In 184 AC, as King Aegon IV Targaryen lay in his deathbed, he decreed the legitimization
of all his bastard children, a radical proclamation that would have drastic repercussions for
the people of Westeros. After the death of the King, his first born
son Daeron II inherited the throne and would prove a wise and progressive ruler, filling
his court with maesters and scholars and setting himself to the great task of cleaning up the
corrupt and incompetent administration handed down by his father.
He was also a man of peace, building good relations with Dorne, a realm with which they
had recently fought a devastating war. Daeron had married Mariah Martell as part of the
peace agreement and when he inherited the Iron Throne, the Dornish influence of his
wife would take root in the Red Keep. Daeron also sought to make a permanent peace
with their southern neighbors, and in 188 AC he marred his sister Princess Daenerys
Targaryen to Prince Maron Martell of Dorne, thereby making Dorne a part of Westeros through
a marriage alliance. Yet these changes and declarations of peace
did not sit well with all of the Seven Kingdoms. Many had lost loved ones in the wars against
the Dornish and had no desire for peace. Many also questioned the Dornish influence of his
wife on the Targaryen court of King’s Landing, and sought a return to the days where warriors
and great knights roamed the halls of the Red Keep.
Further, after nearly 200 years of rule, many houses of Westeros had grievances against
Targaryen rule, and sought an alternative. And so it would be that Daemon Blackfyre,
the bastard son of King Aegon IV, would become their champion.
Born Daemon Waters, he was the illegitimate son of a young Aegon IV and his cousin, Daena
the Defiant. At the age of 12 Daemon was already proving to be a tremendous warrior, having
distinguished himself in a Tournament, and so impressed the King, that he officially
acknowledged the boy as his son and gifted him the Valyrian Steel sword Blackfyre, which
had been held by their ancestor, the first Targaryen king Aegon the Conqueror and his
heirs. Daemon would proudly take the name Blackfyre
for his house, and display an inverted Targaryen sigil for his banners.
Many would come to admire Daemon Blackfyre, seeing him as everything Daeron was not, a
valiant warrior, they would be proud to follow into battle.
Daemon was also very charismatic and charming, comporting himself with honor and dignity.
Although King Daeron was sure to treat his siblings with respect, granting them the lands
and titles they were due given their status as legitimized children of the King, his attempts
at appeasement would ultimately fail. In 196 AC, Daemon Blackfyre, after many powerful
nobles had spent years pressuring Daemon to declare, he united with his half brother Aegor
Rivers and a number of powerful houses, proclaiming himself the true King of Westeros and rightful
heir of Aegon IV. Officially, House Blackfyre made their claim
on the basis of an old rumor that stated King Daeron was actually fathered by Aemon the
Dragonknight who was known to have been in love with his mother Naerys. In addition,
the rebel supporters claimed Aegon IV had chosen Daemon as his heir when he granted
him the Blackfyre sword, which was known as the sword of the king.
Throughout the year fighting erupted in Westeros, with the Riverlands seeing the bulk of the
fighting. Ser Quentyn Ball led many of the early assaults in the Westerlands, killing
Lord Lefford Lefford at Lannisport and sending Lord Damon Lannister into retreat. He also
defeated the men of House Penrose while crossing the Mander River.* The war then culminated
in the Battle of the Red Grassfield, where the rebel forces of House Blackfyre engaged
against the loyalist forces of House Targaryen. As the two armies clashed, Daemon Blackfyre
engaged in a duel with Ser Gwayne Corbray wielding the Valyrian Steel sword Lady Forlorn.
The two fought for nearly an hour before Daemon finally struck the man down. Yet the Blackfyre
King’s sense of honor would not allow for such a worthy foe to pass away, and so ordered
that Ser Gwayne be taken off the battlefield to be healed. However this act of chivalry
would prove his downfall, as this action gave time for Raven’s Teeth, the archer company
led by Brynden Rivers, to reach the top of Weeping ridge and fire arrows down upon Daemon
Targaryen and his eldest sons Aegon and Aemon, killing all three.
Aegor Rivers, also known as Bittersteel, then led his men to cut a bloody path through Raven’s
Teeth, fighting a duel with Brynden Rivers, and proving the victor by taking out his half
brother's eye. But it was too late, Daemon Blackfyre was
dead and Targaryen forces were routing the rebel army.
Bittersteel then led the retreat of their remaining forces, collecting the sword Blackfyre
as well as Daemon’s surviving sons and boarding ships to travel east, seeking refuge in Essos.
Though it had come at a high cost, with over 10 thousands men killed at the Battle of the
Redgrass field, King Daeron II and House Targaryen had defeated the First Blackfyre Rebellion.
But Aegor Rivers, still loyal to his brother Daemon, was not prepared to admit defeat.
Instead regrouping and preparing House Blackfyre and their supporters for another attempt at
taking the Iron Throne. In order to sustain their forces in the many years they would
need to build up and resupply their army and to avoid losing knights and warriors to other
mercenary groups, Bittersteel formed the Golden Company, earning a reputation for having thousands
of well-trained warriors and always honoring their contracts.
In 211 AC Daemon Blackfyre II, eldest living son of Daemon Blackfyre I, attended the Tournament
of Whitewalls where he planned to gather support to begin the Second Blackfyre Rebellion, however
his plans were discovered allowing for Hand of the King Brynden Rivers to lead an army
to the castle and arrest the claimant king. For reasons not yet known, Aegor Rivers and
the Golden Company had not joined Daemon Blackfyre II in his attempt to take the Throne, with
Bittersteel instead focusing his attention on preparing Daemon Blackfyre II’s younger
brother Haegon for the crown. In 219 AC House Blackfyre launched the Third
Blackfyre Rebellion, invading Westeros with the Golden Company. Future Kings Prince Maekar
and Aegon as well as the infamous Prince Aerion Brightflame and Hand of the King Brynden Rivers
valiantly led loyalist Targaryen forces against the Blackfyre invaders, successfully defeating
them and sending them into retreat. Haegon, the claimant king, upon seeing the defeat
of his forces, surrendered, tossing his sword to the ground, but it did not save him, as
he was dishonorably killed while weaponless. Aegor Rivers was taken alive, arrested and
dragged before the Targaryen court in King’s Landing where both Bloodraven and Aerion Brightflame
advocated his execution. But the elderly King Aerys I overruled them and chose exile in
the Night’s Watch for the rebel leader. Yet the Golden Company remained free and loyal
to Bittersteel and House Blackfyre, and so they attacked the ship carrying their leader
to the Wall, and rescued him, travelling to Tyrosh where he crowned Haegon’s son Daemon
Blackfyre III as the true king of Westeros. In 236 AC Aegor Rivers made his final attempt
to defeat House Targaryen and replace them with House Blackfyre, leading the Golden Company
into an invasion of Westeros, landing their troops at Massey’s Hook in the Crownlands.
However the Fourth Blackfyre Rebellion had little success, with House Blackfyre unable
to attract any significant Lords to their cause. At the Battle of Wendwater Bridge,
Targaryen Forces thoroughly defeated the Blackfyre Rebels, with Ser Duncan the Tall killing Daemon
Blackfyre III in battle. Aegor Rivers once again survived the fighting and retreated
with his forces across the Narrow Sea. Bittersteel would die only a few years later,
fighting in the Disputed Lands, during a conflict between Tyrosh and Myr. On his deathbed, he
ordered that when he die, the Golden Company should boil the flesh from his skull, dip
in gold and carry it as their banner when they eventually launch their final invasion
of Westeros and take the Throne for House Blackfyre.
The mercenary company would obey their founder and follow his example, remaining staunch
supporters of the Blackfyres, and remaining loyal to their leaders memory even in their
war cry, Beneath the Gold, the Bitter Steel. Many years later the last 2 descendants of
the male line of House Blackfyre in Daemon Blackfyre and his cousin Maelys the Monstrous,
engaged in a battle to the death over the leadership of the Golden Company, with Maelys
emerging victorious. In 258 AC, rumors began to reach Westeros
of a group called the Band of Nine, made up of ambitious merchants and pirates who had
made an alliance with House Blackfyre to invade Westeros and take the Iron Throne. They began
by invading Tyrosh in 259 and setting up the Step Stones as their base of operations for
a future invasion. However wise King Jaehaerys II was aware of their plans and launched a
pre-emptive attack against Blackfyre forces. In 260 AC, Hand of the King Lord Ormund Baratheon
led a Targaryen army to the Step Stones, launching the War of the Ninepenny Kings, also known
as the Fifth Blackfyre Rebellion. Many of the nobles of Westeros participated in this
war, with Quellon Greyjoy of the Iron Islands sending a hundred longship, and the Westerlands
under Tytos Lannister sending 11 thousands warriors. Lord Ormund’s son Steffon Baratheon
would also fight in the war, alongside his friends Tywin Lannister and the Future king
Prince Aerys Targaryen. Brynden Blackfish Tully also distinguished himself in the war
as did a young Barristan Selmy, who cut a bloody path through the Golden Company to
reach Maelys the Monstrous, killing him in single combat.
Ser Barristan’s victory marked an end to the Fifth blackfyre Rebellion, and the young
knight was awarded with a place in the Kingsguard for his heroic actions.
However House Blackfyre had faced a devastating loss, losing the last descendant of the Male
line, and leaving the Golden Company without Blackfyre leadership.
And while many believed this was the end for the Blackfyre rebels, some have recently come
to suggest that the dream of Daemon Blackfyre I and Aegor Rivers may yet be realized.
This speculation concerns the female line of House Blackfyre, which may have continued
beyond the death of Maelys the Monstrous. And that Illyrio Mopatis, a wealthy merchant
of Pentos may have married a Blackfyre descendant in his wife Serra, who may have given birth
to a son, whom they named Aegon. With the help of Illyrio’s friend Varys and the Targaryen
Loyalist Jon Connington (unaware of the boys blackfyre heritage), Aegon was trained to
be a great and wise king, all the while being lied too about his true parentage by Jon Connington
and Illyrio who told the boy he was last the surviving son of Rhaegar Targaryen and Elia
Martell. In this way Varys and Illyrio might secure the support of Westerosi Lords, and
have a valid claim for young Aegon’s legitimacy. In addition the Golden Company signed a contract
with Illyrio many years earlier, when they were under the leadership of Miles Blackheart
Toyne, a descendant of House Toyne who lost their lands and power to House Targaryen during
the reign of Aegon IV. His deep hatred for the Targayens coupled with the Golden Companies
history as supporters of House Blackfyre, made it unlikely they would support a Targaryen
for the Throne. And indeed the Golden Company had already turned down a Targaryen descendant,
when Prince Viserys, attempted to court them into supporting a Targaryen Restoration. Speculating
even further, there are some who claim varys himself may be a Blackfyre, who was castrated
as a child in order to prevent him from ever fathering children and continuing the Blackfyre
line. In 300 AC, Aegon and the Golden Company invaded
the Stormlands, taking advantage of the chaos in the Seven Kingdoms following the devastation
of the War of the Five Kings, and began conquering various territories. The Realms of Westeros
must now prepare for this newest claimant king, who may in fact be a secret Blackfyre,
covertly and unknowingly launching the 6th Blackfyre Rebellion.