Laenor Velaryon

Ser Laenor Velaryon is the son of Corlys Velaryon and Rhaenys Targaryen, and the presumed deceased former heir to Driftmark.HBO Releases First Official Teaser For HOUSE OF THE DRAGON He once rode the dragon Seasmoke.
==Biography==
===Background===
Aemon Targaryen, Laenor's grandfather through his mother Rhaenys Targaryen was the eldest son and heir of old King Jaehaerys. Laenor's grandfather died before Jaehaerys did, but then Jaehaerys controversially passed over Rhaenys as heir on account of her sex, instead naming his second son the heir (even though by traditional inheritance law based on primogeniture, a lord's daughter inherits before his younger brother). Jaehaerys's second son himself died a few years later, after which the elderly Jaehaerys held the Great Council of 101 AC, in which all the lords of Westeros held a vote on whether Viserys, grandson of Jaehaerys through his second son, or Rhaenys was to succeed to the throne. Viserys won the election by a wide margin, and succeeded to the throne a few years later when Jaehaerys finally died. If Rhaenys had been chosen, Laenor would have been next in line to the throne.
===House of the Dragon: Season 1===
Laenor attends the Heir's Tournament with his family. As some knights start to kill each other, his younger sister Laena clutches onto his arm. Along with the Targaryens and the Small Council, the Velaryons leave the royal box when news arrive of Queen Aemma's death.
A few years later, Laenor, mounted on his young dragon Seasmoke, fights in the War for the Stepstones. It is Laenor who proposes sending in Daemon Targaryen as bait to lure out the Triarchy forces from the caves, as the Crabfeeder has been using them to evade dragonfire. When his uncle, Ser Vaemond, criticizes Daemon, Laenor responds by accusing his uncle of inaction and cowardice, calling him the "Master of Complaints." Laenor then participates in the following battle, burning Triarchy men with his dragon.
To avoid Corlys making an alliance with the Sealord of Braavos by marrying Laena to his son, King Viserys arranges a marriage between Rhaenyra Targaryen and Laenor to unite the two most powerful houses in the realm.
Viserys and Rhaenyra travel to High Tide to finalize the arrangements for Laenor and Rhaenyra's marriage. As the prospective bride and groom walk along the shore together, they come to an understanding that the arrangement is entirely a political one and that they both have found love elsewhere, Laenor being attracted to men. With that in mind, they both agree to do their duties to their families, and afterwards to love as they please. He later shares this information with his lover Joffrey Lonmouth, who is pleased with the agreement.
At the opening feast of what is planned to be a seven-day prelude to the wedding ceremony, Laenor dances with his betrothed and exchanges gossip with Joffrey, who has figured out that Rhaenyra has a secret lover of her own: Ser Criston Cole of the Kingsguard. After Joffrey talks to Criston about this, Cole begins beating him. Laenor makes his way through the crowd and tries to throw Criston off of Joffrey, but the stronger Kingsguard punches Laenor in the face and into a table, knocking him out. When Laenor wakes up, Joffrey has been beaten to death, causing Laenor to loudly anguish over his loss. Later that evening, Laenor and Rhaenyra are married in a private ceremony while Joffrey's blood is still warm.
Ten years later, Laenor, despite trying, has failed to produce an heir with Rhaenyra, though they remain on good terms. Instead, Rhaenyra has three bastards on her new lover, Ser Harwin Strong: Jacaerys, Lucerys, and Joffrey, who Laenor names after his deceased lover. The boys are presented to the realm as the trueborn sons of Laenor, who seems to be content with this and is a loving father to them regardless. Like his wife, Laenor also finds new love, in the lowborn knight Qarl Correy. While Laenor wants to return to the fighting in the Stepstones, Rhaenyra commands him to stay when the rumors of their sons' legitimacy begin to surface. The family also moves to Dragonstone to be away from the Greens, and Laenor is allowed to take Qarl with him.
Laenor attends his sister Laena's funeral after her death. After the burial, he stands in the sea, where he begins to tear up over having lost his beloved sister. Later that night, Laenor's absence is noted during the altercation in the Hall of Nine. As a result, Laenor decides to recommit himself to Rhaenyra as they discuss their marriage, their sons' parentage, and Qarl going off to fight in the Stepstones.
In a ploy to strengthen Rhaenyra's claim by instating Daemon as prince consort, and to allow Laenor his desired freedom, a pretend-duel is staged between Laenor and Qarl in the Hall of Nine in front of a witness, who quickly leaves to inform Corlys. Before Corlys and Rhaenys arrive, a servant murdered by Daemon is planted in the hall and burned beyond recognition so as to make it seem that Laenor has been killed. Laenor, who has shaved his head to hide his Valyrian features, escapes on a boat with Qarl with the aim of self-exile in Essos.
==Personality==
Laenor loves his children, despite knowing that they are not truly his. He is considered by others to be a good man.
==Quotes==
===Spoken by Laenor===
===Spoken about Laenor===
==Family==
===Paternal===
===Maternal===
==Behind the scenes==
On October 5, 2021, HBO announced that John Macmillan and Theo Nate had been cast in the role of Laenor Velaryon for House of the Dragon, portraying the older and younger versions of the character, respectively. His character description reads as follows:
:"Son of Corlys Velaryon and Rhaenys Targaryen."
==In the books==
In Fire & Blood, Laenor was the son of Lord Corlys Velaryon and Princess Rhaenys Targaryen. He was one year younger than his sister, Laena. Like their mother, Laenor and Laena were also dragon-riders: Laenor's dragon was Seasmoke. 
There is no mention that Laenor participated in the War for the Stepstones.
In the books, Laenor is killed in a duel by Ser Qarl Correy in Spicetown. Although rumors persist that Prince Daemon paid Ser Qarl to murder Laenor, freeing Princess Rhaenyra to remarry, this is never confirmed. The show has altered this subplot considerably, by instead having Laenor be a willing participant in a plot to fake his own death, allowing him to escape his sham marriage to Rhaenyra and live out his days with Qarl in Essos.
==Appearances==
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==References==
===Notes===
==External links==
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Category:Blacks
Category:Crownlanders
Category:Dragonriders
Category:Exiles
Category:Individuals appearing in House of the Dragon
Category:Knights
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