Valaena Velaryon

## Lady of Dragonstone

Lady **Valaena Velaryon** was a member of House Velaryon during the late Century of Blood. She was the fifth and second youngest child of Lord Aurane Velaryon and Lady Rhaella Targaryen. She was the wife of Aerion Targaryen, Lord of Dragonstone, and the mother of the three conquerors of Westeros: Visenya, Aegon and Rhaenys Targaryen. Valaena was a dragonrider and rode the dragon Morghon.

## Appearance and Character

Valaena had the typical Valyrian features of both the Velaryons and Targaryens. She had deep lilac eyes and long, silver hair. Valaena's youngest daughter resembled her in her soft features and feminine beauty.

Valaena was kind and well educated. Since youth she enjoyed riding her dragon, Morghon. The second youngest of six children, Valaena was doted on by her parents and elder siblings.

In her adulthood, she was a witty and dutiful woman. Her subjects thought her to be strong-willed yet gentle and forgiving.

## History

### Early life

Valaena was born in 45 BC at Driftmark to Lord Aurane Velaryon and Lady Rhaella Targaryen. She had four elder siblings, Aethan, Visara, Daenara and Valaera, as well as one younger sister, Jaenara.

Valaena was betrothed to the twenty year-old Aerion Targaryen in 34 BC and the two were wed two years later. Valaena's firstborn child, Visenya, was born in mid-29 BC, just three months after Aerion's bastard son, Orys, was born.

Two more children were born to Valaena by Aerion: a son, Aegon, in 27 BC and Rhaenys in 26 BC. Valaena was pregnant three more times after the birth of Rhaenys: she gave birth to a stillborn son in 23 BC, she suffered a miscarriage in 18 BC, and gave birth to stillborn twin sons in 12 BC.

As per Targaryen tradition, Aegon was expected to marry Visenya, however, in 11 BC, Aegon took both Visenya and Rhaenys as wives.

In 10 BC, Aerion died of a heart attack. Following his funeral, Aegon succeeded him as Lord of Dragonstone.

### Aegon's Conquest

In 2 BC, Valaena's three children landed at the mouth of the Blackwater Rush and their conquest of Westeros began. Valaena remained at Dragonstone, while Morghon was used as a threat to Aegon's enemies in case they meant to attack the Targaryen stronghold.

Though Valaena never joined her children in conquering Westeros, she did travel north on dragonback. She was present when Torrhen Stark bent the knee to Aegon.

Valaena was also present when Aegon was crowned and proclaimed "Aegon of House Targaryen, the First of His Name, King of the Andals, the Rhoynar, and the First Men, Lord of the Seven Kingdoms, and Protector of the Realm" by the High Septon. After his coronation, Valaena was deemed the queen mother and became an influential advisor to Aegon.

After two miscarriages and two stillborn sons, Valaena's first living grandchild, Prince Aenys, was born in 7 AC to Aegon and Rhaenys. Valaena was over the moon with the birth of Aenys and cared for him as she had her children.

### First Dornish War

Valaena's youngest daughter, Rhaenys, was killed in Dorne in 10 AC, after which Aenys's health began to deteriorate. Valaena did her best to keep Aenys healthy and his care was in her hands. It was only after she presented Aenys with a hatchling, that his health improved.

Her eldest daughter, Visenya, was pressured to have a son should Aenys die young, this angered Valaena, as Aenys showed improvement and Visenya showed dislike to the prince. Nonetheless, in 12 AC, Visenya gave birth to a son, Prince Maegor.

Due to the fact that Visenya was one-and-forty at the time of Maegor's birth, it was believed by many that the young prince was a product of sorcery. Valaena was the one who brought it up to Visenya when she visited Dragonstone in 13 AC. Though Visenya was outraged, she did not deny it, as it was unbeknownst to all, true. Valaena's relationship with Visenya was further estranged as she left the Dragonstone on bad terms with the queen.

### Later life

In 22 AC, Aenys wed his cousin Lady Alyssa Velaryon. The following year, Alyssa gave birth to their first child and Valaena's first great-grandchild, Princess Rhaena. Both Aegon and Valaena wept at the sight of the princess, as she reminded them of Rhaenys.

When Visenya suggested a marriage between the young princess and her son Maegor, Valaena was the first to object, to Visenya's dislike. Valaena was relieved when Alyssa and Aenys disapproved of such a match.

Valaena doted on Rhaena as she reminded her so of her deceased daughter. In fact, Rhaena was one of the three people Valaena saw before passing away in her sleep in 25 AC, the other two people being Aegon and Aenys.

### Death

Valaena lived a long life, passing away in her sleep at the age of seventy. Valaena had been bedridden for five days before passing away. Her son, Aegon, grandson, Aenys, and granddaughter, Rhaena, were in the room with her as she passed. Her daughter Visenya, though estranged from Valaena, arrived in King's Landing the morning after, she attended her funeral, as did her son Maegor.

Valaena was cremated and interred at Dragonstone where Aegon's ashes would be interred beside hers years later.

## Legacy

Valaena's dragon Morghon was later claimed by Prince Viserys Targaryen, son of King Aenys I, though the prince was murdered before he could mount the dragon. The dragon isolated himself after the gruesome death of Viserys.

The fearsome dragon was later claimed by Rhaena's son, Prince Aerion, and later by Aerion's granddaughter, Princess Daenyra. Daenyra rode him during the Dance of the Dragons on the side of the Blacks, and the two were the largest threat to the Greens. Both Morghon and Daenyra survived the Dance.

After Daenyra's death, Morghon left Westeros and made his home in the ruins of Valyria. He was accepted by the Dragon Gods in their lands.

## Quotes by Valaena

> Some madness has always stood over everyone with Targaryen blood. It dances around us mocking us, promising things it knows we want, only the weak dragons succumb to it.
>
> Valaena to Aegon I Targaryen about the Targaryen madness

> A dragon queen. Rhaena could be the future queen of the kingdoms. Imagine that, men bowing before your little girl, their queen. My little queen.
>
> Valaena's last words to Aenys

## References

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 *Lineages of the Great Houses of the Seven Kingdoms*, Crownlands: House Velaryon.
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 *Histories of Westeros*, Reign of the Dragons: Aegon I.
3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 *Histories of Westeros*, Reign of the Dragons: Aegon's Conquest.
4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 *Lineages of the Great Houses of the Seven Kingdoms*, Crownlands: House Targaryen.