Who do you think did the most irreversible damage to the dynasty of the Targareyens?
My answer isn’t a “who” but a “what”, and that’s the War of the Ninepenny Kings. This was a glorious moment for the realm - the only time in Westeros’ history when the entire realm fought together, from Rickard Stark to Jon Arryn to Hoster Tully to young Tywin Lannister to even Quellon Grey - but for me, it was also the moment the Targaryen monarchy was doomed.
In every pan-realm conflict before this point, there had always been Targaryens at the center of the conflict, and Targaryens leading the way. The First Dornish War had been spearheaded by Queen Rhaenys and Aegon I, and even the bastard Targaryen Orys Baratheon took a starring role in leading the ground forces. The Dance of the Dragons was a Targaryen succession crisis, with each side fighting to put a chosen Targaryen claimant on the throne - Rhaenyra or Aegon II. In the Dornish War of Conquest, Daeron I had been the charismatic, militarily brilliant young coalition builder-king who had led the troops into glorious (well, glorious for the Targaryens) victory over the Dornish (until his own murder). In the First Blackfyre Rebellion, Daeron II stayed at home, but each side had great Targaryens to look to: the rebel side was led by Daemon, said to look like a reborn Aegon the Conqueror and fight magnificently, while the loyalist side featured the invaluable leadership and teamwork of Princes Baelor and Maekar. The Third Blackfyre Rebellion had again seen Maekar, along with young Prince Aegon, distinguish themselves fighting the Blackfyre cause, and King Maekar himself died suppressing a rebellion. But in the War of the Ninepenny Kings, Prince Aerys is only a squire, and sickly Jaehaerys II did not leave the safety of the Red Keep. For the first time, there was no Targaryen in the field to look to for leadership, no shining example of the glory of the crown.
Instead, Westeros looked to its own sons, and gained a brilliant victory through them. For the first time, Westeros had defined itself as a realm without needing a Targaryen in that definition. The lords had led themselves, had united vastly separated holdings under a common cause, had defeated the last gasp of the Blackfyres. It was at this moment, I think, that the lords of Westeros began to wonder “Just why did we ever have the Targaryens around to begin with?“ The answer, of course, was dragons, but the dragons were a century dead.
When you’re no longer necessary to defining your own realm, your days are irrevocably numbered. The Targaryens became expendable in that moment - Westeros did not need a Targaryen at the helm of war to score a brilliant victory. Daemon Blackfyre had already proven that a charming, gregarious, coalition builder with the right motivation and lordly support couple very nearly topple the established king. Given the right motivation again - something Aerys II would be only too glad to provide - the Westerosi knew that they could win, and survive, without a Targaryen to lead them.
The Queen Regent (NFriel)
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