The Death of Lucerys and Arrax
The King is Dead
King Viserys, the first of his name, had ascended to the throne at a time of unrivalled prosperity for the Targaryen name. Never had there been more blood-relatives of the household nor as many dragons since the Doom of Valyria. With his daring and rash brother, Prince Daemon, at his side he presided over a Kingdom that had enjoyed five decades of peace and prosperity. The gallant Ser Otto Hightower provided wise counsel in his role as Hand of the King and once Daemon was appointed head of the City Watch- crime plummeted in King's Landing too...
It was heard that Daemon's support of his brother was, in part, motivated by a belief that he would be favoured as Viserys' preferred heir. This, if true, proved misfounded, however, as Viserys long had an heir in mind; his daughter Rhaenyra- ofttimes called 'The Realm's Delight', whom he sired upon his cousin, Queen Aemma of House Arryn.
Rhaenyra - The Realm's Delight
Since her childhood, Viserys had doted on his daughter, even taking her along to council meetings and encouraging her to listen, to watch and to learn. As he doted upon her, so came the court to do likewise; she was a precocious and bright child of uncommon beauty- even for one of Targaryen blood- already a dragonrider by her eighth nameday, she could be often seen circling the Red Keep and then off across the Blackwater on the back of Syrax- her she-dragon named for some old God.
After the Queen birthed a son who died within a day, a day longer than the Queen herself, Viserys was heartsick and past his last whit of patience with questions upon the issue of succession. He named Rhaenyra Princess of Dragonstone- the ancient seat of the Targaryens- and insisted that she succeed him and not Daemon, his brother. Prince Daemon did not attend the ceremony.
Four years passed and we come to the induction of one Ser Criston Cole into the Kingsguard. A mere Steward's son in the service of House Dondarrion at one time, Cole caught the eyes of the Realm at a Tourney in Maidenpool to celebrate Viserys' ascension- winning the melee and reaching the final of the Joust. The princess took a childish fancy to him and had Viserys name him her sworn shield. He rarely left her side. The King went on to remarry; taking Lady Alicent (Otto Hightower's daughter) to wife. Princess Rhaenyra welcomed the union, less so Daemon who had the messenger whipped upon hearing the news. Not wont to wait upon a crown that seemed ever more distant, Daemon decided he might carve out a kingdom of his own. Making common cause with the Sea-Dragons of house Velaryon- Daemon and Corlys Velaryon warred with the Triarchy Kingdom of Lys, Myr and Tyrosh. The Velaryon fleet supported by Daemon and Caraxes- his monstrous dragon- Viserys supported the endeavour with coin. The feud was old- The Triarchy had warred upon old Volantis.
Over the next few years, Daemon and Corlyss won many victories and when his brother defeated the Myrish Prince in single combat- known as the Crabfeeder- and declared himself King of the Narrow Sea, Viserys was content for Daemon to keep his crown "so long as it kept him out of trouble." But the Triarchy dispatched a new fleet and when the Kingdom of Dorne allied their strength to their oars, Daemon's fragile kingdom sank with little trace (metaphorically).
Back in King's Landing, Viserys and Queen Alicent had a son; Aegon. Aegon was followed by Helaena - his sister he would go on to wed- and finally his younger brother, Aemond. Whilst happy news, it once more threw the question of succession into the melting pot. The eldest son should inherit- Queen Alicent and her father, Otto Hightower- hand of the King were keen to see Aegon named heir rather than Rhaenyra, who was not of Hightower blood. Otto overstepped in this and Viserys replaced him with Lord Lyonel Strong. The King didn't want to hear of it; he'd long made clear his preference for his daughter and was keen to disregard the ruling of the Great Council of 101AC that decreed the Man should always go before the Woman.
A schism developed, of sorts. At a Tourney in 111AC, Queen Alicent wore a dress of deep green- Hightower colours whereas the Princess underlined her position in garments of black embellished with red for the banners of House Targaryen. People began to speak of those close to the royal parties as 'Greens' or 'Blacks' depending of which potential heir they were thought to favour; Rhaenyra or the boy Aegon. At this tourney, Daemon returned from his wars and held his crown up to Viserys in a show of fealty to his brother. The king - who loved Daemon well despite his frequent volatile mood swings- kissed him on both cheeks and let him keep the empty crown.
Daemon offers his 'King of the Narrow Sea' Crown up to his brother, Viserys.
None cheered more at this reunion than Princess Rhaenyra, who also loved her dashing uncle well. Perhaps, if tales are to be believed, more well than a niece ought to love an uncle...
Be that as it may (or may not), within days of this public show of fealty, Daemon was exiled. Some sources suggest he and the princess were caught abed together whereas others maintain Daemon was tutoring her in ways to make Criston Cole break his kingsguard oaths by teaching her in the art of love. Were you Viserys, would it matter which account rang true? The Princess was still a child. Chastened, Daemon made for the Stepstones to continue his war. Rumour has it that he had offered to wed the Princess in return for the King anulling his estranged and barren marriage with his own wife, Rhea whom he had wed in 97AC.
Ser Criston Cole kept his vows. He was named Lord Commander of the Kingsguard in 112AC, the year before Princess Rhaenyra came of age. In the years preceding this she had had no shortage of potential suitors; Harwin Strong, heir to Harrenhal (purported to be the strongest knight in the Realm); Twins Ser Jason and Ser Tyland Lannister who showered her with gifts; Lord Bracken and Lord Blackwood who had duelled for her honour. The Queen and her father were keen to see Aegon betrothed to his beautiful half sister, perhaps conceding that Viserys was unlikely to change his mind over the boy's position in the line of succession. Indeed, the Targaryens had wed brother to sister for generations in order to keep the bloodline pure but Viserys was dismayed the motives of his wife and Ser Otto were simply to have Aegon King by hook or by crook and he declined. In any case, Aegon was still very young and he and Rhaenyra had never really gotten along.
Enter the Sea Snake. The Velaryon House had dragon's blood on both sides and Laenor Valeryon even had a dragon of his own, Seasmoke- a splendid Grey and White beast. The problem was that Laenor seemed to prefer the company of young squires his own age (19) to the company of women and it was even mooted he'd never known a woman intimately, having sired no bastards. Presented with this news, Grand Maestor Mellos is said to have remarked, "What of that? I am not fond of fish but if fish is served, I eat it." Rhaenyra was not pleased with this proposal, perhaps she would prefer to wed Daemon or see Ser Cole released from his vows to crawl between her thighs at last but Viserys was resolute. "If you deny me this, mayhaps I must needs reconsider the issue of succession after all!" He warned.
So she wed Laenor in 114AC and a Tourney was held. Rumours surfaced that prior to the wedding, the princess had (again) been found abed with another. Suitor Ser Harwin Strong had allegedly taken Rhaenyra's maidenhead (if indeed she even still had it) and Criston Cole had been said to have shunned her forever. At the Tourney he wore Queen Alicent's favour (declaring himself a 'Green') and fought in a black fury. When he faced Strong in the lists, he shattered his elbow and collarbone for Rhaenyra to witness before facing the Knight Laenor was said to 'favour'- Ser Joffrey Lonmouth- the Knight of Kisses. Ser Joffrey was stretchered away senseless and bloody and did not die for six days. Laenor wept bitter tears of grief.
After this the newlyweds split; not officially but whilst she stayed on at Dragonstone, her husband returned to Driftmark. Had the marriage even been consummated? It would seem so when Prince Jacaerys was born, though some remarked whilst Rhaenyra and Leonas had the silver hair and aquiline features of Volantis, Jacaerys was brown-haired and pugnosed much like Ser Harwin Strong, ever the Queen's companion and Captain of the Blacks - her personal guard. She had two more sons; Lucerys and Joffrey (both looking like their brother and neither parent); healthy, strapping lads.
The Greens put it about that the children were obviously Strong's issue and challenged that if they were unable to become dragonriders, it would prove the question of their parentage. However, Viserys commanded each lad have a dragon's egg placed in his cradle and each egg hatched. Vermax, Arrax and Tyraxes issued forth in turn. The King ignored any rumours thereafter, determined Rhaenyra still succeed.
In 120AC- known now as the Year of the Red Spring- four things happened... Laenor's sister died. After Daemon's wife had passed in a hunting accident five years previous, the Prince had wed Laena and thye'd had two daughters; Baela and Rhaena. Viserys had been angered by this marriage (he hadn't given his blessing) in the outset, he allowed Daemon to present his daughters at court in 117AC. Perhaps he hoped fatherhood might temper his brother. In 120AC she gave Daemon the son he'd always wanted but what was drawn from her womb was a twisted deformity and died with the mother shortly after birth.
But it was Lord Corlyss and Princess Rhaenys Velaryon who had the greater cause to grieve. No sooner had they lost their daughter than they also lost their son. Laenor was murdered at a market in Spicetown. His friend (and alleged lover) Ser Qarl Correy and he had quarreled (potentially over Leonas' desire to set Correy aside in favour of a new lover) and blades were drawn. Leonas died and Qarl fled. He was never seen again. A darker rumour suggests the newly widowed Daemon paid Correy to murder Leonas so he might take his niece to wed after all.
Graver still was the enmity bubbling to the surface between Rhaenyra's three sons and her three stepsiblings, the progeny of Viserys and Queen Alicent. The Dragonless Aemond Targaryen, Aegon's younger brother tried to claim Vhagar, Laena's former mount, for himself. Aemond taunted Rhaenyra's boys, calling them "The Strongs" until Prince Lucerys put out Aemond's eye with a knife. He was henceforth known as Aemond One-Eye though he did manage to win Vhagar for himself. Viserys intervened and commanded his sons return to King's Landing whist Rhaenyra's boys remain on Dragonstone to distance his family from further quarrels. Ser Harwin Strong was also removed back to Harrenhal.
Lo and behold, the fourth tragedy that Spring was the fire at Harrenhal which claimed Harwin's life as well as that of his Lord father, Lyonel Strong; the serving Hand of the King. Of course there are those that suggest this was no accident; Queen Alicent or Daemon or Lord Strong's youngest son (who would inherit) all had their names whispered in connection with the conflagration but once the tongues of flame were extinguished and the stronghold gutted, who was left to say what was the cause? And so Rhaenyra lost a husband, and some would say a paramour as well as a Sister by marriage in the same year. Undoubtedly, one way or other, her boys lost a father (if not two) in name as well as blood.
The result? Viserys recalled Otto Hightower to once again serve as King and Daemon finally wed the Princess Rhaenyra, his niece. The couple quickly delivered Daemon a son who lived and was named Aegon. Queen Alicent was enraged, seeing it as a direct affront to her eldest who had also been named for the conqueror. The two became known as Aegon the Elder and Aegon the Younger. In 122AC Rhaenyra bore Daemon a second son, Viserys, named for her father. Viserys lacked the strength of his elder brother or any of his older stepsiblings and the omens were ill when he alone had a dragon egg placed in the cradle which did not hatch. Though the boy was precocious, as his mother had been in childhood.
And there things stood until, finally, in 129AC King Viserys died. By this time, Aegon (the Elder) had wed his sister Helaena and she had borne the twins Jaehaerys and Jaehaera (the latter a strange child; slow to grow and never weeping nor crying as children invariably do). She also bore him Maelor in 127AC. Over in Driftmark, the Sea Snake Lord Velaryon sickened and took to his bed. King Viserys injured himself on his Iron Throne in 128AC and the wound became badly infected. He lost two fingers to cease the rot but he continued to decline afterwards. He was abed telling stories of old to his grandchildren Jaehaerys and Jaehaera before tiring and falling asleep. He never awoke.
And so began the Dance of the Dragons...
The elder Aegon, with the insistance of Ser Otto (his Grandfather and Hand of the King), his Lady Mother, the Queen Alicent and the small council- Aegon was convinced to take the throne for himself. Viserys had ever insisted Rhaenyra would inherit but Viserys was dead and by the laws of Gods and Men and the decree of the Great Council of 101AC Aegon was the rightful Heir. He was crowned Aegon II before word of Viserys' demise was sent to his daughter on Dragonstone. The Princess was heavy with child and when learning of the betrayal, she flew into such a black rage that she fell into a horrific labour a moon earlier than was her time. After three days in which she cursed the Queen, the new 'King' and all their kin foully and even cursed the child trying to 'claw' its way out of her, she brought forth a monster indeed. Blind and deformed with a hole where the heart should have been, she named the daughter Visenya and it was taken away to be burned. She had been stillborn and had a scaly tail. Rhaenyra blamed this, too on Aegon and the Queen (or Queen Mother as she had become).
