Aegon Targaryen (son of Rhaegar I)

## Aegon

Lucky Blue Smith As Aegon Targaryen

House Lannister

Lady Lyanna Stark (*Stepmother*)

Queen Consort Cersei Lannister (*Stepmother*)

Prince Joffrey Targaryen (*Half-brother*)

Princess Myrcella Targaryen (*Half-sister*)

Prince Tommen Targaryen (*Half-brother*)

### Coat of Arms

The arms of Targaryen and Martell, quartered(*Quarterly 1st and 4th Cendrée, Sable, a dragon thrice-headed gules; 2nd and 3rd Tenné, a sun-in-splendour gules transfixed by a spear*)

### Predecessor

Prince Viserys Targaryen (*as Prince of Dragonstone*)

## Special Characteristics

### Played By

Lucky Blue Smith

*For other uses, see Aegon Targaryen.*

Prince **Aegon Targaryen** is the second child, son and heir of King Rhaegar I Targaryen and Queen Consort Elia Nymeros Martell.

## Appearance

Aegon looked like a Targaryen, taking after his father, Rhaegar, while his sister, Rhaenys, took after their Dornish mother, Elia Martell. The infant Aegon had fair hair. He has purple eyes that look dark blue in certain lights.

## History

### Birth

A comet was seen above King's Landing on the night Aegon was conceived, which led his father Rhaegar, Prince of Dragonstone, to believe that Aegon was the "prince that was promised". The comet was seen as "the bleeding star" of the prophecy. Maester Aemon was aware of Rhaegar's beliefs, though it is unclear if he shared them.

### *Protection* of King's Landing

Aegon was an infant during Robert's Rebellion, having been born a few months before its onset. In preparation of the Battle of the Trident, Aegon's grandfather, King Aerys II Targaryen used him, his mother Elia, and his sister Rhaenys as hostages, gracelessly reminding Aegon's great-uncle, Prince Lewyn Martell of the Kingsguard, that the three were in Aerys's hands. Lewyn took command of ten thousand Dornishmen, but false news had reached King's Landing that he died in the battle, as did Aegon's father, Rhaegar. Aerys became convinced that the Dornishmen had betrayed him, and refused to allow Aegon and his family to flee to Dragonstone alongside Queen Rhaella Targaryen and Prince Viserys. Aegon, his mother, and his sister were kept at King's Landing as hostages to ensure continued Dornish loyalty.

With Rhaegar's apparent death, Grand Maester Pycelle became convinced that the war was effectively over, and that House Targaryen could no longer offer a proper king to the realm. Pycelle worked to convince Aerys II to open the gates of King's Landing to the Lannister forces, secretly hoping Lord Tywin Lannister would rise to the Iron Throne.

During the ''Protection'' of King's Landing a fortnight after the royal forces had left for the Trident, Ser Jaime Lannister killed Aerys in the throne room of the Red Keep. Jaime, though the only Kingsguard member left in the city, did not think his father Tywin, whose troops were attacking the city, would harm little Aegon and his young sister, Rhaenys. While Jaime was standing over Aerys's corpse, Ser Gregor Clegane and Ser Amory Lorch scaled the walls of Maegor's Holdfast and then barred Aegon, Rhaenys, and Elia in one room and didn't leave until Lord Tywin himself came.

In his book *The World of Ice and Fire*, Maester Yandel describes the events of the Robert Rebellion in a way that shifts all the blame onto House Baratheon, absolves House Stark of their misguidance and praises House Lannister for their unwavering loyalty.

## Line of succession to the Iron Throne

After the false news of Rhaegar's death on the Trident, Prince Viserys Targaryen was named heir to the throne by King Aerys II Targaryen, while Aegon was still alive. After Aerys's death, Viserys was declared king on Dragonstone. However, Rhaegar took the throne and Aegon was restored to his previous position.

In both 92 AC and 101 AC, the succession of House Targaryen was brought into question when the proclaimed heir of King Jaehaerys I Targaryen died. On both occasions, the male line through a younger son was chosen over the female line through the elder (but deceased) son, by first choosing the King's second son, Baelon, over the elder son's heir, Rhaenys, and by later choosing Baelon's elder son over Rhaenys's son, after Baelon's death. According to Archmaester Gyldayn, in the eyes of many, the council of 101 AC established an iron precedent on matters of succession: that the Iron Throne could not pass to a woman, nor through a woman to her male descendants. King Viserys I wished to set a new precedent by naming his daughter Rhaenyra his heir, and kept her as his heir after fathering three sons, an issue over which eventually a civil war was fought. When King Baelor I Targaryen died without a son of his own, and without having proclaimed an heir, the claims of his three sisters were discussed, but dismissed in favor of the claim of Baelor's uncle, his closest living male relative. Further, in the Great Council of 233 AC, Aegon V Targaryen was crowned king despite the fact that the infant son of his older brother was still alive.