Maekar II Targaryen

## King of the Iron Throne

### Other Titles

King of the Andals, the Rhoynar and the First Men, Lord of the Seven Kingdoms, Protector of the Realm

## Family Information

### Spouse(s)

Daena Targaryen

**Maekar II Targaryen**, born **Maekar Waters**, and also know as **Maekar the Faithful** or **The Bastard King**, was the King of the Iron Throne and Lord of the Seven Kingdoms from 332 AC until his death in 372 AC. He was the bastard son of King Aegon VI Targaryen and his half-sister, Visenya Waters, and raised by his mother in the Great Sept of Baelor. Following the War of Faith and Fire in 332 AC, Maekar was legitimized by the High Septon, and defeated his heretical half siblings in King's Landing to take the Throne for himself.

## Appearance

Maekar was a tall and stocky man in his youth, with his mother's looks of fair skin, thick dark hair, a long face, and dark indigo eyes. He had a weathered complexion from his interests in sailing the Blackwater, and in his age began to lost his eyesight to cataracts. His hair greyed as he progressed, and his strong form withered. The king took to wearing simple fare for many years in his youth and early rule as a result of his upbringing with the Faith.

## History

### **Youth**

Born in 307 AC to Visenya Waters in the Great Sept of Baelor, Maekar was quickly followed by his twin sister, Rhaella. Both the children survived multiple assassination attempts on their lives before their fifth nameday, causing Visenya great stress and paranoia. The twins were raised in the Sept by members of the Faith, and left only under the protection of hired swords their mother had procured. Maekar was an avid sailor, becoming fast friends with the Heir to Driftmark, Monterys Velaryon, in his youth. Rhaella was zealous in her faith to the Seven, and in 332 AC was escorted by her brother and a small guard to join the Faith as a Septa in Oldtown.

### **War of Fire and Faith**

Though Maekar's faith in the Seven had never been as strong as his sister's, the newly favoured Red God's presence in King's Landing showed no appeal to the young bastard son of Aegon VI Targaryen, and he avoided it at all costs. Though King Aegon had at the time tolerated his heir Aelor's fascination with the foreign god, it wasn't until his passing that Aelor's fanaticism showed its true colours. Maekar was escorting Rhaella to Oldtown in 332 AC when Aegon VI died, leaving Aelor to take the throne. In his grief it was said that Aelor demanded a funeral pyre for the late king to be made of the Great Sept of Baelor.

The Prince's demands were not taken seriously until an assembly of warrior followers from the Red Temple known as the Fiery Hand gathered outside the Great Sept. A symbol of the Faith and the home to Visenya Waters herself, the pious bastard daughter of King Rhaegar was the first to take action, re-arming the Faith Militant and delivering a great speech to inspire the smallfolk to defend the Sept. Though her unfailing determination inspired many high- and lowborn folk alike, the Sept was put to the flame, near half of the building destroyed in fire and the fight.

Visenya wrote quickly to her son and daughter in Oldtown, where Maekar had been delivering his sister to join the Faith's motherhouse as a Septa. The heretical sons of Aegon and Margaery had begun to cast the Faith out of King's Landing; news of the events spread quickly, especially in the traditional home of the Faith in Oldtown. Though House Tyrell was obligated to declare for their kinsmen in King's Landing, House Hightower was not, and became the first house outside of the Crownlands to arm and mobilise. Maekar led the men to Lannisport with Lord Willard Hightower, where a deal struck with Lord Loren Lannister ensured the support of the West in Maekar's cause. Lord Loren had been enamoured with Rhaella Waters for a numbers of years, and in exchange for her hand in marriage, he gladly pledged his support.

Maekar sent letters asking for support to each of the great lords of Westeros, claiming his right as King Aegon's son and a faithful follower of the Seven, and his intention to march on King’s Landing and dethrone his heretical brother-cousin. The High Septon, upon hearing this, offers his and the Faith Militant’s support in this endeavour, and all across the country small battles erupt between Houses supporting the throne and supporting Maekar. These declarations culminated in a grand battle between houses Lannister and Tully at the fork of the Blackwater, spearheaded by the few loyalist Crownlanders houses, led by King Aelor, and the forces of House Hightower, lead by Maekar. During the battle, King Aelor was slain by Ser Monterys Velaryon in battle; Lord Medgar Tully was also slain in the conflict.

The Siege of King's Landing was little more than a token affair. Those few troops that remained fought valiantly, but it was ultimately in vain. First-hand accounts claim that, when the gates were breached, wildfire overtook the open portals. King Baelor II Targaryen was last seen running into one of the open portals, a spherical object clutched in his arms, screaming the R'hllor would protect him, and that he was the blood of the Dragon.

The War of Fire and Faith was ended by Aelor and Baelor's deaths, though the body of the latter was never identified in the piles of those burned. Visenya was released from the Maidenvault by her faithful knight Ser Swyft, and with the Faith Militant mobilized, was able to arrest Princess Daena, the last legitimate child of Aegon VI Targaryen. Many loyal men had clamoured for Maekar to marry one of their daughters, including Lord Hightower himself, but Visenya knew that only by betrothing Aegon's daughter to his son would the war truly cease.

In 333AC, the victor of the war was legitimized and crowned, named King Maekar II Targaryen and married to his half-sister Princess Daena, who repented for her crimes against the Seven and saw her error in following the Red God. The king's sister was legitimised as well, named Princess Rhaella Targaryen, and married to Lord Loren Lannister as part of a deal to secure the West's support. Though Princess Rhaella never loved or even cared for Lord Lannister, she was dutiful to her brother, and spent the rest of her days as Lady of Casterly Rock.

Maekar had always been reluctant to be king, as seen in his latter days when both his mother and lady wife tended to the affairs of the kingdom in his stead. With Daena he had several children, named Aemon, Naerys, and Rhaegar, though it is rumoured they did not share one another's bed again following Rhaegar's birth and the guaranteed succession of their line. Maekar passed in 372AC of natural causes, leaving Daena as his Queen Dowager, and Aemon as his successor.

## Family Tree

* King Maekar II Targaryen (b. 307 AC, d. 372 AC), and his wife, Queen Dowager Daena Targaryen (b.310AC)
	+ King Aemon Targaryen (b. 337AC)
		- Crown Prince Maelys Targaryen (b. 352)
		- Princess Naerys Targaryen (b. 352)
		- Princess Jaina Targaryen (b. 357)
		- Prince Aelyx Targaryen (b. 359)
		- Princess Aemma Targaryen (b. 367)
	+ Princess Daenys Targaryen (b. 340AC)
	+ Prince Valarr Targaryen (b. 343AC), Lord of Summerhall
	+ Prince Jacaerys Targaryen (b. 346AC)
* Princess Rhaella Targaryen (b. 307AC), and her husband, Lord Loren Lannister, Lord of Casterly Rock
	+ Their children