A Song of Ice and Fire - Court of Jaehaerys I / Characters

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This is a listing of characters in the court of King Jaehaerys I Targaryen in A Song of Ice and Fire.

For the main House Targaryen entry and overall tropes, see here

Court of Jaehaerys I

The fourth and longest reigning king of the Targaryen dynasty, King Jaehaerys I ruled the Seven Kingdoms for fifty-five years. It was under his rule that much of the realm was knit together as a true nation, a process in which he was aided greatly by his sister-wife Queen Alysanne. Although their rule brought much progress to Westeros, it was troubled by several illnesses, minor wars, and royal scandals which sowed the seeds of future conflicts.

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Royal Family

Jaehaerys I

King Jaehaerys Targaryen, the First of His Name; r. 48-103

The Conciliator, The Old King, The Wise

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My lords, I will have roads!

Fourth child and third son of Aenys I and Alyssa. He took the throne after Maegor I died without issue. Was married to his sister, Good Queen Alysanne, with whom he had thirteen children, nine of which lived to adulthood. Throughout the entirety of his fifty-five year reign, Jaehaerys I took great steps to consolidate the Targaryen kingship over Westeros by reforming and reassessing the governance of the realm. His efforts included the ending of the barbaric tradition of 'First Night' (when lords bedded the wives of their smallfolk and retainers on their wedding nights), and reconciling the Faith with the Iron Throne. Stretching from King's Landing in the south, all the way north past Winterfell and to the Wall, the Kingsroad best exemplified Jaehaerys' efforts to make his writ binding across the realm. At the Wall, the king, on the word of his sister-wife, extended the Gift and breathed new life into the Night's Watch. These, among other acts, made the king and queen beloved of the smallfolk and ushered an age of peace never before seen in Westerosi history (and the likes of which was never seen again to the present time). The crown of Jaehaerys I was a simple gold band inset with seven different stones.

The Ace: How he's remembered. Also regarded as The Good King template within Westeros. His legacy doesn't quite have the same dramatic flair as Aegon the Conqueror's, but wise monarchs strive to follow in Jaehaerys's the Conciliator's footsteps and many have argued for him as the greatest king in the history of the realm, even more so than his grandfather.
Berserk Button: He may have also been more lenient on Lucamore Strong, a member of the Kingsguard who committed polygamy, if Strong hadn't included "for the sake of my wives" in his plea for mercy. The inclusion seemed more like an accost to the king, and Jaehaerys had the former knight castrated and sent to the Wall, and Strong's wives were exiled from King's Landing, and each put under the charge of a different lord, with all children produced from the unions declared bastards.
Beware the Nice Ones: He is noted to be one of the kindest and most patient kings, but he was still the blood of the Dragon and refused to be seen as weak like his father.
- He was willing to forgive those who served Maegor to an extent, and he certainly didn't go to the extremes of executing every prisoner in the Red Keep's dungeons who'd served his uncle like his mother wanted, but he did have any and everyone who'd helped Tyanna torture his brother Viserys to death on Maegor's orders executed.
- While he was open to criticism, he did not tolerate open insubordination in his presence. When Septon Mattheus went on an extended and insulting tirade against the king for marrying his sister, Jaehaerys threatened to have his lips sewn shut if he spoke another word. His dislike of the septon continued years afterwards; when the High Septon died in 54 AC and Mattheus was seen as a candidate to succeed him, Jaehaerys went out of his way to make sure he didn't: he and Alysanne visited Oldtown to eulogize him (on dragonback, the maesters and septons were quick to note) and ask for the new High Septon's blessing—and according to Septon Barth, he and House Hightower struck a deal to influence the Most Devout in electing him, just to be sure.
- After Jaehaerys comes of age, he returns to King's Landing astride Vermithor, with Blackfyre by his side. This does not escape the notice of Grand Maester Benifer, who notes that Maegor used this sword to kill his three immediate predecessors—with Benifer himself having taken ship across the narrow sea to avoid this same fate. Benifer, seeing how much Jaehaerys has matured in his minority, briefly ponders if he was a fool to have returned—but it's not long before Jaehaerys subverts this trope and dissolves his fears.
- Jaehaerys forgave the repentant Rogar Baratheon for his attempts to destroy his marriage and even strip him of his crown. However, when Rogar offered to send family members as hostages to ensure his loyalty, Jaehaerys took him to see his dragon Vermithor, who was growing larger every day. While Jaehaerys never openly threatened Lord Rogar, the message was clear: as long as the king had his dragon, everyone in the Stormlands was his hostage. Rogar, luckily for himself and his House, is smart enough to get the point.
- After his Master of Coin was killed and robbed in Flea Bottom, the king himself retrieved the body and told the slum's inhabitants he would take their tongues if no one named the culprits. The young daughter of one of the murderers told the king where they could be found and he had them disemboweled and left to die hanging from the castle walls, refusing them the option to take the black. Apparently, at the sight of his friend's corpse, Jaehaerys momentarily looked so furious he was the spitting image of Maegor.
Jaehaerys: [sentencing Rego Draz's killers to death after they begged to take the black] No. The Night's Watch are men of honour, and you are less than rats.
- After his daughter Saera had an affair with three separate men, Jaehaerys told the worst one of them, Braxton "Stinger" Beesbury, that he would be gelded, disfigured and crippled for despoiling his daughter. But he also offered him to prove his innocence in trial by combat. When Beesbury asked which Kingsguard knight he would be fighting, Jaehaerys declared that he would be his own champion. Despite being much older than Beesbury, the king wore out the younger knight and ended the duel by stabbing Beesbury through the eye as he lay on the ground. All the while, Saera was Forced to Watch, knowing that no matter who died in the duel, that death would ultimately be her fault.
Break the Haughty: Daenerys' death due to a plague was this for him and Alysanne, destroying their belief that Targaryens don't get sick and forcing them to realize that maybe they were human after all.
Brother–Sister Incest: Married to his sister Alysanne. It was one of the happier cases, as there's no indicator either would've preferred it differently (indeed, their mother and stepfather wanted them to avert this, but they were determined to be together).
A Child Shall Lead Them: Became king at age 14.
Deadpan Snarker: He managed to get some good digs in at the corrupt, fat Septon who was against his choices for the next High Septon. He also got a nasty one in at his own, almost certainly mentally disabled daughter, when his wife commented after his retort that he'd stand her in front of a hundred naked men if she just picked one to marry that they'd likely frighten her, he shot back that a hundred naked ducks would make her cry. When his mother suggested that a tourney be held to fill the gaps in his Kingsguard after his coronation, Jaehaerys insisted his new knights be picked from the victors of the melee, not the joust, snarking that assassins "rarely come on horseback, lances lowered".
Dragon Rider: He rode Vermithor, a massive and fearsome dragon also known as the Bronze Fury.
Elopement: Eloped with his sister Alysanne after hearing that she was to be married to one of Lord Rogar's brothers.
The Good King: One of the greatest if not the greatest of the Targaryen monarchs, who ruled over a Golden Age.
Happily Married: To his sister Alysanne. She was also his most trusted advisor.
Heartbroken Badass: The death of his oldest son Aemon was a blow that he never fully recovered from, starting to drink honeyed wine to ease his pain.
Heir Club for Men: One of the very few times he and Alysanne had a major argument was when he passed over Princess Rhaenys (daughter of their late oldest son Aemon) as a successor in favor of a male descendant (Viserys, son of their second oldest son Baelon). The Great Council he called established absolute male primogeniture in the eyes of most lords, a tradition his grandson Viserys I later tried to avert.
I Am Not My Father: While he was genuinely kind like Aenys, he was neither a weak fighter nor an indecisive ruler, and made a point of projecting this image of strength and authoritativeness whenever the opportunity arose.
I Have No Son!: Played with. Refused to acknowledge Saera's existence after she made a break for it. Septon Bennifer believed Jaehaerys would have forgiven her if she had not run away. As he was old and suffering dementia, he was convinced Alicent Hightower was really Saera, suggesting he may have come to regret it.
Insistent Terminology: He referred to The Vulture King as just The Vulture, because he himself is the only King in Westeros that he recognized.
Ironic Nickname: Is called the Old King. He ascended to the throne when he was fourteen, and was easily the youngest king Westeros had up to that point.
Jerkass Has a Point: When Alysanne tried to convince him to let her bring Saera home after the deaths of their daughters Daella and Viserra, Jaehaerys's refusal might have been harsh, but he wasn't wrong in pointing out that Saera had made her feelings pretty clear when she refused to earn her parents' forgiveness and fled to Lys to become a whore, and that even if Saera was willing to return to Westeros, the Lyseni weren't exactly going to hand over a valuable asset like a Targaryen princess without a fight.
Kick the Dog: Zigzagged. His behavior towards his daughter Saera and her lovers was harsh on all involved. In particular, he forced Saera to watch as he duelled one of them in a trial by combat and killed the young knight by stabbing him through the eye. Before that, he was considering gelding, disfiguring, and crippling the man instead. Granted, Stinger was the worst of the three and Saera grew up to be a horrible bitch (and reportedly always was).
- When word finally reached them that Saera had turned up working in a brothel in Lys after she fled Westeros, Alysanne broke down weeping that the Lyseni had turned their daughter into a whore. Jaehaerys' response was only to sneer that Saera had always been one. That Saera not only enjoyed being a whore and didn't seem to care about her estrangement from her family and refused her mother's attempts at reconnecting goes to show that he was probably right, if a bit harsh.
- Played straight with his dismissive and verbally abusive attitude towards his meek and mentally disabled daughter, Daella.
King on His Deathbed: He was bedridden in his last years.
Know When to Fold 'Em: He dispatched his new Hand, Septon Barth, to Braavos to demand the return of the three dragon eggs Elissa Farman had stolen from his sister Rhaena and sold to the Sealord, along with a veiled threat that he would unleash his dragons on Braavos if the eggs weren't returned. The Sealord conceded he didn't have the power to stop Jaehaerys in that regard... but implied that if it came to that, he'd retaliate by hiring the Faceless Men to wipe House Targaryen out. Jaehaerys backed down rather than risk that, and Barth was able to negotiate a compromise, whereby the Sealord got to keep the eggs in exchange for the Iron Bank forgiving the Crown's debts (though Jaehaerys made sure to add a threat that if he got word the eggs had hatched, he'd burn down the Sealord's palace).
Long-Lived: Especially by the standards of Westeros. He ruled for 55 years, earning him the nickname The Old King. To the present day, he still easily holds the record for longest tenure on the throne.
Magnetic Hero: He and Alysanne both had a way of getting people on their side. Before he fully became king, Rogar Baratheon sent several people to spy on them and "persuade" them to break up. Jaehaerys and Alysanne managed to turn this around and get those people to support them.
Massive Numbered Siblings: He and Alysanne had a total of thirteen children (as per the family tree in The World of Ice & Fire): Aegon, Daenerys, Aemon, Baelon, Alyssa, Maegelle, Vaegon, Daella, Saera, Viserra, Gaemon, Valerion and Gael (nine of these survived to adulthood, and of them, only Vaegon and Saera would outlive him).
Nice Guy: Zigzagged all over the place during his long reign. The Old King was undeniably a good man, but he wasn't perfect by any means.
- Even during his ascension when still a youth, some lords were uncertain exactly how to define the boy king when they first met with him. Some did indeed describe him as kind, good-humoured and just, others described him as stern and serious, others still as brooding and unpredictable. In truth, he was likely all of these things, the other lords simply took note of different sides of him.
- Described in lore as the textbook definition of The Good King, Jaehaerys possessed a strong sense of justice, a kind and noble heart, a good humour and wit and a keen work ethic. He loved his subjects and his family deeply (being Happily Married and ever loyal to Alysanne) and he personally made several visits across the Seven Kingdoms to break bread with the lords. He was also a man of peace and aspired to end war and poverty and worked diligently to improve the livelihood of the common folk; his negotiation and peace-making skills were so renowned he was given the moniker Jaehaerys the Conciliator.
- On the other hand, he was rather merciless with his enemies, doled out extremely brutal punishments as he deemed necessary and had no patience for incompetence or betrayal. His devotion to his work also caused him to become quite an absent father to many of his children especially compared to his wife Alysanne and he reportedly had little sympathy for those with intellectual disabilities (particularly his daughter Daella; though it's known he disliked those who would take advantage of them). He was also reluctant to abolish the right of the First Night with the lords of Westeros (though this was mostly because it was an ancient rite dating back to the First Men and he knew removing it would cause a tremendous uproar - especially in the North). It is also noted by other lords that while he was always civil in meetings, there would sometimes be a layer of unspoken threat beneath his words and actions, largely depending on who he was speaking to and what the subject was. His views on gender and class were rather progressive in some ways, but other aspects were still in line with what was normal at the time.
- Jaehaerys was a fierce warrior skilled in arms, but like his grandsire the Conqueror, he himself did not enjoy violence and only did so when necessary. That said, he made no secret of his power with dragons and would often make clear that he would gladly use them if anyone crossed him. Potentially justified, as he saw firsthand how being well-intentioned but weak-willed like his father Aenys cost him everything and he wanted to make sure he averted such mistakes.
Nice Job Breaking It, Hero: Downplayed, to a degree. While his decision to enforce Heir Club for Men prevented a Succession Crisis from breaking out, it also resulted in the very capable Rhaenys Targaryen being passed over for the more traditionally acceptable Viserys Targaryen, who while generally a good man and a well loved ruler, accidentally laid the groundwork for the Dance of Dragons due to trying to overturn the Heir Club for Men position that Jaeherys and his Great Council had set in place.
- Maybe the one mistake Jaehaerys ever truly made was actually buying the New Gift for the Night's Watch. At the time, of course, the Night's Watch was very grateful, and he also heavily patronized them with funds and builders. The Stark lord at the time argued against ceding more lands from the North to the Watch—but not for personal reasons because they were his lands. It turns out that the Starks feared that as the generations passed the Watch wouldn't be able to administer or defend the New Gift as well as secular lords, and the Starks were already giving large donations of food and wealth to the Watch raised from the New Gift. This is exactly what subsequently happened, and the New Gift fell into decline. Basically it was a short term gain but long term problem, though at the time the Watch itself praised Jaehaerys for this.
- Lord Walton Stark died in the aftermath of a rebellion among the Night's Watch, most of the rebels being either former loyalists of Maegor's whom Jaehaerys had allowed to take the black over execution or former members of the disbanded Faith Militant, led by two former knights of Maegor's Kingsguard. Walton's brother, Alaric Stark, outright told Jaehaerys his brother's death was the king's fault, as Alaric felt the rebellion and Walton's death would not have occurred had Jaehaerys executed more of his uncle's former supporters.
- Jaehaerys' decision to reunite his sister Rhaena with her daughter Aerea, after gifting Dragonstone to the former, was also shortsighted. At the time, Aerea was his lawful heir, and loved being the center of attention at King's Landing because of it. By whisking her away to Dragonstone, he removed her from all that, and Aerea did not take it well at all. She became the terror of both the stronghold and the mother she'd so rarely known, which culminated in Aerea mounting Balerion out of sheer frustration and disappearing from Westeros for nearly two years—then dying a horrible death soon after her return.
No Historical Figures Were Harmed:
- He's Edward III of England with a dragon. From taking the throne at a young age after feuding with his mother and her consort to reigning for so long he was eventually succeeded by a grandson, he's a dead ringer for Edward.
- Henry II of England, who came to the throne after the troubled reign of Stephen I and spent most his long tenure reforming the government and touring his vast realm with his wife and children.
- Has certain similarities to Caesar Augustus, the first Roman Emperor. Like Augustus, Jaehaerys contrasts with his predecessors who were military conquerors in that he was known for being a skilled politician and administrator, and it was under his rule that his empire and dynasty were at their peak. But as with Augustus, his favoured heirs ended up predeceasing him which results in a Succession Crisis following his death. Lastly, Jaehaerys's falling out with his daughter Saera for her promiscuity is reminiscent of Augustus's own falling out with his daughter Julia.
- To a lesser extent, towards the end, William III of England. One half of a well-loved Ruling Couple who outlived his spouse and noticeably withdrew more from public life after her death.
No Sympathy: Jaehaerys was pretty unsympathetic towards his daughter Daella and her day-to-day struggles of being scared of everything, and his decision to force her into marriage just to be rid of her is one of the main reasons for the rift with his wife.
Not So Above It All: He was a far better king than Maegor (to be fair, that's not exactly saying much), and wiser and calmer. Didn't mean he didn't have a temper, and that it couldn't go off. And as Fire and Blood proves, he wasn't exactly the World's Best Dad, or always the best person (his response to Alysanne trying to get rid of the tradition of First Night being a stand-up example. He was unwilling to support her in this endeavor initially for fear of the political fallout. To his credit, he did acquiesce after very little prodding from her and Septon Barth.)
Only Sane Man: Acts, as his epitaph suggests, as a conciliator between the Archon of Tyrosh and the Prince of Pentos, both of whom did nothing but bicker and achieved nothing. In fact, the Pentoshi were so unhappy with the results of the agreement they forged that they sacrificed their prince to their gods.
Outliving One's Offspring: From The World of Ice & Fire, it's known that four of his children (Aegon, Daenerys, Valerion, Gaemon) died in infancy or childhood. He outlived all of his children except Vaegon and Saera, both of whom he was estranged from. In his last moments, he mistook one of his carers, Alicent Hightower, for Saera.
Papa Wolf: While Jaehaerys wasn't the most present father, the blood of the dragon still flowed through him when the safety of his children came into question.
- Danaerys' death by Shivers sent him into deep mourning and he swore to never let such a thing occur again.
- He allowed Baelon and his company retribution against those who killed his son Aemon.
- He personally duelled and slew the Stinger in single combat when he discovered it was he who took his daughter Saera's virtue.
- When his niece Aerea Targaryen returned on Balerion with an unknown and nightmarish affliction that claimed her life, Septon Barth quickly deduced she had been to Old Valyria. It took even less time for Jaehaerys to forbid any ship or sailor from making port in Westeros on pain of death if they were even suspected of having visited Valyria or the Smoking Sea.
Parental Neglect: He grew rather neglectful of his youngest children (especially his daughters), not realizing that Viserra was far from enthusiastic about marrying a man older than him, had no patience for his special needs child Daella, and practically forgot his daughter Gael existed.
Parent-Child Team: His son Baelon was also his Hand of the King for a time, until Baelon's death.
Parents as People: As his own Grand Maester privately wrote, Jaehaerys was better as king than as a father. He might have been close to his eldest sons Aemon and Baelon (and was once close with Saera, hence her betrayal hit him the hardest), but he clearly had difficulties dealing with and understanding his daughters, and that would bring several disagreements with his wife, ultimately resulting in an estrangement. He did love his children, undoubtedly, but his tendency to throw himself into his work caused him to overlook them more often then not. He was also very close to his firstborn Danaerys and her death likely contributed to his troubled history with his other daughters.
Praetorian Guard: He personally and very carefully selected his own Kingsguard, which included warriors of all ages and fighting styles, including a former leader of the Faith Militant. As such, his first seven Kingsguard are considered among the greatest in Westerosi history.
Properly Paranoid: When Elissa Farman steals three eggs, the Small Council acknowledge it as a loss but advise Jaehaerys to focus on other matters, saying that the changes of the eggs being hatched are infinitesimally small. Jaehaerys, however, makes the recovery (or at least finding the location) of the eggs as his top priority. He knows that, even though the Targaryens are the last of the dragon-riding families of Old Valyria, the dragonriders had ruled Essos for thousands of years and so had thousands of years to give birth to bastard children across the continent, leading to countless potential dragonriders. Indeed, during the Dance of the Dragons, dozens of so-called "dragonseeds" came forward to claim the wild or un-claimed dragons on Dragonstone, and that's with the Targaryens ruling in Westeros for only about a century.
Put on a Bus: Inverted. He stays in King's Landing to settle a dispute between Pentos and Tyrosh so Alysanne can go on a state visit to the North without his influence.
Rank Scales with Asskicking: During his time on Dragonstone, he spent a lot of time practicing how to fight, partly to avoid being seen as another Aenys. The end result was that he was very capable of handling himself in a fight, when the need arose.
Ser Elyas Scales: Your Grace, you will never be a Kingsguard, but if by some sorcery your uncle Maegor were to rise from the grave, my coin would be on you.
Maester Culiper: Your Grace, why do you punish yourself so harshly? The realm is at peace.
Jaehaerys: The realm was at peace when my grandsire died, but scarcely had my father climbed onto the throne than foes rose up on every side. They were testing him, to learn if he was strong or weak. They will test me as well.
Reasonable Authority Figure:
- In general, he was known for being a firm yet fair arbitrator, striving to resolve conflicts in ways that benefited both parties. This earned him the nickname "the Conciliator."
- His solution to the Faith Militant uprising. He offered to grant amnesty to its members and to defend the Faith of the Seven, despite the Targaryens themselves not being beholden to its traditions. All he asked in return was that they swear to disband. Doing so simultaneously ended an uprising and ensured that the organization responsible no longer existed to trouble the Iron Throne in future. A history lesson Cersei should have paid attention to, but absolutely did not.
Rebel Leader: Led a brief rebellion against Maegor to enforce his claim on the Iron Throne.
Ruling Couple: Him and Alysanne. While Jaehaerys was the one sitting on the Iron Throne, his wife had just as much of a hand in ensuring the peace and prosperity of Westeros during their reign. She often made state visits by herself.
Seduction-Proof Marriage: Not that there weren't attempts, but he never had eyes for anyone but Alysanne.
Sexual Karma: To contrast to his predecessor. Maegor's marriages were tumultuous and unfruitful, Jaehaerys and Alysanne's marriage was mostly loving (they temporarily separated twice) and highly successful (they had 13 kids).
The Smart Guy: He was probably the greatest diplomat in Westerosi history.
- Just how good a diplomat was he? He managed to negotiate a truce and bring fifty years of peace between Houses Bracken and Blackwood, two houses whose animosity has lasted for well over two thousand years.
Single-Target Sexuality: Only had eyes for Alysanne.
Snub by Omission: Made it pretty damn clear how he felt about Lord Franklyn Farman's rude behavior toward his sister Rhaena when, on the following tour of his kingdom, he avoided Faircastle entirely. Nor would he visit the island at all until the lord was dead and buried.
Spear Counterpart: If the original Rhaenys was a man, she would be Jaehaerys.
Succession Crisis: Recognized one in the making towards the end of his reign, which is why he called a Great Council to set the succession in stone and avert any possibility of a civil war after his death. He managed to postpone it for a generation, at least. Just goes to show what a great king he was: there is a longer list of Targaryen rulers who didn't spot the inevitable coming, let alone tried to head it off at the pass (or, in the case of Aegon the Unworthy, actually started one — possibly for the deliberate giggles).
- Unfortunately, he inspired one down the line when the highly capable and intelligent Princess Rhaenys was passed over for the well-beaning but ineffectual Viserys due to her gender. Viserys' fecklessness led to the Dance of the Dragons.
Superior Successor: To both his father and uncle, the ineffective Aenys and the tyrannical Maegor. Jaehaerys proved to be a much better king than either of them, bringing peace and prosperity to the realm for over fifty years.
Tempting Fate: To marry his sister without invoking the Faith's wrath, Jaehaerys created the Doctrine of Exceptionalism, a religious precept that taught that Valyrians was unique among men and that they were immune to the rules and problems that applied to most men. Ten of Jaehaerys's twelve children would later die, and the two who lived were unfit to succeed him. Most notably, when his daughter Daenerys died of a plague sweeping the country, Jaehaerys would be bitter since they was supposed to be immune to such things.
- Jaehaerys spent his minority training at arms with the expectation of being "tested" by adversaries, as Aenys had been in the wake of Aegon's death. Nor was he wrong—but his first such "test" threw all that out the window, as his mother, Queen Alyssa, and her husband and Hand of the King, Lord Rogar Baratheon, went out of their way to undermine his marriage to Alysanne. Fortunately, Jaehaerys and Alysanne prevailed, and the plan ended in failure for Lord Rogar, who lost his Handship in the fallout—and nearly his own marriage as well.
This Cannot Be!: Apparently, when the truth of what Saera had been up to came out, Jaehaerys was so horrified he was utterly lost for words...at least until his daughter mentioned Maegor...
Trauma Button: Maegor, unsurprisingly. When his daughter Saera blithely suggested that she could marry all three of her lovers and cited Maegor's six wives as precedent, Jaehaerys exploded in rage and demanded if that was who she aspired to be.
Unexpected Successor: Eventually became king despite having been his father Aenys's third son.
Universally Beloved Leader: When he died, even Dorne mourned. Dorne wasn't even part of the realm at that time, and he'd killed their Prince.
The Wise Prince: Notably much wiser than his father.
Wizard Beard: Jaehaerys had an epic long-flowing beard in his later years.
Young and in Charge: He might have ascended to the throne at a young age, but he sure as hell made everyone know he was in charge from very early on in his reign.

Queen Alysanne Targaryen

Good Queen Alysanne

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/0e4195a1d6bd93bac0b44df382f04f34.jpg

Send me to the ends of the earth and wed me to the King of Mossovy or the Lord of the Grey Waste, Silverwing will always bring me back to Jaehaerys.

Fifth child and second daughter of Aenys I and Alyssa. Sister-wife of King Jaehaerys I, with whom she had thirteen children (nine of which survived to adulthood). She is remembered as a very kind person and a wise co-ruler and adviser to her brother-husband. A song is named after her.

Behind Every Great Man: Well-educated and a great lover of books, Alysanne was an unusual queen for her setting in how she was her king's equal and actively wielded her influence on him to enact further change. She was her husband's most trusted adviser and while Jaehaerys was a good king in his own right, she and Septon Barth would often team up and persuade him into signing off on laws and infrastructure beneficial specifically for the smallfolk.
Beneath the Mask: In a single isolated incident: she laughed off Silverwing refusing to cross the Wall, but wrote to her husband in a private letter that it deeply concerned her.
Bookworm: She loved to read so much that a court fool made japes about her as a baby dripping milk on Valyrian scrolls, trying to read while drinking from the teat of her wet nurse. Septon Barth wrote that she would have been sent to the Citadel had she been a man.
Brother–Sister Incest: Married to her brother Jaehaerys, as mentioned above. They had an amicable Brother–Sister Team relationship even before the marriage, and on learning that they were to be married to different people to prevent the same backlash against incest as their father and siblings faced, they hastened to have a secret wedding when she was 13 and he was 15. They spent nearly every moment with each other and their marriage was the longest and happiest one on the books for the Targaryen dynasty.
The Charmer: She was astoundingly good at swaying people, even in her early teens. When her mother and good-father sent a group of ladies-in-waiting to be Alysanne's servants with secret orders to spy on Alysanne and Jaehaerys and try to convince Alysanne to back out of the yet-unconsummated marriage, Alysanne instead managed to befriend all the girls and win them over to her side.
Cool Big Sis: Towards her half-siblings Boremund and Jocelyn Baratheon.
Deadpan Snarker: Unsurprisingly, was said to have been one.
Jaehaerys: How is it that I am the Old King now, but you are still the Good Queen?
Alysanne: I am old as well, but I am still younger than you.
Death by Despair: According to The World of Ice & Fire, the death of her youngest child, Gael, directly led to her own less than a year later.
Dragon Rider: Rode Silverwing.
Elopement: After hearing that she was to be married to Lord Rogar's youngest brother, she eloped with Jaehaerys and got married on Dragonstone without the consent of their mother, the Queen Regent.
Gender Is No Object: She strongly believed a woman could rule on her own, and wanted her daughter Daenerys, and later granddaughter Rhaenys, to succeed them instead of being skipped over in favor of their male relatives. She also argued convincingly for women to be admitted to the Citadel, though the maesters just politely promised to think about it and then kept everything like it was.
Guile Heroine: About as wily and silver-tongued as her descendant Daenerys would later be conquering and ruling in Essos, only add in an insatiable thirst for books and learning. Alysanne is unquestionably the Queen of Westeros who did the Realm the most good, and almost certainly also the sharpest. Accounts of how she persuaded Jaehaerys with her words and demonstrations prove how gifted at debate she was.
Hair of Gold, Heart of Gold: Pretty but not inhumanly beautiful like many other Targaryens, and known to have lacked the traditional Valyrian look of silver-gold hair and purple eyes, instead having honey-blonde curls and blue eyes. (As her parents were a Targaryen and a Velaryon, it's most likely Alysanne got her coloring from her grandmother Alarra Massey on her mother's side.) Not having the traditional Targaryen look didn't make her any less the Good Queen in her people's eyes, and she was an educated woman and fierce champion for her people, especially smallfolk and women, fondly remembered by history. For readers with modern sensibilities, that's doubled by her being one of the comparatively few proactive rulers who cares about the poor and gender-equality in Westeros and her lacking even Jaehaerys' questionable comments and decisions.
Happily Married: To Jaehaerys. They eloped despite the protests of their mother, Lord Rogar, and the High Septon and she never once wavered in her devotion to her husband. The pair famously only had two quarrels in their over fifty years of marriage and they always made up, closer and stronger than ever afterwards.
The High Queen: Like her husband, she practically codified what to aim at to be considered a noble ruler.
Horrible Judge of Character: While normally good at reading people, she had a blind spot regarding Saera, assuming she'd start behaving eventually. She didn't, and despite Alysanne's attempts to keep in contact, never bothered to reconnect.
Imperiled in Pregnancy: While heavily pregnant with her first child, Alysanne made a stop on the royal progress at a bathhouse in Maidenpool, hoping the supposed healing properties of the water would help with her pregnancy. Three Septas of the motherhouse who maintained the sacred pool tried to assassinate the queen, fearing the holy waters would be polluted by Alysanne's unborn child of incest. Alysanne's maids threw themselves at the attackers, buying time for the Kingsguard to come to the rescue, but as a result, Alysanne's son was born prematurely and died three days later, and she would forever blame his death on the septas who had tried to murder her. This led to her having Jonquil Darke assigned as her personal sworn shield, a woman who could follow her even into woman-only spaces and protect her.
Irony: Queen Alysanne would survive giving birth thirteen times. Two of her daughters, Alyssa and Daella, her granddaughter Aemma and her great-granddaughter Laena would all die in childbirth.
Long-Lived: Like her husband, living until the venerable age of 64.
Love Makes You Dumb: An in-universe example; after the deaths of her daughters Alyssa, Daella and Viserra shortly after each other, Alysanne went to Jaehaerys to try and forgive their daughter Saera, working as a whore in Lys. Given at that point, Jaehaerys still firmly hated Saera, he flatly refused, pointing out that Saera had made her feelings about them perfectly clear and that even if she was willing to return to Westeros, the Lyseni weren't exactly going to hand over a Targaryen princess making money for them without a fight.
Massive Numbered Siblings: Part of a massive number of siblings and the cause of it with her own brood: she had two sisters (Rhaena and the deceased Vaella), three brothers (Aegon, Viserys, and Jaehaerys), and later on two half-siblings (Boremund and Jocelyn). She and Jaehaerys went on to beat that record by having thirteen children together (as per the family tree in The World of Ice & Fire): Aegon, Daenerys, Aemon, Baelon, Alyssa, Maegelle, Vaegon, Daella, Saera, Viserra, Valerion, Gaemon, and Gael (nine of which survived to adulthood).
The Matchmaker: She spent a great deal of time arranging marriages among the great houses of the kingdom, the better to promote peace and stability.
Modest Royalty: She was perfectly content with Lord Commander Burley's basic amenities and food available at the Wall. She also preferred to spend time on Dragonstone, despite Dragonstone being far less comfortable than King's Landing.
Named After Somebody Famous: She's the Somebody Famous: she was so popular that noble families all over Westeros continue to name their daughters after her.
No Historical Figures Were Harmed: GRRM himself has compared her to Eleanor of Aquitaine—in terms of her power, dignity, and political skill, but without any of Eleanor's potential flaws (her marriage controversies, scheming with her sons, etc.)
- Of Philippa of Hainault, Queen of Edward III, which is fitting for Jaehaerys's wife. Married her husband when they were both young, enjoyed a long and mostly happy marriage, gave birth to around a dozen children, was a good politician in her own right who focused on the country's development and was extremely popular in her lifetime and viewed as the model queen.
Mama Bear: Alysanne was fiercely protective and devoted to her children and no man can say otherwise. In fact, her outliving several of her children is believed to have contributed to her death (and it certainly caused her depression in her later years).
Outliving One's Offspring: Four of her children (Aegon, Daenerys, Valerion, Gaemon) died in infancy, and Aemon, Daella, Maegelle, Alyssa, Viserra and Gael also died before her. In fact, it was the grief over the death of Gael, her beloved youngest child, that caused Alysanne herself to die less than a year afterwards. Only Saera and possibly Vaegon survived her.
Parental Favoritism: The reason Gael's death had such a devastating effect on her, as said above (though Gael being her only remaining daughter probably played a role too). Her daughter Viserra seems to have been her least favorite child, since Alysanne betrothed her to a man older than Jaehaerys.
Please Spare Him, My Liege!:
- After the attempt on her life at Maidenpool, when Lord Mooton discovered at least a dozen septas had helped plan the assassination in addition to the three who carried out the attack, he intended to have the entire motherhouse hanged until Alysanne pleaded with him to spare those who'd played no part in the plot.
- Averted when Ser Lucamore's wives plead for mercy from her. Her only sympathy is that they were fooled into bigamy, but emphasizes that does not excuse them willingly marrying a man sworn to chastity.
"The Reason You Suck" Speech: Gave a disgusted one to Lucamore Strong after his indiscretions came to light.
Ruling Couple: She was Jaehaerys' most trusted adviser, and even in their youth they were regarded as something of a package deal.
Sanity Slippage: Her mind took a hit in the last year of her life.
The Social Expert: Had remarkable powers of persuasion and was able to read a room.
Sophisticated as Hell: Most of the time, she was as sophisticated and queenly as you'd expect. Except for when the subject of succession came up, and she bluntly informed her husband that the one thing that wasn't a required factor in being the heir was "a cock".
Universally Beloved Leader: The smallfolk loved Alysanne, and she's still remembered fondly in present-day Westeros, as her most notable reforms (outlawing Droit du Seigneur, providing reliable clean water to residents of King's Landing) disproportionately benefited them. Her maids were loyal to her to the point of risking (and in one case) losing their lives defending her unarmed from an assassination attempt. By the tenth year of Jaehaerys' reign, Alysanne was described as more beloved by the people than her husband.

Jaehaerys and Alysanne's children

Princess Daenerys Targaryen

Second child and eldest surviving daughter of Jaehaerys I and Alysanne. Was intended to marry her younger brother Aemon. She died from a plague ravaging Westeros in 60 AC.

Brother–Sister Incest: When her younger brother Aemon was born, Jaehaerys and Alysanne concluded they would rule together. When she died, they sought a bride for him in Westeros, feeling it wouldn't be right to wed him with another sister than Daenerys, and because they felt Baelon was a better match for Alyssa than Aemon.
Cheerful Child: Daenerys was described as a happy child, curious and utterly fearless.
Kindhearted Cat Lover: She loved kittens, and during her final hours she asked for her kitten be brought to her for comfort. Her shivering made the cat restless and scratched her.
Nothing Is the Same Anymore: Jaehaerys and Alysanne had long been of the belief that their Valyrian ancestry protected them from mundane illnesses. After Daenerys died during the Shivers pandemic, her parents were left shattered by the realization that perhaps the Targaryens were only human after all.
Posthumous Sibling: Of all her siblings, only Aemon and Baelon really knew her, and her mother found herself pregnant with Alyssa shortly after her passing.
Sibling Yin-Yang: Daenerys was a classic Targaryen cutie and apparently was shaping up to be a Proper Lady. Her younger sister Alyssa started life looking very much like her, but grew up to be surprisingly plain and quite the Tomboy Princess.
Too Good for This Sinful Earth: Daenerys was described as angelic, gentle and sweet-natured girl who was as kind as she was beautiful. Her death by the Shivers left her parents utterly grief-stricken and Jaehaerys even notes how such a good child being taken from them is as baffling as it is devastating.

Prince Aemon Targaryen

Aemon Targaryen, Prince of Dragonstone

Third child and eldest surviving son of Jaehaerys I and Alysanne. Was his father's first heir. Married his aunt Jocelyn Baratheon, with whom he had a daughter, Rhaenys. He was killed in battle against Myrish pirates in 92 AC.

Accidental Murder: On the receiving end of this. He wasn't the target, but he had the unfortunate luck of being the guy standing next to the real one.
All There in the Manual: The manner of his death is only mentioned in The World of Ice & Fire.
Dragon Rider: Rode Caraxes the Blood Wyrm, which would eventually be re-tamed by his nephew Daemon.
Love at First Sight: At the feast to celebrate his investiture as Prince of Dragonstone, Aemon's mother sat Jocelyn Baratheon beside him, where it was said the couple had eyes for no one but each other.
Plot-Triggering Death: Aemon's death was the start of the Dance of the Dragons.
...the Old King never dreamed that Aemon's death in 92 AC would be like the hellhorns of Valyrian legend, bringing death and destruction down on all those who heard their sound.
Sibling Yin-Yang: Described as serious, obedient and cautious as a child, which contrasted with his impetuous and hot-headed younger brother. The two reportedly loved each other deeply, though.
Surprisingly Sudden Death: Shot through the neck by an archer (who wasn't even aiming for him), and then died.
Tempting Fate: After he and Jocelyn married, the Lord Commander of the Kingsguard was heard to say "There stands the future of the realm." Though they were married for over two decades before Aemon's untimely death, the couple would only bear one child in Princess Rhaenys—who was infamously passed over not once, but twice; first as heir of Dragonstone and then as heir to the Iron Throne.
Warrior Prince: Flew alongside his father to burn an invading Dornish fleet. Although being this also led to his death a few years later while trying to drive Myrish pirates off Tarth.
The Wise Prince: He was an even-headed, studious and modest man who probably would have been a great king had he not been tragically murdered.

Prince Baelon Targaryen

Baelon Targaryen, Prince of Dragonstone, Hand of the King

The Spring Prince, Baelon the Brave

Fourth child and second surviving son of Jaehaerys I and Alysanne. Was married to his younger sister Alyssa, with whom he had three sons, Viserys I, Daemon and Aegon. Became his father's heir following his brother Aemon's death, and Hand of the King after the dismissal of Ser Ryam Redwyne. Died in 101 AC of a "burst belly".

The Ace: A great fighter, a great dragonrider and a very competent leader and ruler beloved and respected by both the nobles and the smallfolk who agreed that he would make a great king. His mother Alysanne even believed that he would be an even greater king than his father.
All There in the Manual: His marriage to his sister and his cause of death are only mentioned in The World of Ice & Fire. More details of his life appear in Fire & Blood
Big Brother Mentor: Tried to teach his younger brother Vaegon swordplay, but Baelon ultimately gave up when he realised Vaegon had no skill or interest in being a warrior.
Big Brother Worship: Loved and deeply admired his older brother Aemon, and he in turn was followed by Alyssa instead.
Brother–Sister Incest: Was married to his sister Alyssa.
Cain and Abel: Subverted. When Baelon was born, everyone at court feared a repeat of what happened between Aenys and Maegor, but Baelon and his elder brother Aemon grew up to be inseparable.
Call-Forward: Much like Barristan Selmy centuries later, when he was young he entered a tournament as a mystery knight before being unmasked.
Dragon Rider: He rode Vhagar, who had remained riderless since the death of Visenya.
The Good Chancellor: He served as his father's Hand of the King for some time after Septon Barth's death, and while he wasn't as wise and studious as Barth, he performed his duty admirably and knew how to surround himself with loyal and competent councillors and subordinates.
Good Parents: He was a kind and loving father to Viserys and Daemon and raised them by himself after Alyssa's passing.
Happily Married: With Alyssa. They were very close and happy together, having a very active sex-life. Her death left him devastated and he never remarried. It's said the only thing that kept him going were his sons.
I Coulda Been a Contender!: Many thought he would have made a great king, and possibly the worst errors of his son's rule could have been changed, or at least minimized.
In-Series Nickname: Called the Spring Prince because he was born two days before the white ravens announced the arrival of spring.
- Because he was not afraid of dragons, even whacking Balerion on the nose, Ser Samgood said he must be "either crazy or very brave", and the nickname stuck.
Manly Tears: Baelon broke down sobbing in his mother's arms after returning from his campaign to avenge Aemon, mourning that nothing he did would bring his beloved big brother back.
The Magnificent: Named "Baelon the Brave" by Ser Samgood of the Kingsguard after bopping Balerion the Black Dread on the nose the first time he visited the Dragonpit as a child. His accomplishments in war and in tourneys proved that he had been named well.
The Mourning After: The death of Alyssa deeply affected him, and he never remarried though he was only 27 when she died.
Number Two: To his father, as Hand of the King.
Roaring Rampage of Revenge: Went on one after his brother's death, burning a thousand Myrish pirates in a blind fury. Afterwards, he found it didn't give him any satisfaction in the long run.
Surprisingly Sudden Death: He died mere days after complaining of a pain on his side. His death was due to a "burst belly", which could have been (in more scientific terms) a peritonitis caused by a burst appendix or an intestinal perforation, which can kill a person after roughly 48 hours without treatment.
Universally Beloved Leader: He was beloved by both the smallfolk and the nobles. When he died everyone in the realm mourned him.
Vengeance Feels Empty: He went on a Roaring Rampage of Revenge after Aemon's death, slaughtering the Myrish pirates occupying Tarth who'd killed Aemon, but afterwards lamented to his mother how it hadn't brought his beloved brother back.
Baelon Targaryen: I slew a thousand of them, but it will not bring him back.
Warrior Prince: Much like his brother Aemon.
Was Too Hard on Him: Felt partially responsible for Viserra's death because he had rejected her too harshly.

Princess Alyssa Targaryen

I love to ride.

Fifth child and second daughter (third surviving child overall) of Jaehaerys I and Alysanne. Was married to her older brother Baelon, with whom she had three sons, Viserys I, Daemon and Aegon.

Big Sister Instinct: When her brother Vaegon insulted Daella while refusing to marry her, she poured a jar of wine on his head. Ironically, Daella was terrified of her.
Brother–Sister Incest: Married to her brother Baelon.
Dead Guy Junior: Named after her grandmother Alyssa Velaryon, who had suffered a case of Death by Childbirth six years before baby Alyssa was born. Unfortunately proved to be a prophetic name when Alyssa suffered the same (at a much younger age, even!)
Death by Childbirth: Died giving birth to her third child Aegon, who followed her to the grave shortly after.
Does Not Like Spam: When she was young, she hated porridge.
Dragon Rider: She rode Meleys the Red Queen, a dragon who would eventually be rode by her niece Rhaenys. She took her infant son Viserys riding on Meleys just nine days after giving birth to him.
Happily Married: With Baelon. They loved each other deeply and had a very active sex life.
The Immodest Orgasm: Had one on her wedding night with Baelon, much to the amusement to the Red Keep.
The Lost Lenore: To Baelon, who was never the same after her death and never remarried.
Lovable Sex Maniac: She considered sex to be the sweetest thing in the world, and would speak of how much she enjoyed "riding".
Nice Girl: Her spirited nature and tactlessness aside, Alyssa was a kind-hearted, dutiful and loving woman, a faithful wife and devoted mother who was loved by all who knew her. The realm and her family (none more so than Baelon) greatly mourned her loss.
Odd Name Out: One of the few Targaryens to not have a name with "ae" in it. Justified in that she was named after her grandmother Alyssa Velaryon, another Valyrian family who employ names of this calibre.
Retcon: In The World of Ice & Fire she was second child and oldest surviving child overall of King Jaehaerys, but in Fire & Blood she becomes fifth child and third surviving child overall.
Sibling Yin-Yang: With her older sister Daenerys, who was beautiful and sweet while Alyssa was wilful and surprisingly plain for a Targaryen.
Tomboy Princess: She enjoyed pants because you can't rip them easily, and wasn't too bothered when she broke her nose practicing swordplay.
World's Most Beautiful Woman: A notable aversion: she had dirty blonde hair, heterochromia, ungainly features and later got a broken nose. She didn't care a whit, and neither did Baelon.

Princess Maegelle Targaryen

The sixth child and third daughter of Jaehaerys I and Alysanne.

See the Faith of the Seven page.

Prince Vaegon Targaryen

Prince Vaegon Targaryen, Archmaester of the Citadel

The Dragonless

Vaegon has never looked twice (at his sisters). I am not sure he is aware that they exist. Perhaps if some maester wrote about them in a book.

— Queen Alysanne

Seventh child and third son of King Jaehaerys I and Queen Alysanne Targaryen. He was given to the Citadel at a young age, eventually becoming Archmaester, holding the ring and rod and mask of yellow gold.

Arranged Marriage: He was supposed to have one with his sister Daella, but his coldness toward her put an end to that.
Big Brother Bully: He couldn't stand his younger sister Daella, whom he considered an utter moron, and told her so to her face. She was a bit slow and could barely read, but the manner in which he said it was very rude, and having an intellectual disability was hardly her own fault or something to hold against her.
Bookworm: Books were his only passion.
Covered in Gunge: After he insulted Daella and made her run off in tears, their sister Alyssa dumped a flagon of wine over his head. His only response was, "You're wasting Arbor gold."
Foil: To his sister, Saera. He was an apathetic bookworm who was sent to the Citadel and she was a promiscuous jerk who ran away to Lys to work in a brothel. Both were considered to be their parents' problem children and both were likely the only children in their family to outlive their parents.
Good with Numbers: He became an archmaester and earned himself the ring, rod, and mask of yellow gold for his extensive studies in mathematics and economy.
In-Series Nickname: The Dragonless, because he was never allowed to bond with a dragon. Not that he probably would have wanted to, anyway.
Jerkass: He always was an asshole to everyone in the Red Keep.
Jerkass Has a Point:
- In private Queen Alysanne was forced to admit that his evaluation of Daella's intelligence was not wrong.
- It was Vaegon who proposed the Great Council in Harrenhal to solve the Succession Crisis. While we know how that ends, there was no better or more viable way. Jaehaerys ultimately went along with it.
Lack of Empathy: He never showed any real care or interest in other people. After going to the Citadel, he regularly wrote to his parents because that's what a good son does but his letters lacked any love or warmth.
Laser-Guided Karma: After insulting his sister Daella and refusing to apologize, his sister Alyssa humiliated him fifty times during sword practice, all while Daella watched from a window.
Non-Action Guy: It was clear from a young age he was never going to be a fighter.
No Social Skills: Vae started off with no grasp of tact whatsoever. It took several long, awkward talks with his dad and brothers to get him to even a basic understanding of it, but even then he remained an aloof and distant man until the end of his days.
Perpetual Frowner: Even as a child, Vaegon never cracked a smile and was perpetually dour. Apparently he almost smiled when his father told him he was going to the Citadel.
Put on a Bus: He was eventually sent to the Citadel where he was much happier, or whatever emotion he felt that equate to happiness.
Rage Quit: Baelon spent a year trying to get him to learn swordfighting, but he never took to it. After Alyssa humiliated him, he finally threw down his sword and stormed out, never to return.
Spare to the Throne: Deliberately subverted. He was sent to the Citadel to remove him from the line of succession since he already had two surviving brothers. Even when the line of succession came up, with his older brothers being gone, pretty much everyone took one look at him and admitted that he was a no-hoper. There was speculation that Jaehaerys might have tried a last-ditch effort to make him heir shortly before convening the Great Council of 101, only for Vaegon to turn him down.
Terse Talker: He wasn't the most chatty person to ever live. Even when his father told him he was going off to the Citadel, his reaction was a mere three words. "Yes, father. Good."
What Happened to the Mouse?: He was last mentioned being summoned to the Red Keep by his father to help discuss the matter of inheritance before going back to the Citadel. After that he just disappears from the record entirely.
- Vaegon was only 38 years old at the Great Council of 101 AC - many readers just assume he isn't mentioned again because he must have died in obscurity after that. But he would have been 66 years old when the Dance of the Dragons began in 129 AC, and 73 years old at the end of the long regency of Aegon III in 136 AC - which is the stopping point for the first half of Archmaester Gyldayn's history. It's entirely possible that he still has some role to play in the second volume of Fire and Blood - sort of as a foil to Maester Aemon in ASOIAF?

Princess Daella Targaryen

Mother, please come. I am frightened.

Eighth child and fourth daughter of Jaehaerys I and Alysanne. Married to Lord Rodrik Arryn, she died in 82 AC while giving birth to their only child, Aemma.

Acrophobic Bird: Born into an ancient Valyrian family of dragon riders and tamers, but she was utterly terrified of dragons. And pretty much everything else, too.
Affectionate Nickname: Her mother Alysanne called her "my little flower". To Rodrik Arryn, she was "my precious princess".
All There in the Manual: The name of her husband and her cause of death are only mentioned in The World of Ice & Fire and Fire & Blood.
Arranged Marriage: To Rodrik Arryn.
Beautiful Singing Voice: She had one, but was afraid to sing in front of people, because she always got the words wrong.
Big Sister Worship: She saw Maegelle as her "guiding star."
Brainless Beauty: The typical Targaryen looker, but not tremendously bright. It might not have been her fault, as she's implied to have had some kind of learning disability.
Darkhorse Victory: She's the least capable among Jaehaerys I and Alysanne's children, yet the current Targaryen line descends from her through her great-grandson, Viserys II (who also descended from her brother, Baelon the Brave).
Dead Guy Junior: The similarities in names make it appear she was named for her older sister Daenerys, who died at age seven, four years before Daella herself was born. Daenerys had been the darling of their parents, who were completely crushed by Daenerys' death and it's mentioned that the sister born in-between them, Alyssa, looked so much like Daenerys that it made Alysanne cry, definitely pointing to them projecting their ongoing grief for Daenerys on their younger daughters. Not a great idea in the first place to name your kid after your much-beloved dead kid and give them inferiority issues, and probably made worse when frightened and weepy Daella couldn't quite live up to vivacious and charming Daenerys.
Death by Childbirth: Died giving birth to her only child, Aemma Arryn.
Dumbass Has a Point: Slow and childish she may have been, but even she was capable of pegging Corlys Velaryon as being more interested in his ships than any woman.
Fragile Flower: In every sense of the word, both physically and mentally. She was small for her age and a Shrinking Violet who was afraid of nearly everything. She was also prone to tears and would cry at the mildest scolding.
Gold Digger: Averted. One of the possible candidates for her hand was the wealthy Ser Tymond Lannister, but she turned him down.
Good Stepmother: She's delighted and declared that she will be the new mother for Rodrik's four children from a previous marriage. She got along pretty well with three of them. The eldest daughter, Elys (who was also older than Daella), however, couldn't stand her because of Daella's Prone to Tears for the slightest reason and sometimes no reason at all. The younger daughter, Amanda, often helped Daella writing letters to Alysanne. She also reportedly sang praises of Rodrik's "sweet sons" whom she doted on heavily and they loved her deeply in turn.
Happily Married: Even if Rodrik was twenty years her senior with four kids from his first marriage, he absolutely doted on his young dragon-bride, and she loved how kind and nice he was.
Innocently Insensitive: She refused to marry the old gods-worshipping Royce Blackwood, not because she's prejudiced against the worshippers of the old gods, but because she would be expected to wed in front of a weirwood, which she's afraid of.
Little Big Sister: Since she's small, she's likely this to her younger siblings, especially Saera who tends to bully her.
Lovable Coward: She was afraid of everything, but also very sweet and likable.
Minor Flaw, Major Breakup: Daella's over-sensitiveness caused her to reject many suitors for minor reasons such as trying to make her drink wine, kissing her without her permission, and asking her to say her wedding vows in front of a weirwood tree.
Daella: (about the Blackwoods) They don't believe in the gods! I'd go to hell!
Minor Injury Overreaction: She became afraid of all cats because her kitten scratched her...once. She was also afraid of gardens because a bee almost stung her.
Momma's Girl: She's very close to her mother, who described her as "my little flower". After she's married, she often wrote letters to her mother with the help of her stepdaughter, Amanda Arryn. When she's pregnant, she begs her mother to come to the Eyrie three months before Daella was due. Alysanne remained with Daella until she gave birth.
Nervous Wreck: Absolutely everything frightened her or made her cry.
Never a Self-Made Woman: Even by the series' standards. Due to her learning disabilities, she's virtually useless in a lot of things to the point that her father gave up on her and pushed her to marry early.
Older Than They Look: Between her small size and learning disorder, she came off as being younger than she actually was.
Prone to Tears: She was scared by everything and often suffered crying jags. Hence her mother letting her marry Rodrik Arryn, whom the princess considered reassuring.
Shrinking Violet: She got nervous around crowds. As a result, her wedding was a small, private affair.
Single Woman Seeks Good Man: She was such a Nervous Wreck her parents sought to find her the most gentle and kind husband ever. She ultimately married Rodrik Arryn, and it was a success on all accounts.
Small Role, Big Impact: Daella doesn't get much done herself, but her granddaughter Rhaenyra is one of the key players in the Dance of the Dragons.
Taking the Veil: Raised as a suggestion for what to do with her, but immediately rejected since she A: couldn't read very well, and B: cried when anyone tried to make her.
Ugly Guy, Hot Wife: Daella was a Targaryen beauty, while her husband, Rodrik Arryn was twenty years older than her, fat, bald and short. Daella didn't care how he looked; she loved him because he made her feel safe and secure.
The Unfavorite: While her mother Alysanne loved her, her father Jaehaerys eventually got thoroughly fed up with her being useless for absolutely everything, and told Alysanne to just find her a husband already so she wouldn't be his problem anymore.
Unwitting Instigator of Doom: A posthumous example; her death in childbirth caused a brief rift between her parents, with Alysanne angrily blaming Jaehaerys for forcing her into marriage so swiftly.
Why Did It Have to Be Snakes?: She was frightened of cats, after being scratched by one, and bees after a near encounter with one. Saera set cats and bees loose on her for kicks.
Women Prefer Strong Men: Averted. Another marriage candidate was Boremund Baratheon, but she turned him down. (He is also her half-uncle through her grandmother Alyssa Velaryon's second marriage with Rogar Baratheon.)

Princess Saera Targaryen

Why should I have just one husband? The Conqueror had two wives, and Maegor had six or eight.

The ninth child and fifth daughter of Jaehaerys I and Alysanne. She was supposed to become a septa but instead she ran away to Lys and then to Volantis, where she ended her days as the owner of a pleasure house.

Ain't Too Proud to Beg: She tried to beg for her father's forgiveness when it finally sank in she was in serious trouble, but Jaehaerys wasn't in the mood to listen (having discovered just how depraved she was and still seething about her pressing his sore spot about Maegor) and the Kingsguard dragged her out.
Ambiguously Related: Saera Targaryen originally left Westeros for Lys and spent significant time there—and it should be noted she had three bastard sons by the age of thirty-four, and possibly more after that, considering her favorite pastime. Within a few years of Jaehaerys calling the Great Council of 101 AC and Saera's bastard sons showing up to press their claims, a Lyseni dancer with the Valyrian look, an incredibly close name to Saera's—Mysaria—and a similarly shady personality had turned up in King's Landing, and she became the favored paramour of Saera's nephew Prince Daemon for more than two decades. In the present day, Illyrio Mopatis' deceased wife Serra has an almost identical name to Saera, long silver-gold hair, and was found in a pleasure house in Lys. Considering how often families in this series reuse names, one has to wonder...
Armor-Piercing Question: "Are you aware that Alys Turnberry is with child?" It's at this moment, being scolded by her mother the Queen, that Saera realizes just how out of control her malicious jests have spiraled.
Babysitter's Nightmare: She was a Royal Brat of epic proportions who had half a dozen septas and as many bed-maids before she was 13. She didn't improve with age and would grow up to be a Hard-Drinking Party Girl.
Bad Liar: When confronted by her parents for sleeping around, she went into such a quick-paced flurry of half-assed lies, excuses and blame shifting that it took an entire page just to summarize it all and she was visibly exhausted when she was done. Septon Barth remarked that no mummer in the land had ever given such a performance.
Big Little Sister: She was taller than her older sister Daella.
Big Sister Bully: Inverted since she's the little sister. She was as willful and spiteful as Daella had been weak and fragile, and Saera often bullied her in their childhood.
Daddy's Girl: Jaehaerys spoiled her constantly as a child until he learned how promiscuous she was.
Dragon Rider: Averted. She never claimed a dragon in her youth and her attempt to flee King's Landing on a dragon was stopped by the Dragonpit's guards. Indeed, she was only two years old when Grand Maester Elysar wrote, almost prophetically, “Seven save us all when she is older. The Dragonkeepers had best lock up the dragons.”
Enfant Terrible: She was known for her selfish and cruel actions as a child. Her septa even openly called her evil after she tricked the court fool into mutilating himself on the Iron Throne.
Forced to Watch: Jonquil Darke made Saera watch Braxton Beesbury's Duel to the Death with her father, so she'd know the blood of whoever died in that combat was on her hands.
High-Class Call Girl: How else would she end up on the path to owning a high-class brothel?
- When Alysanne wanted to bring Saera home, Jaehaerys, who had already disowned Saera, pointed out that, as a Targaryen princess, she was incredibly valuable to the Lyseni and trying to take her back would likely result in conflict, possibly even triggering a war with Lys.
- One of her bastard sons was fathered by one of the Triarchs of Volantis.
History Repeats: Like her cousin Aerea Targaryen, she was a spoiled bully and delinquent, but to an even greater extent than Aerea ever was.
Hoist by His Own Petard:
- She pranked her father's fool by tricking him to go to a brothel where he ended up humiliating himself. When her parents heard about this, it made them realize that there was more to Saera than just a spoiled princess and a little bit more probing by them revealed the full extent of Saera's cruelty and promiscuity.
- Alysanne was close to getting Jaehaerys to go easy on her, but then she attempted to steal a dragon and run away, which pushed any thought of easy forgiveness from his mind.
I Have No Son!: Jaehaerys declared her dead to him after she fled to Lys. He also pointed out she clearly felt the same way about her family. His interactions with Alicent Hightower towards the end of his life imply he did come to regret it.
I Just Want to Be Loved: Septon Barth suggested this might have been the reason behind why Saera acted out so much. Being overshadowed by her older siblings, particularly the emotionally fragile Daella made her feel starved of affection and attention, and her acting out was the only way she could get some acknowledgement from her parents.
Jerkass: She often bullied her sister, abused and threatened her servants, slept around with young lords and pressured her friends to do the same.
Kick the Dog:
- She regularly tricked her father's fool into humiliating and dangerous situations.
- She tricked all of her first three lovers into thinking that she was still a virgin.
- In fleeing to Lys, she knocked an old lady down a flight of stairs as she made her escape.
Manipulative Bitch: Zig-zagged; Saera was good at manipulating her older brothers Aemon and Baelon, as well as her parents, but her sisters never liked or trusted her. She also manipulated two of her friends at court into sexual experimentation with each other and the young lords they hung around with.
Miss Kitty: Ran a high-class brothel in her later years.
- Indeed she was such a success at this that she was able to put her sons forward as claimants to the Iron Throne. Although they had no chance to succeeding, and she probably just wanted to hurt her parents by reminding them of her, their gifts and wealth she sent them with stood out against all others.
Naughty Nuns: She continued to wear her Silent Sister robes long after running away to Lys because often she roleplayed as an innocent princess who her Johns could "deflower" in the pleasure gardens and her novice clothing help enhance the imagery.
Not Helping Your Case: Saera tried to defend her promiscuity with three young nobles by insisting that she could easily marry all three of them to solve matters, citing Maegor's multiple marriages as precedent. Her father, who unsurprisingly still hated any mention of his late uncle, exploded at that, furiously demanding to know if that was who Saera aspired to be before ordering his Kingsguard to get her out of his sight.
Really Gets Around: Shamelessly admitted to sleeping with three young lords before fleeing to Essos and spending the rest of her life in the sex industry. Her three bastard sons all had different fathers.
Rebellious Princess: Boy howdy, and how.
Redemption Rejection: Instead of spending a few years in the Silent Sisters and earning her parents' forgiveness, she fled to Lys and never looked back.
Sex for Services: Slept with sailors and who knows who else in order to get from Oldtown to Lys.
Spare to the Throne: Speculated as being the reason for her behavior, since she wasn't just the spare, she was ninth in line, and barring a highly unlikely series of events never would've stood a chance in Hell of getting onto the throne, and couldn't even get a consolation prize of a high government position. Funnily enough, when the talk of succession came up, she actually had a legitimate claim, but by that point had no interest in it. Her bastard sons showed up at the Great Council instead to stake their own claims, but no one voted for them.
Spoiled Brat: Incredibly selfish and mean and threw huge fits if her every want wasn't instantly satisfied.
Taking the Veil: Averted. Her parents sent her to train with the Silent Sisters, hoping that she would change her selfish and promiscuous ways. Instead, she fled to Lys the first chance she had and found work in a pleasure garden before starting a brothel in Volantis.
Toxic Friend Influence: Pressured her two closest friends into having sex, resulting in one of them getting pregnant.
Traumatic Haircut: Part of the harsh Silent Sister training involved shaving her head bald and then scrubbing it with horsehair brushes.
Troubling Unchildlike Behaviour: Refused to be weaned until she was four and took to drinking before she was thirteen, often showing up to morning prayers already piss-drunk. Then she found out about sex...
The Unapologetic: She never made any attempts to make peace with her family and there's no evidence that she ever felt regret for her actions.
You Remind Me of X: Her spoiled and defiant nature reminded her parents of her cousin Aerea, but she turned out to be worse than Aerea ever was.

Princess Viserra Targaryen

(Baelon) married one sister, why not another?

The tenth child and sixth daughter of Jaehaerys I and Alysanne. Wild and high-spirited, she was betrothed to Lord Manderly until she died riding drunkenly through the streets of King's Landing.

Arranged Marriage: To the elderly and four times widowed Lord Theomore Manderly, although the marriage would not occur.
Be a Whore to Get Your Man: Viserra attempted to drunkenly seduce her brother Baelon hoping to win his heart so she didn't have to marry the aged Lord Manderly. Baelon, still grieving the death of his first sister-wife, refused.
Brother–Sister Incest: Tried to seduce her older brother Baelon, who rejected her advances.
Dead Guy Junior: Possibly named for her uncle Prince Viserys, the older brother of her parents who was tortured to death at 15 by their Evil Uncle. If so, Viserra was the fourth child of Jaehaerys and Alysanne's named for a loved one only to also die young - their first son Aegon, Viserra's oldest brother, was named for their other murdered brother and died in the cradle after only three days, Viserra's older sister Alyssa was named for grandmother Alyssa Velaryon and died at age 24 after a difficult birth (ironically after her newborn son, also named Aegon presumably after the older brother she never knew, also died in the cradle), older sister Daella was likely named for their dead older sister Daenerys and died from childbed fever at age 18, and Viserra died five years after Daella when she was 16.
Deadpan Snarker: When Alysanne tried to extol the virtues of Viserra's marriage to Theomore Manderly, Viserra scoffed that Alysanne should marry him instead.
Death of a Child: Her parents got woke up in the dead of night to be told Viserra had been found dead in the streets of King's Landing, having sneaked out of the Red Keep without her parent's knowledge for one last night of freedom after a blazing argument with her mother.
Drunk Driver: Raced on horseback while drunk and collided with another horse, with the force of the collision throwing her into a wall with enough force to break her neck on impact.
Everyone Has Standards: Viserra wasn't evil and was only a teenager on top of that, but her ambitious and vain personality doesn't paint a flattering picture of her as a person. She was closest to Saera in age, Saera was able to charm their parents and brothers, led a Girl Posse, and one would think little sis Viserra would naturally be her little follower, but actually it's mentioned none of Saera's sisters liked her, Viserra included.
Genki Girl: Had she been less of one, she might have lived longer.
Hard-Drinking Party Girl: Deconstructed. See Neck Snap below for details.
Neck Snap: Viserra's cause of death. Copious amounts of alcohol and riding horses at high speed don't mix.
Old Man Marrying a Child: When she learned her parents promised her hand to the elderly Lord Manderly, she tried to seduce her brother Baelon into taking her for himself - which failed since he was still mourning for his beloved Alyssa.
Proud Beauty: She knew she was hot and it got to her head; she even claimed that she should be Baelon's queen since she was prettier than Alyssa.
Speak Ill of the Dead: She arrogantly said that Baelon should marry her, since she was much more beautiful than her deceased older sister, Alyssa.
He married one sister, why not another? I am much prettier than Alyssa ever was, you saw her. She had a broken nose.
The Unfavorite: She was her mother's least favorite child, even compared to Saera. Alysanne was extremely scornful of Viserra's flirtations with her brother Baelon (feeling that it was not out of love for him, but more Viserra wanting to use him to be Queen^note) and betrothed her to a man older than Jaehaerys in the dreary, boring North (albeit a very rich one, but it was still clear Alysanne wanted her far from the royal court). Even so, Alysanne was still very sad when Viserra died.
World's Most Beautiful Woman: Described as the most beautiful of her parents' daughters, and it clearly went to her head. Her mother was actually a bit disconcerted she looked so mature despite her age.

Princess Gael Targaryen

The Winter Child

The thirteenth (and youngest) child and seventh daughter of Jaehaerys I and Alysanne. A sweet yet simple-minded girl, she was the favorite of Queen Alysanne.

13 Is Unlucky: This time, yes.
Dumb Is Good: Sweet, but not very bright.
Driven to Suicide: Drowned herself in the Blackwater after being seduced, impregnated and abandoned by a singer.
In-Series Nickname: The Winter Child, not only because it was the season of her birth, but because she was born during her mother's "winter years" (Alysanne was 44).
The Ophelia: Described as "simple-minded but sweet", the despair of being abandoned by her lover and left pregnant caused her to drown herself.
Parental Favoritism: She was the most beloved of Good Queen Alysanne.
Tragic Stillbirth: Her bastard child did not survive the birth, and she walked into Blackwater Bay in despair as a result.
What Happened to the Mouse?: Gael was so unremarkable that her death went unsaid. It was just thought that she died of a fever. The truth did not come out until her father's death.

Jaehaerys and Alysanne's relatives

Princess Aerea Targaryen

One of the twin daughters born to Princess Rhaena and Prince Aegon while they were sheltered at Casterly Rock. Originally a shy and scared child, she grew up to be an juvenile delinquent. She is noted for having claimed Balerion and having disappeared for a year before turning up in King's Landing and dying an horrific and mysterious death.

Animal Lover: Despite being a terror and a royal pain around the Red Keep, Aerea loved animals and spent a lot of time with them, including horses, hounds, and dragons.
Antagonistic Offspring: She has terrible relationship with her mother because they barely knew each other since Maegor took them hostage.
Attention Whore: During her stay at King's Landing, she thoroughly enjoyed the attention she got as King Maegor's heir.
Be Careful What You Wish For: Absolutely hated the time she spent on Dragonstone with no friends and forbidden by her mother to spend time anywhere else, to the point where she flew away with Balerion. This resulted in Balerion flying her to possibly the worst place on the planet, Valyria, and ultimately her horrific death.
The Beastmaster: Averted. Aerea loved dragons and considered them her only friends on Dragonstone. She claimed Balerion as her own dragon and flew out to sea with him, but she was a young girl with no experience riding dragons and Balerion was a huge, old and stubborn dragon who likely ignored her commands.
Body Horror: This was the condition she was in when she returned to King's Landing, a gaunt, charred girl that was being burned alive from the inside and had monster worms inside her.
Cruel and Unusual Death: Boy howdy. Died perhaps the single most painful and horrific death of all the Targaryens, and in a manner that could give Kane from Alien a run for his money.
Dye or Die: Her silver Targaryen hair was dyed brown when she was being hidden from Maegor.
Family-Unfriendly Death: When she returned to Kings Landing on the back of Balerion, she was gaunt, was visibly burning from the inside out, her eyes burst from inside her skull, but worst of all she had large, worm like creatures with faces and arms crawling inside her which burst out of her and died when she was treated with ice.
Freudian Excuse: She was a monstrous brat (though nowhere near as awful as some Targaryens who'd come later) but given she was dragged away from where she was happiest to the cold, remote Dragonstone where she was denied any contact with kids her own age, by a mother who barely gave her the time of day anyhow, it's no wonder she turned out how she did.
Friend to All Living Things: She got along much better with animals than humans.
Heir Club for Men: Averted. Aerea was named as both Maegor's and Jaehaerys's lawful heir until a son was born to them.
Hidden Depths: Despite being a Royal Brat of epic proportions, she loved animals, spending most of her time in the kennels, stables and dragon yards. She was very fond of her horses and hounds, and the dragons on Dragonstone, considering them her only friends. She also enjoyed working in the Red Keep's stables, which says a lot for a pampered Targaryen princess.
I Have Your Wife: She was one of the proverbial wives. Rhaena had her and her sister hidden without knowing where they were going, but Tyanna found them and made them hostages to ensure their mother would marry Maegor.
Jerkass: She was noted to be incredibly rude and mean to those she interacted with, abused her servants, and once dumped a chamber pot on her stepfather's head to vent after an argument with her mother.
King Incognito: During Jaehaerys's regency, she was hidden as a stable girl in King's Landing to prevent Rogar using her as a Puppet King. It was reportedly the happiest time of her life.
Let Us Never Speak of This Again: Septon Barth, who attempted to treat Aerea and was there when she died, wrote one personal account of the horrors he saw, which remained hidden for over a century, and never brought it up in any of his writings afterwards.
Lonely Rich Kid: At King's Landing, there were many other young girls for her to play with, but when she was taken to live at Dragonstone, it was a lonely and quiet place where her mother didn't even allow her to mingle with the children of smallfolk. Her only friends were the dragons.
Madness Mantra: According to Septon Barth, she begged him to kill her repeatedly, in-between bursts of noises no human being could make.
Nothing Is Scarier: The only coherent words she's recorded as saying on her return was "I never-". Note that this was as she fell off the back of a wounded dragon, gaunt, frail and in tattered rags, from wherever it was Balerion had gone, her body cooking like a roast and writhing inside all the while. Concluded Septon Barth:
The Father made men curious, some say to test our faith. It is my own abiding sin that whenever I come upon a door I must needs see what lies upon the farther side, but certain doors are best left unopened. Aerea Targaryen went through such a door.
Passed-Over Inheritance: She was heir apparent twice, first to her great-uncle Maegor and later for her uncle Jaehaerys, but both times it was clear she was only heir as long as they didn't have a son of their own. While Maegor died before he could have one, Jaehaerys did succeed, many times over.
Polar Opposite Twins: To her sister, Rhaella, who was a shy and obedient girl training to be a Septa. As children, their personalities were the other way around and the sudden change in their collective demeanor led many to believe that the two had been secretly switched for the sake of convenience.
Rebellious Princess: She was one of the biggest delinquents ever produced by House Targaryen, constantly defied the wishes of her mother and her septa, bullied and insulted everyone she came across and she claimed the dragon who killed her father and ran away from home.
Riddle for the Ages: "Where did Aerea take Balerion?" Or rather, "Where did Balerion take Aerea?" Septon Barth deduced that the ruins of Valyria could be the only answer.
Screw This, I'm Outta Here: Seemingly claimed Balerion and disappeared to escape her mother and Dragonstone, but this proved to be the death of her.
Teens Are Monsters: In King's Landing, Aerea led a gang of young girls who terrorized the Red Keep. After her mother forced her to move to Dragonstone she regularly took her anger and frustrations out on everyone.
Used to Be a Sweet Kid: Was a shy and quiet girl in her youth before becoming a rebellious teen.

Royal Court

For the Kingsguard of King Jaehaerys, see here.

Septon Barth, Hand of the King

See the Faith of the Seven page.

Grand Maester Benifer

See the Order of the Maesters page.

Grand Maester Elysar

See the Order of the Maesters page.

Jonquil Darke

See House Darke.

Tom Turnip

The fool of Jaehaerys I's court. He was a simpleton, and was clumsy and prone to tremors.

The Chew Toy: The poor fool was too half-witted to understand Saera loved to make him the target of her cruel pranks, and when the extent of her cruelty was exposed, the King and Queen thought she went too far.
Court Jester: He was the fool of Jaehaerys' court.
Dude, Not Funny!: Jaehaerys and Alysanne's reaction to all the japes and humiliation he had suffered at the hands of Saera was telling her neither they nor Tom found any of it funny.
Naked People Are Funny: Saera convinced him to dance naked at an important feast. Saera found that to be funny, the rest of the court did not.
Unwitting Pawn: He was too simple-minded to know Saera Targaryen was manipulating him into doing dangerous and humiliating pranks.
What Happened to the Mouse?: His fate after the incident at the Blue Pearl is unknown.

Characters / A Song of Ice and Fire - Court of Jaehaerys I

This is a listing of characters in the court of King Jaehaerys I Targaryen in A Song of Ice and Fire.

For the main House Targaryen entry and overall tropes, see here

Royal Family