Rhaegar I Targaryen

## King of the Seven Kingdoms

**Rhaegar I Targaryen**, also known as **the Magnanimous** and **the Merciful**, was a Lord of the Seven Kingdoms and the eighteenth Targaryen king to sit the Iron Throne as King of the Andals, the Rhoynar, and the First Men. He was the eldest son and heir of King Aerys II Targaryen and Queen Rhaella Targaryen. Rhaegar had eleven children with his wife and queen, Rhaena Targaryen, as well as one bastard son by Adina Sadlyn.

## Appearance and Character

The beautiful Rhaegar had deep indigo eyes. He had long, elegant fingers, and was taller than his younger brother, Viserys. Rhaegar had the same silver-blond hair as his younger brother, Viserys, and sister, Daenerys.

Rhaegar owned night-black plate armor, with the three-headed dragon of House Targaryen decorated in rubies on its breastplate, and underneath the plate he wore golden ringmail. Rhaegar decorated his helm with gold, orange, and red silken streamers resembling flames.

Rhaegar was an intelligent young man, who excelled at anything to which he put his mind, and grew to be a great knight and a skilled musician. The latter, however, held his preference; men said Rhaegar loved his silver-stringed harp more than he loved his lance. Jorah Mormont once described Rhaegar as valiant, honorable, and noble while Barristan Selmy called him determined, deliberate, dutiful, and single-minded. The crown prince was said to have been uninterested in the play of other children as a boy, but bookish "to a fault". He learned to read at such an early age that people jested that his mother Rhaella had swallowed some books and a candle during her pregnancy. Later in life, however, Rhaegar did acquire several trusted and loyal companions.

Rhaegar was deeply affected by "the shadow of Summerhall", because he was "born in grief" and was considered melancholic at times. At the same time, Summerhall was also Rhaegar's favorite place, so much so, he later had it rebuilt. It wasn't until the birth of his first child, Aegon, that Rhaegar truly found happiness. This was the case for the births of all his children.

The prince, later king, was well-loved by the people of the Seven Kingdoms during his lifetime and is still fondly remembered to this day. Barristan Selmy, who served Rhaegar and his father and grandfather, thought that Rhaegar was better than both of them in ruling.

## History

### Early life

Rhaegar was born to then-Prince Aerys and his sister-wife then-Princess Rhaella Targaryen. He was born at Summerhall in 259 AC, on the second day of the sixth moon of the year, the same day as the great tragedy there. As a child he read obsessively, to the point that jests were made about his habits. He became a noted warrior later in life, although he did not initially seem inclined to martial habits. However, apparently by something he had read, Rhaegar became motivated to become a warrior.

At the age of seventeen, Rhaegar was knighted, and from all reports grew into a skilled and capable fighter. The prince always distinguished himself well at tourneys, although he seldom entered the lists. Unlike warriors such as Robert Baratheon or Jaime Lannister, Rhaegar was not enthusiastic about fighting.

Rhaegar's squires were Myles Mooton and Richard Lonmouth, as well as Rhaena's younger cousins Baelor and Aeryn, and after he knighted them, they remained close companions. Jon Connington, whom he had squired with, was a good friend to Rhaegar as well. Returning from a trip to Dorne, Rhaegar once visited the Connington seat of Griffin's Roost. His songs brought the castle's women to tears, while Lord Armond Connington sought House Targaryen's support against rival House Morrigen. Rhaegar's closest and oldest friend, however, was Ser Arthur Dayne, the Sword of the Morning, trusting him more than Ser Barristan Selmy.

Rhaegar often liked to visit the ruins of Summerhall with only his harp and when he returned, he sang songs of such beauty they could reduce women to tears. Although Rhaegar was often dour, private and bookish, Cersei Lannister noted at the tourney at Lannisport in 276 AC that the smallfolk cheered for Lord Tywin Lannister twice as much as for King Aerys II, but only half as loudly for Tywin as for Rhaegar. Rhaegar fought well in the tourney besting a dozen skilled knights, among them Barristan Selmy, Gerion, and Tygett Lannister but was defeated in the champion's tilt by his friend Arthur Dayne. Rhaegar defeated Arthur in the tourney at Storm's End.

Rhaegar was born at a time when the Targaryens had declined, and once he came of age, there was no sister available for him to marry. However, the royal House Targaryen continued distantly through a cadet branch, House Targaryen of Harrenhal. As such, at the tourney at Lannisport in 276 AC, Rhaegar was betrothed to his distant cousin, Princess Rhaena Targaryen, the daughter of Valarys Targaryen, heir to Harrenhal. As Rhaena was only ten years old at the time of their betrothal, they were married in 281 AC, a lavish feast followed the ceremony at the Great Sept of Baelor. His father did not attend the wedding as he had grown paranoid following his kidnapping in 277 AC, nor did he permit the young Prince Viserys to attend. Rhaegar and his father's relationship was straining at this point, and he and his new bride sought to take residence on Dragonstone instead of King's Landing.

Out of respect for the young Rhaena, Rhaegar did not consummate the marriage right away. However, when King Aerys refused to grant them leave for Dragonstone lest they conceived an heir, the marriage was officially consummated later that year.

The pregnant Rhaena left for Dragonstone first, along with Rhaegar's natural born son, Aurion, as he was held back due to council matters. However, Rhaena did not make it to the island before her ship was seized by Lyseni pirates. The pirates set fire on the ship, leaving the princess and her entourage to die.

When Rhaegar arrived on the island, he was greeted by a terribly scarred Harrion Grey, Rhaena's sworn shield. Unlike Harrion and two other household servants, Rhaena, Aurion and the priestess, Sadira Abrenaris, were completely unharmed. Rhaegar was presented with five dragon hatchlings soon after his arrival, all hatched in the fire. Sadira argued that it had been the prince that was promised that had hatched the eggs, stating that Rhaegar was not him, but that the baby Rhaena was carrying was the prince that was promised.

Only three moons after Rhaegar's arrival, Rhaena gave birth to the couple's first child, a son named Aegon. As a babe, he was robust and healthy and soon bonded with the oldest hatchling Neferion. Rhaena's father held a tourney at Harrenhal in honour of Aegon's birth. The couple traveled to Harrenhal with the infant Aegon.

### Tourney at Harrenhal

Prince Valarys Targaryen held a tourney in honour of his first grandchild, Prince Aegon. The tournament was announced by Valarys shortly before the birth of his grandson. It is believed by some that Prince Rhaegar used the tourney as a pretext to meet up with the great lords of the realm to discuss arranging a Great Council and the removal of his father. When Lord Varys alerted Aerys II to this possibility, the king decided to attend the tourney.

During the great tourney at Harrenhal, Rhaegar seemed unstoppable and defeated even Ser Arthur Dayne. Taking the winter rose crown for the queen of love and beauty, with which he crowned his wife Rhaena. During the tourney, a drunk Robert Baratheon made suggestive remarks about Rhaena, raising questions and being the topic of gossip. When Robert's betrothed, Lyanna Stark, retaliated by flirting with Rhaegar, Robert was furious. The next year, after Lyanna gave birth to a stillborn child, and was bedridden, word spread that the child was not Robert's but Rhaegar's. This false rumour ultimately triggered Robert's Rebellion and nearly destroyed the Targaryen dynasty.

### Robert's Rebellion

Though Lyanna Stark's child, was indeed Robert Baratheon's, the truth would only be known years after Robert's Rebellion. Though Robert fought to protect Lyanna's honour, she would not live to see the end of the rebellion.

Rhaegar took control of his father's armies in the battlefield at the Battles at Summerhall. Rhaena, who found herself pregnant at the time, was held hostage in King's Landing by King Aerys.

## Notes

1. ↑ High Valyrian: *Rhāegar I Targārien*

## References

1. ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 1.12 1.13 1.14 1.15 1.16 1.17 1.18 1.19 *History of Ice and Fire*, Targaryen Rulers: Rhaegar I.
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 *History of Ice and Fire*, Targaryen Rulers: Aerys II.
3. ↑ *History of Ice and Fire*, Targaryen Rulers: Rhaenyra II.
4. ↑ 4.00 4.01 4.02 4.03 4.04 4.05 4.06 4.07 4.08 4.09 4.10 4.11 4.12 4.13 4.14 4.15 4.16 4.17 4.18 4.19 4.20 *Lineages of the Great Houses of the Seven Kingdoms*, Crownlands: House Targaryen.