King's Landing

**King's Landing** is the capital of the Seven Kingdoms, located in the Crownlands on the east coast of Westeros. It is situated along the kingsroad at the mouth of the Blackwater Rush and overlooks Blackwater Bay. King's Landing is the site of the Iron Throne and the Red Keep, which is the seat of the king, Aeric I from House Targaryen.

The main city is surrounded by a wall, manned by the City Watch of King's Landing, also known as the gold cloaks. King's Landing is the most populous city in Westeros, but unsightly and dirty compared to other cities. Poorer smallfolk build shanty settlements outside the city. The stench of the city's waste can be smelled far beyond its walls.

King's Landing, the principal harbour of the Seven Kingdoms, is rivalled only by Oldtown, which is larger in area but less populous. Nearby towns include Rosby and Duskendale to the northeast and Tumbleton to the southwest, while the kingswood is found south of the capital across the Blackwater. Driftmark and Dragonstone in the Gullet protect the bay from the narrow sea.

The demonym used for its inhabitants is "Kingslander".

## Layout

King's Landing is roughly square-shaped, sprawling across several miles and defended by tall walls. It is dotted with manses, arbors, granaries, brick storehouses, timbered inns, merchant stalls, taverns, graveyards and brothels. There is a fish market. Hundreds of quays can be found in the harbour. Between buildings the roads are broad, lined with trees and branching alleys and streets.

The city covers the north shore of the Blackwater Rush and covers three tall hills, named after Aegon and his two sisters, Visenya and Rhaenys. Aegon's High Hill, surmounted by the Red Keep, the royal castle located in the south-eastern corner of the city, overlooks the bay directly, whilst the Hill of Rhaenys in the north is capped by the Dragonpit dome, its bronze doors carved with the names of all dragons that have ever roamed in Westeros in High Valyrian script.

Behind the quays outside of the walls, there tend to be ramshackle buildings which extend to the walls. These include bait shacks, pot shops, warehouses, merchant's stalls, alehouses, and prostitution rooms.

Generally, the areas on the higher elevations of the three hills tend to be the wealthier parts of the city, while the poorer areas are the low places in between them. The worst slum in the city is Flea Bottom, a maze of narrow streets and alleys at the bottom of the east side of Rhaenys's Hill (the side facing Aegon's High Hill). There the poorest smallfolk eke out a meager existence, subsisting largely on "bowls of brown", a mystery stew that can include the meat of rats and murder victims, among other things. In contrast, the top of Rhaenys's Hill is the location of the Street of Silk, filled with expensive high-end brothels catering to lords and rich merchants.

The richer areas of King's Landing lie near the Old Gate.

Large tourneys are held outside the city, beside the Blackwater and near the King's Gate.

### City gates

Seven is a sacred number for the Faith, thus the reason Aegon I Targaryen had seven huge gates built as the entrances into the capital of King's Landing. Each is protected by portcullis, heavy doors, and armed guards.

* Dragon Gate, leads north to the Kingsroad.
* Iron Gate, leads to the Rosby Road.
* Old Gate.
* Gate of the Gods.
* River Gate, known as the Mud Gate by the population of the city, leads south to the Kingsroad and the Roseroad.
* Lion Gate, leads west to the Goldroad.
* King's Gate, outside of which are tourney grounds.

### Notable locations

* The Red Keep, the royal castle located on top of Aegon's High Hill. Within the castle are Maegor's Holdfast and the Tower of the Hand.
* The Dragonpit, a huge dome that houses the Targaryen dragons. After the riots in King's Landing, the same bronze doors were used, and carved with the names of every fallen dragon since the founding of House Targaryen.
* The Street of Sisters runs beside the Dragonpit.
* The Guildhall of the Alchemists beneath the Hill of Rhaenys, stretching right to the foot of Visenya's Hill, along the Street of Sisters. Beneath it is where the Alchemists create and store the wildfire.
* Flea Bottom, slum area of King's Landing, a downtrodden area of town. It has pot-shops along the alleys where one can get a bowl of brown. It has a stench of pigsties and stables, tanner's sheds mixed in the smell of winesinks and whorehouses.
* A manse near the Iron Gate with its own stable, well, and garden.

### Streets, squares and other

* Alleys:
	+ Eel Alley is located on Visenya's Hill. Inns and taverns may be found here.
	+ Pig Alley
	+ Pigrun Alley is enclosed by tall timber-and-stone buildings whose upper stories lean out so far over the streets that they nearly touch those of the buildings across from them.
	+ Weasel Alley

* Lanes:
	+ Reeking Lane is a street full of apprentices.
	+ Shadowblack Lane, a twisty lane that begins at the northern gate of the Red Keep and winds its way down to the foot of Aegon's High Hill.

* Squares:
	+ Cobbler's Square
	+ Fishmonger's Square is a market square inside the Mud Gate.
	+ Unnamed market square inside the Gate of the Gods.
	+ Unnamed great central square built during King Jaehaerys I Targaryen's reign.
	+ Unnamed square before the Red Keep’s gates.

* Streets:
	+ Hill Street.
	+ The Hook is a long, curved thoroughfare connecting the River Gate to Aegon's High Hill.
	+ Pisswater Bend is a street probably located in Flea Bottom.
	+ River Row is a street along the southern wall, east of Fishmonger's Square, home to sea captains, fishmongers and others with interest in the harbour.
	+ Sowbelly Row
	+ Street of Flies
	+ The Street of Flour contains numerous bakeries. Below the street lies a maze of twisting alleys and cross streets.
	+ Street of Looms
	+ Street of Seeds
	+ Street of Silver
	+ The Street of Steel is where most smiths have their forges. It begins on the west of Fishmonger's Square inside the River Gate and climbs up Visenya's Hill. The higher up one goes, the more expensive the shops.
	+ The Street of Silk is a street to the northwest of the Dragonpit lined with brothels of varying expense.
	+ The Street of the Sisters connects Visenya's Hill to the Dragonpit. One can find the Guildhall of the Alchemists upon it. It runs straight as an arrow between the hills of Rhaenys and Visenya, from which it gets its name.

* Ways:
	+ The Gods' Way
	+ The King's Way
	+ The Blackwater Way. It's a street that begins at Fishmonger's Square.

* Wynds:
	+ Coppersmith's Wynd

## Population

King's Landing has the highest population in the Seven Kingdoms, but it is smaller than towns in Essos such as Selhorys, Valysar, and Volon Therys, let alone the Free Cities.

George R. R. Martin has stated that King's Landing is larger than medieval London or Paris but smaller than medieval Constantinople or ancient Rome. The city has a population of less than half a million.

## Military

The City Watch of King's Landing is King's Landing's main military formation, in charge of guarding and policing the town and its surroundings. Its men are two thousand strong, the number being increased in times of need or war. During the reign of Viserys I Targaryen, the King's brother, Prince Daemon Targaryen was named Commander of the City Watch. He instituted a new uniform and use of equipment. The weapons he issued were dirk, short sword, and an iron cudgel. The men wore mail armour, boots and gloves that were black and a heavy wool cloak, dyed gold. The City Watch became known as Gold Cloaks ever since.

The royal fleet guards the entrance to Blackwater Bay, patrolling it and the Blackwater Rush. On occasion royal fleets have been sent to deal with pirates from the Stepstones.

## History

### Founding

Before Aegon's Conquest, the area around the future King's Landing was just hills and forests, claimed by both the Storm King, Argilac Durrandon of Storm's End, and the King of the Isles and the Rivers, Harren Hoare of Harrenhal. During the days of the Hundred Kingdoms, the mouth of the Blackwater Rush had been claimed by many petty kings, including the Darklyns of Duskendale, the Masseys of Stonedance, and various river kings including Blackwoods, Brackens, Fishers, Hooks, and Mudds. Towers and forts had crowned the three hills multiple times, but all had been destroyed during various wars. Only broken stones and overgrown ruins remained when Aegon Targaryen led his army from Dragonstone and landed on the north bank of the Blackwater Rush in 2 B.C., where a handful of fisherfolk lived in a small village. Aegon quickly built his first fortress of wood and earth, the Aegonfort, on top of the highest hill.

When Aegon finalized his conquest and was crowned Lord of the Seven Kingdoms, many expected that he would make Dragonstone or Oldtown his capital. He unexpectedly decided to build his capital in the new town growing around the Aegonfort, since it was more centrally located than any other and not part of the former kingdoms, setting the king apart from his new vassals. Aegon foresaw that King's Landing, which became a city in 10 A.C., would surpass Oldtown or Lannisport. Trade shifted from Duskendale and Maidenpool, and by 25 A.C. King's Landing had become the realm's third-largest city, ahead of White Harbour and Gulltown. The following year Grand Maester Gawen and Ser Osmund Strong completed the city walls and seven gates.

### Maegor the Cruel

The city was expanded by Aegon's successors. The Red Keep, which replaced the Aegonfort, was completed during the reign of Maegor I Targaryen. During the Faith Militant uprising, Warrior's Sons and Poor Fellows seized the Sept of Remembrance and the Red Keep, which was then under construction. Maegor the Cruel used Balerion's dragonfire to destroy the sept, and began construction of the Dragonpit atop its ruins.

### Jaehaerys the Conciliator

During the early reign of Jaehaerys I Targaryen, the city hosted the Golden Wedding, an event unlike any seen in the history of the Seven Kingdoms that saw the city prosper. When Jaehaerys came of age, great work was done to improve the city of King's Landing. Work on the Dragonpit was completed in 55 A.C. A massive system of drains and sewers was constructed to carry the waste from the city. The muddied streets were widened and eventually paved with cobblestone. The Hand of the King, Septon Barth pointed out that the river water which was the only source of water for the smallfolk was fit for only swine and horses. So wells were sunk in the city and other wells were dug outside the city, a series of glazed pipes and tunnels would carry fresh water into the city, where it would be stored in four huge cisterns and made available at fountains and public squares to provide clean drinking water for the smallfolk. The construction of the fountains was approved thanks to the actions of good Queen Alysanne Targaryen, so they became known as "the queen's fountains".

In the winter of 59 A.C., a plague known as the Shivers spread throughout the Seven Kingdoms, King's Landing was hit hardest of all. Thousands died, including half the small council, two of the Kingsguard and Princess Daenerys. The City Watch of King's Landing succumbed to the disease as well, the streets became lawless and unsafe during the plague. The master of coin, Rego Draz, was murdered by a starving mob who blamed him for the price of bread and for being a foreigner.

The city later became connected with other regions of the realm with a network of roads the king ordered constructed such as the kingsroad, goldroad, and roseroad. In 98 A.C. King's Landing held a great tourney to celebrate the fiftieth year of King Jaehaerys I Targaryen's reign.

### Viserys the First

The Red Keep became a place of song and splendour during the prosperous reign of Viserys I Targaryen. The young king's generosity was legendary and King's Landing flourished as Viserys hosted countless balls, feasts and tournaments within the city.

### Dance of the Dragons

At the beginning of the Dance of the Dragons, King's Landing was held by King Aegon II Targaryen, but in 130 A.C. the city fell to Queen Rhaenyra Targaryen and her blacks. Later in the same year, riots broke out against the rule of Rhaenyra. These culminated in the mass Storming of the Dragonpit, the deaths of five Targaryen dragons and thousands of smallfolk, and the ruination of the Dragonpit. Rhaenyra abandoned the city, which fell into chaos during the Moon of the Three Kings, and met her doom at Dragonstone. The civil war ended with Aegon III Targaryen succeeding Aegon II, and Lord Cregan Stark briefly held court during the Hour of the Wolf.

### Reign of Aemond I

During the reign of Aemond I, the Hand of the King, Tyland Lannister ordered all the city gates to be strengthened so they could better resist attacks from within the city walls. The City like the rest of Westeros fell prey to the Winter Fever in early 133 AC.