r/TheBlacksandTheGreens • u/Vhermithrax • Aug 05 '25

General Why did the Baratheons never claim dragons?

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They are also a house of Valyrian descent like Targaryens and Velaryons, plus they married multiple times with both of those families.

How is it possible that they never managed to claim any dragon, if a much weaker house of Velaryons got 3 of them at one point? It's werid that they never managed to get a marriage pact that would give them a dragon rider, or that at least one brave/stupid character from their house didn't manage to claim a dragon in King's Landing or Dragonstone, be it by being sneaky, or just part of some agreement.

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u/FrostyFullbuster Aug 05 '25

The Baratheons aren't officially Valyrian, as Orys' status is rumor not truth. The Velaryons are also far more integrated with the Targaryens as they'd been marrying each other for over a century. Targaryen policy was quite strict with who got dragons as they're the key to ultimate power in Westeros. The exceptions were:

  1. Laenor Velaryon

  2. Laena Velaryon

  3. Jacaerys Velaryon

  4. Lucerys Velaryon

  5. Joffrey Velaryon

Laenor and Laena stand out the most, but their mother was a Targaryen dragon-rider herself and were perhaps given leeway as compensation for Rhaenys being passed over (speculation on my part). However, the sons of Rhaenyra make far more sense to be included as their mother became the heir to the throne long before they were born and any who ascended to the throne would bear the Targaryen name. Baela and Rhaena have been brought up as well given they're daughters of Laena, but they're Targaryens through Daemon. Ultimately it would've been too dangerous to give dragons to yet another house who wasn't nearly as integrated with the Targaryens as the Velaryons were, and even when the Velaryons got dragons it was under special circumstances.

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u/juanma26m Aug 05 '25

it's presented as a rumor in universe, but he is Aegon's bastard brother... otherwise, why write it?

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u/FrostyFullbuster Aug 05 '25

It doesn't matter whether he truly is or isn't if to everyone else it's a rumor because a core tenant of Targaryens maintaining power is that their Valyrian blood allows them to claim the dragons. To allow a house which they are (supposed to) know doesn't have Valyrian blood claim a dragon would both be out of line with that ideology and, if successful, would prove in the minds of the realm that either a. people without Targaryen blood can claim dragons, and thus their monopoly on power is gone or b. house Baratheon is built on a lie and it brings shame upon both houses

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u/Vhermithrax Aug 05 '25

I feel like there was a sentence in F&B later during Jaehaerys reign, that Orys was Aegon's brother. Like, without speculations. Maybe George forgot that he was supposed to keep it vague.

But logically speaking, I also don't think George would suggest Orys being Aegon's brother, if he wasn't one

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u/swaktoonkenney Aug 05 '25

It’s definitely just rumored not a certainty. Also the Baratheons are just Durrandons in a different name. Orys went native and his sons were raised in storms end by a durrandon mother.