Aegon V Targaryen
Aegon V | |
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Aegon V by Amoka© | |
Monarch | |
Reign | 233 AC - 259 AC |
Full name | Aegon Targaryen Fifth of His Name |
Titles |
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Predecessor | Maekar I |
Heir | Duncan the Small |
Successor | Jaehaerys II |
Personal Information | |
Aliases |
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Born | +/- 199 AC |
Died |
259 AC Summerhall |
Family | |
Dynasty | House Targaryen |
Issue |
Duncan the Small Jaehaerys II Rhaelle Targaryen |
Father | Maekar I |
References | |
Books |
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TV series |
Aegon V was King of the Seven Kingdoms and the fifteenth Targaryen to sit the Iron Throne. In his youth he went by the nickname Egg.
Aegon became king only after a Great Council that bypassed a number of candidates earlier in the line of succession, and after his elder brother, Aemon, refused the throne. As the fourth son of Maekar I, himself a fourth son, Aegon was called "Aegon the Unlikely."[1]
Contents
Appearance
According to a semi-canonical source, Aegon had long, shoulder-length hair that shone like beaten gold with strands of silver woven together. Tall, slender and handsome, he had large eyes, deep and dark and purple. He wore the crown of Aegon III.[2]
Biography
In his youth, Aegon served as a squire to the hedge knight Ser Duncan the Tall under his nickname "Egg". He owned a dragon egg, which was colored with green and white swirls, placed in his cradle with him when he was a babe.[3] He loathed his brother, the cruel and sadistic Aerion, who threw Aegon's pet cat down a well. Aerion once visited Aegon in his bedroom during the dead of night, put a knife to Aegon's privates, and joked about removing his genitals so he would become a girl whom Aerion could marry.
Aegon was supposed to squire for another brother, Daeron, in the Ashford Tourney, but Daeron had no interest in jousting and drank himself into a stupor at an inn. Ser Duncan the Tall visited the inn and Aegon was impressed by the humble hedge knight and followed him.
Egg served as a squire to Duncan during the Ashford Tourney where his uncle, Prince Baelor Breakspear died of a wound inflicted by Prince Maekar, Baelor's brother and Aegon's father.[4] Maekar wished Aegon to be trained as a knight, but Aegon would only agree if Duncan was the knight who trained him. Maekar offered Duncan a place at the garrison of Summerhall, but Duncan declined and agreed to take Aegon on only if Aegon accompanied him as his squire. Aegon would live humbly, but Duncan thought it would make Aegon a better man than his brothers, Aerion and Daeron.
A year later Egg squired for Duncan during the small localized conflict between House Webber and House Osgrey.[5] In 212 AC, he played a part in the suppression of the Second Blackfyre Rebellion at Whitewalls.[3]
After his father Maekar I's death, it was unclear who should be king since two of Aegon's older brothers had died before his father. Daeron left a feeble-witted daughter and Aerion a minor son, so the Great Council was called to choose the king. Aegon's brother Aemon, a maester, was offered the crown, but refused, stating it should be given to Aegon. Aemon then joined the Night's Watch to prevent any plots from developing whereby he would be used against his brother.
Aegon married for love and allowed his sons to do the same, to the sorrow of the kingdom.[6]
Reign
Aegon was crowned King of the Seven Kingdoms when he was thirty-three years old. According to Aemon, Aegon, despite being a man grown with sons of his own, was still half a boy and had an innocence to him, a sweetness that was well loved. Before departing for the Wall, Aemon told his brother:
It takes a man to rule. An Aegon, not an Egg. Kill the boy and let the man be born.[7]
As an honor guard for Aemon's journey to the Wall, Aegon emptied the dungeons and sent the prisoners to join the Night's Watch, one of them being his half-great uncle, Bloodraven. During Aegon's reign he appointed his old friend Ser Duncan as Lord Commander of the Kingsguard.
The supposed last of the Blackfyre pretenders were finally cast down and destroyed during Aegon's reign in the War of the Ninepenny Kings. Aegon was very popular among the smallfolk.
Barristan Selmy stated Aegon V married for love and all three of his sons were said to want to do the same in defiance of their father's wishes. Aegon relented, even though it made bitter enemies instead of fast friends. This led to treason and turmoil that ended in Summerhall, the Targaryen summer home, in sorcery, fire and grief.
Aegon presumably perished in the Tragedy of Summerhall, while trying to hatch dragon eggs. His son, Prince Duncan the Small, and Lord Commander Duncan of the Kingsguard also presumably perished in the fire.[8] Aegon was succeeded by his second son, Jaehaerys II.
Family
Ancestors
Daeron II | Myriah Martell | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Baelor | Jena Dondarrion | Aerys I | Aelinor Penrose | Rhaegel | Alys Arryn | Maekar I | Dyanna Dayne | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Valarr | Kiera of Tyrosh[N 1] | Matarys | Aelora | Aelor | Daenora | Aerion | Daeron | Kiera of Tyrosh[N 1] | Aemon | Daella | Aegon V | Rhae | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Stillborn sons | Maegor | Vaella | Unknown descendants | Unknown descendants | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Notes: |
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Descendants
References and Notes
- ↑ A Clash of Kings, Chapter 6, Jon I.
- ↑ Targaryen Kings, (November 1, 2005) So Spake Martin
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 The Mystery Knight
- ↑ The Hedge Knight
- ↑ The Sworn Sword
- ↑ A Dance with Dragons, Chapter 67, The Kingbreaker.
- ↑ A Dance with Dragons, Chapter 7, Jon II.
- ↑ The Citadel: FAQ: What happened at Summerhall