Chapter Text
For almost 300 years, House Targaryen ruled the Realm of Westeros. Houses Stark, Tully, Arryn, Lannister, Baratheon, Tyrell, Greyjoy and Martell were its major vassals as the rulers of the North, the Riverlands, the Vale, the Westerlands, the Stormlands, the Reach, the Iron Islands and Dorne. But the time came where House Targaryen lost enough prestige to make its vassals start questioning its authority. During his reign, King Aerys Targaryen, Second of his Name, was descending further and further into insanity. How is it possible for a King, who can’t rule his own mind, to rule an empire? He begun seeing conspirators and enemies everywhere. And when they were none, he’d make sure to create some. Westeros endured his more and more erratic behavior however, because there was hope that the Crown Prince Rhaegar, calm, cautious, competent and gallant, would make amends for his father’s shenanigans and fix the Realm once he had ascended to the throne. But this hope was shattered at 281 AC (After Conquest). When Rhaegar presumably abducted Lyanna Stark, daughter of Lord Rickard Stark and betrothed to Robert Baratheon, brother to Argilac Baratheon, Lord of the Stormlands. When Lyanna’s father and eldest brother, Brandon, demanded justice from Aerys, the Mad King obliged…laughing as he dispended it. He had lord Rickard Stark burnt alive and Brandon Stark strangled in his attempt to rescue his father.
Unsatisfied with only two unjust murders, Aerys called for the heads of every male member of Houses Baratheon and Stark, as well as for the heads of Catelyn and Lysa Tully, daughters of Hoster Tully and betrothed to Brandon Stark and Argilac Baratheon respectively. Instead, the Stormlands under Argilac Baratheon, the Riverlands under Hoster Tully, the Vale under Jon Arryn and the North under Brandon’s younger brother, Eddard Stark, stood in rebellion and crushed the Targaryens and their loyalists at the battles of Summerhall, Stoney Sept and Trident where Robert Baratheon slew Rhaegar Targaryen in single combat before he too was killed by Ser Alliser Thorne.
With Rhaegar’s defeat nothing stood between Argilac and King’s Landing, Westeros’ capital-city. Apart from the Lannisters who sacked the city, only to hand it over to the Baratheon loyalists when the latter arrived.
After the war’s end, Argilac sat the Iron Throne and in accordance with many people (even to the begrudging achknowledgment of former Targaryen loyalists) he seems to have the potential to be a good King that will bring peace, stability and prosperity to the war-torn Realm. Only time will tell if this will be the case.