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- Who Is Silverwing?
- Ulf The White In The Dance Of The Dragons
- Does Silverwing Die In The Dance of the Dragons?
The history of Westeros paints quite an account of Queen Alysanne Targaryen’s she-dragon, Silverwing. The serpentine beast would fly alongside King Jaehaerys I Targaryen’s Vermithor and coil in the skies of the Seven Kingdoms. Both the dragons were left riderless in the aftermath of their deaths, and laired in the smoking caverns of the Dragonmont.
To set up the Red Sowing in the upcoming House of the Dragon – Season 2, Daemon Targaryen correctly points out that Vermithor and Silverwing reside on the Dragonmont ever since his grandparents’ last rode them. While Vermithor showed up in House of the Dragon – Season 1 finale, Silverwing will be the Blacks’ biggest asset in a naval battle. The question remains which Dragonseed will ride Silverwing in the Dance?
Who Is Silverwing?
Silverwing, as the name suggests, is a silvery she-dragon and Good Queen Alysanne Targaryen’s mount during the realm’s most prosperous years. Legend says that Alysanne’s older sister, Rhaena, placed a dragon egg in her cradle which was hatched into Silverwing. The hatchling bonded with Alysanne and remained with her when her family was exiled to Dragonstone by their step-grandmother, the Dowager Queen Visenya Targaryen. It is a well-known fact in Game of Thrones lore that the Wise King Jaehaerys didn’t simply inherit the Iron Throne but had to lay claim to it following his half-uncle, King Maegor the Cruel’s mysterious death. Not only had Maegor usurped the throne of his eldest niece and nephew, Princess Rhaena and Prince Aegon, but burned down the realm in failing to curtail the Faith Militant Uprising.
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Founder of the Targaryen Dynasty |
Aegon the Conqueror |
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Spouses |
Older Sister-wife: Visenya & Younger Sister-wife: Rhaenys |
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The Conqueror’s Children |
Aenys Targaryen (From Rhaenys) Maegor Targaryen (From Visenya) |
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Successor |
Aenys Targaryen (Married To Alyssa Velaryon) |
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Aenys Targaryen’s Children |
Rhaena, Aegon, Viserys, Jaehaerys, Alysanne, Vaella |
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Aenys’ Successors |
Princess Rhaena & Prince Aegon |
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Usurpation By Visenya And Maegor |
42 AC after Aenys’ Death |
After the Dowager Queen Visenya died, Alysanne, Jaehaerys and their mother, Alyssa, ran away from Dragonstone along with Silverwing and Vermithor, respectively. While Jaehaerys reconciled the throne with the Faith, and repaired the fractures in the realm, Alysanne took care of the rest, with her she-dragon, Silverwing, by her side.
“Silverwing Does Not Like This Wall.”
In 58 AC, Jaehaerys and the Good Queen Alysanne were to undertake a royal tour to White Harbor, Winterfell, and the Wall. Jaehaerys had to stay back for work, and Alysanne visited all three places on dragonback. Northerners turned out in large numbers at White Harbor and the very sight of Silverwing filled them with awe and terror. The duo went to Castle Black, but Silverwing disliked the Wall, and the gusty winds prevailing around them. Alysanne tried crossing the Wall atop Silverwing three times, but the dragon wouldn’t budge beyond the boundary. She kept her husband abreast of Silverwing’s refusal to fly over the Wall and eventually rejoined him at Winterfell.
Ulf The White In The Dance Of The Dragons
Tom Bennett Is Cast As Ulf the White In House Of The Dragon
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Silverwing’s First Rider |
Alysanne Targaryen |
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Silverwing’s Second Rider |
Dragonseed Ulf the White |
An illiterate man-at-arms from Dragonstone, Ulf will ride Silverwing during the Dance of the Dragons. He responds to Prince Jacaerys Velaryon’s call to mount a riderless dragon in what is known as the Sowing of the Seeds in Game of Thrones lore. In 129 AC, Ulf of pale hair, steps forward and is able to claim the so-called docile Silverwing on behalf of the Blacks, in exchange for an offer of riches and some such. It is pertinent to mention that Silverwing is the only dragon who does not kill any aspiring dragonrider during the Dance.
As laid out in lore, Ulf, alongside more Dragonseeds and his Prince, raze the Triarchy’s warships in the Gullet, ensuing in an epic naval battle. Silverwing, Jace’s Vermax, Nettles’ Sheepstealer, Hugh Hammer’s Vermithor and Addam of Hull’s Seasmoke deal a blow to the Triarchy’s fleet of ninety warships.
Does Silverwing Die In The Dance of the Dragons?
Ulf the White and Hugh Hammer ultimately defect to the Greens and aid Ormund Hightower’s host in the gruesome sack of Tumbleton. Ulf receives the title of Lord of Bitterbridge from Prince Daeron Targaryen, and he stays back with the Hightowers. Silverwing flies outside the town, and reappears on the scene during the Second Battle of Tumbleton, in which the drunken Ulf plays no major part.
Addam Velaryon atop Seasmoke and a field army of four thousand men ambush the Hightower host at night. By the end of the battle, Ulf claims the throne but is poisoned by Ser Hobert Hightower. As for his dragon Silverwing, she takes a crossbow bolt and leaves Tessarion, Seasmoke and Vermithor to battle it out among themselves. She flies around the battlefield and descends to check up on her mate, Vermithor, the next day. The bards claim that Silverwing tries to lift Vermithor’s wing thrice, but ultimately gives up.
Silverwing survives the Dance of the Dragons, but lairs far away from King’s Landing, at Red Lake, during the time Aegon III is the regent of the Seven Kingdoms. She is one among the four Targaryen and wild dragons that survive the Dance.
House of the Dragon Season 2 debuts June 16 at 9/8c on HBO and Max.
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