Lyonel Baratheon

Lord Lyonel Baratheon, famously known as The Laughing Storm, is a posthumous character in the A Song of Ice and Fire novel series and a supporting character in the Tales of Dunk and Egg novella The Hedge Knight. He was the Lord of Storm's End and the head of House Baratheon during the reign of King Aegon V Targaryen.
In the upcoming A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms TV series, Lyonel will be portrayed by Daniel Ings.
== Appearance ==
Lyonel was a giant man whose head is taller than that of Ser Raymun Fossoway, and has a handsome and charming face. Lord Lyonel was also nearly as tall as Ser Duncan the Tall, who is about 6'11' in. During tourneys, he wore gold cloth surcoat bearing the sigil of House Baratheon, a crowned stag on a golden background.
== Personality ==
Lyonel Baratheon earned his nickname due to his habit of letting out loud laughter at his opponents during tourneys, which makes him somewhat cheerful. However, he is not complete without a sense of justice, as he willingly supported Ser Duncan the Tall during his trial of seven after he was arrested for striking Aerion Targaryen to defend a Dornish woman and being falsely accused of kidnapping "Egg". However, his willingness to support Duncan is rather than out of his advantage of wanting to fight the Kingsguard and to "tweak the nose of Prince Maekar Targaryen. In his later years, he is strongly intolerant of slights against House Baratheon and will react with fury if slighted.
== Biography ==
In 209 AC, during the reign of King Daeron II Targaryen, Lyonel was the heir to Storm's End during the tourney at Ashford Meadow. During the first tilt, he challenged Ser Robert Ashford, a champion of the fair maid. They were equally matched throughout and after breaking nine lances both of them lost their saddles on the tenth course. However, they both rose and fought on. Ultimately, in the end, the former was left battered and he admits defeat, allowing Lyonel to secure his victory, making him a champion in the process.
Throughout the tourney, Lyonel fought in multiple challenges against lesser opponents. The moment they touched his shield, he would break out into booming laughter. He would laugh all the time while mounting, charging, and knocking them from their stirrups. If they are wearing any sort of crest on their helm, Lyonel Baratheon would strike it off before flinging it into the crowd.
After a hedge knight called Duncan the Tall was arrested for striking Prince Aerion Targaryen and he requested a trial by combat, the latter invokes a trial of seven. Lyonel Baratheon was asked by Duncan's squire "Egg" (Prince Aegon Targaryen) to support Duncan, which the former accepted, as he was eager to participate in his first trial of seven in years, as he doesn't want to miss his chance of fighting the Kingsguard. and "tweak" Prince Maekar's nose. Prior to the start of the trial, when Duncan was hesitant to knight Ser Raymun Fossoway, who also supported him, Lyonel knighted Ser Raymun in Duncan's place. During the trial of seven, Duncan and his champion's were victorious, unfortunately, however, Prince Baelor "Breakspear", the eldest son and heir of King Daeron II and one of Duncan's champions, was fatally wounded by accident by his own brother, Prince Maekar. Baelor would immediately succumb to his injury following the Trial of Seven.
=== Later life ===
At an unknown point, Lyonel Baratheon became the Lord of Storm's End and married an unknown woman and they bore an unnamed daughter. During the reign of King Aegon V Targaryen, Lyonel served as a leal supporter for the king. Pleased, by this, King Aegon arranged the betrothal of his son and heir, Prince Duncan Targaryen, to Lord Lyonel's daughter. Unfortunately, Prince Duncan fell in love with and married the mysterious Jenny of Oldstones, who claimed to be descended from the kings of the First Men, who have long since vanished. Duncan the Small stubbornly refused to set Jenny aside and selfishly abdicates as Prince of Dragonstone, thus reliquishing his rights to the Iron Throne for Jenny. When Lyonel's daughter learned of this, she was greatly heartbroken.
Because of the dishonor and shame that Prince Duncan had brought upon Lyonel and his daughter, Lyonel himself was so infuriated by this slight that he renounces his allegiance to the Iron Throne and declares himself Storm King, making him the first Baratheon in history to ever do so. He then instigated a short-lived but bloody rebellion, which ended when he engaged in a trial by combat with Ser Duncan the Tall, who is now Lord Commander of the Kingsguard to Aegon V. Lyonel was ultimately defeated in the end and he yields to Duncan. As a compensation, King Aegon agrees to betroth his daughter Princess Rhaelle Targaryen to Lord Lyonel's heir Ormund. Rhaelle was then sent to Storm's End to serve as Lyonel's cupbearer and as a companion to his lady wife.
==Gallery==
Lyonel Baratheon by TheMarkyGallery.jpg
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