TWOIAF/Fire & Blood: The Doomed Rebellion of Aegon the Uncrowned
Maegor Targaryen had put down the rebellion of the Faith. He lingers in Oldtown after reuniting with Ceryse Hightower, his first wife.
Prince Aegon, later known as Aegon the Uncrowned, ignores his wife’s advice of “run away and live peacefully”, instead choosing to attempt to overthrow Maegor. What is driving Aegon? Entitlement? Vengeance? Jealousy? A sense of duty?
Aegon and Rhaena leave Casterly Rock and sneak into King’s Landing, concealed beneath snacks of corn. Rhaena retrieved Dreamfyre while Aegon claimed Quicksilver. Aegon is now a dragonrider. Why did Aegon wait so long to claim a dragon? Did he have no interest until necessity demanded he have a dragon? Maegor waited longer but he was laser-focused on Balerion, who is unique in the pantheon of Targaryen dragons.
The duo was aided by unnamed “friends in Maegor’s own court who had grown tired of the king’s cruelties”. No details are given on the nature of Maegor’s cruelties. Maegor’s “cruelties” have only been noted against his opponents in the field. The exceptions are the beheadings of the Grand Maesters, an alleged stories of animal abuse (and a stablehand?) as a child. The decapitations were unnecessary and are indicative of Maegor’s violent impulses. The cruelites…I want details…was he like Joffrey Baratheon in tormenting people when he was bored/annoyed?
Aegon and Rhaena returned to the Westerlands to assemble an army. The Lannisters (wisely) refused to openly support the duo’s cause so Aegon’s adherents gathered at Pinkmaiden Castle, seat of House Piper. Jon Piper, Lord of Pinkmaiden, had pledged his sword to Aegon because his Melony, his fiery sister, won him to the cause. Aegon denounced his uncle as a tyrant and usurper and called upon men to rally to his banners.
The following came: The Lords Tarbeck, Roote, Vance, Charlton, Frey, Paege, Parren, Farman, Westerling, Lord Corbray of the Vale, the Bastard of Barrowton, and the fourth son of the Lord of Griffin’s Roost. Ser Tyler Hill, a bastard son of Lord Lyman Lannister, arrived from Lannisport with five hundred men. The Piper levies were led by Melony. The assembled forces were around 15,000.
No great lords rallied to Aegon’s cause. Queen Tyanna wrote to Maegor and warned him that the lords of Storm’s End, the Eyrie, Winterfell, and Casterly Rock were in communication with Alyssa Velaryon. The lords wouldn’t commit until they were certain Aegon could prevail. Some might see this as cowardly, but it is a smart approach. Why waste thousands of lives on a doomed rebellion? At this point, Maegor has only acted against Houses that rebelled against him. Add in the fact that Aenys was a disaster as a king and I can see why the great lords were hesitant to grant their support.
Maegor’s strength is warfare. In no time at all, he had a plan in motion to end this rebellion. Maegor devised a plan that had forces coming for Aegon from every direction: Lord Harroway from Harrenhal, Lord Tully from Riverrun, Ser Davos Darklyn of the Kingsguard marshalled five thousand in King’s Landing and struck out west, Lord Peake, Lord Merryweather, and Lod Caswell came up from the Reach.
Aegon soon found armies closing in on all sides. He didn’t know what to do (shades of Aenys). Lord Corbray, an experienced commander, advised Aenys to split their forces and meet the opposing forces individually. Aenys vetoed the motion and kept marching the entire force towards King’s Landing.
Aegon found the Davos Darkyln’s forces waiting for his south of the Gods Eye. Lords Merryweather and Caswell were advancing from the south, and Lords Tully and Harroway from the north. Aegon mounted Quicksilver to lead a charge when Balerion appeared in the southern sky.
For the first time since the Doom of Valyria, dragon battled dragon. Not that it was much of a battle. Picture Luke vs Aemond from the HOTD season 1 finale.
The battle between the ground forces were bloody and brief. The rebels realized their cause was doomed once Aegon died. By the end of the battle, a thousand of the rebels had died but only one hundred of the Maegor’s men. Among the dead were: Lord Allyn Tarbeck, Denys Snow the Bastard of Barrowton, Lord Ronnel Vance, Ser William Whistler, Melony Piper and three of her brothers, and Ser Davos Darklyn (slain by Lord Corbray).
The next six months were filled with trials and executions. Queen Visenya persuaded Maegor to spare some of the rebellious lords but all lost lands and titles and were forced to give up their hostages.
Final thoughts on Aegon: Foolish and impatient. He had neither the intelligence, experience, nor strength to win against Maegor. He should have stayed under the radar and slowlu gathered alliances and waited until Maegor had eroded the last of the population’s goodwill/patience. Imagine if Aegon had waited until the death of Visenya and then claimed Vhagar? Now you have the power to fight Maegor and Balerion! Poor Quicksilver only knew pleasure rides, Vhagar knows how to fight!
Up next, Rhaena in the aftermath of the rebellion.
