Aelyx Targaryen

## Aelyx I Targaryen

"*I'm constantly faced with dilemmas. Situations in which it is difficult to judge, to know what is correct, or to make a decision. This is not one of them. You disgust me, and deserve to suffer.*"
―
Prince **Aelyx Targaryen** was prince Aewyn Targaryen's second son and the older brother to princess Visenya Targaryen and the younger brother to prince Axaes Targaryen. He grew to be strong in the arm and sharp of wit and had a brilliant mind, but was mostly overshadowed by his brother's accomplishments. he was a natural warrior with unrivaled weaponry skills. He lived for combat and battles, rising to become one of the brightest fighters of his day. He was already pounding seasoned men-at-arms into submission in the castle yard by the age of twelve, and by the age of thirteen, he was fighting hardened knights. When Aelyx reached the age of fourteen in 100 AC, his father gave him his Valyrian steel blade, Dark Sister, as a nameday gift.

At the age of nineteen he had turned into a superb fighter, rivaling Axaes, and a great tactician, proving his skills in the **War of the Vipers**. Despite his capabilities, he was never politically ambitious, viewing himself as a man who, when faced with a problem, took his sword and cut off its head.

## Biography

Aelyx, unlike many other Targaryens, did not form a bond with any of the hatched dragons placed in his cradle. Despite being provided with several others, he refused all. When his sister Visenya asked him whether he was afraid of dragons, Aelyx reportedly smiled and said "*only one dragon is fit for me*".

When his grandfather, Jaehaerys Targaryen, died peacefully in 103 AC, his dragon Vermithor was left without a rider. And, without a rider, the bronze dragon flew to Dragonstone to make his lair in one of the Dragonmont's smoldering caverns. Vermithor's presence had not gone unnoticed by Aelyx as the young prince had seemed to be anticipating for her arrival. With the dragon within his grasp, Aelyx was faced with a new challenge: entering the Dragonmont. Ever so ambitious, he would never back down from this task, no matter the danger.

As part of the royal family, Aelyx often traveled to the capital with his father. Unlike many, he loathed King's Landing and all the politics. While a fighter at heart, he chose to avoid the drill yard and the continual banging of metal-on-metal and instead oftentimes wandered the Red Keep, unraveling whatever secrets it kept. The few times he was at court he would find a shadowed corner of the Throne Room and stare at the skull of Balerion the Black Dread, while he absent-mindedly listened to the King and the Hand rendering judgements. Though when he grew older, he stopped visiting the capital and instead stayed at Dragonstone, which he considered his home.

When he reached the age of seventeen, Aelyx decided it was time for him to claim his dragon Vermithor. As determined as ever, he mapped out half of the Dragonmont caverns in six days with nothing more than a torch, locating the lairs of many dragons, both wild and tame. On his sixth night, he ventured down to the active volcano's lowest section, where he was confronted by a pair of yellow eyes belonging to Vermithor. Despite being fatigued, Aelyx approached the dragon, raised his chin, and murmured in the ancient Valyrian language, "*dohaeris, Vermithor*."

After spending most of his time at Dragonstone, Aelyx grew bored and restless. Wanting to see more of the world, he planned out a journey that would take him from the Wall to the ancient city of Asshai. Atop of Vermithor he flew to Winterfell first. When he arrived, many northerners turned out to gape at Vermithor with terror. Though first greeted with open arms, Aelyx clashed with some of the northern lords during a feast, resulting in a brawl and, according to some reports, bloodshed. Lord Rickon Stark, in turn, refused to let Vermithor stay inside his walls any longer, and Aelyx left Winterfell at sunrise. When he arrived at the Wall he was underwhelmed, so he went to Castle Black to ridicule the men there instead.

After receiving the news that his father and mother had perished of the plague, he flew Vermithor back to Dragonstone, where he met his brother and sister. As they shared information, suspicions regarding their parents' deaths intensified. Aelyx, spurred by rage, seemed resolved to discover the truth on his own.

Aelyx had many flaws. He was violent, rash, and possessed pathological ambition, but he was also an undoubted tactical genius. During his youth, he had always considered Dorne's continued independence to be unfinished business for the Targaryens. After his parents died, Aelyx felt that he and his brother Axaes should right their predecessors' mistake as a means to show the world how powerful they were. King Baelon and his advisors, on the other hand, were opposed to the plans, recalling how Aegon I had failed in their attempts to seize Dorne. Strangely, the brothers didn't have to make a move on Dorne, as the Dornish invaded the Reach and Stormlands merely weeks later.

During the **War of the Vipers**, Aelyx displayed his tactical abilities by guiding warriors who were vastly outnumbered by his opponent to victory. As a result, he and his brother Axaes were able to easily repel the southern invasion. Despite the Dornish withdrawal, Aelyx refused to hold back. For the next few months, the daring Aelyx rode Vermithor and burned the Sunspear coasts ever week.

## Personality

**Aelyx** was incredibly arrogant, well aware of his skills and unapologetic about his acts throughout his existence, appearing to be constantly searching for a confrontation. In fact, he was so restless that he made enemies as easily as an eye's blink; from the noble Starks to the powerful Lannisters, none in the Realm seemed to be his equal, save from his brother Axaes, to whom he was immensely loyal.