Aerea Targaryen

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House Targaryen.svg
Aerea Targaryen
House Targaryen.svg
Title Princess
Allegiance House Targaryen
Race Valyrian
Culture crownlands
Born 42 AC[1]
Casterly Rock[1]
Died 56 AC
King's Landing
Books

Princess Aerea Targaryen was a daughter of Prince Aegon and Princess Rhaena Targaryen. She had a younger twin sister, Rhaella.[1][2]

History

Aerea's parents, Prince Aegon and Princess Rhaena, were married in 41 AC. As this was an incestuous marriage, it led to a rebellion of the Faith of the Seven.[3] When Aerea's grandfather, King Aenys I Targaryen, died, Aegon was not crowned king, even though he was Aenys's eldest son and heir. Instead, Aenys's younger brother was crowned Maegor I Targaryen.[4]

Reign of Maegor

Her father was killed in battle in 43 AC. Rhaena disguised Aerea and twin sister Rhaella and sent them away with allies—even refusing to know where they were, for further protection—but the children were found by Tyanna, and used to force Rhaena to marry Maegor in 47 AC. Aerea's sister, Rhaella was sent to Oldtown as a ward of House Hightower, while Aerea remained at court to ensure her mothers good behavior. As Maegor had no children of his own, Aerea was named his heir while her uncle, Prince Jaehaerys, was disinherited.[4][1]

In 48 AC when Princess Aerea's mother Rhaena learned that her youngest brother, Prince Jaehaerys, had announced his claim to the Iron Throne, she escaped King's Landing in the dead of night upon Dreamfyre to join Jaehaerys's cause, taking Aerea and the Valyrian steel sword Blackfyre with her.[4]

Reign of Jaehaerys

Princess Aerea Targaryen resided with her mother on Dragonstone, but despised the place, even more so after many of her mothers companions and friends were murdered via poison by her mothers own husband, Ser Androw Farman in 54 AC. This made Rhaena bitter and untrusting, which only further deepened the isolation of young Aerea. When Queen Alysanne visited later to try and comfort her sister, Aerea begged her aunt to take her back to King's Landing with her, but Rhaena refused the request and forbid Aerea from ever leaving the Island. [5]

Aerea disappeared from Dragonstone later the same year, it was also discovered that Balerion the Black Dread (who had made his lair on Dragonstone after the death of his previous rider) was gone too. Many suspect the wilful young Aerea decided to become a dragonrider so she could flee the Isle and go wherever she wished. Her mother, Rhaena was a dragon rider too, who rode Dreamfyre so It was reasoned that Aerea feared even if she did escape on dragon back, her mother could still force her to return to the Isle, unless the Dragon she rode was stronger and more powerful than Dreamfyre, thus the explanation on why she choose to try and make Balerion her mount. [5]

Rhaena upon discovering her daughter missing flew Dreamfyre first to King's Landing thinking her daughter there, but neither King Jaehaerys or any one else had seen her. Rhanea flew all over Westeros, but no trace of her daughter or Balerion was found. It was concluded she must have gone to Essos. Jaehaerys I Targaryen sent expeditions to try and locate his niece. The Master of Coin, Rego Draz offered a reward for any information on her whereabouts, but none came forward that was credible. Many were confused by the lack of sightings, for Balerion was the largest living dragon in the World. [5]

Balerion returned to King's Landing in 56 AC with the afflicted Princess Aerea barely clinging to him. At first no one recognised her, she was stick thin, what clothes left on her where nothing more than charred rags. Her hair a tangled mess, her eyes bloody, she trembled as she tried to take a step and could barely speak and only got a few words out before collapsing. The Princess was carried to Maester Benifer by Ser Lucamore Strong, Septon Barth aided the maester in trying to heal the girl, but they're efforts failed. It was suspected that Aerea could not control Balerion, and that the dragon had returned to his birth home, Valyria where the Doom now ruled.[6]

Death

Princess Aerea's death was horrific, she was so hot, that neither Barth nor Benifer could touch her with their bare hands. Barth described the child as having barely an ounce of flesh upon her bones, so gaunt and starved did she appear, but he noticed there were "things" moving underneath her skin as if trying to escape. Milk of the poppy could not dull the girl's pain. When she did speak, she begged for death. Barth records that it was as if she was being cooked from within, her flesh grew darker and darker until it resembled something like pork cracklings. smoke came from her mouth, nose and even from her nether regions. Her eyes cooked within her skull until they burst, like two eggs left in a boiling pot for too long.[6]

Barth and Benifer thought that was the worst of it, until "the things" emerged from under her skin. Barth refers to them only as the "horrors", he did not give a detailed account of exactly what they were, he only wrote vaguely of...worms with faces...snakes with hands...twisting, slimy, unspeakable things that seemed to writhe, pulse and squirm as they burst from the still living child's flesh...the sounds they made. Some were described as being no longer than a little finger, others much longer, one Barth asserts was as long as his arm. Barth and Benifer quickly doused the girl in an ice bath, the extreme cold killed the creatures and it was believed the shock mercifully ended the poor girls life.[6]

After her death, a story was spread that the Princess died of a fever. A brief account of the girls true fate was recorded by Barth, but most of Westeros remained ignorant of the real details of Aerea's death.King Jaehaerys after speaking to Barth, issued an edict forbidding any ship suspected of having visited the Valyrian Islands or sailed the Smoking Sea from landing at any port or harbour in the Seven Kingdoms. The King's own subjects were likewise forbidden from visiting Valyria, under pain of death.[6]

Family

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Aenys I
 
Alyssa
Velaryon
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Rhaena
 
Aegon
 
Viserys
 
Jaehaerys I
 
Alysanne
 
Vaella
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Issue
 
Aegon
 
Daenerys
 
Aemon
 
 
Baelon
 
Alyssa
 
Maegelle
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Vaegon
 
Daella
 
Saera
 
Viserra
 
Gaemon
 
Valerion
 
Gael
 


References

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 The Sons of the Dragon.
  2. The World of Ice & Fire, Appendix: Targaryen Lineage.
  3. The World of Ice & Fire, The Targaryen Kings: Aenys I.
  4. 4.0 4.1 4.2 The World of Ice & Fire, The Targaryen Kings: Maegor I.
  5. 5.0 5.1 5.2 Fire & Blood, Birth, Death and Betrayal under Jaehaerys I.
  6. 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 Fire & Blood, Jaehaerys & Alysanne- Their Triumphs & Tragedies.