Iliana Daron

* Princess
* Leisure

### Siblings

Quintilyn Daron, Ser Olyvier Daron, Ser Arthur Daron, Princess Sabine Daron, Princess Dyanna Daron

### Player

Chloë

"*No foreigner can ever hope to truly know Dorne and its people.*"
—Iliana Daron

# Biography

## Early Life

### Parents

Iliana's father, Prince Ciryl of House Daron, was beloved in Dorne for his humility, devotion to justice, and wisdom. He ruled with a firm hand, keeping loyal to the king and allowing his people to prosper. Ciryl was also known for breeding some of the finest stallions in Westeros, a love of his from childhood since he never liked training. Her mother, Princess Celeste, was an adventurous and charismatic woman, known for her skill at diplomacy and her energetic dedication to strengthening Dorne's ties with Westeros' nearby kingdoms and the royal government. Centuries prior, the Dornish resisted rule by the Iron Throne, but Iliana's parents saw good fortune and security for their people in loyalty.

### Childhood

Iliana's childhood was idyllic, surrounded by loving parents and family and a thriving Dorne. Iliana grew up with five siblings, her older brother Quintilyn, younger brothers Olyvier and Arthur, and younger sisters Sabine and Dyanna. She spent her days learning with the maesters, training with spears and swords as her brothers did, playing by the sea and occasionally traveling with her mother, who delighted in it. Iliana was a talented warrior, dedicated to her training and able to wield a spear or sword better than her brothers. Her parents cultivated this skill, bringing new instructors to Sunspear as she surpassed old ones.

But tragedy would eventually upend that joy. Days after Iliana's fifteenth nameday, her mother set sail for the Isle of Naath, never to return after falling in love with it, not because she did not want to, but because she delayed there too long. Celeste came down with butterfly fever, a deadly disease native to the islands and transmitted by butterflies that flutter around the island during the day. It began with fevers and painful spasms, ending with her flesh shedding from her bones and bloody sweat. Her companions returned the body to Dorne in a sealed casket, nervous that it could spread, and Iliana and her family never saw their mother's face again. Prince Ciryl built a magnificent tomb in Sunspear for her, where she remains to this day.
The family processed the grief in different ways. Prince Ciryl quietly mourne to remain strong for the sake of his children. He never remarried and did not take a paramour for many years. Iliana drowned her sorrows in her training. As long as there was a weapon in her hand, she could channel her energy away. Her siblings, Arthur, Olyvier, Sabine, and Dyanna managed with the help of their father, but her elder brother Quintilyn grew bitter at the world and withdrew from his family, keeping secluded in his room in the palace. His rage soon became treacherous talk as his grief demanded a response and his isolation transformed him.

When Prince Quintilyn finally came out of his chambers, it was with talk of rebellion against the throne. He mistakenly blamed his father for his mother's death and aimed to undo the ruling prince's work. He fanned the flames of it with some of the Dornish, who never gave up their goal after centuries of Westerosi rule.  It began in privacy and with family, but he quickly began to speak openly about it at court. Fearing consequences on the people of Dorne for their prince's insolence, Prince Ciryl made a torturous choice. Suddenly one morning as Iliana wandered the halls, House Daron's men kicked down the doors of his bedchambers and arrested Quintilyn. Before word could get out about Quintilyn's talk, without as much as a trial, Ciryl sorrowfully exiled him to the Wall, where he would take the black before word got back to King's Landing. The aspiring rebels quickly backed down. Quintilyn's crimes would be forgiven when he joined the Night's Watch, and Dorne could stay at peace. But it pained Cyril to see his son go only months after losing his wife, and it tore another piece of him away that could never return.

## Heir to Sunspear and Dorne

With Quintilyn taking the black and renouncing all lands and titles, Iliana became the heir to Sunspear. Her brother leaving Dorne pained her, too, but it left a lasting impression on Iliana. Her father sternly warned her against walking the same path as Quintilyn, and soon Iliana condemned her brother, too. She never wrote back to him.

Abruptly, Iliana started to prepare to lead Dorne, staying by her father's side day in and day out to learn, only leaving it to train or at the end of the day. Iliana took this learning seriously, carefully observing her father in the hopes that she could rule as he did and continue Dorne's prosperity.

## Reign (From the Book of House Daron):

Eight years after his wife's death and his son's exile, Prince Ciryl died peacefully in his sleep after a long and just rulership.

Iliana became the new ruling princess of Dorne, and for seven years she has led her people with the same steady hand as her father, inheriting his humility and commitment to justice along with her mother's commitment to stronger ties with the rest of Westeros. From Quintilyn, she learned the dangers of impudence and treason. However, at thirty years old, Iliana does not yet have the same wisdom as her parents did and is known for also being hot-blooded and stubborn, but she loves her people passionately and strives to be a good ruler. As the Princess of Dorne, she rides the dragon Nymeras that once was her father's.