Daeron Targaryen

Jaehaera Targaryen

Daeron Targaryen, Prince of Dragonstone, son of the late King Rhaegar and his Lady Wife Queen Saerys. He stands as the current heir to The Iron Throne until a male son is born to his brother, King Viserys Targaryen as well as Lord Admiral of the King's Fleet.

Despite his youth, the young prince has played an active role in the affairs of the Kingdom, having fought in the Rosegold rebellion before being severely injured by the late Lord Fossoway. His most recent contribution would be his role in rising King Viserys out of his stupor after the death of Queen Myranda.

Following his victory over Ironborn King Urragon X Drumm he was nicknamed Daeron Redwave by the soldiers. It was also during his battle against Urragon that the king died, effectively ending the war in a victory for the Iron Throne.

## Personality and Appearance

The personality of the young Prince of Dragonstone is a fluctuating one, one that may greatly change depending on who you ask about him. In his youth, he was an adventurous prince, a prince who loved to sail as much as he loved to explore or practice with blades. While not the most extroverted he was always a beacon of activity and youthful vigor. Alas, the excitable boy who entered the Rosegold rebellion was not the same who came out. While there was still that spark in him, as well as a strong love for his family, it had been greatly dulled by the dust of war. It was only later on that Daeron would rise again out of the depression that had dominated his life. While he was still not the same joyous boy he was in his youth, he was back to being the fiery Prince of Dragonstone. Driven by a love of his family, his house, and the dreams of the glories of Valyria, even if it is long since gone. It is this that bounds him, his duty towards his family and need to restore the kingdoms to their former glory, perhaps in another life he would instead sail freely across the seas, but he can’t. As long as his dynasty and brother are in need he must remain to be the first to pick up his sword to fight for the realm.

In public he wears fine clothing, as fitting of his status of a prince, preferring red and black silken clothes that flow freely and hold loosely to his body. Despite his expensive attire, he avoids excessive displays of wealthy, neglecting to wear gems or rings. When in combat he switches his light silk for black plate with the Targyaren dragon painted on his chest. His helmet is decorated with three dragon heads roaring in front of him.

## History

### Early Life (78-93 AC)

Growing up he would be close to both to his siblings, but his brother especially so. Whenever Viserys had free time from learning rulership with their father, Daeron would join Viserys in riding and hunting around King’s Landing. Soon both brother relationships with their father would begin to deteriorate, with Rhaegar infuriated at Viserys’ lack of kingly qualities being taken out on both siblings, as well as Daeron’s own anger at the way his brother was being treated. He would retreat from the confines of The Red Keep, increasingly

spending his time exploring Kings Landing and when possible, as far as the waterfront. It was his mother who would become the guiding parental figure in his life. She would be the moral foundation that the young prince needed, as well as giving him pride in his roots. Not just his Targyaren roots but his Velaryon ones as well.
A decisive change in his life would come with the death of his father, King Rhaegar in 93 AC making his brother king and Daeron heir apparent. Despite the increasingly distant relationship the two had by the end of his life, the death of his father would still devastate the young prince who was now both fatherless and heir to the throne at 15.

He would become friendly with the young Lord of Storm's End, Roy Baratheon, often practicing combat and spending long nights drinking around the taverns that dot King’s Landing. Despite normally being a talented dueler and lute player, while drunk his talents would be far more limited, to say the least. He would sometimes take to drunkenly dueling fellow interested patrons.

He would help his brother in any way he could, however, that help was of limited effect due to his own ineptitude at ruling. It was eventually decided that he could be the most helpful by overseeing Dragonstone, fulfilling his new role of Prince of Dragonstone as well as ensuring that the major Targaryen fortification was well looked after.

This was fine for Daeron who was more than happy to leave the rotten King's Landing. In his families few trips previous to the volcanic he had fallen in love with it's rocky landscape, liking to pretend that he was in ancient Valyria before the fall, loving to sail from the island and swim in the warm seas.

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### The Pains of War (93-96)

Alas, this joy was short lived as shortly after the ascension of his brother war would break out. Daeron would join his uncle, Lord Commander Aethan Velaryon in the war serving as his squire like he had done for many years before. He would follow his Uncle into every battle, and as his uncle was following the king, he would be present at the worst battles of the war. As the war dragged on, he would become increasingly disgusted by the entire rebellion, and The Reach especially. So many dying each day just on the vanity of one Tyrell. His increasing hatred of the enemies he fought would make him push for more opportunity to fight each time, becoming much more aggressive as the war dragged on.

This bloodthirst would come to a head in the infamous Slaughter at Bitterbridge. He would wade through the bloodshed each day fighting with his uncle, even as the bodies piled up more and more around him. It would all come to a head near the final days of the battle. Daeron would duel the old lord Fossoway one on one. The battle would be an intense one and while Daeron fought admiralty he was fairly quickly beaten by the much more experienced lord, being brought down by a large slash across his abdomen. For a moment it appeared to be all over as Fossway brought up his blade to finish the young prince, once and for all. It was only with the timely intervention of his uncle that Daeron would live, albeit close to death.

It was while being pulled away from his near grave that the adrenaline filled fury would fade, leaving the young Prince painfully clear-sighted of the corpses around him, aware that he had nearly joined those corpses.

Daeron would not rejoin the war after the duel, having been critically injured with a broken arm and slash across his abdomen. In fact, in the early stages of his injury it was feared that he could die of his wounds. However, thanks to the expertise of Maester Benedict, Daeron would survive. More amazingly, besides a large scar, he would even make a full recovery physically. His mental state would not recover quite so well.

Some good did come from this near-death experience. The horrors of war would temper his attitude to it as well as giving him a newfound respect for all those who marched off to fight in it, even if those people were smallfolk. It would further inspire him to practice with the blade even more, quickly becoming far more skilled than he ever had been before. Alas, for the few goods that came out of it more negatives were to follow. Daeron already had struggles with liquor before, now it seemed that all inhibitions had fallen away leading him to long nights drinking with Roy Baratheon and others. He would further become intensely cynical and often unapproachable, preferring to shut himself in when sober. Occasionally, often late in the night, he would relive his near-death in vivid detail giving him many nights of no sleep, and many more with severe nightmares. Though no one would know of this, as he kept it a closely guarded secret. These attitudes were only amplified by the fact that none of the lords responsible were brought to justice. Fossoway might have been killed but all in all the lords and lord paramountsss responsible for the revolt were not brought to justice, but rewarded for their transgressions.

He would start with a tour of the islands around Dragonstone, meeting with vassals and taking in the sights. Alas, while it was a nice respite it still wasn't enough, the happiness of his youth felt like it had been swept away in the sea.

He would frequently sail across the archipelago of islands that dotted the Blackwater, especially the home of his maternal family, Driftmark. He would try to meet with his cousin, the de facto lady of Driftmark as his Uncle, Corlys was frequently away.

Eventually he departed from King’s Landing to Dragonstone, hoping that the island that was the joy of his youth would lighten him up. It would be good to sail and swim in the salty seas again, it had been too long.

He would start with a tour of the islands around Dragonstone, meeting with vassals and taking in the sights. Alas, while it was a nice respite it still wasn't enough, the happiness of his youth felt like it had been swept away in the sea.

It was by chance that he would meet the woman who would be the light of his life for the next several moons. It was late in the afternoon, Daeron had just swum ashore after one of his typical swims when a young commoner woman would reach out to him. She initially mistook him for a shipwrecked Dragonseed. While Daeron would correct her on the shipwrecked part he would neglect to mention he was more than just a dragonseed. For some strange reason, this was the birth of a friendship. He would learn that Myrcella was a dockhand who had lived on Dragonstone as an orphan ever since her parents were lost at sea with the family ship. They would continue meeting, finding much in common.

One day a massive storm moved in around the island, it lasted nearly a week, shutting down all naval traffic to and from the island. With commerce at a halt activity on the island shut down. With nothing but time to pass Daeron and Mycella would spend more and more time together, eventually becoming far more than just friends with Daeron even revealing who he actually was.

The relationship would carry on even after the storm passed, albeit still a closely guarded secret it would eventually culminate 6 months in when Mycella would begin showing suspected signs of early pregnancy. While the two were mutually panicked about the implications they would continue on much as they had before, in an almost state of denial on what would happen in the future.

Unfortunately, they would never need to find out. It had become apparent to some, of the relationship between the two, some who wanted to use it to their advantage. In the middle of the night, a small ship would dock secretly on the island. With it would arrive a small group of men and a raven. The men stormed the cottage of Mycella planning on holding her ransom. She heard that break in, and picked up the sword that Dareon had gifted her and cut down the first assailant. In a panic the kidnappers would fight back, accidentally killing her in the process. The raven would arrive shortly after, containing the demands of ransom. He would rush over with a handful of loyal guards only to be met by the ravaged remains of her home. The surviving ransomers had fled, all he was left with was her remains.

He would send the guards away so that he may be left alone to mourn and burn her body. While she was never officially a Targaryen she should have been, if only he had been braver, at the very least their unborn child deserved to be treated with the traditions of their ancestors.

His next days and then weeks would be spent alone on Dragonstone. For a time he did little more than watch the waves roll in from the seas.He would only be attended to by a few friends and adjacents, Ronnel in particular. In a suprise visit his sister too would visit from Riverrun. After a night of cathcing up and drinking heavily the two would retire together. For a moment, in his drunken state, he would be reminded of his time with Mycella, even if the woman in bed with him was his sister instead. When Jaehaera departed a day later he would be awash in longing and regret. Longing for another while also ashamed that he took a married woman.

It was only when news came in from King’s Landing that he was able to shake himself from his stupor. Just like his unborn son, his nephew would never see the light of day, dying shortly after his mother.

He immediately set sail to King’s Landing, knowing his brother would need all the help he could in the aftermath of his wife and sons death. Sadly he could do little, his brother shut himself from all around him, even their own mother.  He could do little more than watch the Kingdom began to fall apart with even the small council abandoning their king.

Eventually the situation reached critical mass with the kingdom breaking and tearing apart at the seams, it was becoming clear that unless he could rouse his brother from his stupor the entire dream of their forefathers could fall apart. It at first seemed that once again his efforts would be in vain, his brother, believing that there was no way that anyone could understand what he was going through. It was then he knew how to get through to his brother, he told about his own loss…

### A New Day (97-98 AC)

Now re-reminded of his duty to both his family, friends, and house, Daeron would emerge again. While still not the fiery boy of his youth he did regain some of the fire that had faded. He would, to some extent, again gain back the openness and starry-eyed wonder of his youth, even if now more grounded.
Things normalized after that, the kingdom even began to patch itself back together. With the small council gutted and his brother’s emotional state still tenuous, Daeron would stay behind in Kings Landing, leaving his beloved Dragonstone in the care of the Castellan. He would be given the title of Lord Admiral in recognition for his service to the crown and nearly unparalleled skill in naval matters. He would serve under the Lannister Master of Ships, while reluctant to serve under a man who had so recently betrayed the kingdom he put serving his brother over personal thoughts. Lord Lannister’s preference for delegating the drilling of the fleet to Daeron further helped matters. He would further meet Serra Baratheon through her brother, who at the time was, at the time, at King’s Landing. The two would enter the early stages of a romantic relationship.

Perhaps the gods, whether they be Seven or Valyrian, were tired by the phoenix-like resurrection of both Princes of House Targaryen. Maybe it was just the stings of fate. Whatever it was the death of The Black Dread strike the family hard. While the ancient dragon had long since been confined to the cages of The Dragonpit it was still a massive blow to both House Targaryen and Daeron. Despite this loss, Daeron has not lost hope in the future of his house. The Princes and Princesses of House Targaryen were the only dragons the realm needs.