Editing Viserys II Targaryen (section)

===Reign===
[[File:Viserys_II_Targaryen_by_Joto_Saraiva.jpg|thumb|right|350px|Viserys before and after his reign, by Joto Saraiva]]
Viserys II ascended the [[Iron Throne]] at age 49, after the death of his nephew, [[Baelor I Targaryen|Baelor the Blessed]], from prolonged fasting in {{Date|171}}. Lady [[Maia Stokeworth]], however, was among those who believed that Viserys, having grown tired of waiting for the throne, had [[poison]]ed Baelor.{{ref|TWOIAF|The Targaryen Kings: Baelor I}} Another rumor was that Viserys had poisoned his nephew to save the realm from potential civil war, as Baelor allegedly intended to convert the [[north]] and the [[Iron Islands]] to the [[Faith of the Seven]].{{ref|TWOIAF|The Targaryen Kings: Baelor I}}

There were some amongst the [[smallfolk]]—and even some [[lord]]s—who felt that the [[Iron Throne]] should have rightfully passed to Baelor's sister [[Daena Targaryen|Daena]], as she was Aegon III's eldest daughter. However, a decade of isolation in the [[Maidenvault]] had left Daena and her sisters without powerful allies, and memories of [[Rhaenyra Targaryen]] and the [[Dance of the Dragons]] had left many leery of the idea of a woman on the Iron Throne. Also, Daena the Defiant was seen by many as being wild, unmanageable, and wanton (as a year earlier she had given birth to her [[bastard]] son [[Daemon I Blackfyre|Daemon]]). The precedents of the [[Great Council of 101 AC]] and the Dance of the Dragons were therefore cited, the claims of Baelor's sisters were set aside, and the crown passed to Viserys.{{Ref|TWOIAF|The Targaryen Kings: Viserys II}}

Although his reign lasted only a little longer than a year, Viserys issued reforms of the royal household and its functions, established a new royal mint, made efforts to increase trade across the [[narrow sea]], and made positive revisions to the already progressive [[Books of Law|code of laws]] established by the Old King, [[Jaehaerys I Targaryen|Jaehaerys I]]. It is believed that Viserys had it in him to be another Jaehaerys the Wise, as he was just as wise and shrewd. Unfortunately, a sudden [[illness]] led to his death in {{Date|172}}.{{Ref|TWOIAF|The Targaryen Kings: Viserys II}}

Viserys was succeeded by his eldest son, [[Aegon IV Targaryen]]. Some historians suspect that Viserys's death was [[Kingslaying|not natural]] and that Aegon had poisoned his father.{{Ref|TWOIAF|The Targaryen Kings: Viserys II}}