighting

So many dragons died but especially in Chapter 17, when the greens (King Aegon II's supporters) paraded Meley's head, the smallfolk lost respect and terror for the dragons and the Targaryens. That could explain why Queen Rhaenyra was easily overthrown, especially by that Shepherd who was saying that Westeros was cursed because of the incest and sins of the Targaryens.

Since the dragons were chained in the dragonpit, they couldn't fly away. Shrykos was the first dragon to succumb, and then Morghul. They were hatchlings from Dreamfyre. Tyraxes was next. And then Dreamfyre. Syrax didn't to escape the wrath of the drunken rage from the small folks. Someone jumped on her back and pierced her. That was the end of the known dragons.

Stormcloud died after safely delivering King Aegon III (when he was still a boy) to his mother Queen Rhaenyra, with broken wings.

Sunfyre fought with Grey Ghost. Sheepstealer was last seen at Storm's End. Moondancer fought with Sunfyre and died, which broke King Aegon II's feet, then died after a few days.

I have no idea what happened to Princess Rhaena's dragon, Morning which just hatched during King Aegon III's reign.