King Robert Baratheon, ruler of the Seven Kingdoms, was commonly known to have fathered
3 children with his queen Cersei Lannister, naming them Joffrey, Myrcella and Tommen Baratheon.
These children inherited their father’s lands, money and titles, with Joffrey Baratheon
becoming king of the realm, and Tommen, his younger brother becoming heir. However, after
Joffrey’s ascension to the Throne their claim came under dispute, with Jon Arryn,
Stannis Baratheon and later Eddard Stark, having discovered a harsh truth.
They learned that all three children were sired by Queen Cersei and her brother Jaime
Lannister, making them the bastard born children of incest, with no legitimate claim to the
throne. This dispute prompted the War of the Five Kings, which tore the continent apart,
killing thousands. And while this discovery meant Robert left
no legitimate heirs, his bloodline may have a chance to continue through the many illegitimate
children he fathered throughout his life. Although it is not certain how many of the
King’s bastards existed, the prophecy of Maggy the Frog, claims he would have sixteen.
Yet only 7 are currently known. Though Varys the Spider claims to know the identity of
eight. After the King’s death, his wife Cersei
Lannister, ordered that all of Robert’s bastards be killed, and while a few survived
long enough for Tyrion Lannister to rescind the order, many died.
Of the Known illegitimate children of Robert Baratheon,
There is Mya Stone the daughter he fathered in his youth as a Ward of Jon Arryn in the
Vale. Robert was believed to have affection for the girl, possibly even suggesting she
might come to the Baratheon court in King’s Landing, though Cersei Lannister saw that
it did not occur. Mya would become a guide for travellers headed to the Eerie, and has
fond memories of her father from childhood. She would also become the friend of Alayne
Stone, secretly Sansa Stark during her time posing as the bastard daughter of Petyr Baelish.
Another of Robert’s daughters would be a girl named Bella, conceived and raised in
a brothel in Stony Sept, believed to have been sired while Robert was hiding from Targaryen
forces during his Rebellion. More of his children could be found In the
Westerlands, where a serving woman of Casterly Rock would give birth to twins, however given
their location, they became easy targets for Cersei Lannister who had them killed.
Robert’s youngest child was born to a King’s Landing prostitute, who named the girl Barra.
But the girl and her mother Mhaegon would be killed during the Queen’s purge.
Then there is Gendry, a boy born to woman working in an alehouse of King’s Landing,
who died early on in his life. Yet despite his meager beginnings and lack of resources,
he became apprenticed to a Master Blacksmith named Tobho Mott, after a mysterious nobleman,
some have come to speculate was Varys the Spider, paid double the usual fee for his
acceptance. Gendry would prove a talented smith, eventually developing the skill to
craft a greatly prized bull’s head helmet. Eddard Stark would meet with the boy during
his investigation into the death of Jon Arryn, and his strong resemblance to Robert helped
in convincing the northern Lord that Stannis and Jon Arryn had discovered the illegitimacy
of his heirs. When Cersei Ordered the execution of Robert’s children, Varys the Spider arranged
for Gendry to be taken out the city by Yoren of the Night’s Watch. Gendry would befriend
young Arya Stark who was also travelling with the night’s watch recruits and remained
with her after Yoren was killed, until they were found by the Brotherhood without Banners.
Gendry was inspired by their mission and joined them assigned as a Smith to the Crossroads
Inn, where he was also tasked to care for group of Orphans.
Finally there is Edric Storm, the only illegitimate child of Robert Baratheon that was officially
acknowledged. Born to Lady Delena Florent, he was raised in Storm’s End under the protection
of Ser Cortnay Penrose. Although Robert ruled from King’s Landing, he visited Edric nearly
every year, spending time with the boy, teaching him to fight and even gifting him a Warhammer.
After Robert’s death, Stannis took charge of the boy, following his capture of Storm’s
End and planned to use the boy’s resemblance to his father as way of proving the illegitimacy
of Robert’s heirs, yet the Red Priestess Melisandre, an advisor to Stannis, had more
sinister plans , wanting to sacrifice the boy to R’hllor so his king’s blood might
wake stone dragons. And while Stannis refused to allow it, she did use leeches to drain
some of his blood, then burning them in a magical ritual to curse the false Kings, Joffrey
Baratheon, Robb Stark and Balon Greyjoy. Fearing that the Red Woman would eventually do great
harm to the boy, Davos Seaworth arranged his escape, sending him to the city of Lys.