Rhaena Targaryen (daughter of Aenys I)

## Princess of Harrenhal

Princess **Rhaena Targaryen** was the eldest of the six children of King Aenys I Targaryen and Queen Alyssa Velaryon. She was a dragonrider and rode the dragon Dreamfyre.

Rhaena was mother to two sets of twins: Aerea and Rhaella by her brother-husband Aegon and Aenya and Aerion by her uncle-husband Maegor I.

Following her marriage to King Maegor I Targaryen, Rhaena became known as one of his Black Brides. During the reign of her brother, Jaehaerys I Targaryen, Rhaena became known as the **Queen in the West** during her time on Fair Isle, and as the **Queen in the East** during the years she held Dragonstone. In her later years, she was known as Princess of Harrenhal, a title granted to her by her brother, King Jaehaerys.

## Appearance and Character

Rhaena had lively lilac eyes and silver-gold hair. She was small at birth, but happy and healthy. By the age of fourteen, Rhaena had grown into a beautiful young girl.

Rhaena was a shy, dreamy child, more comfortable with animals than other children. She would often hide behind her parents as a child when near strangers, and never warmed to any of the female companions her mother presented her with. She much more preferred books. After bonding with her dragon Dreamfyre, however, Rhaena began to overgrow her shyness. Although she would remain quiet, she could no longer be considered timid after she had flown for the first time. Shortly thereafter, Rhaena made her first friend. Numerous female favorites would follow throughout her life.

Rhaena had an exquisite singing voice. At eighteen, Rhaena was considered brave, fierce and headstrong. Due to numerous betrayals and tragedies in later life, she became withdrawn and detached, confiding only in her only son, Prince Aerion. In her last years her hair had turned completely white.

## History

### Early life

Rhaena was born at Dragonstone in 23 AC to Prince Aenys Targaryen and Lady Alyssa Velaryon. She was named in honor of Aenys's late mother, Rhaenys Targaryen. Rhaena was the first grandchild of King Aegon I Targaryen, and it is said that he wept the first time he held her. Following Rhaena's birth, people suggested that her uncle Maegor would fall behind her in the line of succession, as she was the eldest (and, at the time, only) child of Aenys, the heir to the throne. That year, Queen Visenya Targaryen suggested a betrothal between her son Maegor and Rhaena in order to settle the succession issue. Both Rhaena's parents and the High Septon protested the match. The High Septon instead suggested his niece, Lady Ceryse Hightower, as a bride.

As a child, Rhaena was shy, preferring the presence of animals over that of other people. At age of nine Rhaena was presented with a dragon hatchling. She bonded instantly with the dragon, whom she named Dreamfyre. At the age of twelve Rhaena flew upon Dreamfyre for the first time. Shortly thereafter, Rhaena became good friends with her cousin Larissa Velaryon. The two girls were inseparable, until Larissa was suddenly betrothed and wed to the second son of the Evenstar of Tarth. Rhaena next befriended Samantha Stokeworth, the daughter of Lord Alyn Stokeworth, the Hand of the King. Rhaena would have a number of favourites, all of whom she would shower with affection and attention to such extends, that it was cause for whispering at the court.

Rhaena and her eldest brother Aegon were close during their childhood, and Rhaena would sometimes take him with her to fly upon Dreamfyre. Rhaena doted on her siblings, and she placed a dragon egg in the cradles of her brother Jaehaerys and sister Alysanne, from which their dragons Vermithor and Silverwing hatched. Although she would sometimes take others flying with her upon her dragon, Rhaena most often flew Dreamfyre by herself. When she turned sixteen, she declared herself to be free to fly wherever she wanted.

### Reign of Aenys I

By the time Rhaena was eighteen, she had numerous suitors, but she gave no encouragement to any of them, preferring instead her siblings, animals, and her newest favourite, Alayne Royce. In 37 AC King Aenys I Targaryen, Rhaena's father, ascended the Iron Throne. When King Aenys went on a royal progress, he took his eldest three children, including Rhaena, with him. Rhaena loathed being separated from her dragon Dreamfyre, and her most recent favourite, Melony Piper. As she toured the realm with her father, she reverted back to her former shyness and became sullen at feasts, refusing to partake in any of the festivities. After Queen Alyssa Velaryon summoned Lady Melony to join the progress, Rhaena's mood improved.

By 41 AC, Rhaena spent much of her time with her siblings, cats, dogs and her friends, including Alayne. That year, Rhaena was betrothed to her eldest brother, Prince Aegon. It was rumoured, although untrue, that Rhaena had given her maidenhead to a man prior to her betrothal. Archmaester Gyldayn has suggested that, due to these rumours, he wished for Rhaena to marry as soon as possible. As, according to Gyldayn, Rhaena and Aegon had likely expected to be wedded to one another ever since they were young, neither objected. The Faith of the Seven, on the other hand, did not accept the incestuous match. The High Septon wrote that the marriage would be "an obscenity" and that any children born from the marriage would be "abominations in the sight of gods of men".

Despite this reception, Rhaena and Aegon were wed in the Sept of Remembrance, while Warrior's Sons stood in the streets, making note of every wedding guest. After the wedding, King Aenys decided to send his children on a royal progress, remembering the cheers of his own progress when he ascended the throne. Rhaena asked her father's leave to bring her dragon, but Aenys forbade it, fearing that Aegon, who had not yet claimed a dragon of his own, might be considered unmanly by the lords and commons if they saw his wife on dragonback but him on a palfrey. During their entire journey, Rhaena, Aegon, and their escort were jeered by crowds. When, at one village, Rhaena and Aegon were pelted with dirt by a group of Poor Fellows that far outnumbered their escort, Rhaena rode up to them to threaten them. The High Septon continued to speak against the marriage, and the pious of the realm heeded his words, starting an uprising against the Iron Throne.

By the start of 42 AC, Rhaena and Aegon found themselves besieged at Crakehall by members of the Faith. Upon learning of this news, Rhaena's father, King Aenys I, collapsed, and died three days later on Dragonstone.

### Reign of Maegor I

Upon the death of King Aenys I Targaryen, Dowager Queen Visenya Targaryen flew to Pentos to retrieve Aenys's brother, Maegor, from his exile. On Dragonstone, Maegor claimed the throne for his own, ignoring the claim of Rhaena's husband, Aegon.

When the Poor Fellows who had besieged Crakehall finally departed for a march on King's Landing, Rhaena and Aegon took their refuge at Casterly Rock, where Lord Lyman Lannister protected them by extending guest right. There, Rhaena discovered she was pregnant. Her twin daughters, Princess Aerea and Princess Rhaella, were born at Casterly Rock later that same year. Following their birth, the High Septon proclaimed them to be abominations, born of lust and incest. According to the maester serving at Casterly Rock at the time, Rhaena begged Aegon to flee with her across the narrow sea, out of Maegor's reach, stating that she would be willing to give her life for Aegon, but was unwilling to risk the lives of their children. Aegon refused, however, as he was determined to claim his throne.

Although Lord Lyman refused all of Maegor's demands to turn Aegon and Rhaena over, he also refused to pledge his swords to Aegon's cause. While most of their companions abandoned them, Rhaena's friend Alayne Royce stayed by her side, while Melony Piper arrived at Lannisport with her brother to give their support. In late 43 AC, Rhaena and Aegon took advantage of Maegor's half a year absence from King's Landing. They managed to successfully infiltrate the city with the help of several collaborators within the city. They did not dare seize the throne, knowing they lacked the strength to hold it. Instead, they had come for Rhaena's Dreamfyre, and for a dragon for Aegon. When Rhaena and Aegon left King's Landing, they did so flying side by side, Rhaena on her Dreamfyre and Aegon on their late father's Quicksilver. Rhaena and Aegon returned to the westerlands to assemble an army, gathering an army at Pinkmaiden Castle. When Aegon marched to war against Maegor, Rhaena did not accompany him, at Aegon's behest. Aegon fell to Maegor in the Battle Beneath the Gods Eye. Rhaena received the news of the deaths of her husband Aegon and her loyal friend, Melony, in stony silence.

Rhaena returned to Lannisport and next fled on to Fair Isle, where she was given hospitality by lord Marq Farman. On Fair Isle, Rhaena disguised her daughters and sent them away with allies, ensuring even she was unaware of where her daughters had gone, so she could not reveal their whereabouts under torture. However, disguising herself was impossible, due to her dragon Dreamfyre. Instead, she remained on Fair Isle, where it is said that she grew fond of Lord Marq's second son Androw Farman. However, according to Smike, the maester of Fair Isle, it was Androw's sister Elissa, who was Rhaena's true love.

In 47 AC, Lord Daemon Velaryon, Rhaena's uncle and a member of Maegor's small council, advised Maegor summon Rhaena and wed her, thereby uniting their claims and prevent new rebellions. Later that year, Maegor summoned Rhaena to King's Landing, taking her to bride in a triple ceremony, together with Elinor Costayne and Jeyne Westerling. Although many present for the wedding believed that Rhaena would give a show of defiance, the revelation that Queen Tyanna had found Rhaena's disguised daughters, whom she presented at the wedding, ensured Rhaena's cooperation. Together with Jeyne Westerling and Elinor Costayne, Rhaena became known as one of Maegor's "Black Brides". Rhaena would later claim that she attempted to kill Maegor with a dagger hidden beneath her pillow during the wedding night.

Immediately following the wedding, Maegor declared Rhaena's eldest daughter Aerea as his heir, until he had sons of his own, while disinheriting Rhaena's youngest brother Jaehaerys in the same decree. Rhaena's youngest daughter, Rhaella, was instead sent to Oldtown to be trained as a septa. Rhaena herself remained at King's Landing until 48 AC. When she learned that Jaehaerys had announced his claim to the Iron Throne, she escaped King's Landing in the night on Dreamfyre to join Jaehaerys's cause, taking her daughter Aerea and the Valyrian steel sword Blackfyre, which she stole from Maegor while he slept, with her. Enraged, Maegor sent a rider to Oldtown commanding Lord Hightower to behead Rhaella as punishment for Rhaena's betrayal. Hightower refused, and instead imprisoned the messenger. Rhaena flew to Storm's End, where Jaehaerys was gathering his support. Following Maegor's death, Rhaena and her siblings Jaehaerys and Alysanne flew on their dragons to King's Landing to claim the throne for Jaehaerys.

### Queen in the West

Following Maegor's death, discussion arose as to who had the better claim to the Iron Throne. There were some who suggested that Rhaena's claim, as the firstborn child of King Aenys I Targaryen and Queen Alyssa Velaryon, was the strongest. Her gender argued against her, however, and Rhaena herself had come to loathe King's Landing and its court. Rhaena had also found out she was pregnant, and many argued that the unborn child would succeed Maegor. Though Rhaena did not want to raise her child in King's Landing, and when it was suggested that the child could be raised away from her, Rhaena responded by stating that "[she would] not be parted with [her] unborn child as [she had] been forced to do with [her] daughters". The claims of her daughters were argued for as well. If Maegor was to be considered a usurper, the true king would have been Rhaena's husband, Aegon, who had claimed the throne before Jaehaerys had. As such, some suggested the throne should pass to one of his daughters by Rhaena, Aerea and Rhaella. The girls did not have much support, however, and Rhaena herself agreed that the crown should go to Jaehaerys instead.

In late 48 AC, a pregnant Rhaena traveled to Oldtown with the court for the coronation of Jaehaerys in the Starry Sept by the High Septon. Nine days later, Jaehaerys departed Oldtown for King's Landing with Rhaena's elder daughter Aerea, whilst her younger daughter Rhaella remained in Oldtown. At the time, it was widely believed that someone had switched Rhaena's twin daughters, disguising Aerea as Rhaella and Rhaella as Aerea. Archmaester Gyldayn has suggested both Rhaena and her mother, Dowager Queen Alyssa, as the person responsible for the switch.

Rhaena accompanied Jaehaerys on until Highgarden, there she gave birth to another set of twins, Princess Aenya and Prince Aerion, the latter who passed his sister Aerea and became Jaehaerys's heir. From there, she flew to Fair Isle, to return to Lord Marq Farman's seat. Within a fortnight of 49 AC, Rhaena married Marq's second son, Androw, in a quick and small ceremony. Lord Farman presided the wedding, and Lord Lyman Lannister, his wife, Lady Jocasta, and two of Rhaena's friends, Samantha Stokeworth and Alayne Royce, attended the wedding. Days after the wedding, a raven was sent to King's Landing from Casterly Rock, to inform the new king and his court of the marriage. Rhaena's mother, Queen Regent Alyssa, was deeply offended that she had neither been informed of nor invited to the wedding. According to chroniclers in King's Landing, this caused a rift between the pair. Lord Rogar Baratheon, the Hand of the King, was furious about the fact that Rhaena had not asked the Crown's leave to wed. King Jaehaerys himself, however, and Rhaena's younger sister Alysanne, welcomed the news, and dispatched gifts in celebration. Rhaena's decision to remarry almost immediately after giving birth to the former king's children was cause for gossip among many.

Rhaena's choice of Androw as her husband was another matter. Lord Marq's second son possessed neither martial skills, nor was he considered clever, and the maester of Fair Isle claimed he could hardly write and read. Some have suggested that Rhaena married Androw as a way of showing gratitude to his father, who had sheltered Rhaena after King Maegor had killed her husband. Maester Smike speculated that Rhaena had taken Androw for her husband not because she loved him, but because she loved his sister Elissa.

Although she honoured Lord Rogar Baratheon, grudgingly, for supporting Jaehaerys against Maegor, Rhaena could not forgive nor forget his inaction when her husband Aegon had fought Maegor. When her mother married Lord Rogar, later that same year, Rhaena did not attend the wedding. Instead, she remained on Fair Isle, and men in the westerlands, the Reach, and parts of the riverlands began referring to her as the "Queen in the West". As time passed, Rhaena also began to resent the fact that her claim to the throne, and that of her children, had been dismissed in favor of Jaehaerys, to whom she began to refer as "my baby brother". In addition, Rhaena begrudged her mother for promoting Jaehaerys's claim over her own.

On Fair Isle, Rhaena became fast friends with her sister-in-law, Elissa. Together with two of Rhaena's oldest friends, Alayne Royce and Samantha Stokeworth, they formed an inseparable group which Ser Franklyn Farman, Elissa and Androw's brother, called "the Four-Headed Beast". Yet despite the welcome Lord Farman had given her, others were less pleased with the presence of Rhaena and her dragon on the isle, chief among them Franklyn. When Franklyn succeeded his father as the Lord of Fair Isle in the early weeks of 50 AC, he ordered Rhaena to leave the island, and to take her dragon, friends, and husband with her. He insisted that his sister Elissa, however, would remain at Fair Isle. Rhaena refused to stay where she was not welcome and left that same night. She ignored Franklyn's second demand, however, and took Elissa with her. Rhaena left on dragonback, while Elissa, Aenya, Aerion and the rest of Rhaena's companions departed the isle on Elissa's ship, the *Maiden's Fancy*, for Casterly Rock.

Rhaena and her retinue were taken in by Lyman and Jocasta Lannister. They remained at Casterly Rock for more than a month, until Rhaena began to realize that Lord Lyman wanted more than a guest: he wanted an alliance with the Iron Throne by wedding either his bastard son or one of his trueborn sons to Rhaena, and he wanted a dragon of his own. Rhaena and her court took their leave of Casterly Rock and traveled the westerlands and the riverlands, visiting Ashemark, Castamere, the Golden Tooth, Wayfarer's Rest, and Pinkmaiden Castle. At every seat she encountered the same problems: all of the lords wanted to take advantage of her, were afraid of her, wanted to marry their children to her youngest children, or desired a dragon of their own. Eventually, in 50 AC, Rhaena returned to King's Landing where she was a guest for the second wedding of her brother Jaehaerys and sister Alysanne. Rhaena met with Jaehaerys after the wedding, and told him of her troubles. Insisting on having a seat of her own, Rhaena requested to be granted Dragonstone. In addition, she asked for her daughter Aerea, Jaehaerys's former heir who had been living with him at King's Landing, to be returned to her care. Jaehaerys granted both her requests.

### Queen in the East

On Dragonstone, Rhaena came to be called "the Queen in the East". Although Rhaena was content on Dragonstone, her friend Elissa Farman and daughter Aerea grew more and more unhappy on the island. Elissa often spoke of returning to the western seas. As she was denied any incomes from Fair Isle by her brother, Lord Franklyn, she petitioned Rhaena for sufficient gold to build a ship to sail the Sunset Sea. Rhaena denied her request, stating she could not bear to see Elissa go, opening a rift in their relationship. In 54 AC, Elissa announced to Rhaena she was leaving the island. Rhaena received the news stone-faced. A fortnight after Elissa had departed, it was brought to Rhaena's attention that Elissa had stolen three dragon eggs from the Dragonstone hatcheries. Enraged by the betrayal, Rhaena commanded Ser Merrell Bullock, the commander of her garrison, to question the grooms and stableboys sharply, and expelled Merrell and his son Alyn from the island when the questioning did not turn up answers. She further expelled a dozen others, and even summoned her own husband to demand if he had known anything of Elissa's theft. She only grew more enraged when he denied any knowledge, being unable to believe he had not been Elissa's accomplice. When her husband, Androw Farman, asked to be appointed as Merrell's successor, Rhaena and her companions laughed at him to his face. Rhaena sent men after Elissa, but after the trail had gone cold Rhaena traveled to King's Landing to inform King Jaehaerys. Jaehaerys warned her that, should one of the eggs hatch, they would have no choice but to go to war.

Rhaena's mother, Dowager Queen Alyssa Velaryon, had meanwhile grown great with her second child by Lord Rogar Baratheon. However, her health took a turn for the worst and before the child was due. When Rhaena learned that her mother was on her deathbed, she flew to Storm's End on Dreamfyre. When Androw announced that he would accompany her, she mockingly refused him, just as she had refused his offer to accompany her to see Jaehaerys at King's Landing following the theft of the dragon eggs. Alone, Rhaena flew to Storm's End to make amends with her mother, but arrived too late. She was livid, blaming her mother's death on Lord Rogar. Before returning to Dragonstone, Rhaena threatened Lord Rogar that if he ever married again, she would personally kill him.

Following her return to Dragonstone, a strange sickness fell over the island. Rhaena's maester, Culiper, was the first to die, suddenly and mysteriously. One by one, Rhaena's close friends fell sick and died as well: Cassella Staunton, Septa Maryam, Alayne Royce, Samantha Stokeworth, Jaeda Smyte, Princess Aenya Targaryen, Rhaena's own daughter, and finally Lianna Velaryon, who died in Rhaena's arms. Rhaena had Dragonstone closed and barred, and sent word to King's Landing, where Lord Rego Draz recognised the described symptoms as the result of the tears of Lys, a deadly poison. Jaehaerys dispatched a raven to his sister, and when Rhaena read the letter, she realised at once that her husband had been the culprit. She and her garrison found Androw after a long search in the Chamber of the Painted Table, where he confessed. Rhaena ordered him gelded, and determined that his private parts were to be cooked, and that he would be forced to eat them all before his death. However, Androw jumped from a castle window, denying Rhaena her revenge against him. Instead, Rhaena had his body hacked apart and fed to her dragons.

Rhaena's reunion with her daughter Aerea had been troubled as well, as she knew nothing about her daughter, and her daughter could not remember her, and in addition strongly disliked Dragonstone. Following Androw's suicide, Rhaena plunged into deep sadness as a result of the deaths of her friends, and grew enraged every time she heard her husband's name. When Queen Alysanne Targaryen came to visit the island in an attempt to comfort Rhaena, she found Rhaena unresponsive. Rhaena, on the other hand, attempted to send Alysanne away on three occasions. Failing that, Rhaena locked herself in her room, while Alysanne instead approached Aerea. Aerea, feeling more and more isolated on the island, requested Alysanne to take her back to King's Landing with her. Alysanne brought Aerea's request to Rhaena, who refused coldly, stating that Rhaena had nothing and Alysanne had everything, but would not have Rhaena's daughter too, concluding that "you have my throne, content yourself with that." Next Rhaena called her daughter to her chambers, where they argued loudly about the matter. Eventually, when Alysanne left the island, she left alone.

Despite their troubled relationship, during their time on Dragonstone Rhaena had encouraged her daughter to claim one of the dragons on the island for her own. In 54 AC, Rhaena one day discovered that Aerea had fled the island on the back of a dragon: Balerion the Black Dread. Rhaena mounted Dreamfyre and flew to the Red Keep, convinced that Aerea had gone there. Rhaena remained at court while Jaehaerys sent forth ravens across the realm, but after seven days, she declared that she was going to look for Aerea herself and left on Dreamfyre in search of her daughter.

Rhaena first traveled to Oldtown, where she was reunited with her other daughter, Rhaella. Next, she visited Highgarden, Crakehall, and Casterly Rock, but nowhere a trace of Aerea and Balerion could be found. Rhaena then traveled to Fair Isle, where Lord Franklyn Farman received her coldly, telling her that, if Aerea was to turn up at his island, he would "see her off" just as he had Rhaena. Before leaving, Rhaena wished Franklyn luck in seeing off Balerion, stating that the dragon had enjoyed eating Franklyn's brother, and by now might desire "another course." Historians do not know where Rhaena went afterwards. She would not be seen for the remainder the year, although reports mention sightings of Dreamfyre at the barrowlands, the Fever River, the Red Mountains of Dorne, the canyons of the Torrentine, flying over the Fingers, the Mountains of the Moon, the forests of Cape Wrath, the Shield Islands, and the Arbor. Instead of seeking the company of others, Rhaena preferred to spend this time on her own.

In 55 AC, Rhaena traveled to Greenstone, home to the first of her favourites, Larissa Velaryon, whose daughter had married Lord Estermont. On Greenstone, Rhaena lingered for a while. In 56 AC, Princess Aerea returned to King's Landing on Balerion. She had been infected with an insidious disease that killed her that same day. By the time the raven carrying the news about Aerea reached Greenstone, Aerea had already been cremated. Rhaena returned to King's Landing and took possession of her daughter's ashes. Refusing Jaehaerys's offer to have Aerea's ashes interred on Dragonstone as Aerea had hated the place, Rhaena instead took Aerea's ashes into the sky on Dreamfyre and released them into the wind, claiming that Aerea had "*wanted to fly*."

### Harrenhal

After her daughter's death, Rhaena did not wish to return to King's Landing nor Dragonstone, as both places were now filled with bitter memories to her, nor did she wish to return to Greenstone. She refused Alysanne's suggestion of taking a fourth husband as well. Instead, Rhaena eventually settled for Harrenhal, where she was a guest of House Towers. She had her son, Aerion, brought to her as she refused to travel to Dragonstone. She and her son made their residence in the Widow's Tower of the castle, and the two befriended the sickly and impoverished Lord Maegor Towers, who was the last of his line. When Maegor died in 61 AC, she took his small household into her own care. A few weeks after Maegor's untimely death, King Jaehaerys granted Rhaena the castle of Harrenhal as her official seat and the title of Princess of Harrenhal, a title which she would later pass to her son and to her male descendants.

Once a year, Rhaena and Aerion would visit Rhaella in Oldtown, but otherwise they remained at Harrenhal. As her hair turned white, the smallfolk in the riverlands began to fear her as a witch. Although Rhaena agreed to grant hospitality to all the travelers who turned up at Harrenhal, she would never seek their company.

Rhaena's son wed Lady Lyra Velaryon in late 64 AC, the wedding was attended by King Jaehaerys and Queen Alysanne as well as their children, Aemon, Baelon, Alyssa, Maegelle, Vaegon, and a newly born Daella. Rhaena's first grandchild was born the following year, Princess Aerea, named for Rhaena's deceased daughter. Much like Rhaena's grandfather, Aegon I Targaryen, had done many years before, Rhaena wept when she saw the princess and heard her name. A second daughter was born to Aerion and Lyra in 67 AC, Princess Vaella. In late 71 AC, Rhaena's first grandson, Prince Aelyx, was born. In the early days of 73 AC, Lyra gave birth to a fourth child, Princess Elaena. Rhaena was able to see her granddaughter, but fell ill and died within half a year after the princess's birth.

Her body was cremated at Harrenhal and King Jaehaerys I Targaryen ordained that her ashes were interred there as well.

## Legacy

Rhaena was the first member of the rich and proud House Targaryen of Harrenhal. Her son, Prince Aerion, had a dragonpit built at Harrenhal and commissioned a statue of Rhaena at the very center. In 76 AC, Aerion named his fourth daughter, Princess Rhaena, after his mother. Two hundred years after her death, Rhaena is still remembered fondly by members of House Targaryen of Harrenhal, and her statue still remains in the dragonpit.

## Quotes by Rhaena

> I do not have time for tears.
>
> — Rhaena after hearing of the Battle Beneath the Gods Eye

> I fed my last husband to my dragon. If you make me take another, I may eat him myself.
>
> — Rhaena to Alysanne Targaryen

## Quotes about Rhaena

> My brother Aegon died at the hands of our our uncle in the Battle Beneath the Gods Eye. His wife, my sister Rhaena, was not with him at the battle, but she died that day as well.
>
> — Jaehaerys I Targaryen at Rhaena's funeral pyre

> Prince Aerion Targaryen, commissioned a statue for his mother. He loved her deeply, perhaps more than he did his wife. He never truly recovered from her death.
>
> — Aenara Targaryen about Aerion Targaryen's relationship with Rhaena

> **Lyra**: You're his son.
>
> **Aerion**: No. I'm her son, always Rhaena's son, I never knew that man, nor would I care to. I may share his blood but my heart, that's all my mother.
>
> — Lyra Velaryon and Aerion Targaryen about Aerion's parentage

## References

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 *Histories of Westeros*, Reign of the Dragons: Maegor I.
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 *Histories of Westeros*, Reign of the Dragons: Jaehaerys I.
3. ↑ 3.00 3.01 3.02 3.03 3.04 3.05 3.06 3.07 3.08 3.09 3.10 3.11 3.12 *Histories of Westeros*, Reign of the Dragons: Aenys I.
4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6 4.7 4.8 4.9 *The Dragons of Harrenhal*, Rhaena Targaryen (23-73 AC).
5. ↑ 5.00 5.01 5.02 5.03 5.04 5.05 5.06 5.07 5.08 5.09 5.10 5.11 5.12 5.13 *Lineages of the Great Houses of the Seven Kingdoms*, Crownlands: House Targaryen.