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game of thrones - How was the Vale of Arryn conquered during the Targaryen invasion of Westeros?


In a recent episode of Game of Thrones, Littlefinger is walking through the Vale with Sansa and telling her about the value of its natural defenses. He mentions that the narrow passes force men to walk through the Bloody Gate in single-file, and that they made the Vale impregnable by land.


That gave me pause, however. The Eyrie sits on top of a mountain, exposed on nearly all sides to the sky. If Harrenhal is any indication, this would be a death trap for anyone fighting dragons. So how was the Vale captured during the first Targaryen invasion?


Did the lords there surrender once they realized it was impossible to defend themselves against dragons?


I have a feeling Littlefinger's exploitation of the Vale's defenses is going to become an important plot point later in the books and show, but I'm wondering how well would it work against Dany's dragons?



Answer



According to a reading from The World of Ice and Fire:




The Arryns (also at this time ruled by a young boy and his regent mother) sent a massive army to the Bloody Gate and then high-tailed it into the Eyrie. But Visenya Targaryen simply rode her dragon up into the courtyard of the Eyrie and the regent rushed outside to see the young king seated on the dragon and begging her for a ride. The Arryns surrendered and the king had his ride.



See also Conquest of the Vale


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