Dragonstone (castle)

Dragonstone is the name of the island that guards the entrance to Blackwater Bay and the approaches to King's Landing. It is the ancestral home of House Targaryen. At the time the series begins, it is held for King Robert Baratheon by his brother, Lord Stannis.

In the books
In the Song of Ice and Fire novels, Dragonstone is a volcanic island located a couple of hundred miles north-east of King's Landing. The island has a small port and a large castle on it, built by the Targaryens some 500 years ago, when they settled Dragonstone as a trading outpost of the great Valyrian Freehold. When Valyria was destroyed in the cataclysm known as the Doom a century later, Dragonstone was the largest Valyrian stronghold to survive intact. The Targaryens refused to help the colony-states along the west coast of Essos maintain Valyrian rule, and instead they became the Free Cities.

The Targaryens instead invaded and subdued Westeros. They built a new capital at King's Landing, whilst Dragonstone became the primary holding of the King's heir (who was also named 'Prince of Dragonstone'). After the deposing of King Aerys II Targaryen, Robert Baratheon appointed his brother Stannis as Lord of Dragonstone until his own son, Joffrey, became old enough for the office. This has caused a rift between the brothers, as Stannis feels that he should rightfully be commanding the ancestral Baratheon castle of Storm's End instead of their youngest brother, Lord Renly.

Dragonstone is the home port of part of the Royal Fleet. In addition, Dragonstone commands the loyalty of a number of smaller houses located on surrounding islands in the Narrow Sea and on nearby parts of the coastal mainland. Dragonstone is a cold, drafty and harsh place. Lord Stannis and his family usually prefers to spend as much time as possible at court away from the island, but have recently returned to Dragonstone to attend to business there just before the start of the series.