''The Princess and the Queen, or, the Blacks and the Greens'' is an

epic fantasy High fantasy, or epic fantasy, is a subgenre of fantasy defined by the epic nature of its setting or by the epic stature of its characters, themes, or plot.Brian Stableford, ''The A to Z of Fantasy Literature'', (p. 198), Scarecrow Press, Pl ...

novella A novella is a narrative prose fiction whose length is shorter than most novels, but longer than most short stories. The English word ''novella'' derives from the Italian ''novella'' meaning a short story related to true (or apparently so) facts ...

by American novelist

George R. R. Martin George Raymond Richard Martin (born George Raymond Martin; September 20, 1948), also known as GRRM, is an American novelist, screenwriter, television producer and short story writer. He is the author of the series of epic fantasy novels ''A Song ...

, published in the 2013

Tor Books Tor Books is the primary imprint of Tor Publishing Group (previously Tom Doherty Associates), a publishing company based in New York City. It primarily publishes science fiction and fantasy titles, and is the largest publisher of Chinese scien ...

anthology In book publishing, an anthology is a collection of literary works chosen by the compiler; it may be a collection of plays, poems, short stories, songs or excerpts by different authors. In genre fiction, the term ''anthology'' typically categ ...

'' Dangerous Women''. The novella is presented in the form of writings by the fictional historian Archmaester Gyldayn, who is also the "author" of Martin's 2014 novella ''

The Rogue Prince ''The Rogue Prince, or, a King's Brother'' is a novelette by George R. R. Martin, published in the 2014 Bantam Spectra anthology '' Rogues''. It is set on the continent of Westeros of Martin's '' A Song of Ice and Fire'' series, hundreds of ye ...

'', a direct

prequel A prequel is a literary, dramatic or cinematic work whose story precedes that of a previous work, by focusing on events that occur before the original narrative. A prequel is a work that forms part of a backstory to the preceding work. The term " ...

to ''The Princess and the Queen''. The plot of both ''The Princess and the Queen'' and ''The Rogue Prince'' is later expanded further in the 2018 novel ''

Fire & Blood Fire and Blood may refer to: * ''Fire and Blood: A History of Mexico'', a 1973 book by T. R. Fehrenbach * ''Fire and Blood'' (Manowar DVD), a 1998 music DVD by Manowar * ''Fire and Blood'' (Daugherty), a 2003 composition for solo violin and orche ...

'', which also spawned a television series in 2022. A spin-off of Martin's famed ''

A Song of Ice and Fire ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' is a series of epic fantasy novels by the American novelist and screenwriter George R. R. Martin. He began the first volume of the series, ''A Game of Thrones'', in 1991, and it was published in 1996. Martin, who init ...

'' novel series, ''The Princess and the Queen'' is set about 200 years before the events of ''

A Game of Thrones ''A Game of Thrones'' is the first novel in ''A Song of Ice and Fire'', a series of fantasy novels by American author George R. R. Martin. It was first published on August 1, 1996. The novel won the 1997 Locus Award and was nominated for both ...

'' (1996), and chronicles the "continent-burning warfare" of a

Targaryen George R. R. Martin's ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' saga features a large cast of characters. The series follows three interwoven plotlines: a dynastic war for control of Westeros by several families; the rising threat of the superhuman Others (A So ...

war of succession A war of succession is a war prompted by a succession crisis in which two or more individuals claim the Order of succession, right of successor to a demise of the Crown, deceased or deposition (politics), deposed monarch. The rivals are typic ...

that explodes between heir to the throne

Crown Princess A crown prince or hereditary prince is the heir apparent to the throne in a royal or imperial monarchy. The female form of the title is crown princess, which may refer either to an heiress apparent or, especially in earlier times, to the wife ...

Rhaenyra Targaryen (whose supporters are known as "the blacks") and her stepmother Queen Alicent Hightower (supported by "the greens"), who conspired to usurp Rhaenyra and have her half-brother Aegon (Alicent's eldest son) crowned on the Iron Throne instead. Both Aegon (as Aegon II) and Rhaenyra are crowned by their respective followers at the start of the

civil war A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...

, and both are eventually killed, but Rhaenyra's supporters emerge victorious, with her oldest surviving child (the older three having died in the war) being crowned as the unchallenged King Aegon III. House Targaryen, continuing through Rhaenyra's direct family line, reigns for the next 200 years, until it is overthrown by

Robert Baratheon Robert Baratheon is a fictional character in the '' A Song of Ice and Fire'' series of epic fantasy novels by American author George R. R. Martin, and its television adaptation '' Game of Thrones'', where he is portrayed by English actor Mark ...

House Baratheon George R. R. Martin's ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' saga features a large cast of characters. The series follows three interwoven plotlines: a dynastic war for control of Westeros by several families; the rising threat of the superhuman Others bey ...

, tying the outcome of ''The Princess and the Queen'' into the opening status of

Westeros The fictional world in which the ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' novels by George R. R. Martin take place is divided into several continents, known collectively as The Known World. Most of the story takes place on the continent of Westeros and in a ...

in the main ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' novels. The civil war is called the "Dance of the Dragons" due to the active involvement of dragonriders, and is designated the primary cause for the extinction of dragons in Westeros before the time of ''A Song of Ice and Fire''. The novel (and its expanded version, published in ''

'') has been adapted into the

HBO Home Box Office (HBO) is an American premium television network, which is the flagship property of namesake parent subsidiary Home Box Office, Inc., itself a unit owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. The overall Home Box Office business unit is ba ...

series ''

House of the Dragon ''House of the Dragon'' is an American Fantasy television, fantasy drama (film and television), drama television series created by George R. R. Martin and Ryan Condal for HBO. A prequel to ''Game of Thrones'' (2011–2019), it is the second TV ...

'', a prequel to ''

Game of Thrones ''Game of Thrones'' is an American fantasy drama television series created by David Benioff and D. B. Weiss for HBO. It is an adaptation of ''A Song of Ice and Fire'', a series of fantasy novels by George R. R. Martin, the first ...

''.

Plot

When King Viserys I Targaryen dies, his second wife and widow, Queen Alicent of House Hightower, conspires a coup and has their eldest son Prince Aegon crowned as King Aegon II, before Viserys' daughter and only surviving child from his first marriage, Crown Princess Rhaenyra, can inherit the Iron Throne herself. Although Rhaenyra is the king's oldest child and had been named

heir apparent An heir apparent, often shortened to heir, is a person who is first in an order of succession and cannot be displaced from inheriting by the birth of another person; a person who is first in the order of succession but can be displaced by the b ...

years before, Queen Alicent and her supporters declare Rhaenyra unfit to rule (as Rhaenyra just had a painful prolonged labor to a disfigured

stillbirth Stillbirth is typically defined as fetal death at or after 20 or 28 weeks of pregnancy, depending on the source. It results in a baby born without signs of life. A stillbirth can result in the feeling of guilt or grief in the mother. The term ...

) and argue that, as a woman, Rhaenyra should be placed after Alicent's male children in the

line of succession An order of succession or right of succession is the line of individuals necessitated to hold a high office when it becomes vacated such as head of state or an honour such as a title of nobility.Dragonstone, her second born son Lucerys Velaryon and King Aegon's younger brother Aemond both take their dragons to seek the support of Lord Borros Baratheon of

Storm's End The fictional world in which the ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' novels by George R. R. Martin take place is divided into several continents, known collectively as The Known World. Most of the story takes place on the continent of #Westeros, Wester ...

. However, Lucerys and his dragon Arrax are attacked and killed over the Shipbreaker Bay by Aemond, who rides the much larger dragon Vhagar. In revenge, Rhaenyra's uncle and second husband, Prince Daemon, has Aegon II's elder son and heir Jaehaerys murdered by a pair of assassins. Soon both branches of the Targaryen royal line are at open war, rallying various noble houses supporting Rhaenyra (known as "The Blacks", a colour she often wore) against those supporting Aegon II and Queen Alicent (known as "The Greens", a colour she often wore). The

known as the "Dance of the Dragons" due to both sides having dragonridersis the first major

of the Targaryen dynasty, and sees many Targaryen kinsmen, dragons and noblemen killed in combat. After some early Greens victories, Rhaenyra successfully turns the tide and assaults the capital, King's Landing, expelling Aegon II and captures large numbers of Greens members. However, the harsh

tax A tax is a compulsory financial charge or some other type of levy imposed on a taxpayer (an individual or legal entity) by a governmental organization in order to fund government spending and various public expenditures (regional, local, or n ...

es she then enacts (due to the

treasury A treasury is either *A government department related to finance and taxation, a finance ministry. *A place or location where treasure, such as currency or precious items are kept. These can be state or royal property, church treasure or i ...

being secretly emptied by the Greens supporters), as well as her vengeful lust,

paranoia Paranoia is an instinct or thought process that is believed to be heavily influenced by anxiety or fear, often to the point of delusion and irrationality. Paranoid thinking typically includes persecutory beliefs, or beliefs of conspiracy concer ...

and subsequent

summary execution A summary execution is an execution in which a person is accused of a crime and immediately killed without the benefit of a full and fair trial. Executions as the result of summary justice (such as a drumhead court-martial) are sometimes include ...

s of perceived traitors, trigger a violent riot in the capital, during which angry mobs fearful of dragons storm the Dragonpit and kill most of the remaining dragons (as well as Joffrey Velaryon, her last surviving son from her first marriage to Laenor Velaryon), and she is forced to flee after just half a year on the throne. Eventually, Aegon II's two brothers, Aemond and Daeron, as well as his only remaining son, Maelor, are all killed, and himself rendered crippled and no longer

fertile Fertility is the capability to produce offspring through reproduction following the onset of sexual maturity. The fertility rate is the average number of children born by a female during her lifetime and is quantified demographically. Fertilit ...

; likewise, by the ending moments of the war, Rhaenyra's three eldest children have all been killed. Rhaenyra herself is betrayed and captured by Aegon II, who brutally executes her by having his crippled dragon Sunfyre burn her alive before devouring her in six bites. The war however continues after Rhaenyra's death, with her Blacks supporters rallying behind her fourth son, Aegon the Younger, despite the latter being imprisoned as a hostage by Aegon II. As the last other living male member of House Targaryen (other than the lost prince, Viserys Targaryen), Rhaenyra's son Aegon the Younger is named by Aegon II as his heir, but is constantly threatened with execution by his uncle. However, after the Greens' last army is annihilated at the Battle of the Kingsroad, the stubbornly defiant Aegon II is assassinated by his own men, who then surrendered unconditionally to the Blacks. Aegon the Younger is freed and crowned as King Aegon III, ending the conflict. However, House Targaryen had lost virtually all of their dragons, and the surviving ones had either gone feral and/or died out during the reign of Aegon III, earning him the infamous nickname "Dragonbane".

Development

According to

, the Dance of the Dragons, the main conflict portrayed in ''The Princess and the Queen'', was inspired by the 15-year-long

High Medieval England England in the High Middle Ages includes the history of England between the Norman conquest of England, Norman Conquest in 1066 and the death of John, King of England, King John, considered by some to be the last of the Angevin kings of England, ...

known as

The Anarchy The Anarchy was a civil war in England and Normandy between 1138 and 1153, which resulted in a widespread breakdown in law and order. The conflict was a war of succession precipitated by the accidental death of William Adelin, the only legiti ...

, where

Empress Matilda Empress Matilda ( 7 February 110210 September 1167), also known as the Empress Maude, was one of the claimants to the English throne during the civil war known as the Anarchy. The daughter of King Henry I of England, she moved to Germany as ...

, the daughter and heir of

Henry I of England Henry I (c. 1068 – 1 December 1135), also known as Henry Beauclerc, was King of England from 1100 to his death in 1135. He was the fourth son of William the Conqueror and was educated in Latin and the liberal arts. On William's death in ...

, fought a protracted

against her cousin

Stephen Stephen or Steven is a common English first name. It is particularly significant to Christians, as it belonged to Saint Stephen ( grc-gre, Στέφανος ), an early disciple and deacon who, according to the Book of Acts, was stoned to death; ...

from 1138 to 1153 AD, which eventually ended with the ascension of Matilda's son Henry II, the founder of the

Plantagenet dynasty The House of Plantagenet () was a royal house which originated from the lands of Anjou in France. The family held the English throne from 1154 (with the accession of Henry II at the end of the Anarchy) to 1485, when Richard III died in ...

. The story was to be included in the companion book ''

The World of Ice & Fire ''The World of Ice & Fire: The Untold History of Westeros and the Game of Thrones'' is a companion book for George R. R. Martin's ''A Song of Ice and Fire'' fantasy series. Written by Martin, Elio M. García Jr. and Linda Antonsson, it was publi ...

'' but was removed because the book was becoming too long for the original concept of a fully illustrated book. It and several other stories appeared in abridged versions in other anthologies.

Reception

Entertainment Weekly ''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, and popular cul ...

'' called the 35,000-word novella "a great demonstration of Martin's ability to dramatize the slippery complexities of power: how evil begets heroism, how heroes become villains". ''The Princess and the Queen'' was nominated for a 2014

Locus Award The Locus Awards are an annual set of literary awards voted on by readers of the science fiction and fantasy magazine ''Locus'', a monthly magazine based in Oakland, California. The awards are presented at an annual banquet. In addition to the pl ...

Adaptation

series adaptation of ''The Princess and the Queen'', called ''

'', began airing from August 21, 2022. ''House of the Dragon'' is a prequel to ''

'' covering the Dance of Dragons civil war, and incorporates additional material from ''Fire and Blood'' and the expanded text "The Dying of Dragons." The show is produced by Martin, Vince Gerardis,

Ryan Condal Ryan J. Condal (born ) is an American screenwriter and an executive producer who is a creator and a showrunner for the 2022 TV series ''House of the Dragon'', a prequel to the TV series ''Game of Thrones'' (2011–2019). Condal and Carlton Cuse ...

, and

Miguel Sapochnik Miguel Sapochnik (born 1 July 1974) is an English film and television director of Argentine origin, and former storyboard artist. For his work as a director on the HBO epic fantasy series ''Game of Thrones'', he won the award for Outstanding ...

; in addition, the latter two are its showrunners. The sixth episode of the pilot season of ''House of the Dragon'' is also named after the novella.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Princess And The Queen, The 2013 American novels A Song of Ice and Fire books American novellas Novels by George R. R. Martin Tor Books books

Plot

Development

Reception

Adaptation

See also

References