A Historical Recount of House Dragaryen From the years 136 AC to 300 AC

Myths and Legends 5: Gerold Den Reeve

Tale of the Two Kingdoms - Story V: Gerold Den Reeve, The Blue-Rider

Gerold Den Reeve, the son of Princess Rhaena Dragaryan, was unlike any other Westerosi warrior. He was the first known dragon rider outside the bloodlines of House Dragaryen and House Targaryen—a feat as bold as it was dangerous, hinting at the possibility that dragon lore could expand beyond the bloodlines believed to be tied to the fire-breathing beasts. Born into the shadow of Westerosi power struggles, Gerold spent his early years distancing himself from his Dragaryen lineage, dyeing his hair a striking blue to keep his true blood hidden. Many who met him would never guess he had the fire of dragon-riding blood in his veins, let alone the ambition to rewrite his destiny.

Becoming the First Dragon Rider Outside the Dragon Bloodlines

In 188 AC, Gerold achieved the unthinkable: he mounted and tamed a dragon. This moment marked him as the first dragon rider not born into the lines of Targaryen or Dragaryen. Although his exact connection to the dragon remains a mystery, it's speculated that he shared an affinity with the creatures, enabling him to bond with one, despite his family's unconventional ties to the dragons.

This achievement put Gerold in an unusual position: he now held the rare power to control a dragon, yet he had no kingdom or title to lend him the authority that typically came with it. Instead, he wielded his newfound strength carefully, aware that his heritage and position made him both an asset and a threat to the ruling factions of Westeros.

The War of the Fate of Flames

When the War of the Fate of Flames erupted in 191 AC, Westeros was cast into turmoil. This civil war, later remembered as the Second War of the Dragons, drew the might of House Dragaryen and House Targaryen into a deadly conflict. Gerold, although not a leader or noble commander, chose to fight beside his Dragaryen kin, embracing his bloodline's duty to uphold their house's honor. His role as a dragon rider, however, did not guarantee him a path of glory. Instead, he experienced the war from the perspective of a frontline soldier, one who bore witness to the devastating brutality that came with dragon fire and bloodshed.

With his blue-dyed hair and reserved nature, Gerold wasn't well-known among his Dragaryen kin, yet his loyalty never wavered. He fought under the banners of Baelon II Dragaryen alongside other loyalists and saw firsthand the horrors that dragons could unleash upon the realm they were sworn to protect. To Gerold, the war was a bitter reminder of how even the mighty could fall.

In the climactic Battle of King's Landing, Gerold witnessed the devastating confrontation between Baelon II and Aegon II Targaryen as they clashed above the city. He saw Baelon's dragon, Luciferion, unleash torrents of fire upon the Targaryen forces, scorching buildings and striking fear into the hearts of all present. As a soldier in the thick of the battle, Gerold was struck by the raw, unbridled power of dragons, but also by the destruction they brought to those on the ground. When Vaegon Targaryen's grandson and other Targaryen blood were slain, Gerold watched as lives were reduced to ashes in a flash of flame and fury.

In the battle's aftermath, Gerold's dragon was lost amid the flames that destroyed the Dragonpit. Many dragons perished in the burning ruin, and for Gerold, the loss of his dragon left a scar that was not easily healed. No longer a dragon rider, he was now a man left only with his own strength and the memories of what he had once accomplished.

The Final Years and Mysterious Disappearance

Following the war's end in 192 AC and the defeat of the Targaryen faction, Gerold drifted away from the Dragaryen courts, seeking a life of solitude. He continued to serve as a soldier, honing his skills as a warrior, yet he felt the void left by the dragon he had once bonded with. To Gerold, dragon riding had been more than power; it had been a rare connection, a legacy that few would ever understand.

In 233 AC, Gerold vanished, slipping into the realms of rumor and legend. Some say he traveled far from Essos, seeking and pursuing a life free from the strife of noble bloodlines. Others claim he changed, becoming something neither man nor dragon—a spirit or shadow haunting the lands he once fought to protect.

While no one knows his ultimate fate, Gerold Den Reeve remains a figure of intrigue and wonder. Known as the Blue-Rider, he was a warrior shaped by dragons, blood, and fire, forever marked by the memories of the War of the Fate of Flames. His story endures as a quiet yet poignant tale within the annals of Westerosi history, a reminder of the men and women whose lives were forever altered by dragons and the fires of civil war.