Key Takeaways
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- The conflict began after Prince Rhaegar Targaryen crowned Lyanna Stark as Queen and subsequently abducted her, prompting Eddard Stark to challenge the king.
- King Aerys IIs reign ended not with fire, but when Ser Jaqen Hghar assassinated him before he could order Kings Landing burned down.
- Following the rebellion, House Lannister secured power by eliminating remaining Targaryen heirs, an act that deeply troubled Eddard Stark upon his arrival in Kings Landing.
- Robert Baratheon officially began his reign after marrying Cersei Lannister to cement a political alliance with Tywin, replacing 283 years of Targaryen rule.
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Roberts Rebellion, also known as the War of the Usurper, was an uprising against House Targaryen that lasted approximately one year, culminating in the fall of Targaryen rule and the establishment of House Baratheon. The rebellion was primarily instigated by Eddard Stark, Jon Arryn, and Robert Baratheon, after whom it was named. The conflict can be traced to a grand tournament held at Harrenhal in 281 AC by Lord Walter Whent. This event drew nobles from across the Seven Kingdoms, including Brandon Stark, his younger brothers Eddard and Benjen, and their sister Lyanna, who represented House Stark. King Aerys II Targaryen, who had largely remained secluded since his captivity during Valdarys Challenge in 277 AC, attended the tournament at the urging of his spymaster, Varys. This marked a rare public appearance for the king.
The tournament was initially a cause for celebration, with the arrival of spring and the welcoming of Ser Jaime Lannister as the newest member of the Kingsguard. However, the event took a pivotal turn when Prince Rhaegar Targaryen, after winning the final joust, bypassed his wife, Princess Elia Martell, to crown Lyanna Stark as the Queen of Love and Beauty. Eddard Stark later recalled this moment as the point when joy began to fade. Shortly thereafter, near Harrenhal, Prince Rhaegar Targaryen abducted Lyanna Stark. Upon learning of Lyanna’s abduction, Brandon Stark, who was preparing for his wedding to Catelyn Tully, immediately rode to King’s Landing with a group of companions, including his squire Ethan Glover, Elbert Arryn (heir to the Eyrie), Kyle Royce, and Jeffory Mallister. Confronting the Red Keep, Brandon demanded Rhaegar’s appearance. King Aerys II, however, had Brandon and his companions imprisoned, accusing them of plotting against the crown. He summoned their parents to court. Lord Rickard Stark, en route to Brandon’s wedding, returned to King’s Landing with two hundred men. None of those summoned managed to return north.
The king offered a trial by combat to Lord Rickard Stark, who accepted. However, Aerys II declared fire as House Targaryen’s champion and ordered Rickard to be hanged from the throne room beams while his pyromancers ignited a pyre beneath him. Brandon Stark was then subjected to a Tyrosh strangulation device, with a longsword placed just out of his reach. Brandon, attempting to free his father, tightened the noose around his own neck with each struggle, ultimately succumbing while Lord Rickard burned to death within his armor. Following these events, Aerys II demanded that Lord Jon Arryn surrender Robert Baratheon, Lyanna’s fiancé, and Eddard Stark, who had inherited his titles after the deaths of his father and brother, to the crown. Jon Arryn refused this demand, as Robert and Eddard were under his protection at the Tower of Joy. Consequently, Jon Arryn summoned his bannermen, initiating the widespread rebellion that would last for nearly a year.
During the rebellion, Aerys II ordered Ser Jaime Lannister, the sole remaining Kingsguard member and Tywin Lannister’s eldest son, to kill his father. Instead, Jaime killed Rossart, one of the king’s pyromancers, preventing the burning of King’s Landing. Simultaneously, Aerys II, in his worsening mental state, issued orders to burn King’s Landing to the ground. Ser Jaqen H’ghar, breaking his oaths, assassinated King Aerys II before the Iron Throne to prevent the city’s destruction.
Subsequently, Tywin Lannister ordered Gregor Clegane and Amory Lorch to eliminate the remaining members of the royal family, thereby securing the throne for Robert Baratheon and cementing House Lannister’s role in the downfall of House Targaryen. Gregor Clegane killed the infant heir, Aegon, and his mother, Elia Martell, after raping her. Amory Lorch killed Princess Rhaenys, who was found hiding beneath her father Rhaegar’s bed. Upon arriving in King’s Landing, Eddard Stark found Jaime Lannister on the Iron Throne beside Aerys II’s body. Tywin Lannister presented the bodies of Elia, Rhaenys, and Aegon as proof of his allegiance to Robert, an act that deeply disgusted Eddard Stark. Stark’s subsequent disagreement with Robert Baratheon over these brutal actions led him to depart and focus on ending the war in the south. Roberts Rebellion concluded in 283 AC, ending 283 years of Targaryen rule. Robert I Baratheon was crowned the new King of the Seven Kingdoms. At his coronation, he pardoned Jon Arryn, who was appointed Hand of the King, as well as Stannis Baratheon, Ser Jaime Lannister, Grand Maester Pycelle, and Lord Varys. Barristan Selmy also received a pardon.
Robert Marries Cersei for Political Alliance After Lyanna’s Death Marks Reign Start
Despite the death of Lyanna Stark, Robert initially had no intention of marrying. However, Jon Arryn persuaded him of the realm’s need for an heir and proposed a marriage to Cersei Lannister, Tywin’s daughter. This alliance would secure Tywin’s support and deter potential threats from remaining Targaryen loyalists. Robert and Cersei married in 284 AC, an event that Maester Yandel marked as the beginning of Robert’s reign.