History Literature / FireAndBlood

* AuthorityGrantsAsskicking: Argilac the Arrogant, last of the Durrandon kings, was old and past his prime by the time Aegon the Conqueror came around. Didn't stop him putting up a hell of a last fight, killing every one of Aegon's troops who got to him before Orys Baratheon did.

** The first few generations of the Targaryen dynasty were constantly running up against the Westerosi aversion to brother-sister incest. The marriages of Aegon I, Visenya and Rhaenys were accepted largely because they married long before they invaded Westeros and conquered most of the continent, and Aenys I married his cousin Alyssa Velaryon which was acceptable in Westerosi society -- but when Aenys declared that his eldest children Aegon and Rhaena would marry each other, he was shocked by the ''immense'' backlash from the smallfolk, lords and particularly the Faith. (Admittedly, it didn't exactly help that his younger brother Maegor had infuriated the High Septon and several pious lords of the realm two years before, by taking Alys Harroway as a second wife while Ceryse Hightower was still very much alive). Sending Aegon and Rhaena on a royal progress to try and win public approval only exacerbated problems -- including Aenys being labelled 'King Abomination' for being a child of incest himself -- and eventually resulted in the Faith Militant uprising, which turned most of Westeros into a war zone. After Maegor died and Jaehaerys took the throne, his mother and many of his advisors were horrified when it emerged that [[HeWeGoAgain he and his sister Alysanne wanted to marry each other,]] as they foresaw another militant uprising. They were right to be worried, as a group of septas attempted to murder Alysanne due to her being pregnant with her brother's child. Jaeherys eventually came up with the Doctrine of Exceptionalism which argued that since Targaryens were not the same as other humans, the laws of the Seven did not apply to them and thus for them incest was not a sin, and fortunately(?) for future generations of the family the Faith came to accept it.

** The first few generations of the Targaryen dynasty were constantly running up against the Westerosi aversion to brother-sister incest. The marriages of Aegon I, Visenya and Rhaenys were accepted largely because they married long before they invaded Westeros and conquered most of the continent, and Aenys I married his cousin Alyssa Velaryon which was acceptable in Westerosi society -- but when Aenys declared that his eldest children Aegon and Rhaena would marry each other, he was shocked by the ''immense'' backlash from the smallfolk, lords and particularly the Faith. (Admittedly, it didn't exactly help that his younger brother Maegor had infuriated the High Septon and several pious lords of the realm two years before, by taking Alys Harroway as a second wife while Ceryse Hightower was still very much alive). Sending Aegon and Rhaena on a progress to try and win public approval only exacerbated problems -- including Aenys being labelled 'King Abomination' for being a child of incest -- and eventually resulted in the Faith Militant uprising, which turned most of Westeros into a war zone. After Maegor died and Jaehaerys took the throne, his mother and many of his advisors were horrified when it emerged that he and his sister Alysanne wanted to marry each other, as they foresaw another militant uprising. They were right to be worried, as a group of septas attempted to murder Alysanne due to her being pregnant with her brother's child. Jaeherys eventually came up with the Doctrine of Exceptionalism which argued that since Targaryens were not the same as other humans, the laws of the Seven did not apply to them and thus for them incest was not a sin, and fortunately(?) for future generations of the family the Faith came to accept it.

The first volume, covering Aegon I to Aegon III's regency, was released on November 20, 2018. The second volume, tentitvely titled ''Blood & Fire,'' intended to cover the rest of the kings up to Aegon V, currently has no release date -- although Martin has stated that he plans to get to it after finishing ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' and two more ''Tales of Dunk and Egg'' books.

* MythologyGag: The agreement made between Jacaerys Targaryen and Cregan Stark is called the Pact of Ice and Fire. But there's probably no deeper significance or foreshadowing there, no ser...

** The first few generations of the Targaryen dynasty were constantly running up against the Westerosi aversion to incest. The marriages of Aegon I, Visenya and Rhaenys were accepted largely because they married long before they invaded Westeros and conquered most of the continent, and Aenys I married his cousin Alyssa Velaryon which was acceptable in Westerosi society -- but when Aenys declared that his eldest children Aegon and Rhaena would marry each other, he was shocked by the ''immense'' backlash from the smallfolk, lords and particularly the Faith (although it didn't help that his younger brother Maegor had infuriated the High Septon and several pious lords of the realm two years before, by taking Alys Harroway as a second wife). Sending Aegon and Rhaena on a progress to try and win public approval only exacerbated problems -- including Aenys being labelled 'King Abomination' for being a child of incest -- and eventually resulted in the Faith Militant uprising, which turned most of Westeros into a war zone. After Maegor died and Jaehaerys took the throne, his mother and many of his advisors were horrified when it emerged that he and his sister Alysanne wanted to marry each other, as they foresaw another militant uprising. They were right to be worried, as a group of septas attempted to murder Alysanne due to her being pregnant with her brother's child. Jaeherys eventually came up with the Doctrine of Exceptionalism which argued that since Targaryens were not the same as other humans, the laws of the Seven did not apply to them and thus for them incest was not a sin, and fortunately(?) for future generations of the family the Faith came to accept it.

** Rogar Baratheon rises in revolt when Maegor the Cruel demands Rogar hand over his wards, Maegor's nephew and niece Jahaerys and Alysanne, for execution, playing a pivotal role in Maegor's overthrow and being appointed Hand of the King to Jaehaerys's new government, much the same way Jon Arryn refused to give up Robert Baratheon and Ned Stark to Aerys II Targaryen and would be a principal figure in Robert's post-Rebellion regime.

** ''Three'' from Barth after [[spoiler: Aerea's reappearance and horrific death]]. The first is that she [[spoiler:didn't die of some simple fever but rather "The simplest way to say it is that the poor child was cooking from within" with "worms with faces... snakes with hands" infesting her flesh]]. The second is figuring out [[spoiler:"Where did Balerion take Aerea?"]] He concludes that it must have been [[spoiler:Valyria]]. The last is that when they returned [[spoiler:"Balerion had wounds as well." even though it's the most powerful dragon brought to Westeros]]. Whatever's there, it's bad enough that in the same year [[spoiler:Jahaerys banned any Westerosi from ever trying to go there or any ships that make it there from ever coming to Westeros]].

** Elissa Farman flees Dragonstone with three dragon eggs, and takes them to Braavos, where she sells them. When Jahaerys goes asking about them, everyone denies seeing any dragon eggs, and there's an uneasy truce with, effectively, Jahaerys agreeing not to burn Braavos to the ground if the Sealord will not send Faceless Men after the Targaryens. After that the eggs go forgotten. Since three dragons running around Essos would've been pretty damn noticeable... the implication is the eggs ''will'' turn up eventually, since they might be Dany's.

** The first few generations of the Targaryen dynasty were constantly running up against the Westerosi aversion to incest. The marriages of Aegon I, Visenya and Rhaenys were accepted largely because they had conquered most of the continent, and Aenys I married his cousin Alyssa Velaryon which was acceptable in Westerosi society, but when Aenys declared that his eldest children Aegon and Rhaena would marry each other he was shocked by the ''immense'' backlash from the smallfolk, lords and particularly the Faith (although it didn't help that his younger brother Maegor had infuriated the High Septon and several pious lords of the realm two years before, by taking Alys Harroway as a second wife). Sending Aegon and Rhaena on a progress to try and win public approval only exacerbated problems -- including Aenys being labelled 'King Abomination' for being a child of incest -- and eventually resulted in the Faith Militant uprising, which turned most of Westeros into a war zone. After Maegor died and Jaehaerys took the throne, his mother and many of his advisors were horrified when it emerged that he and his sister Alysanne wanted to marry each other, as they foresaw another militant uprising. They were right to be worried, as a group of septas attempted to murder Alysanne due to her being pregnant with her brother's child. Jaeherys eventually came up with the Doctrine of Exceptionalism which argued that since Targaryens were not the same as other humans, the laws of the Seven did not apply to them and thus for them incest was not a sin, and fortunately(?) for future generations of the family the Faith came to accept it.

* TheseAreThingsManWasNotMeantToKnow: Septon Barth muses on his own sin of curiosity, requiring him to see what is beyond whatever door he comes across, though some are best left unopened. As he reflects, [[spoiler:Aerea went through one such door and discovered the mysterious, monstrous, horrific life that exists in Valyria even after the Doom.]]

* TheseAreThingsManWasNotMeantToKnow: After [[spoiler:Princess Aerea's horrific death, Septon Barth notes on his own sin of curiosity that requires him to see what is beyond whatever door he comes across, though some are best left unopened. As he reflects, Aerea went through one such door and discovered the mysterious, monstrous, horrific life that exists in Valyria even after the Doom.]]

* WidowMistreament: : Due to its high rates of DeathByChildbirth and the widowers' subsequent remarriages to women in their childbearing age, especially in highborn families, Westeros frequently has young widows left with already-grown stepchildren after a nobleman's death. Initially, such widows were often stripped of their inheritance or even thrown out after their husbands' deaths, until Queen Alysanne Targaryen issued the Widow's Law that protected widows' rights.

** Many nobles of Westeros weren't taken with Aenys, thinking him weak and pathetic compared to his old man Aegon, in a society still running on AsskickingLeadsToLeadership. Then Aenys dies, and they get Maegor.

** After the murder of Prince Jaehaerys, Aegon II had Blood tortured for two weeks after he was captured trying to escape King's Landing; Queen Alicent reportedly wanted his true name so that she might bathe in the blood of his wife and children, though if she ever found it out, it was never written down in any reputable history book. When Cheese, the Red Keep's former rat catcher, failed to be found, Aegon II ordered every rat catcher in the city hung.

* UnreliableExpositor: Gyldayn derives his history of the Dance of the Dragons from three accounts: Septon Eustace, a septon who served Aegon II, Mushroom the Dwarf, the Red Keep's fool who attended Rhaenyra and Grand Maester Munkun, who wrote what many consider to be the most detailed and definitive account of the Dance. Septon Eustace favored Aegon II and tended to present whatever rumors he heard about the war as fact. Munkun's account borrows from the notes of his imprisoned predecessor, Grand Maester Orwyle, who chose to paint himself and his actions during the war as positively as possible.[[note]]Orwyle had taken the black to spare his life, but chickened out at the last possible moment and was beheaded as an oathbreaker—though not before relating his "confessions" to Munkun.[[/note]] The least reliable is Mushroom's ''Testimony'', in which he invents scandalous and sinister events and [[SmallNameBigEgo presents himself as the secret true leader of the Blacks during the war]]. However, Mushroom's account has just enough moments of legitimate and forbidden truth to warrant acknowledging.

* AdiposeRex: Viserys I was known for his [[BigFun large size and jovial attitude]], and [[SurprisinglyRealisticOutcome severe health problems]] that came with the former in his later years. His children, Aegon II and Rhaenyra, were also known for being overweight and gluttonous, although they didn't share their father's fun personality.

* OneManArmy: In a world that normally runs on SurprisinglyRealisticOutcome, the former pit fighter Sandoq the Shadow, bodyguard to Prince Viserys, stands out. When Ser Amaury Peake of the Kingsguard came with a dozen men-at-arms to arrest Prince Viserys's wife, Larra Rogare, Sandoq the Shadow met them alone. And slaughtered them with, quite literally, contemptuous ease -- according to the account of a purported eyewitness, "betwixt every fresh wound he dealt Ser Amaury, he would kill one of his remaining minions".

* SurprisinglyRealisticOutcome:
** Argilac the Arrogant's daughter swears after her father dies that she and her troops will fight Aegon to the last man. Her troops very quickly decide they'd much rather live, and turn on her.

** Criston Cole and Rhaenyra used to have a mutual crush on one another until something happens that turns them against each other. Afterward, Cole backs Aegon's claim to the throne. Instead of a thematically appropriate confrontation to settle things, neither Criston or Rhaenyra come anywhere near one another during the Dance.
** Criston Cole, facing an enemy army with superior numbers, demands a trial by combat with the enemy commanders, no doubt intending to go down in an act of heroic valor. [[ScrewYourUltimatum He's instead told he can shove it]], and is promptly and fatally riddled with arrows. The thing about demanding stuff when outnumbered by people who hate you is they don't have to actually acquiesce to your demands.
** During The Dance of the Dragons, the Blacks find themselves with more dragons than dragonriders, and so offer rich rewards to anyone who can claim one of them. Which means handing control over some of the most powerful and effective weapons in the world to random citizens who have no special reason to be loyal to their faction. Unsurprisingly, some of these new riders turn against the Blacks ([[ChronicBackstabbingDisorder and the Greens can't really control them either]]).
** The dragonseeds known as the Two Betrayers, Hugh Hammer and Ulf the White, defected from the Blacks to the Greens...and promptly make so many enemies with their [[BastardBastard obnoxious behavior]] and outrageous demands for their continuing support that [[WeAreStrugglingTogether the normally squabbling Green lords]] [[EnemyMine unilaterally agree to assassinate the pair]].

** The Green commanders from the Reach spend so long prevaricating over their best course of action after the sack of Tumbleton, the Blacks use that time to muster a new army and launch a surprise attack that knocks the Reach forces out of the war.
** After finally killing Rhaenyra and retaking the Iron Throne, Aegon ignores his advisors urging him to be magnanimous for the sake of peace, doles out heavy fines on Rhaenyra's supporters in the Crownlands, then imperiously commands her loyalists in the North, Riverlands and Vale to stand down and face the same. Unsurprisingly, those loyalists (whose armies vastly outnumber Aegon's) decide they'd rather keep fighting than accept those terms, and continue the war with the aim of putting Rhaenyra's son on the throne instead.
** When Aegon II's forces have been all but completely destroyed, he calls on the Houses that are ostensibly his allies to send their armies to aid him... but they are very reluctant to even reply, as they are both sick of the war and dealing with their own problems, and as [[OnlySaneMan Corlys Velaryon]] points out, even if they do send aid, it would take far too long for their troops to actually arrive and fight their enemies that are now practically on their doorsteps. So instead, the Greens hastily put together an army out of what men they have left and bolster them with men sent as tributes from houses that have no reason to actually want them to win and conscripts from King's Landing... both of who either [[ScrewThisImOuttaHere desert as the battle turns in the Blacks' favour]] or [[CavalryBetrayal outright turn on the Greens' loyal forces]].
** After his last remaining army is destroyed and King's Landing about to be assaulted by Rhaenyra's vengeful loyalists, Aegon II flatly refuses to surrender, and orders that his nephew, Rhaenyra's son Aegon, [[WouldHurtAChild is to be mutilated]] to force the Blacks to stand down. Rather than die fighting for a lost cause, [[EvenEvilHasStandards several of his courtiers decide enough is enough]], arrange Aegon's assassination and the murder or arrest of his remaining supporters at court, then promptly proclaim the boy King Aegon III and surrender the city before the Riverlords can lay siege to King's Landing.
** Cregan Stark sentences multiple men to beheading for their involvement in the assasination of Aegon II -- but instead of a dramatic mass execution at dawn, Perkin the Flea gets out of dying by asking to join the Night's Watch, and when they see there's an option other than death all but two of the other prisoners follow his example.
** Unwin Peake, furious that his attempts to get Aegon III to marry his daughter Myrielle have failed, the boy has chosen Daenaera Velaryon (the cousin of his hated rival Alyn Velaryon) as his new bride, and the other regents have halted his attempts to stop the marriage, threatens to resign as Hand of the King to get them to fall in line. To nobody's surprise but his own, his fellow regents gladly accept his resignation, since they all hate his guts and are happy to see the back of him.
** Amaury Peake doesn't wear a closed helmet when coming to "arrest" Prince Viserys and his wife. Her personal bodyguard Sandoq, and an axe he happens to have to hand, demonstrates [[YourHeadAsplode why]] this was a bad idea.