Blacks

Blacks
Information
Type	Political faction
Status	Active
Center	Dragonstone, Dragonstone island, Blackwater Bay
Leader	Black Council
Affiliation	Rhaenyra Targaryen
Founded	116-126 AC

"For every one of us who falls, a hundred of them! There will be no mercy! We fight for our queen! War!"

―Daemon Targaryen rallies the Black riverlords

The Blacks are a political faction that support the claim of Rhaenyra Targaryen as heir to the Iron Throne. During the Dance of the Dragons, they oppose the Greens, who support Aegon II Targaryen.

History

Background

The Blacks began as a political faction in the royal court of King Viserys I Targaryen in King's Landing, being founded sometime after 116 AC. They were named so after the traditional colors of House Targaryen, black and red. Members of the faction, including Princess Rhaenyra and her family, were identified by wearing clothing bearing some combination of the two colors.

The Blacks support Princess Rhaenyra’s claim as heir to the Iron Throne, based of her original proclamation as Princess of Dragonstone by her father, King Viserys, in 112 AC. This is in opposition to the claim of Viserys's eldest son, Prince Aegon, based off traditional male-preference primogeniture as purported by the Greens.

House of the Dragon: Season 1

In the aftermath of King Viserys's death, Lord Lyman Beesbury is the only member of Viserys's Small Council to speak out against the Greens' usurpation of the throne, going so far as to accuse the other members of the council of regicide. He is unintentionally killed by Ser Criston Cole, leaving the Small Council in the control of the Greens, from which the Green Council is formed. The Greens later discuss replacing two captains amongst the City Watch who are loyal to Daemon Targaryen with members loyal to them.

Later, several lords previously aligned to the Blacks bow to Aegon under duress during the Greens' coup in King's Landing. Lord Merryweather and Lady Fell are two of the few who remain publicly loyal to Rhaenyra and subsequently are imprisoned. Lord Allun Caswell feigns his loyalty to the Greens and attempts to flee King's Landing to warn Rhaenyra of the Greens' seizure of power. However, he is quickly intercepted, interrogated, and executed before he can leave the capital.

After learning of the Green Council's coup in the capital, Rhaenyra forms her own Black Council based on Dragonstone and is subsequently crowned queen.

Two members of the Kingsguard, Steffon Darklyn and Lorent Marbrand, followed Rhaenyra to Dragonstone when she left the royal court in 126 AC, ostensibly to protect the princess and her family. They continue to be loyal to Rhaenyra once the succession crisis begins, forming her initial Queensguard. Ser Erryk Cargyll joins them after defecting from the Greens, pledging his loyalty to her and presenting to Rhaenyra her father's crown.

At the start of the Dance of the Dragons, the Blacks hold the support of only a few minor houses throughout the Crownlands, Stormlands, and the Reach. This leaves the Blacks at a significant numerical disadvantage in terms of manpower in comparison to the Greens. However, the Blacks have a superior advantage in terms of dragons under their control, possessing eight (Arrax, Caraxes, Meleys, Moondancer, Stormcloud, Syrax, Tyraxes, and Vermax) to the Greens' four (Dreamfyre, Sunfyre, Tessarion, and Vhagar), plus several unclaimed and wild dragons residing on Dragonstone. Furthermore, the Blacks have the believed support of the Riverlands via Lord Grover Tully's close friendship to King Viserys. The same is said for both Houses Stark and Arryn, due to the Starks' long history of honoring oaths and the Arryns' familial connection through the queen's late mother, Aemma Arryn.

The Blacks' cause is significantly boosted when Lord Corlys Velaryon pledges himself, his house, and his fleet to Rhaenyra. He subsequently proposes that with the Velaryon fleet, he will blockade the Gullet to choke off trade to the capital, a plan readily adopted by Rhaenyra and the Black Council. The Blacks also, at the urging of Princes Jacaerys and Lucerys, send the two as envoys to the North, Vale, and Stormlands, believing their presence with their dragons will help sway the regions to the Blacks' cause.

The Blacks are the first to suffer a loss in the Dance, when Prince Lucerys fails in his mission to bring House Baratheon to their side. Having been beaten to Storm's End by his half-uncle, Prince Aemond Targaryen, the Blacks' terms are rejected by Lord Borros Baratheon in favor of the Greens' marriage pact between Aemond and Borros's daughter, Lady Floris Baratheon. Lucerys subsequently gets into a fight with Aemond whilst leaving Storm's End, resulting in his and Arrax's death.

House of the Dragon: Season 2

Despite the loss of Lucerys and Arrax, the Blacks score a significant diplomatic victory over the Greens when Prince Jacaerys successfully garners the allegiance of the North and the Vale. Lord Cregan Stark sanctions the supply of 2,000 Northerners to Rhaenyra's cause, while Lady Jeyne Arryn agrees to lend the support of her house so long as the Blacks provide a dragon to protect the Vale. Additionally, the Blacks' blockade of the Gullet enters into full effect, putting a significant strain on the capital's economy and the Greens' war effort. Furthermore, while not officially sanctioned nor known by the queen or Black Council, Daemon orders the assassination of Aemond, ultimately resulting in the death of Prince Jaehaerys Targaryen, King Aegon II's son and heir.

Houses sworn to Queen Rhaenyra I

Crownlands House Bar Emmon of Sharp Point House Buckwell of the Antlers House Celtigar of Claw Isle House Darklyn of Duskendale (switched sides) House Farring House Massey of Stonedance House Staunton of Rook's Rest (switched sides) House Velaryon of Driftmark Unknown Crackclaw Point house(s) North House Dustin of Barrowton House Stark of Winterfell Reach House Beesbury of Honeyholt House Caswell of Bitterbridge House Merryweather of Longtable

Riverlands House Blackwood of Raventree Hall House Bracken of Stone Hedge (initially Green) House Darry House Frey of the Twins House Mallister of Seagard House Mooton of Maidenpool House Piper of Pinkmaiden House Strong of Harrenhal (elements under Ser Simon Strong) House Tully of Riverrun House Vance of Wayfarer's Rest Stormlands House Fell of Felwood Vale House Arryn of the Eyrie

In the books

In Fire & Blood, the Blacks were unofficially formed in 111 AC during the tournament on Viserys and Alicent's fifth anniversary. Rhaenyra wore a black and red dress at the opening feast, while Alicent wore green. Ever since, their respective factions at court were known as the "blacks" and the "greens," which were previously called the "party of the princess" and the "queen's party." Supporters of Rhaenyra's claim always wore black and red thereafter, in contrast to Alicent and Aegon's supporters who wore green.

External links

• Blacks on A Wiki of Ice and Fire (potential spoilers for House of the Dragon)