Difference between revisions of "Aegon III Targaryen"
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When Aegon's mother Rhaenyra [[Fall of King's Landing|took King's Landing]] in {{Date|130}}, she named him her cupbearer after he joined her from Dragonstone. Aegon hardly spoke a word during this time. After the [[storming of the Dragonpit]], he and his mother were forced to flee the capital. Rhaenyra, nearly mad with grief from losing her dragon [[Syrax]] and all her children except Aegon, refused to be parted from him at any time, and he became a "small pale shadow" to his mother.{{ref|tpatq}} | When Aegon's mother Rhaenyra [[Fall of King's Landing|took King's Landing]] in {{Date|130}}, she named him her cupbearer after he joined her from Dragonstone. Aegon hardly spoke a word during this time. After the [[storming of the Dragonpit]], he and his mother were forced to flee the capital. Rhaenyra, nearly mad with grief from losing her dragon [[Syrax]] and all her children except Aegon, refused to be parted from him at any time, and he became a "small pale shadow" to his mother.{{ref|tpatq}} | ||
− | When they returned to [[Dragonstone]], they arrived at the castle to see the charred corpses of the castellan and some others who had been loyal to Rhaenyra hanging from the gates. Aegon was the first to realize what it meant and cried "Mother, flee!" but it was too late. They were brought into the | + | When they returned to [[Dragonstone]], they arrived at the castle to see the charred corpses of the castellan and some others who had been loyal to Rhaenyra hanging from the gates. Aegon was the first to realize what it meant and cried "Mother, flee!" but it was too late. They were brought into the courtyard where Aegon II was waiting. Young Aegon watched in horror as his uncle's dragon, [[Sunfyre]], devoured his mother.{{ref|tpatq}} Aegon was forever mentally scarred, and this event cemented his later fierce hatred for and terror of dragons. After Rhaenyra's execution Ser [[Alfred Broome]] advised King Aegon II to kill the young Aegon, but the king decided to keep his nephew captive in the dungeon of Dragonstone. The death of his mother did not end the war; presumably her followers carried on under the banner of young Aegon. When Aegon II died half a year later, Aegon inherited the throne as Aegon III in {{date|131}}. |
===Reign=== | ===Reign=== |
Revision as of 11:05, 28 July 2014
Aegon III | |
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Aegon III by Amok© | |
Monarch | |
Reign | 131 AC - 157 AC |
Full name | Aegon of House Targaryen, the Third of His Name |
Titles |
|
Predecessor | Aegon II Targaryen |
Heir | Daeron I Targaryen |
Successor | Daeron I Targaryen |
Personal Information | |
Aliases |
|
Born | In 120 AC[2], at Dragonstone[3] |
Died | In 157 AC, at King's Landing[3] |
Culture | Valyrian |
Family | |
Dynasty | House Targaryen |
Queens |
|
Issue |
Daeron I Targaryen Baelor I Targaryen Daena "the Defiant" Targaryen Rhaena Targaryen Elaena Targaryen |
Father | Daemon Targaryen |
Mother | Rhaenyra Targaryen |
References | |
Books |
|
Aegon III Targaryen, also known as Aegon the Younger, and later Aegon the Dragonbane, was the seventh king of the Targaryen line.[5] He succeeded his uncle, Aegon II Targaryen, at the conclusion of the Dance of the Dragons. With Aegon II leaving no male heirs, the ascension of Aegon III is a possible dynastic vindication of the claim to the Iron Throne of his mother, Rhaenyra Targaryen. When he was a child his dragon was Stormcloud.[6]
Contents
Appearance
Aegon always dressed in black. He was pale, lean and never smiled, because of the grief he carried from seeing his mother devoured by his uncle's dragon. He wore a short beard but no mustache. His crown was a slender gold band.[7] Not much more is known of his character, although he does seem to have successfully kept the kingdom reunited following the divisions of the civil war.
Aegon had dark purple eyes and pale silvery hair.[2]
Biography
Youth
Born in 120 AC, Aegon was the first born son of his father, Prince Daemon Targaryen, and the fourth born son of his mother, Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen. As per Targaryen tradition, a dragon's egg was placed in his cradle. The dragon Stormcloud eventually hatched from this egg. Aegon was named after Aegon the Conquerer.[6] His grandfather's second wife, Alicent Hightower, took offence to Aegon's name, since she had a son named Aegon herself, and felt that Rhaenyra and Daemon were trying to use the name as a slight against her. Due to the fact that the royal family now contained two young Targaryens named Aegon, Rhaenyra's son was referred to as Aegon the Younger in history, whereas the son of Alicent was named Aegon the Elder.[2][6] It is unknown if Aegon was referred to as Aegon the Younger during his time, and the same for Aegon the Elder.
Aegon had three older brothers, from his mother's first marriage: Jacaerys Velaryon, Lucerys Velaryon and Joffrey Velaryon. Two years after his birth, his mother gave birth to another boy: Viserys, named after their grandfather.[6]
Aegon lived with his mother, father and brothers on Dragonstone, the ancestral seat of House Targaryen and his mother's seat as the Princess of Dragonstone. When his grandfather died in early 129AC, Viserys and his family were away from the capitol, as Rhaenyra was pregnant for the sixth time. This pregnancy led to the birth of the only sister Aegon would have, named Visenya; unfortunately, the girl was stillborn.[6]
The Dance of the Dragons
A war of succession began with the death of Aegon's grandfather, King Viserys I Targaryen. Though Aegon's mother had been named heir to the throne by King Viserys I, Aegon the Elder, Aegon's half-uncle, was crowned as King Aegon II in King's Landing. This resulted in a war of succession, known as the Dance of the Dragons.[6]
In 129 AC, at the behest of their half-brother Jacaerys Velaryon, Aegon and his younger brother Viserys were sent to Essos while their mother Rhaenyra secured the Iron Throne.[6] During the journey their ship, the Gay Abandon, was captured by ships of the Kingdom of the Three Daughters. Aegon escaped by flying on his dragon Stormcloud for the first time, but Viserys was captured by Sharako Lohar. Aegon had to cling to Stormcloud's neck to reach Dragonstone, where he shared the news of what had befallen the fleet. The experience of his flight was so frightening that Aegon returned to Dragonstone pale, shaking, and having lost control of his bladder. Aegon never flew again, as Stormcloud died after reaching Dragonstone from the wounds he had received during the flight.[6]
Upon learning what had happened, fearing for the life of their brother Viserys, Aegon's brother Jacaerys flew to the fleet on his dragon, but died in the fight that ensued.[6]
When Aegon's mother Rhaenyra took King's Landing in 130 AC, she named him her cupbearer after he joined her from Dragonstone. Aegon hardly spoke a word during this time. After the storming of the Dragonpit, he and his mother were forced to flee the capital. Rhaenyra, nearly mad with grief from losing her dragon Syrax and all her children except Aegon, refused to be parted from him at any time, and he became a "small pale shadow" to his mother.[6]
When they returned to Dragonstone, they arrived at the castle to see the charred corpses of the castellan and some others who had been loyal to Rhaenyra hanging from the gates. Aegon was the first to realize what it meant and cried "Mother, flee!" but it was too late. They were brought into the courtyard where Aegon II was waiting. Young Aegon watched in horror as his uncle's dragon, Sunfyre, devoured his mother.[6] Aegon was forever mentally scarred, and this event cemented his later fierce hatred for and terror of dragons. After Rhaenyra's execution Ser Alfred Broome advised King Aegon II to kill the young Aegon, but the king decided to keep his nephew captive in the dungeon of Dragonstone. The death of his mother did not end the war; presumably her followers carried on under the banner of young Aegon. When Aegon II died half a year later, Aegon inherited the throne as Aegon III in 131 AC.
Reign
Since he came to the throne aged 11, several regents and Hands ruled in Aegon's name for the first part of his reign. Their competition for the position was known as the Regent Wars. Eventually Aegon named his brother Prince Viserys as his Hand, who served for the rest of his reign.
As king, Aegon III ruled long and well in the Seven Kingdoms, though he is often blamed for the death of the last dragon, having had a great distaste for the creatures since he witnessed his mother being devoured by his uncle's beast.[8] Although the maesters may have played a part in the death of the last dragons, Aegon III became known as "Aegon the Dragonbane", despite his later efforts to obtain dragon eggs. At some point he had nine mages cross the sea to attempt to hatch his remaining cache of eggs.[9]
Aegon was married to his cousin Jaehaera Targaryen at the end of the Dance of the Dragons, but the marriage ended childless. After her death, Aegon married Daenaera Velaryon, with whom he had two sons, Daeron the Young Dragon and Baelor the Blessed, and three daughters, Daena the Defiant, Rhaena and Elaena. His daughters would become known as the three "Maidens in the Tower", when Baelor, upon having been crowned King, locked his three sisters (including Daena, to whom he was married) in what would become known as the Maidenvault.
Legacy
Upon his death in 157 AC, Aegon III was succeeded by his fourteen year old son Daeron. Aegon was said to have always walked with a great grief, and the folly of his sons nearly tore the realm apart. It would not be Aegon's line to continue the Targaryen dynasty. After both his sons died childless, Aegon's brother Viserys was crowned king. Viserys would be followed by his own son, also named Aegon.
Aegon's line did not discontinue altogether. Aegon's daughter Daena, called "the Defiant", would have a child with her cousin, Prince Aegon, whom she named Daemon. Daemon Blackfyre would be the first of the Blackfyre Pretenders, and contest his cousin Daeron II Targaryen, the legitimate son of Aegon IV Targaryen, for the Iron Throne. Daemon created his own House, House Blackfyre, and had at least 9 children (7 sons, and at least 2 daughters). The Blackfyre line continued for quite some time, until Maelys Blackfyre was slain during the War of the Ninepenny Kings around 260 AC.
Princess Elaena Targaryen also continued Aegon's line. She was married three times, twice on behest of the King, once for love. In addition, she had a relationship with her cousin, Alyn Velaryon, which yielded two children: Jon and Jeyne Waters. Descendants of Jon live until this day, under the name Longwaters. Elaena had five other children, trueborn, though it is currently unknown who her three husbands were, and from which of the marriages the five children were born.
Family
During the Dance of the Dragons
Notes: |
References and Notes
- ↑ The Hedge Knight.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 The Rogue Prince.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 George R. R. Martin's A World of Ice and Fire, "Aegon III Targaryen" entry.
- ↑ George R. R. Martin's A World of Ice and Fire, "Daeron I Targaryen" entry.
- ↑ A Game of Thrones, Appendix.
- ↑ 6.00 6.01 6.02 6.03 6.04 6.05 6.06 6.07 6.08 6.09 6.10 The Princess and the Queen.
- ↑ Targaryen Kings. (November 1, 2005) So Spake Martin
- ↑ A Game of Thrones, Chapter 23, Daenerys III.
- ↑ A Storm of Swords, Chapter 54, Davos V.