The great castle of Summerhall, was built during the Reign of King Daeron II in 188
AC, located near the Red Mountains of the Stormlands, nearing the border of the Reach.
It was used by House Targaryen as a Summer home for many years, and where the heir to
House Targaryen was known as the Prince of Dragonstone, the title Prince of Summerhall
was sometimes bestowed to a younger Targaryen prince.
As Daeron “the Good” entered his elder years, he passed Summerhall onto his youngest
son Maekar Targaryen. Maekar would go on to inherit the throne after
the death of his elder brothers, then passing it onto his son, who would be known as Aegon
the V, and it would be under his rule, that Summerhall would see tragedy.
While many of the details of the event remain unknown, it is believed by many that in 259
AC, Aegon the V travelled to the Targaryen summer home, and there, among family and friends,
attempted to hatch dragon eggs, bringing the fiery beasts back into the world. Whatever
ritual or enchantments were cast, possibly involving pyromancers and wildfire, the result
was a terrible fire, that brought ruin to the castle and killed King Aegon V, his eldest
son and Heir Prince Duncan the Small, the Lord Commander of the Kingsguard Ser Duncan
the Tall, and many others. Archmaester Gyldayn, the last Maester of Summerhall,
wrote an account of the events, however much of the story was lost to history when ink
was spilled on the page ruining much of the writing.
All that remained were fragments of sentences, such as
…the blood of the dragon gathered in one… …seven eggs, to honor the seven gods, though
the king’s own septon had warned… …pyromancers…
…wild fire… …flames grew out of control…towering…burned
so hot that… …died, but for the valor of the Lord Comman…
This last phrase, seems to suggest that Lord Commander Duncan the Tall, sacrificed himself
to save others. With some speculating that perhaps upon seeing the death of the king,
his heir and much of the royal court, Ser Duncan concerned himself with ensuring the
King’s granddaughter Rhaella Targaryen, and her new born son Rhaegar, escaped the
flames. Rhaegar Targaryen had been born that very day, and this connection to Summerhall
would stay with him the rest of his life, often visiting the site, and composing songs
before sleeping amongst the ruins.
Years later, Summerhall became the site of one Robert Baratheon’s most impressive victories
during his Rebellion, defeating three separate armies, in 3 battles, in a single day. With
these victories, Robert consolidated his power in the Stormlands, an important step, in his
march to victory against King Aerys II. In the years since the Tragedy, many theories
have been suggested concerning the truth behind the great fire and destruction that killed
so many. Some, believe that the event was the result
of a miscalculation, where a ritual, possibly involving magic and wildfire was conducted
incorrectly, and the result was a catastrophic fire.
Others have come to believe the event was no accident at all, and that King Aegon, was
on the verge of hatching dragons, and may have even briefly succeeded, but for the interference
and sabotage of the King’s many enemies, which included some of the most powerful Lords
of Westeros, who felt slighted by Aegon’s failure to secure arranged marriages for his
children, and who felt threatened by his generosity and camaraderie with the common people.
Others still, suggest it was the Order of Maesters, that sabotaged the event. With some
believing it was the Maesters who subtly killed off the last of the Dragons during the reign
of Aegon III, and fearing the return of the magical creatures, chose to once again act,
disrupting and ruining the ceremony.