The Chronicle of Lord Duncan Baratheon and Empress Dowager Rhaenyra Daeragon

By Archmaester Theodric of the Citadel

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Origins and Birth

• Lord Duncan Baratheon was born in 250 AC at Storm’s End, the firstborn son of Lord Steffon Baratheon and Lady Cassana Estermont. He was elder brother to Robert (b. 252 AC), Stannis (b. 254 AC), and Renly (b. 267 AC). From his earliest years Duncan was known for his steady temperament, a dutiful child who grew into a just, steadfast man. His destiny, however, was not the crown, for the storms of fate pointed instead to his brother Robert, who would one day claim the Iron Throne of the Seven Kingdoms. Duncan’s path was quieter but no less fateful: he was destined to be the father of the Storm Dragon.

• Empress Dowager (Posthumously) Rhaenyra Daeragon was born in 250 AC at Draegonopolis, the seat of House Daeragon in the lush southern continent of Sothoryos, the heartland of the Empire of Valyria-in-Exile. Daerafort, the ancient fortress of her house, had been destroyed centuries earlier during the Doom of Valyria, and Draegonopolis rose in its stead as a beacon of Daeragon majesty. Born with the silver-gold hair and violet eyes of her line, Rhaenyra embodied the beauty and power of Old Valyria.

Her house, unlike most Valyrian dynasties, rejected incestuous unions, believing them to weaken the bloodline. Instead, they strengthened their heritage by intermarrying with their loyal vassals, and widely practiced polygamy, a tradition accepted across Valyrian culture.

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A Meeting of Storm and Flame

Rhaenyra’s father, Emperor Aegys I Daeragon, intended her for a match with a vassal dragonlord to bind dynastic loyalty. Yet Rhaenyra, fiery in spirit, longed for freedom and love of her own choosing. She fled across the Summer Sea to Westeros, where fate brought her into the path of young Duncan Baratheon of Storm’s End.

The tale of their meeting has been told and retold: a chance encounter on the storm-lashed cliffs near Shipbreaker Bay. Duncan, tall and broad of shoulder, met her gaze, and the two conversed not only in Westerosi speech but also in High Valyrian, for Duncan’s mother’s kin had given him some familiarity with the tongue, though Rhaenyra herself would teach him fluency.

Their love blossomed swiftly, and in defiance of her father’s will, Rhaenyra wed Duncan. It was a marriage of love, not politics, rare in noble houses. Where Robert chased crowns and glory, Duncan chose hearth, home, and love — and in that choice, he became the root of a dynasty.

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Their Children

The marriage was blessed with five children, each bearing both a Westerosi and Valyrian name, reflecting the dual legacy of their parents:

• Randall Baratheon (Rahaerys Daeragon, b. 276 AC) – Heir of Storm’s End, a sharp mind and future diplomat, later the first Lord Chancellor of Westeros.

• Marianne Baratheon (Maelena Daeragon, b. 278 AC) – Known for her wisdom and empathy, later Princess of Courtesy and the voice of smallfolk.

• Richard Baratheon (Rhaegor Daeragon, b. 280 AC) – The Storm Dragon, destined to unite Westeros and Western Essos as Emperor.

• Rosalia Baratheon (Nesaena Daeragon, b. 280 AC, Richard’s twin) – A warrior and dragonrider, General of the Order of the Golden Sun.

• Lucas Baratheon (Rhaenar Daeragon, b. 281 AC) – Fierce and reckless, remembered by many as the reborn spirit of Daemon Targaryen, the Rogue Prince.

Rhaenyra instilled in all her children the tongue of High Valyrian, the faith of the Old Gods of Valyria, and the pride of their dragon heritage.

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The Return of Dragons

Perhaps Rhaenyra’s greatest mark upon Westeros was her returning dragons to the realm. She herself was a dragonrider, her presence shaking the Targaryens, who until then had believed themselves alone in dragonlord power. The skies over Storm’s End thundered once more with dragonfire, heralding a new age. Her children, save Marianne, each bonded with dragons as well, sealing House Baratheon’s transformation into a dynasty of both storm and fire.

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Influence and Legacy

Together, Duncan and Rhaenyra embodied two halves of greatness: Duncan the just, steady lord, beloved of his brothers and his people; Rhaenyra the fiery princess, proud bearer of Valyria’s unbroken bloodline.

• Duncan was remembered as a loving brother to Robert, Stannis, and Renly, a man who never sought crowns for himself, but who nurtured his kin and guided his children.

• Rhaenyra was remembered as a bridge between worlds, bringing the majesty of Valyria into the stormlands of Westeros, and birthing the dynasty that would one day rule an empire.

Their marriage reshaped the course of history. From their love came Richard I Baratheon, the Storm Dragon, the last king and first Emperor, and from their legacy came the union of Westeros and Western Essos under one throne.

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Maester’s Judgment

If Robert Baratheon was destined for the Iron Throne, Duncan Baratheon was destined for something greater still: to be the father of an Emperor, the man whose line would outshine all kings.

And if the Targaryens once believed dragons to be theirs alone, Rhaenyra Daeragon proved them wrong. She was the flame that rekindled dragonfire in Westeros, and Duncan the storm that steadied it. Together, they forged the dynasty known to history as the Baratheon's Dragon Bloodline — stormborn, dragon-forged, and eternal.