Nettles/Theories

Theories may be removed if ...

Stated as questions or possibilities. More appropriate for another article. Illogical or previously disproven. Proven by canon source, and moved to main page. Speculative and lacking any evidence to support arguments. Responding to another theory (use discussion page instead). This does not include responses that are also standalone theories. Usage of an indented bullet does not imply the statement is a response.

It has been speculated that Nettles, the rider of the dragon Sheepstealer and allegedly Daemon Targaryen's paramour during the Dance of the Dragons, was actually a secret bastard daughter of Daemon instead of his lover.

Supporting evidence

The following pieces of information can be seen as evidence:

• According to Maester Norren, who watched the prince and the dragonseed closely, and recorded their relationship in his Chronicles of Maidenpool, Daemon doted on Nettles "as a man might dote upon his daughter"; in particular, Norren describes Daemon teaching Nettles common courtesies and giving her fine gifts, as well as showing her how to wash herself properly. Additionally, Norren calls the dragonseed Daemon's "bastard girl", which could mean Nettles is his illegitimate child.
• On the contrary, the two sources claiming that Nettles was Daemon's lover are Lady Mysaria, once Daemon's paramour, and the fool Mushroom, who were not with the prince and the dragonseed at the time the rumors were raised, and whose veracity is debatable. Mushroom's Testimony is known to be filled with tales of plots, murders, trysts, debaucheries, and many other salacious claims. The mistress of whisperers' loyalty to Rhaenyra Targaryen is questionable, since Mysaria fed the queen's distrust of House Velaryon, her most powerful allies, and played a role in Helaena Targaryen's suicide. It is therefore possible that Mysaria accused Nettles of being Daemon's lover to keep the prince and the queen apart. About that, it is suggested Daemon understood that Rhaenyra's death sentence for Nettles was the result of sabotage by the White Worm, since he called the queen's decree "A queen’s words, a whore’s work."
• It is hinted that Daemon had at least a bastard child before Baela and Rhaena Targaryen were born: "In 116 AC, in the Free City of Pentos, Lady Laena gave birth to twin daughters, Prince Daemon’s first trueborn children." Nettles was born on Driftmark in 113 AC and is said to be a bastard of uncertain birth.
• Counting living and stillborn children, Daemon had a total of six official children, three sons and three daughters, just like six of the seven new gods. If Nettles were Daemon's bastard daughter, she would correspond to the seventh god, the Stranger. Just like the Stranger represents death and the unknown, Nettles would be the prince's secret child, as well as the cause of his demise.
• Nettles may have been inspired by Nettle Farseer, a character from the Farseer trilogy, a series of fantasy novels by American author Robin Hobb. George R. R. Martin knows Hobb and praised her body of work. Nettle Farseer is the illegitimate daughter of FitzChivalry Farseer, the main protagonist of the series.
• In the television adaptation House of the Dragon, Nettles is merged with Rhaena Targaryen, which means that, at least in the show canon, the rider of Sheepstealer is indeed one of Daemon's daughters.