Storming of the Dragonpit
In King’s Landing, chaos erupted when the Velaryon fleet, which made up more than half of Rhaenyra‘s army, abandoned her upon learning of Lord Corlys Velaryon‘s imprisonment in the black cells. The remaining forces could no longer be trusted.
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On that same day, Queen Helaena tragically ended her life by jumping from Maegor’s Holdfast and impaling herself on the moat’s spikes below. Although the smallfolk suspected she was murdered by Ser Luthor Largent of the gold cloaks, her dragon, Dreamfyre, broke free from some of her chains in the Dragonpit with a powerful roar.
During the night, a riot broke out in King’s Landing. Ser Luthor and his five hundred gold cloaks attempted to quell the unrest in Cobbler’s Square, but they were overwhelmed by ten thousand rioters. A hedge knight named Ser Perkin the Flea crowned his squire, Trystane Truefyre, declaring him King Viserys I Targaryen’s illegitimate son.
Perkin knighted all who supported Trystane, leading many to join their cause. The following day, some semblance of order was restored in parts of King’s Landing, but chaos gripped the rest of the city.
Rhaenyra found out that Maidenpool had betrayed her, and Nettles had escaped. She sent messages to Winterfell and Eyrie asking for help. Perkin and Trystane’s supporters grew stronger. During the night, rioters in King’s Landing opened two of the city’s gates because the guards had fled. With Perkin controlling one gate, three gates were open to their enemies out of seven.
People in King’s Landing no longer trusted Rhaenyra to keep them safe. A madman called the Shepherd led a big, angry crowd to kill the dragons. Joffrey, a young boy, rode Syrax to the Dragonpit. Worried, Rhaenyra told her followers to bring him back.
Seven brave men followed her order, and they were known as the Seven Who Rode: Ser Medrick Manderly, Ser Loreth Lansdale, Ser Harrold Darke, Ser Harmon of the Reeds, Ser Gyles Yronwood, Ser Willam Royce, and Ser Glendon Goode. However, Rhaenyra’s dragon didn’t know the boy well, and he fell off and died.
During the chaos, the rioters attacked the Dragonpit, where the dragons were kept. Shrykos was killed by a man named Hobb the Hewer, and Morghul was slain by the Burning Knight. Tyraxes went into hiding but was eventually killed. Dreamfyre, another dragon, fought fiercely until one of her eyes was blinded by a crossbow bolt. When she tried to escape, the weakened dome collapsed, trapping both the dragon and the attackers.
Syrax, the last surviving dragon, descended on the remaining fighters. Rhaenyra, who was watching from Maegor’s Holdfast, held her son Aegon the Younger until she saw Syrax fall.
Rhaenyra’s advisors realized that the city was lost. They convinced her to leave the next day, and she escaped through the Dragon Gate, heading for Duskendale.