Sack of King's Landing by Daenerys

Lore & Background

In the A Song of Ice and Fire novels, the narrative has not reached the siege or destruction of King's Landing. Daenerys Targaryen is currently located in Essos, gathering forces for an invasion that has yet to begin. Consequently, Cersei Lannister does not rule openly; she is imprisoned by the Faith Militant, while her uncle Kevan Lannister was recently assassinated by Varys, leaving a power vacuum for the young King Tommen Baratheon within a capital that has not been sacked by dragonfire. All three of Daenerys's dragons—Drogon, Rhaegal, and Viserion—are currently living and have not yet engaged in combat against Westerosi cities.

In Their Own Story

The baker crouched beneath his cellar door as the distant roar echoed through the stone streets above. He had heard the bells ring hours ago, a sound of relief that promised the end of the siege and the safety of the city. But then came the heat, a sudden wave of dry air that smelled of sulfur and burning timber. Light flickered through the cracks in the floorboards, illuminating dust motes dancing in the gloom. The dragon's shadow passed overhead, blotting out the sun for a fleeting moment before fire rained down upon the market square outside. He held his breath, clutching his child tight, knowing that the bells had not saved them this time.

Reader's Guide

The siege begins when Daenerys Targaryen demands the surrender of King's Landing to end the war. Inside the Red Keep, Cersei Lannister refuses to yield despite her forces being outmatched by the dragon fire overhead. Tyrion Lannister negotiates a ceasefire from within the city walls while the populace waits in terror for the outcome of these talks. When the bells finally ring across the capital, they signal that the city has officially surrendered and combat should cease immediately. However, Daenerys chooses to ignore this truce, commanding her dragon Drogon to unleash flames upon the stone streets and buildings below. The Red Keep collapses under the heat as thousands of civilians perish alongside the Lannister soldiers in the confusion. Jon Snow arrives moments later to find his lover amidst the ruins, having killed Cersei but at a terrible moral cost. The destruction leaves the Iron Throne vacant but the realm fractured by grief and betrayal among her allies. Tyrion is imprisoned for his role in the events while Daenerys remains on the throne briefly before facing further rebellion from the surviving lords of Westeros.

Did You Know?

• In the book series, Daenerys has not yet arrived in Westeros, so the Sack of King's Landing is an event exclusive to the television show.
• As of A Dance with Dragons, Cersei Lannister is imprisoned and Kevan Lannister was assassinated by Varys; no Regent currently holds the seat for Tommen.
• All three of Daenerys's dragons are currently alive in the book canon; none have died or vanished as depicted in the TV finale.

Geographic Setting of King's Landing

The narrative unfolds primarily on the elongated continent of Westeros, which is described as being roughly comparable in size to South America. This landmass serves as the home for the Seven Kingdoms, situated south of a massive ice barrier known as the Wall. This structure stands seven hundred feet high and stretches three hundred miles across the coast-to-coast distance. The political entity encompasses nine distinct regions, including the Crownlands which specifically encircle the capital city. King's Landing functions as the seat of power where the Iron Throne is located. While the northern territories beyond the ice wall remain largely unmapped and unexplored, especially the ice fields near the Frostfangs mountains, the southern regions are well-defined within the story. The continent extends northward into a polar ice cap known as the White Waste, though its full extent remains unknown to the inhabitants living in the settled areas below the barrier.

Political Hierarchy and Fealty

At the commencement of the novel series, most of Westeros operates under the governance of a single monarch residing within King's Landing. This king commands a significant number of minor direct vassals located in the surrounding Crownlands region. Beyond this central area, each of the other eight regions is functionally managed by a different major noble house. These houses wield substantial power within their own territories while maintaining fealty to the Iron Throne. The author drew inspiration for these political dynamics from medieval European history, citing events like the Hundred Years' War and the Wars of the Roses as influences. Religion also plays a significant role in daily life across these lands, with characters practicing many different faiths depending on their region and heritage. This complex hierarchy sets the stage for the conflicts that arise throughout the narrative involving the various noble families vying for influence over the realm.

Ancient History and Magical Elements

The history of this world involves ancient species such as the Children of the Forest, who worshipped nature and carved faces into weirwood trees. Later, human settlers known as the First Men arrived from Essos via a land bridge at the southeastern end of the continent. A millennia-long war ensued between these groups before an agreement called The Pact was established, marking the beginning of the Age of Heroes. Eight thousand years prior to the main events, an arctic humanoid species called the Others emerged during a long winter known as The Long Night. To repel this threat, the Children and First Men allied to construct the Wall. Although the narrative is set in a post-magic world where people do not fully understand supernatural elements like the Others, religion remains significant. The gods of the Children eventually became known locally as the Old Gods within Westerosian culture.

Cartography and World Scale

Visual representations of this fictional world are provided through maps included in the book series, starting with two maps of Westeros in the first installment. As new books were released, additional maps were added to cover different areas such as Essos and specific cities like King's Landing. The author intentionally omitted scales on these maps to discourage readers from predicting travel lengths based on measured distances. He also avoided providing complete world maps initially so that readers could better identify with medieval people who lacked knowledge of distant places. A comprehensive set of foldout maps was later published in 2012, featuring twelve distinct charts drawn by Jonathan Roberts. These include specific views for King's Landing and Braavos, allowing fans to track character journeys across the Known World which spans multiple continents including Sothoryos and Ulthos.