Jaehaerys Targaryen (son of Aegon II)

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House Targaryen.svg Prince
Jaehaerys Targaryen
House Targaryen.svg
Prince Jaehaerys Targaryen by riotarttherite.jpg
Jaehaerys Targaryen, by riotarttherite ©

Title Prince
Allegiances
Race Valyrian
Culture Crownlands
Born In 123 AC
Died In 129 ACTower of the Hand, King's Landing
Father Aegon II Targaryen
Mother Helaena Targaryen
Books

TV series House of the Dragon: Season 1 | 2

Prince Jaehaerys Targaryen was the son of King Aegon II Targaryen and his sister-wife and Queen Helaena Targaryen. He was Aegon's firstborn son and heir, next in line to the Iron Throne. He had a twin sister, Jaehaera, and a younger brother Maelor.[1] The dragon Shrykos was bound to Jaehaerys.

Appearance and Character

Jaehaerys was larger and healthier than his twin, but he was also born with six fingers on his left hand, and six toes on each foot.[2]

History

Early life

Prince Jaehaerys was born in the year 123 AC, barely a year after his parents had wed. The greens at the court of King Viserys I Targaryen were happy to proclaim that Prince Aegon Targaryen now had heirs of his own. A dragon egg was placed in Jaehaerys's cradle, and as well one in the cradle of his twin sister, Princess Jaehaera. Both eggs soon hatched, and for Jaehaerys, the dragon Shrykos was born.[2]

That same year, two of Jaehaerys's half-siblings were born: a boy, whose mother was a whore in the Street of Silk, and a girl, whose mother was a maidservant of Jaehaerys's grandmother, Queen Alicent Hightower. In 127 AC, Jaehaerys's trueborn brother Prince Maelor was born.[2][1]

In 129 AC, on the third day of the third moon, Jaehaerys, his sister Jaehaera, his brother Maelor, and their mother, Princess Helaena Targaryen, went to visit their grandfather, King Viserys I Targaryen. There, Jaehaerys listened to a fictional tale[N 1] Viserys told, about their great-great-grandsire, King Jaehaerys I Targaryen, Jaehaerys's namesake, and how he had flown north of the Wall on his dragon to fight against wildlings, giants, and wargs. That night, King Viserys died in his sleep.[2]

The Dance of the Dragons

At the time of the death of King Viserys I Targaryen, Jaehaerys and his twin were six years old. His father, Aegon II Targaryen, was crowned king by the greens in King's Landing, but Aegon's older half-sister, Rhaenyra Targaryen, who had been Viserys's proclaimed heir, was crowned queen by the blacks on Dragonstone. This provoked a civil war that became known as the Dance of the Dragons. With his father now king, Jaehaerys became the heir to the throne.[4]

Helaena Targaryen and her three young children, Jaehaera (left), Maelor (middle) and Jaehaerys (right), are surprised by Blood and Cheese. From Game of Thrones: Histories & Lore © HBO

At the start of the war, Jaehaerys's uncle, Prince Aemond Targaryen, killed Prince Lucerys Velaryon, the second son of Queen Rhaenyra. Her husband Prince Daemon Targaryen declared vengeance, writing that there would be "An eye for an eye, a son for a son".[1] Sometime thereafter, two men, remembered as Blood and Cheese, snuck into the chambers of Dowager Queen Alicent Hightower in the Tower of the Hand. As was her custom, Queen Helaena Targaryen took her three children to visit their grandmother at dusk, before they went to bed. Once Helaena entered the chambers with Jaehaerys, Jaehaera, and Maelor, Blood barred the door and slew Helaena's guardsman, while Cheese snatched Maelor. Cheese told Helaena that they were two "debt collectors", and asked which one of her sons she wanted to lose. The queen offered herself but the two killers refused, telling her that it had to be a son, a boy. As the queen agonized over the decision, Cheese warned her to make a choice soon, before Blood grew bored and raped Jaehaera. The weeping Helaena eventually named her youngest child, two-year-old Maelor. Cheese told Maelor his mother wanted him dead, then grinned at Blood, who slew Prince Jaehaerys instead, striking off the boy's head with a single blow from his sword. The two men did no further harm to Helaena, Jaehaera, or Maelor, fleeing with Jaehaerys's head in hand while Helaena screamed.[5]

Legacy

Blood was seized at the Gate of the Gods, with the head of Prince Jaehaerys hidden in a saddle sack. Before he died under torture, he confessed he was making for Harrenhal, to collect his reward from Prince Daemon. However, Cheese was not found, and in his fury, King Aegon ordered every ratcatcher in the city to be hanged. Queen Helaena became deeply depressed and slowly sank into madness, and refused to eat, bathe, or leave her chambers. She couldn't stand to be in the presence of Maelor, having named him to die. Thus, the king took Maelor from her and gave him to Queen Alicent to raise as if he were her own. Aegon and his wife slept separately thereafter, with the king drinking each night in anger.[5]

The deaths of both Prince Lucerys and Prince Jaehaerys set the civil war ablaze, with both sides calling for vengeance and unwilling to show any mercy.[5]

Family

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Jocelyn
Baratheon
 
Aemon
 
Daella
 
Rodrik
Arryn
 
Baelon
 
Alyssa
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Corlys
Velaryon
 
Rhaenys
 
 
 
 
 
Aemma
Arryn
 
Viserys I
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Alicent
Hightower
 
Daemon
[Note 1]
 
Rhea
Royce
 
Aegon
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Laena
Velaryon
 
Daemon
[Note 1]
 
Laenor
Velaryon
 
Rhaenyra
 
Daemon
[Note 1]
 
Son
 
Baelon
 
Aegon II
 
Helaena
 
Aemond
 
Daeron
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Rhaena
 
Baela
 
Stillborn
son
 
Jacaerys
Velaryon
 
Lucerys
Velaryon
 
Joffrey
Velaryon
 
Viserys II
 
Visenya
 
Aegon III
 
Jaehaera
 
Jaehaerys
 
Maelor
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Notes:
  1. 1.0 1.1 Prince Daemon Targaryen was married to Lady Rhea Royce from 97 AC to 115 AC, to Lady Laena Velaryon from 115 AC to 120 AC, and to Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen from 120 AC to 130 AC.


Notes

  1. Elio García has stated that George R. R. Martin confirmed to him that this story was made up by Viserys to entertain his grandchildren.[3]

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 The Princess and the Queen.
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Fire & Blood, Heirs of the Dragon - A Question of Succession.
  3. A Forum of Ice and Fire: Inconsistencies, plot holes, and missing details in TSOTD, TRP, and TPATQ (February 28, 2018)
  4. Fire & Blood, The Dying of the Dragons - The Blacks and the Greens.
  5. 5.0 5.1 5.2 Fire & Blood, The Dying of the Dragons - A Son for a Son.