Shiera Seastar

Shiera Seastar
Shiera Seastar by Amok©.
Alias	Star of the Sea
Title	Lady
Allegiance	House Targaryen
Race	Valyrian
Culture	Crownlands
Born	In 178–184 AC
Died	In or after 211 AC
Father	King Aegon IV Targaryen
Mother	Lady Serenei of Lys
Lover	Ser Brynden Rivers (paramour)
Books	The World of Ice & Fire (mentioned) The Sworn Sword (mentioned) A Dance with Dragons (mentioned)

Shiera Seastar was the last of the Great Bastards of King Aegon IV Targaryen, born to his last mistress, Serenei of Lys. The known lover of Brynden Rivers, she is said to have been the most beautiful woman of the Seven Kingdoms.

Appearance and Character

See also: Images of Shiera Seastar

Shiera was renowned as a beauty and seductress. She had a heart-shaped face, and thick and curly Targaryen silver-gold hair that she wore long. Although she had two mismatched eyes — one dark blue, the other bright green — it was said that the "defect" only enhanced her beauty. In clothing, Shiera was fond of ivory and lace and cloth-of-silver, but not cloth-of-gold, which she considered too vulgar.

Shiera was a great reader, even at an early age, spoke many languages, and maintained a large and arcane library. She also was reputed to share her mother Serenei's skill in the dark arts. Shiera was known to possess a heavy silver necklace, with alternating star sapphires and emeralds, that complemented her unusual eyes.

History

King Aegon IV Targaryen sired Shiera upon the ninth and last of his mistresses, Lady Serenei of Lys. Serenei died giving birth to the last of the king's bastard children, naming her child Shiera, Star of the Sea.

Shiera never married, but took many lovers, and numerous duels were fought for her favor. Her half-brother Brynden Rivers, known as Bloodraven, was her most ardent suitor, and repeatedly proposed marriage to her. Although she refused to marry him, Shiera did share her bed with him and was amused by his jealousy. Her other half-brother Aegor Rivers, known as Bittersteel, also desired her, which only served to increase the hatred between Bloodraven and Bittersteel.

There were rumors that Shiera used sorcery to aid Bloodraven when he served as Hand of the King and master of whisperers to King Aerys I Targaryen, and that she bathed in blood to retain her beauty.

Recent Events

Shiera Seastar by Bella Bergolts ©.

A Dance with Dragons

Bran Stark trains beyond the Wall with the ancient three-eyed crow, who calls himself Lord Brynden. Bran learns that this last greenseer once desired a woman, but her name is not mentioned.

Barristan Selmy recalls how love caused several wars in Westeros, including the rivalry of Bloodraven and Bittersteel for Shiera.

Quotes

Duncan: You've known queens and princesses. Did they dance with demons and practice the black arts?
Aegon: Lady Shiera does. Lord Bloodraven's paramour. She bathes in blood to keep her beauty.

—Duncan the Tall and Aegon Targaryen

I have my own ghosts, Bran. A brother that I loved, a brother that I hated, a woman I desired.

—Brynden Rivers to Bran Stark

Bittersteel and Bloodraven both loved Shiera Seastar, and the Seven Kingdoms bled.

—Barristan Selmy's thoughts

Though she never wed, she had many offers, and several lovers through the years. Duels were fought over the right to sit beside her, men killed themselves after falling from her favor, poets outdid each other writing songs about her beauty. Her most ardent admirer was her half-brother, Bloodraven, who proposed marriage to her half a hundred times. Shiera gave him her bed, but never her hand. It amused her more to make him jealous.

—George R. R. Martin