Rhaenerys Targaryen

Rhaenerys Targaryen

Brother - Vaegon Targaryen

Brother - Aerion Targaryen

Brother - Jaeghar Targaryen

Sister - Daelaena Targaryen

Brother - Lucerys Targaryen

Rhaenerys Targaryen is the youngest daughter of Aeric and Rhaecaera. She is also betrothed to Durran Baratheon of Storm's End, and the rider of Aegorax.

## Appearance

Rhaenerys is a lean and lithe girl, with small breasts and a narrow waist. Despite her small frame, she does have a surprising curvaceousness to her. Rhaenerys has the typical silver hair of House Targaryen, falling past her shoulders, though she usually wears it tied back or in a simple braid. Rhaenerys has almond-shaped eyes of a deep and regal violet, and skin as pale as milk and smooth like silk.

In short, Rhaenerys is a beautiful young woman in the typical Valyrian style, with high cheekbones, a pointed chin, delicate lips and elegant jawline.

## Biography

### Backstory

#### Birth

Rhaenerys' life began with screams and blood; Her mother had struggled to birth her, the ordeal lasting a full day and night. It quickly became clear that the queen was not the only one who suffered from the long and arduous birth, the princess herself had been born weak, frail and sickly. For her first week of life, a wetnurse being required to sleep in the same chambers.

Many in the court believed the child would die, the only one who still believed in the weak babe, was her mother. And yet, after enduring one and a half long and hard months of sickness, with little improvement despite the Grand Maester's best efforts, the queen finally began to accept the situation. With a heavy heart, Queen Rhaecaera demanded an egg be brought from the dragon pit. The egg itself was barely bigger than the frail princess, its scaled shell a stark white that contrasted the infant girl's sickly pale complexion. The egg had been chosen for a reason, it too was seen as a lost hope, the dragon within refusing to hatch… a fitting final gift for the princess who would never ride. Placing the egg beside Rhaenerys, Rhaecaera gave her daughter one final kiss before leaving her for what she thought would be the last time.

Come morning, when she looked into the cradle, Rhaecaera saw the white shell of the egg, cracked and empty. Beside it lay Rhaenerys and a long serpentine dragonling of icy white scales curled around her. With each passing day, the princess grew stronger and stronger.

#### Childhood

A wild and restless girl, by the time she could walk, Rhaenerys was already growing infamous among the handmaidens and wetnurses of the Red Keep. As a toddler she would often run circles around her carers or hide away from them and throw viscous tantrums when they would try to steal her away from her games. As she grew older still, these quirks would develop, and she grew into quite the rambunctious mischief-maker.

Rhaenerys adored her mother, attached to her hip, following her wherever and whenever she could until she was seven years old. Her mother, who had struggled with her own birth so severely, had fallen pregnant again. The birth was a difficult one. Come morning, her mother was dead and she had a new brother.

#### Funeral on Dragonstone

The next few days were a blur for the young girl, everything moved so quickly. So many people spoke to her, giving their sympathies and prayer, though Rhaenerys was far too young to truly understand what they meant. And soon, far sooner than she thought, Rhaenerys found herself standing on the cliffs of Dragonstone, overlooking the pyre that her mother's wrapped corpse lay upon. Her father was the one who ordered the fires to claim her, and with a single word, Rhaenerys watched as dragonfire consumed the most important person in her life.

The girl dropped to her knees, balling, screaming for her mother. She sobbed until she felt a pair of arms wrap around her. Lifting her gaze, she half-expected to see her father, instead it was the face of her brother, Aerion, looking down at her. He whispered words of comfort and reassurance to her, and quietly led her off from the funeral grounds, all while she clung onto him, tears soaking his tunic.

#### Life in the Red Keep

> "*I prefer the company of Godswood trees to self-important bitches."* - Rhaenerys to Aerion.
>
>

While Rhaenerys had always been a willful and mischievous girl, she soon became a monster. She would pull truly mean-spirited and cruel jokes on those around her; Forcing the court fool to degrade himself, filling one of her septa's habits with dung, even shaving the head of a young girl of the court. She would curse and threaten her tutors and Septas, often bringing them to tears and even brawled with some of the other girls.

This all came to a head when she was ten, after raging at septa for daring to try and discipline her, she threw a heavy book at the woman, knocking her to the floor. The Septa was not grievously wounded but did need stitches. The Prince of Dragonstone, Aemon, made it clear that if Rhaenerys did not shape up, he would send her to Old Town, to spend the remainder of her youth among the women she seemed to delight in tormenting.

Rhaenerys spent the next few days in her own company, hiding away in the Godswood of the Red Keep rather than attending her lessons. Aerion had come to spend time with her, the two laying upon the roots of the great oak tree as Rhaenerys ranted and raved about everything.

#### Training

> "*You're a dragon, Rhae. Dragons breathe fire.*" - Aerion, to Rhaenerys.
>
>

After telling Rhaenerys she needed to focus her anger, he took it upon himself to teach her archery in the training yard. He was also there when she rode her dragon, Aegorax, riding on his great beast, Gaelithox. The two became incredibly close and spent much of their free time together.

### *The Reign of Dragons*

In the prologue, Aemon and Aerion discuss Rhaenerys' betrothal to Durran Baratheon in the Stormlands. Meanwhile, she and her sister Daelaena fight over the reasons behind Aerion's affection for her which ends when she threatens to steal one of Daelaena's handmaids, after which she departs the scene with her sworn protector, Ser Lucan of Lannisport, in tow. Along with her father, sister, and sister-in-law, she is given a gift by her uncle Maelor after he returns to court. After that, she is sent south to Storm's End, where her brusque attitude towards Durran and handling of the local weather soon proves to be a source of amusement for both Ardan Storm and Arrec Baratheon. She is pleasantly surprised when Aerion arrives on dragonback, and proceeds to warmly embrace him. When Rhaenerys readily offers to take Oraella for a ride on Aegorax, she goes on to make a remark about Oraella's match with Tristifer Tully, drawing the ire of several women attending her wedding and igniting an argument with Cassandra Baratheon. To Cassandra's horror, Rhaenerys implies she would much rather take another man to bed than her son and mentions in full view of several witnesses that Cassandra's own troubled marriage gives her little right to interfere in the unions of others. Ardan later sees her speaking intimately with her brother Aerion in the middle of a speech being given by Durran, something which her betrothed notices and is not especially pleased with. On her way out, she passes Ardan by, eyeing him curiously all the while. Upon losing her composure at an ensuing feast, Rhaenerys insults Aemon and whispers some cruel words to Oraella before rushing to catch up with Aerion after spotting him heading for the privy. There, the two of them share a private rendezvous, with Rhaenerys calling upon some lessons taught to her by Daelaena while doing so.

## Personality

Even as a child, Rhaenerys was renowned for her wild nature. Passionate, fierce and proud, Rhaenerys sees herself as a 'true' Targaryen, whose blood runs thick with the powers and magics of Old Valyria. While she doesn't believe in Targaryen supremacy to the extent of her brother, Aerion, she does still believe that Valyrians are naturally made to rule over those of lesser blood, evidenced by them being able to mount dragons.

In Rhaenerys' mind her best trait is her independent spirit; Having grown up around the fair maidens and ladies of the Red Keep, Rhaenerys has always prided herself on not conforming to the role of a lady. Where an ordinary lady of courts might be meek or timid, Rhaenerys is loud and boisterous. Where an ordinary lady might be polite and courteous, Rhaenerys is head-strong and unafraid to speak her mind. On the other hand, her worst trait is an inability to truly say no to the people who matter: While she might like to picture herself as strong and independent, in reality, she is a princess and has been raised to know her place in the family. She will scream and curse and cry and threaten, but should Aemon or her father demand something of her she will eventually do it, at least, she will for as long as she can bear it.

To the outside world, Rhaenerys is a regal and proud woman. A famous beauty, yet a stubborn and head-strong girl. To many in the realm, she is an example of what the women of old Valyria might have been like; passionate, temperamental and fiery. However, to many others, some of her own family included, Rhaenerys is seen as a spoilt and impetuous brat - a girl who has always demanded to get her way, or raised all seven of the hells and grew into a mean-spirited and harsh-tongued woman. To many, she is a woman with ideas far above her station as a woman, and lacks the decorum as well as the grace that a princess should carry herself with.

## Gallery

Original Concept Art of Rhaenerys Targaryen