In the reach, Ser Hobert Hightower was left in command of the army which to this point
largely succeeded in conquering the territory for the Greens.
Yet he was unable to capitalize on their victories as the Two Dragonseed Betrayers were greedy
and belligerent, refusing to move until their outrages demands were met, all the while gathering
many dishonorable warriors to their cause.
While Ulf the White wanted Highgarden, the capital of the reach held by House Tyrell,
Hugh Hammer sought an even greater prize, dawning a crown of black iron to proclaim
himself king of Westeros.
When young Daeron the Daring objected by throwing wine in Hugh’s face, he threatened to beat
the boy, and when Ser Roger Corne removed the crown, the would-be king nailed three
horseshoes to his skull.
Their increasing retinue of men and fearsome dragons combined with the army’s loss of
a unifying commander meant the Betrayers were formidable obstacles to progress that could
not be easily overcome and would ultimately destroyed them.
Unwilling to allow Hugh Hammer’s treason, the caltrop conspiracy formed, wherein a group
by nobles sought to assassinate the Two betrayers.
Yet before they could strike, the Second Battle of Tumbleton erupted when Addam Velaryon and
Seasmoke led a Riverland army of 4000 blacks in a viscous surprise attack.
Unable to live with the shame of being named a traitor, Addam fought with tremendous courage,
engaging in a chaotic melee with the riderless dragons Vermithor and Tessarion, ending with
all of them dead or gravely wounded to die soon after.
A brutal battle resulting in many nobles and warriors killed, young Prince Daeron Targaryen
was the most notable figure among them, meaning that of Alicent Hightower’s 4 children and
3 grandchildren, only Aegon II and Jaehaera remained.
Winning a great victory for the Blacks, the Greens were unable to count on the Betrayers,
as Ulf the White was so drunk he slept through the fighting, and Hugh Hammer was killed by
the valiant Green Caltrop Bold Jon Roxton, who was then cut down by the false king’s
men.
Though they lost the battle, many green nobles survived as the gate to the city remained
closed and the enemy army had no more dragons or siege equipment.
Therefore the Blacks looted the dead and moved on, while the Greens remained with the shattered
remnants of their army and town.
Deciding to rid themselves of Ulf the White, who was quick to name himself King after Hugh’s
death, the caltrops gifted him poisoned wine.
Yet the Betrayer grew suspicious, and so Ser Hobert Hightower willingly sacrificed himself
by drinking the wine and praising its taste, thereby giving Ulf the confidence to partake.
Both died moments later.
No longer finding a friendly welcome in the crownlands, most of Rhaenyra’s men deserted
and she was forced to sell her crown to buy passage on a ship.
Among those still loyal to the Queen were the Manderlys of White Harbor, who begged
her to retreat North where she had many allies.
But Rhaenyra suffered so much despair and endured such endless bouts of rage, she could
no longer think rationally, refusing all sage advice to instead make her way to dragonstone,
unaware her brother Aegon already took the fortress.
Capturing the queen and her son, Aegon the younger was held hostage and forced to watch
his mother Queen Rhaenyra of the Black Faction, rightful heir to Viserys I, burned alive and
eaten by the usurper’s dragon Sunfyre.
Having survived many injuries and won many battles throughout his life, Sunfyre’s wounds
eventually grew worse and he passed away on dragonstone.
With the Queen dead, Aegon II returned to King’s Landing and once again sat upon the
Iron Throne, finding a city in chaos from rebels and traitors.
Having lost control of the capital for a period known as the Moon of three kings, the Shepard
ruled his mob from the ruins of the Dragonpit, while Trystane Truefyre and Ser Perkin the
Flea took the red keep.
Then there was Gaemon Palehair, the four year old son of a prostitute, crowned king in a
brothel atop Visenya’s hill, claiming legitimacy as the bastard son of Aegon II.
With his mother in control, Gaemon Palehair issued numerous progressive decrees seeking
to create equality between men and women.
Yet these would be rulers were soon swept aside by the army of House Baratheon which
joined Aegon in the capital.
Defeating all three pretenders, Trystane and the Prostitute were executed while Gaemon
Palehair was spared and made a ward of House Targaryen.
The Shepard, who remained defiant until the end, was burned alive along with hundreds
of his supporters.
Though Rhaenyra was dead, Aegon sat the Iron Throne and a Baratheon army held the capital,
Aegon II somehow found himself on the verge of total annihilation.
In this final phase of the war, the North, Riverlands, Vale and Iron Islands were firmly
with the Blacks, while the Crownlands, Reach and Westerlands were neutralized, leaving
only the Stormlands and capital with Aegon II.
Yet of all the enemy’s they were now facing, the most insurmountable was the Northern army
of Lord Cregan Stark, who finally finished gathering a massive host of up to 20 000 men
to conquer the south for Rhaenyra’s son Aegon the Younger.
Joining his march to victory, were the armies of the Vale while the Riverland army , recently
victorious in the Reach were even closer, mere days away from King’s Landing.
Seeking to end the immediate threat, Lord Borros Baratheon led his army out the capital
and engaged the River Lords in the Battle of the Kingsroad.
But he underestimated the young, highly capable enemy leaders, like Lord Kermit Tully, Lord
Benjicot Blackwood and Lady Alysanne Blackwood , known as the Lads, and their grizzled veterans
warriors, dismissing them as boys and women, only to be soundly defeated.
Seeing the tide turning against the greens, the Crownlands contingent betrayed the Baratheon
army betrayed as they tried to retreat, leading to complete and total victory for the Blacks.
A courageous warrior to the end, Borros slew a dozen knights, as well as the Lords Darry
and Malister before falling to Kermit Tully.
Left with no army at all and the River Lords only one day from the capital, Aegon II was
finished and the Greens defeated, but still he refused to consider surrender.
When Corlys Velaryon, who was released from prison and named master of ships for the king,
suggested Aegon join the night’s watch, he instead played his final hand by ordering
his hostage Aegon the younger’s ear cut off, so it could be sent to the Blacks as
a warning that the boy would be killed if they moved on the capital.
This would be the last order he ever gave, as Aegon II, usurper King of the Green Faction
was found dead sometime later, assassinated by poisoned wine.
Hoping to avoid further bloodshed, Lord Corlys Velaryon set about establishing peace before
the enemy could arrive, crowning Rhaenyra’s son Aegon III as a King of Westeros, hoping
this might end the civil war on satisfying terms for the approaching armies.
But he was mistaken, as only Lord Cregan Stark of Winterfell held the power and authority
to end this conflict, and he would allow no peace until his honor was satisfied.
Though the Lads of the Riverlands were happy meet Corlys Velaryon and accept an easy victory,
they quickly fell in line behind Cregan Stark, both fearing his wrath and admiring his abilities
as a warrior and leader, agreeing to follow his command in how the war must proceed.
Known as the Hour of the Wolf, Cregan Stark ruled as Hand of the King, making plans for
his massive army to launch a campaign of vengeance against all those who defied Queen Rhaenyra,
including the Stormlands, Reach and Westerlands.
He also imprisoned those suspected of murdering Aegon II without his authorization, ultimately
calling for the execution of 22 prisoners, including Corlys Velaryon.
Yet while Cregan Stark was ready to shed as much blood as he deemed necessary, his harsher
tendencies were slowly softened by Lady Alysanne Blackwood, who grew romantically involved
with the Lord, offering sage advice that might spare Westeros further suffering.
Falling in love with and marrying Lady Alysanne, Cregan agreed to forgo his campaign of vengeance,
spared the life of Corlys Velaryon and allowed most of the condemned to join the night’s
watch, though the Kingsguard Gyles Belgrave and Master of Whisperers Larys Strong chose
death and thus were personally executed by Lord Stark wielding Ice the Valyrian steel
sword of his family.
As for Lady Alicent, whose machinations led to such destruction, she went mad in captivity
and eventually died a sad, lonely wretch haunted by the memories of all those she lost.
Thus it was that the Dance of the Dragons civil war finally ended, leaving Aegon III,
the 11 year old son of Rhaenyra as King of Westeros.
Though Cregan Stark was granted many rewards by the crown, he refused to take a position
on the regency council, and only served as Hand of the King for 2 weeks before returning
to Winterfell, leaving the southerners to their own affairs.
After 2 years of viscious fighting the lands of Westeros were utterly ravaged, losing many
towns, castles resources and lives.
Yet perhaps the most impactful consequence of this terrible civil war, came from the
death of so many dragons and members of the royal family, which left House Targaryen’s
power and influence massively reduced, and lessening further with each passing year until
the dragons entirely died out, allowing for the overthrow of their dynasty by King Robert
Baratheon of the Stormlands in 283 AC.
Following the Dance, only 4 dragons survived, 2 of which remained wild the rest of their
lives, while Sheepstealer flew off with Nettles and played no more part in the affairs of
Westeros.
That left Morning as the only dragon of House Targaryen by the end of 131AC, with the king’s
half sister Rhaenys as their only dragonrider.