Viserys II Targaryen

King Viserys II Targaryen
Viserys II by Amok©
Monarch
Reign	171 AC - 172 AC
Full name	Viserys Targaryen the Second of His Name
Titles	Hand of the King King of the Andals, the Rhoynar, and the First Men Lord of the Seven Kingdoms Protector of the Realm
Predecessor	Baelor I Targaryen
Heir	Aegon IV Targaryen
Successor	Aegon IV Targaryen
Personal Information
Born	122 AC Dragonstone
Died	172 AC King's Landing
Family
Dynasty	House Targaryen
Spouse	Larra Rogare
Issue	Aegon IV Targaryen Aemon Targaryen Naerys Targaryen
Father	Daemon Targaryen
Mother	Rhaenyra Targaryen
References
Books	The World of Ice & Fire (mentioned) Fire & Blood (mentioned) The Rise of the Dragon (mentioned) The Rogue Prince (mentioned) The Princess and the Queen (mentioned) A Game of Thrones (appendix) A Storm of Swords (mentioned) A Feast for Crows (mentioned)
Played by	Unidentified
TV series	House of the Dragon: Season 1 | 2

For others with the same name, see Viserys Targaryen (disambiguation).

Viserys II Targaryen was the tenth Targaryen king to sit the Iron Throne as Lord of the Seven Kingdoms. He was the son of Rhaenyra Targaryen and Daemon Targaryen, the brother and Hand of Aegon III Targaryen, and the father of King Aegon IV Targaryen, Queen Naerys Targaryen, and Prince Aemon "the Dragonknight".

Appearance and Character

See also: Images of Viserys II Targaryen

Viserys had silver-gold hair. In his youth, Viserys was said to be striking, though he was not as handsome as his older brother, Aegon. According to a semi-canon source, Viserys II was clean-shaven with long hair. He had a prominent nose, bushy eyebrows and a shrewd, calculating look to him. Once king, he wore the simple crown of Aegon III.

Viserys was frailer than his brother Aegon in his youth, but was more mature than Aegon and their Velaryon half-brothers (Jacaerys, Lucerys, and Joffrey). As a boy, Viserys was said to be clever and gallant. He was well-educated by tutors during his captivity, and excelled at the art of swordsmanship under his master-at-arms.

Unlike Aegon, Viserys had the gift of charm, but later became stern. Due to his intelligence, he was later in life compared to his great-great-grandfather, King Jaehaerys I Targaryen, in terms of political capability. According to Tyrion Lannister, Viserys had been far better suited to rule the Seven Kingdoms than the nephews (Daeron I and Baelor I) he served loyally as Hand of the King.

History

Youth

Daemon and Rhaenyra with their sons: Aegon and Viserys, by Jota Saraiva

Born in 122 AC, Viserys was the second born son of his father, Prince Daemon Targaryen, and the fifth born son of his mother, Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen. As per Targaryen tradition, a dragon egg was placed in his cradle. Viserys was named after his grandfather, King Viserys I Targaryen.

Viserys had four older brothers; three half-brothers from his mother's first marriage, Jacaerys, Lucerys and Joffrey Velaryon, and one full-blood brother, Aegon. He also had two older half-sisers, Baela and Rhaena Targaryen, from his father's second marriage.

Viserys lived with his mother, father, brothers, and sisters on Dragonstone, his mother's seat as the Princess of Dragonstone. When his grandfather died in early 129 AC, Viserys and his family were thus away from the capital, since Rhaenyra was pregnant for the sixth time. This pregnancy led to the birth of Viserys's stillborn younger sister, Visenya.

The death of his grandfather sparked a war of succession between Viserys's mother, Rhaenyra, and his half-uncle, Prince Aegon, who was crowned King Aegon II Targaryen, despite Rhaenyra having been the heir to the throne.

The Dance of the Dragons

In late 129 AC, at the behest of their half-brother Prince Jacaerys Velaryon, Viserys and his older brother Aegon were sent to Essos aboard the Gay Abandon to be fostered by a prince of Pentos until their mother Rhaenyra secured the Iron Throne. However, the fleet of the Kingdom of the Three Daughters, who were allied with the greens and Aegon II Targaryen, captured the Gay Abandon during the voyage. Aegon flew away atop his dragon, Stormcloud, but Viserys had only a dragon egg. Remaining behind, the clever Viserys hid his egg and disguised himself as a common ship's boy, but his identity was revealed by one of the crew. A Tyroshi captain brought Viserys to Sharako Lohar, the Triarchy's admiral. Viserys's fate through the remainder of the Dance of the Dragons was unknown to his family, who believed he had died in the battle.

Viserys ended up in Lys at the manse of Bambarro Bazanne in 132 AC. After the magister died in debt, his manse and property were seized by creditors. All of Bazanne's valuables, including the captive Viserys, passed into the custody of the wealthy Lysandro Rogare of the Rogare family, whose bank at the time was as powerful as the Iron Bank of Braavos. Initially, Lysandro considered putting him to work as a courtesan on account of his striking beauty, but quickly changed his plans when the prince revealed his identity. Viserys was wed to the family's youngest daughter, Larra, despite her being seven years his senior.

Reign of Aegon III

Viserys and Larra Rogare hold their child, Aegon, as depicted by Magali Villeneuve in The World of Ice & Fire.

During the early reign of Viserys's older brother, Aegon III, it became known in Westeros that Viserys had survived. He was recovered by Lord Alyn Velaryon in 134 AC, and after a huge ransom was paid to the merchant princes of Lys, Viserys returned to King's Landing with Alyn Oakenfist. Aegon had never forgiven himself for abandoning his brother during the Battle in the Gullet, and so Viserys's return was the only true joy he had in his reign. For the rest of Aegon's life, Viserys was the only person Aegon ever fully trusted.

Viserys came to King's Landing with his new wife Larra Rogare and several of her kin. During the Lysene Spring, the ambitious Rogare family became embroiled in the conflicts of the regency of Aegon III. Although the Rogares at the Red Keep were apparently guilty of some crimes, their rivals in King's Landing blamed them for many more. In 135 AC, Lord Thaddeus Rowan was tortured in an attempt to find evidence against the Rogares, and Ser Marston Waters, the Hand of the King, sent men to capture Larra after arresting her brothers. Aegon and Viserys refused to surrender Larra, however, and defiantly protected her in Maegor's Holdfast in what would later become known as the secret siege. Eventually the case against the Rogares collapsed.

Viserys and Larra had three children: Aegon (born 135 AC), Aemon (born 136 AC), and Naerys (born 138 AC). Larra never felt happy at court, and in 139 AC, she left Viserys and their three children and returned to Lys, an experience that made the charming Viserys grow stern. Viserys had Aegon and Naerys wed to one another in 153 AC, with Aegon III's blessing, while Aemon became a knight of the Kingsguard.

Hand of the King

Eventually, Viserys served as Hand of the King during the last years of Aegon III Targaryen's reign. They capably dealt with pretenders claiming to be Prince Daeron the Daring. A reluctant Aegon was convinced by Viserys that they needed to bring back dragons to restore House Targaryen's authority. Nine mages were thus summoned from Essos, but their efforts to hatch dragon eggs failed. Viserys's efforts to help his brother rule were ultimately hampered by the Broken King's disinterest in gaining the support of his subjects.

After Aegon III's death, Viserys remained as Hand during the reign of Daeron I Targaryen, his elder nephew; Viserys did not insist upon a regency. Daeron the Young Dragon achieved glory through his conquest of Dorne. After Daeron was killed by rebellious Dornishmen while meeting under a peace banner, Viserys ordered that Dornish hostages in King's Landing be taken to the dungeon to await hanging.

Viserys remained as Hand for the next king, his younger nephew Baelor I Targaryen, whose first act was to pardon the Dornish hostages in the capital. Viserys shrewdly managed the realm during King Baelor's barefoot journey to Sunspear to make peace with Dorne. Viserys objected when the pious Baelor dissolved his marriage with his sister, Daena Targaryen, and imprisoned her in the Maidenvault with her younger sisters, Rhaena and Elaena. It was rumored that to spare the realm embarrassment, Viserys used his position as Hand to order the poisoning of a stonemason whom Baelor had appointed as High Septon.

Reign

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 the Blessed, from prolonged fasting in 171 AC. Lady Maia Stokeworth, however, was among those who believed that Viserys, having grown tired of waiting for the throne, had poisoned Baelor. 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.

There were some amongst the smallfolk—and even some lords—who felt that the Iron Throne should have rightfully passed to Baelor's sister 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). 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.

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 code of laws established by the Old King, 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 172 AC.

Viserys was succeeded by his eldest son, Aegon IV Targaryen. Some historians suspect that Viserys's death was not natural and that Aegon had poisoned his father.

Legacy

Viserys is not remembered fondly in Westeros, as some accuse him of poisoning Baelor I Targaryen to gain the throne and doing nothing once he gained it. Still, Viserys may have reigned for only a year, but in his previous role as Hand of the King he had ruled and preserved the land for much longer. The reigns and follies of Aegon the Dragonbane, Daeron the Young Dragon, and Baelor the Blessed would arguably have been much worse if not for his tenure as Hand.

Recent Events

A Storm of Swords

Stannis Baratheon claims that, although she was daughter to one king and mother to two others, Viserys's mother Rhaenyra Targaryen died a traitor's death for attempted usurpation.

Oberyn Martell and Tyrion Lannister discuss Kaeth's treatment of Viserys in Lives of Four Kings, with Oberyn feeling that Kaeth was too generous toward Viserys and Tyrion feeling that the Grand Maester was too critical in his interpretation. Oberyn repeats the rumor that Viserys poisoned Baelor, while Tyrion asserts that Viserys served Baelor and Daeron before him loyally.

A Feast for Crows

Cersei Lannister tells Taena Merryweather the history of Baelor I Targaryen's stonemason High Septon and recalls that some still claim Baelor's Hand, Viserys, had the man poisoned to spare the realm the embarrassment. Thinking of her own role in the murder of a High Septon, Cersei thinks that Baelor's Hand has little to teach her in this regard.

Ser Jaime Lannister recalls that his brother Tyrion had found portraits of all of the kings from House Targaryen in Darry's cellar; Ser Raymun Darry had removed the tapestries for King Robert I Baratheon's visit to the castle.

Quotes

Larra Rogare and Viserys by novembermorgon

Prince Viserys was a lively and likely young lad, possessed of great charm and boundless vitality. Though not as tall, as strong, or as handsome as his brother, he struck all who met him as more clever and more curious than the king.

—writings of Munkun

Viserys II had within him the capacity to be a new Conciliator, for no king had ever been shrewder or more capable. Tragically, a sudden illness carried him away in 172 AC.

—writings of Yandel

Tyrion: It should have been Lives of Five Kings.
Oberyn: Viserys hardly reigned a fortnight.
Tyrion: He reigned more than a year.
Oberyn: A year or a fortnight, what does it matter? He poisoned his own nephew to gain the throne and then did nothing once he had it.
Tyrion: Baelor starved himself to death, fasting. His uncle served him loyally as Hand, as he had served the Young Dragon before him. Viserys might have only reigned a year, but he ruled for fifteen, while Daeron warred and Baelor prayed. And if he did remove his nephew, can you blame him? Someone had to save the realm from Baelor's follies.

—Tyrion Lannister and Oberyn Martell

Family

Ancestors

Jaehaerys I

Alysanne

Jocelyn Baratheon

Aemon

Daella

Rodrik Arryn

Baelon

Alyssa

Corlys Velaryon

Rhaenys

Aemma Arryn

Viserys I

Alicent Hightower

Daemon

Rhea Royce

Aegon

Laena Velaryon

Daemon

Laenor Velaryon

Rhaenyra

Daemon

Son

Baelon

Aegon II

Helaena

Aemond

Daeron

Baela

Rhaena

Stillborn son

Jacaerys Velaryon

Lucerys Velaryon

Joffrey Velaryon

Viserys II

Visenya

Aegon III

Jaehaera

Jaehaerys

Maelor

Notes:

Descendants

Aemma Arryn

Viserys I

Alicent Hightower

Daemon

Rhaenyra

Aegon II

Helaena

Aemond

Daeron

Viserys II

Larra Rogare

Daenaera Velaryon

Aegon III

Jaehaera

Jaehaerys

Maelor

Aemon

Naerys

Aegon IV

Daena

Baelor I

Daeron I

Rhaena

Elaena

Daeron II

Myriah Martell

Maron Martell

Daenerys

Daemon Blackfyre

Rohanne of Tyrosh

Behind the Scenes

In the first edition of A Game of Thrones, Viserys was listed in the appendix as Aegon III's fourth son, rather than his younger brother. However, a fan pointed out to George R.R. Martin that the math did not make sense with the ages of Aegon and Viserys's respective sons, and GRRM made the correction to the current family arrangement.