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House of the Dragonis laced with royalty of all kinds, but one Great House that has been conspicuous by its absence is Stark. InHouse of the Dragonseason 1, episode 1 “The Heirs of the Dragon,” King Viserys I summons lords from all over Westeros, including Warden of the North, Rickon Stark, to swear an oath to defend his heir, Rhaenyra, against all enemies, and to pledge fealty to her. Rickon takes an oath, and Rhaenyra is declared the named heir of the king.
Rickon remains the sole representative of the Starks inHouse of the Dragonseason 1, but Rhaenyra’s council counts Starks among people who do not break their oath. InHouse of the Dragonseason 1, episode 10 “The Black Queen,” Rhaenyra’s people tally Houses that will side with them, should it come to war, and someone in the room declares there has never lived a Stark who forgot an oath and that the North will followwherever House Stark goes.
Rhaenyra Dispatches Jacaerys Velaryon North
Rhaenyra sends her two sons as envoys
At the end ofHouse of the Dragon’s “The Black Queen,” Rhaenyra dispatches her sons, Jacaerys, to Winterfell and Lucerys to Storm’s End. Lucerys reaches first and gets the short end of the stick. Lord Borros Baratheon - the turncloak declares for the Greens. Lucerys is ordered to leave the castle and dies moments later when Aemond Targaryen chases him atop Vhagar. Jacaerys will make it to Winterfell inHouse of the Dragonseason 2to meet the Lord of Winterfell and Warden of the North.
Before Jacaerys and Lucerys departed, Queen Rhaenyra guided her sons on how to carry themselves as ambassadors:
If you take this errand, you go as messengers, not as warriors. You must take no part in any fighting. Swear it to me now, under the eyes of the Seven.
Rhaenyra gave Jacaerys some pointers about the Lord of Winterfell:
Cregan Stark is closer to your age than he is to mine. I would hope, that as men, you may find some common interest.
With that, she handed Jacaerys a scroll, and he flew off on Vermax. That’s allHouse of the Dragon’s “The Black Queen” had to say about the incumbent Lord of Winterfell.
Ned And Jon Snow’s Ancestor - Cregan Stark
Another honorable Stark
Cregan adhered to the oath his father, Rickon, took and sided with Rhaenyra, Jacaerys, and the Blacks in the Dance of the Dragons. Ancestor to the Starks seen inGame of Thrones, the lore says Cregan lived during the age of the Targaryen kings - Viserys I,the usurper, Aegon II, his nephew, Aegon III, and Daeron I. He outlived Viserys, who caused the rift in the empire, and Aegon the Elder as well as the Younger, he came to be known as the Old Man of the North. The young Cregan was fondly known as the Wolf of the North. Cregan’s mother was a Glover - the liege lords of the Starks, who ruled from their seat, Deepwood Motte, located in northwestern Wolfswood. When Lord Rickon passed away in 121 AC, Cregan was a minor, therefore the Kingdom of the North was placed under his brother, Bennard’s regency.
Cregan came of age three years later. He put his uncle behind bars and married Arra Norrey, who died while giving birth to their son, whom Cregan named after his late father, Lord Rickon. Cregan’s firstborn son died for the Targaryens outside Sunspear in one of the climactic battles of the Daeron’s Conquest. As for Cregan, he led a host to King’s Landing inthe final moments of the Dance, long after Jacaerys died. There is no question about the fact that Cregan will play a good host to Jacaerys in the upcomingHouse of the Dragonseason 2.
Jacaerys' Visit And Lord Cregan Stark In The Dance
Conflicting Accounts
A few accounts exist of Jacaerys' visit to the North inGame of Throneslore. Grand Maester Munkun, for example, says the Prince of Dragonstone and Cregan bonded quickly, went hunting, and swore an oath of brotherhood thereafter. Septon Eustace says Jacaerys tried to bring Cregan into the fold of the Faith of the Seven, as the latter, being a Northerner, worshipped the Old Gods of the Forest. Court Fool Mushroom claims that Cregan’s half-sister, Sara Snow bed Jacaerys and that the two married in the Godswood of Winterfell. Mushroom adds that this marriage was the reason that Cregan eventually came around. Archmaester Gyldayn has less faith in Mushroom’s salacious account, andHouse of the Dragonmay or may not take any of these slants in crafting Jace’s visit.
The Pact Of Ice And Fire
Tom Taylor Cast As Cregan Stark
Jace and Cregan negotiate an agreement known in Munkun’s words as the Pact of Ice and Fire, and according to it, if Jace were to have a daughter in the future, she would be wedded to Cregan’s firstborn, Rickon. This pact didn’t materialize asJacaerys died in a major naval battleinGame of Throneslore. The first host of Northmen under Roderick Dustin’s command who went South to fight for their Queen is known in lore as the Winter Wolves. This host proved its mettle in the Riverlands but failed in the First Battle of Tumbleton. The Dance raged on, and Cregan kept his oath until the very end, even after Rhaenyra’s death and Aegon II’s poisoning.
Game of Throneslore says that after the Dance of the Dragons concluded, Cregan served for a brief time as Aegon the Younger’s Hand.Members of House Starkare known to act honorably and Cregan was no exception. He objected to the murder of Aegon II and imprisoned the court suspects involved in the regicide. He would have preferred it if the usurper king were defeated on the battlefield. Cregan Stark marched back to the North after Aegon the Younger began his reign.
Entertainment Weeklyhas confirmed that actor Tom Taylor will play Cregan Stark in the upcomingHouse of the Dragonseason 2. Taylor, for his part, is quoted saying (per@asoiafsource):
“I am really looking forward to it.”
House of the Dragon
House of the Dragon is HBO’s prequel series to Game of Thrones. Set hundreds of years earlier, the show follows the inner machinations and rivalries of the Targaryen royal family. The show was created by Ryan Condal and George R.R. Martin, and stars Matt Smith, Emma D’Arcy, Rhys Ifans, and Olivia Cooke.
