Jaehaerys II Targaryen

> *"Jaehaerys was not a particularly good King, but he had set his sights on his family’s highest honour and settled for nothing less. He might have once settled for King-Consort; but now he was the self-invested King. And so what if the smallfolk japed that their new monarch had killed his sister in the birthing chamber and his brother in the marriage bed?"*
>
> — Archmaester Bennis

**Jaehaerys II Targaryen**, called **'the Bitter'** after his rule, was the tenth Targaryen to rule Westeros. The youngest son of King Aegon II Targaryen, and Hand of the Queen to his half-sister Baela I Targaryen, Jaehaerys inherited the throne after the untimely demises of his older sister; her sole daughter, Rhaenyra II Targaryen; and his twin brother & Baela's former consort, Aegon III Targaryen.

Married to the lady Visenya Velaryon, Jaehaerys fathered three daughters with her during Baela's reign; Daenaerys Targaryen, Alysanne Targaryen and Jaehaera Targaryen. His eldest daughter Daenaerys would eventually succeed him as the current Queen of Westeros.

## Biography

### Early Life

Jaehaerys II was born the second child of Queen Myrielle Peake and King Aegon II Targaryen. He was never quite expected to inherit the Iron Throne, with an older sister from his father's previous marriage and an elder twin brother, Aegon. But the young boy never had the chance to properly know his father, as he was slain in The Blue Dragon Revolt. Now the future of the House Targaryen relied upon the three heirs of Aegon the Unbroken, with Baela crowned Queen under the regency of the Black Council.

Even though he was the third child, there was still great care in his studies as the boy was raised to become everything that would be needed to help his sister rule. And he quickly excelled, at it all. To his studies with the maesters, he took to with vigour and studied all that he could. His hunger for knowledge was remarked by Grand Maester Cadwyl as insatiable and there was much promise. When he was allowed to study with the blade, the Master at Arms of the Red Keep quickly remarked how well he worked with both blade and lance.

But there was one part that was kept hidden from everyone. When he was but six, he had been found to kill a stray cat in the Red Keep. Anger was something that he was quick too, with him once beating a young squire of House Bigglestone bloody when he was but ate. A sign of cruelty, one that was always hidden as best as could be done. The only people who he truly seemed to love were his siblings, Baela, and to a lesser extent Aegon.

While Aegon was always somewhat lonely and flippant, Jaehaerys and Baela were said to be very fond of one another, but they were ill-matched. Aegon was the elder brother, and though he infuriated Jaehaerys with his public admission that he had no love for the Queen, Jaehaerys truly began to hate his brother when he married Baela anyways, as was his right as the elder twin. Jaehaerys was left instead to be betrothed to Visenya of House Velaryon, whom he had little to no love for, all the while pining for the Queen.

### Hand of the Queen & the King

When Baela finally took control of the realm away from her council in 160 AC, she named her brother Jaehaerys as her Hand, replacing Lord Corwyn Corbray. Aegon, the Prince Consort whom she wed a year later, was left to his own hedonistic pleasures whilst Jaehaerys ruled the realm with his beloved sister, as he had always wished to. He was often there to council her on some matters, while she managed to stop his worst impulses. The one thing that put a strain on their relationship was her marriage to Aegon.

Jaehaerys' own marriage went mostly-neglected, with the Hand sending his wife and daughters out of Maegor's Holdfast to live in the newest holdfast of the Red Keep, nicknamed 'the Maidenvault', in 174 AC. Baela was disapproving and urged him to reconcile with his wife; he refused, and the Queen and Hand experienced their first true falling out since she came to rule without her Black Council, with reports of vicious verbal spars between the two. Ultimately, the Queen did not interfere with Jaehaerys' family, and he did little-to-nothing in the final year of her reign.

It was in the time immediately after that Queen Baela finally announced she was pregnant, and joy was abundant in all. In all except Jaehaerys, who raged, certain she had done it to punish him somehow.

But it was Jaehaerys who grieved the most when Baela the Good died after the birth of the child. The child, Rhaenyra, died soon after, and Jaehaerys was reported to have wept and torn his clothing when he heard, all whilst his brother and Baela's widower Aegon was crowned King without a show of emotion. Aegon was discontent with the idea of ruling beyond the pleasures it brought, however, and was more than eager to let Jaehaerys continue as the Hand of the King.

But after the death of his beloved sister, his worst impulses began to show. He was challenging and insulting men who had dared said anything that he saw as a slight. And as Aegon's Hand, able to nearly do what he pleased, Jaehaerys forbade his wife and daughters from leaving the Red Keep, and set about running the realm as he desired in his brother's near-constant absence. Still, Aegon did not rule for long, and the only thing that he truly did for his brother that was of note was assist in arranging the betrothal of the King to the fair and young Perianne Piper, making her the future Queen.

Yet that didn't last and after one year of his brother's rule, it was time for Jaehaerys to be the one to seize the Iron Throne when Aegon III died in Pinkmaiden. It was often said that he despised his brother and was glad for his death; or, even worse, he was responsible for it.

### The King's Whims

With the death of Aegon III, at 24 years of age, he was crowned King. His wife, however, was never crowned Queen, and remained his 'lady wife'.

After the first few years, it already became clear as to what kind of man and King he truly was. It became more and more clear how much he despised any slight jape of his House. Whenever he heard them, he often made a show of insulting them and mocking them in front of the court. It was noted that those lords who had spoken particularly harsh words would find themselves dead in some corner of flea bottom. Another thing that was whispered was that he often went down to torture the prisoners of the Black Cells himself for the love of it. The quietest rumours said he was Maegor come again.

During tournaments and melees, he proved relentless. There came a common rumor that he used live steel in duels against lords that he disliked or thought had spoken some insult. If there was a man who dared to say something against the dragon or if the King had perceived that, he would find himself lined up in the lists against the King. Often the King would aim for the neck or the chest, injuring many opponents and even killing some.

His rule however can be noted for one thing. With attacks from the Stepstones increasing, the King gathered his banners and rode out to shatter the Kingdom. Though it cost many lives, including the Lord Baratheon, they were successful. With Blackfyre in hand, he slew the pirate King Alyn Velaryon. It is seen as the greatest triumph of his reign.

But he never really changed in his manner. The relationship with his wife worsened when she did not give him a son. Often he had spoken of returning the line to one of Kings and queen consorts. He only freed his daughters from their confinement when he had them betrothed and married to men of virtue, and took his grandson from his daughter when she was born. He and his eldest child Daenaerys would but heads many a time after her release from the Maidenvault, only increasing the King's ire as he worked to undermine his female heir.

The ‘accidents’ at tourneys continued and he slighted more and more lords, sometimes merely out of a petty need and for no reason. He encouraged the many Marcher Lords of the Reach and Stormlands to raid the Dornish. This lead to rumors of a potential brewing war that the King was planning.

### Death

It all would end in the year 190 AC, when one morning he was found on the Iron Throne dead; impaled. Who did it is still unknown, with rumor abounding, if it was the Kingsguard, the Dornish or even his daughter or his wife. What we can say is that at 39 years of age, King Jaehaerys II died upon the Iron Throne, and his daughter Daenaerys Targaryen ascended after him.

### Legacy

Jaehaerys is not remembered fondly. Though he is not as-often forgotten as his brother Aegon III, he is also not spoken of with reverence like his sister Baela I. He is remembered as a king of wrath and fury, a warmonger, a kingkiller, and a suspected kinslayer.

## Appearance

The King resembled his mother more than anyone else. He did not carry the typical Valyrian fearures, with his hair being a dirty blonde and him having light brown eyes. He stood at a 6'3, being regarded as large and strong. In his youth, he was clean shaven and had short hair. But as his reign continued, beard and hair alike grew with his paranoia and spiteful nature.

## Personality

Jaehaerys II is remembered for two things above all. His wit and his cruelty. He proved to be a clever man, being skilled in stewardship and diplomacy alike. His skill at arms was something that was spoken of as well, him proving a champion in both sword and lance. But for all that, he was a vicious and spiteful man. Often he saw insults and challenges where there where none, his paranoia only growing with age. For those slights, he often injured or killed men in tourneys, with it being a hushed whisper that he enjoyed that cruelty.