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 Rhaegel by Riotarttherite | ||||
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| Titles | ||||
| Allegiance | House Targaryen[2] | |||
| Culture | Crownlands | |||
| Born |
173–178 AC[3] King's Landing[4] | |||
| Died | 215 AC[1] | |||
| Father | Daeron II Targaryen[5] | |||
| Mother | Myriah Martell[2] | |||
| Spouse | Lady Alys Arryn[2] | |||
| Issue | ||||
| Books |
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Prince Rhaegel Targaryen was the third son of King Daeron II Targaryen and Queen Myriah Martell.
Appearance and Character
[edit]Rhaegel Targaryen was considered a sweet[5] and gentle boy[6] but touched by madness.[5] He was furthermore meek, sickly[6] and feeble-minded to the point that some in the realm believed him as good as dead.[7] During the reigns of both his father, King Daeron II Targaryen,[6] and brother, King Aerys I, his condition was well-known in the realm, and rumor claimed that he danced naked through the halls of the Red Keep. According to his nephew, Prince Aegon Targaryen, Rhaegel was well-loved by his younger brother, Prince Maekar Targaryen.[7]
Much like his nephew Daeron and brother Aerys, Rhaegel lacked martial prowess and had little place on a tourney field. Because of his mental and physical condition, he was unlikely to traverse half the realm to attend a tourney.[6]
History
[edit]Like his brothers, Prince Rhaegel learned how to fight from Ser Quentyn Ball, the master-at-arms of the Red Keep,[7] but he lacked martial prowess.[6] Rhaegel was married to Lady Alys Arryn and had three children: the twins Aelor and Aelora and daughter Daenora.[2] He and his brother Aerys seldom left the court, leading their father to pass the castle of Summerhall instead to their youngest brother, Maekar.[8] Rhaegel became Prince of Dragonstone in 209 AC, when his older brother Prince Aerys ascended the Iron Throne, as Aerys had no children of his own.[1]
Despite his position as the heir[1] and the common Targaryen practice of naming close blood relations as Hand of the King,[9] Rhaegel was seemingly not in contention for the Handship when Aerys took the throne, for when Aerys named Bloodraven as Hand, their younger brother Maekar quarreled bitterly as he had expected the position to be granted to him.[1] Some even mistook Maekar as Aerys's true heir, forgetting both Rhaegel and his children.[7] Those in the realm who mistrusted Bloodraven as Aerys's Hand and felt he held an inordinate amount of power considered Rhaegel impotent to oppose him on account of his meek nature and madness.[10] Such individuals even suggested that Rhaegel and his children were at risk of being killed by Bloodraven or his brother Maekar, though the claim infuriated Maekar's son, Aegon.[7]
Rhaegel died in 215 AC, whilst choking on a lamprey pie. His son, Prince Aelor, the new Prince of Dragonstone, would not long outlive him, and his daughter Aelora's death by suicide would soon follow.[1]
Recent events
[edit]A Clash of Kings
[edit]Lord Commander Jeor Mormont of the Night's Watch recounts the tale of Maester Aemon's family history and how his brother Aegon V Targaryen came to the throne to his personal steward, Jon Snow. Lord Mormont notes that King Daeron II had four sons and that Aegon V was the fourth son of a fourth son.[11] Rhaegel Targaryen was the third[5] of the four sons of Daeron II mentioned by Mormont.[11]
A Feast for Crows
[edit]Discussing both their fathers' objections to them becoming maesters, Maester Aemon tells Samwell Tarly that his grandfather sent him to the Citadel because too many dragons were as dangerous as too few. He mentions that King Daeron had four sons, three of whom had sons of their own.[12] Rhaegel was one of these three sons who had sons of their own.[2]
Quotes
[edit]
The king's fourth son, not quite as bold as Prince Baelor Targaryen, nor as clever as Prince Aerys, nor as gentle as Prince Rhaegel.[6]
There is no one to oppose [Bloodraven]. Prince Maekar sulks at Summerhall, nursing his grievances against his royal brother. Prince Rhaegel is as meek as he is mad, and his children are…well, children.[10]
The throne should take a lesson from Stark and Lannister. At least they fight. What do the Targaryens do? King Aerys hides amongst his books, Prince Rhaegel prances naked through the Red Keep's halls, and Prince Maekar broods at Summerhall.[7]
Family
[edit]| Daeron II | Myriah Martell | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Baelor | Jena Dondarrion | Aerys I | Aelinor Penrose | Rhaegel | Alys Arryn | Maekar I | Dyanna Dayne | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Valarr | Kiera of Tyrosh [Note 1] | Matarys | Aelora | Aelor | Daenora | Aerion | Daeron | Kiera of Tyrosh [Note 1] | Aemon | Daella | Aegon V | Rhae | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Stillborn sons | Maegor | Vaella | Unknown descendants |  | Unknown descendants | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Notes: |
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References
[edit]- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 The World of Ice & Fire, The Targaryen Kings: Aerys I.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 The World of Ice & Fire, Appendix: Targaryen Lineage.
- ↑ See the Rhaegel Targaryen calculation.
- ↑ George R. R. Martin's A World of Ice and Fire, Rhaegel Targaryen.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 The World of Ice & Fire, The Targaryen Kings: Daeron II.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 6.5 6.6 The Hedge Knight.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 7.5 7.6 7.7 The Mystery Knight.
- ↑ So Spake Martin: Summerhall, June 19, 1999
- ↑ A Storm of Swords, Chapter 54, Davos V.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 The Sworn Sword.
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 A Clash of Kings, Chapter 6, Jon I.
- ↑ A Feast for Crows, Chapter 5, Samwell I.