Rhaelle Targaryen

	Art by Efpizza ©
Titles	Princess; Lady of Storm's End;
Allegiances	House Targaryen; House Baratheon;
Culture	Crownlands
Born	229–233 AC
Died	In or after 246 AC
Father	Aegon V Targaryen
Mother	Betha Blackwood
Spouse	Lord Ormund Baratheon
Issue	Steffon Baratheon
Books	The World of Ice & Fire (mentioned); A Feast for Crows (mentioned); A Dance with Dragons (mentioned);

Princess Rhaelle Targaryen was the youngest child of King Aegon V Targaryen and Queen Betha Blackwood. She was married to Lord Ormund Baratheon of Storm's End.^[2]

History

In 237 AC, Rhaelle's four elder siblings had been betrothed: Prince Duncan to the daughter of Lord Lyonel Baratheon, Prince Jaehaerys to Celia Tully, Princess Shaera to Luthor Tyrell, and Prince Daeron to Olenna Redwyne. It was Rhaelle's eldest brother, Duncan, who broke his betrothal first, by marrying Jenny of Oldstones in 239 AC. This greatly angered Lord Lyonel, who rebelled against his king. A trial by combat, and the word of King Aegon V ended Lord Lyonel's rebellion, with an end result a betrothal, of Rhaelle to Lord Lyonel's son and heir, Ormund Baratheon.^[2]

To seal the bargain, Rhaelle was sent to Storm's End, where she would serve as a cupbearer, and be a companion to Lord Lyonel's wife.^[2] In 245 AC, the promise of King Aegon V was fulfilled, and Rhaelle and Ormund were wed. Their son, Steffon, was born the next year.^[3]

Rhaelle's marriage to Ormund would eventually be part of the end of the rule of House Targaryen. Rhaelle's grandchildren through Steffon would be Robert, Stannis and Renly Baratheon.^[4] It would be young Lord Robert, who would eventually lead the rebellion against Rhaelle's nephew, King Aerys II Targaryen.

Legacy

Thus, through Rhaelle, Robert Baratheon descended from King Aegon V Targaryen and had a blood claim to the Iron Throne, which the maesters used to justify the outcome of Robert's Rebellion, along with the blood ties between the two houses in centuries past. None but the maesters cared.^[5] Robert himself preferred to cite his warhammer as his claim,^[6] and his younger brother Renly dismissed their blood ties to the Targaryens and felt his claim was as good as Robert's.^[5] Rhaelle's uncle Maester Aemon remembered his niece and how she called him "Uncle Maester" as a child. Because of Rhaelle, he allowed himself to hope for a time that Melisandre of Asshai's prophecies claiming Stannis Baratheon was the "the prince that was promised" were accurate before ultimately concluding he had deceived himself.^[4]

Quotes

Stannis has some of the dragon blood in him, yes. His brothers did as well. Rhaelle, Egg's little girl, she was how they came by it … their father's mother … she used to call me Uncle Maester when she was a little girl. I remembered that, so I allowed myself to hope …^[4]
—Aemon Targaryen to Samwell Tarly