From Storm’s End to the Iron Throne: The Long Fall of House Targaryen

It began, as many great endings do, with trust.

Lyonel Baratheon, Lord of Storm’s End, was among King Aegon V Targaryen’s fiercest and most faithful allies. Fire and storm stood shoulder to shoulder, bound not only by oaths but by genuine friendship. To seal that bond for all time, the king agreed to a powerful match: his eldest son and heir, Prince Duncan Targaryen, would wed Lyonel’s daughter. It was a union that promised stability, loyalty, and generations of peace. The realm approved. The future seemed certain.

But the future rarely asks permission.

While traveling through the riverlands, far from courtly vows and watchful eyes, Prince Duncan encountered a woman with no banners, no titles, and no place in the careful designs of kings. Her name was Jenny of Oldstones. A peasant by birth, mysterious by nature, she captured the prince’s heart completely. In an act that would shake the Seven Kingdoms, Duncan cast aside his betrothal and married Jenny in secret, choosing love over legacy.

King Aegon fought desperately to undo the damage. The High Septon, the Grand Maester, and the small council urged him to act, to force his son to choose between crown and wife. Duncan refused them all. Rather than abandon Jenny, he renounced his claim to the Iron Throne, yielding the future of the realm to his younger brother, Jaehaerys. The Prince of Dragonstone became the Prince of Dragonflies and walked away from power forever.

But abdication could not heal every wound.

For Lyonel Baratheon, the insult cut deep. His daughter was humiliated, his house dishonored, and his pride shattered before the realm. Loyalty turned to fury. Swearing vengeance, Lyonel renounced the Iron Throne and crowned himself Storm King, calling the stormlands to rebellion.

The war was brief, brutal, and bloody. In the end, Lyonel was defeated in single combat by Ser Duncan the Tall of the Kingsguard. The storm broke, and the rebellion failed. To restore peace, King Aegon made a final, fateful concession: his youngest daughter, Princess Rhaelle Targaryen, would marry Lyonel’s heir, Ormund Baratheon.

It was meant to end the conflict.

Princess Rhaelle was sent to Storm’s End as both hostage and healer, serving as cupbearer and companion before becoming Lady Baratheon. In time, she married Ormund, and from that union came a son. The realm breathed again, believing the wound had finally closed.

Years passed. Jenny of Oldstones was accepted at court, beloved by the smallfolk, immortalized in song. Duncan lived quietly, remembered fondly as the prince who chose love. The Targaryens ruled on, confident that the storm had been tamed.

But history remembers what men forget.

Do you remember that marriage, the one King Aegon sanctioned to preserve his dynasty? The union between his youngest princess and Lyonel’s heir? That marriage produced a son who would become the grandfather of Robert Baratheon.

Lyonel Baratheon had failed to overthrow the Targaryens by force. His crown had fallen, his rebellion crushed. Yet the blood of storm and dragon flowed onward, patient and unbroken. What the great grandfather could not accomplish with banners and swords, his great grandson achieved with a warhammer.

In 282 AC, Robert Baratheon rose, shattered the last dragon king, and ended the Targaryen dynasty forever.

The irony was complete.

The throne did not fall because of rebellion alone, nor prophecy, nor dragons reborn, but because of a marriage meant to stop a war. In trying to secure their future, the Targaryens forged their end.

The storm had not lost.
It had only waited.

Prince Leunado is a thoughtful writer, youth mentor, and storyteller with a passion for faith, culture, and everyday truths. With a background in IT and years of experience in writing, podcasting, and media work, he blends clarity with depth,turning real-life moments into meaningful reflections. As the voice behind Reflections with Prince Leunado and Moment of Truth with Leunado, he writes across themes of spirituality, relationships, leadership, and social issues. Grounded in Christian values and Nigerian realities, his work challenges readers to think deeper, live intentionally, and pursue truth with courage,one reflection at a time.