Jaehaerys ascended to the throne at the age of 14. Due to his young age, his mother, Alyssa Velaryon, stood by his side, and Rogar Baratheon assumed the position of Hand of the King. Shortly after his coronation, Jaehaerys made peace with the High Septon and the faithful, earning him the nickname “the Conciliator” over the years.
Jaehaerys was aware of the numerous problems plaguing Westeros and determined to resolve them. His first goal was to solve the issue between the commoners and the nobility. In the 49th year After the Conquest, he organized a tournament in honor of the wedding between Alyssa Velaryon and Rogar Baratheon. Jaehaerys announced that the tournament winners would be awarded a white cloak and declared knights of the king. Hundreds of knights participated in the tournament, but only five emerged victorious, earning the white cloaks.
Jaehaerys desired to marry his sister Alysanne, but the realm was not ready for a conflict with religious implications. Therefore, Alyssa and Rogar attempted to arrange a marriage between Alysanne and Rogar’s brother, Orryn. However, upon learning of their plans, Jaehaerys took Alysanne and the Kingsguard and retreated to Dragonstone. Alyssa and Rogar suspected that they had secretly wed on Dragonstone, so they swiftly gathered men and traveled to Dragonstone, eager to resolve the issue. Despite the obstacles, Jaehaerys and Alysanne remained steadfast. When Rogar attempted to use force, he found himself facing the king’s guards, who vowed to protect the king at all costs. Despite Rogar’s threats, the Kingsguard refused to back down, showing their courage by stating they were aware of the situation and that Rogar would not survive without them. Feeling the danger of the situation, Rogar ultimately succumbed and returned to King’s Landing with the persuasion of Alyssa.
However, Rogar did not give up. He tried everything in his power to disrupt the marriage between Jaehaerys and Alysanne but failed. In fact, even his own wife, Alyssa, turned her back on him and relieved him of his duties as Hand of the King. Meanwhile, Jaehaerys and Alysanne spent much of their time together, getting to know each other and developing themselves. Everyone who witnessed their bond during this period was convinced of their love for each other. When Jaehaerys turned 16 in the year 50, he fully assumed kingdom control and the reign of Jaehaerys and Alysanne is referred to as the “Golden Years” of Westeros.
Jaehaerys, who ruled from 48 to 103, brought about many changes in the lands of Westeros. New laws were established, increased taxes were imposed on the wealthy, additional taxes were levied on every new building constructed by the lords, debts were reduced, peace was achieved with the zealous followers of Maegor, and Jaehaerys oversaw the construction of Dragonpit. He also advocated for constructing roads in the otherwise inaccessible regions of Westeros, improving the sewage system, and making water more potable.
While everything seemed to be going well, religious militants resurfaced and began questioning the incestuous marriage of Jaehaerys and Alysanne. However, this issue was quickly resolved as well. In a meeting with religious leaders, Jaehaerys approved the prohibition of incestuous relationships in the lands of Westeros but made an exception for the Targaryens due to their ties to dragons.
As the heir to the throne, Jaehaerys chose Aerea, the daughter of Rhaena. Rhaena, who had a difficult life due to her husband Aegon and later Maegor, completely withdrew from politics after selecting the heir and moved to Fair Isle in the Lannister region to live in seclusion, but later relocated to Dragonstone and spent most of her time with her daughter Aerea and later Rhaella, who would join the Faith.
In 51, Jaehaerys and Alysanne embarked on a long journey to solve the problems of Westeros and listen to the people. They visited towns and castles one after another. However, their journey was interrupted in Maidenpool when an assassination attempt was made on the pregnant queen, Alysanne, by the female militants of the Faith. The queen, still reeling from the shock of the attack, lost her child, Aegon, three days later, and Alysanne blamed Faith for the death of her child. After this incident, King Jaehaerys decided that the queen needed someone to protect her by her side, and Jonquil Darke was chosen for this duty.
Despite losing Aegon, Alysanne gives birth to Daenerys the following year. During Jaehaerys and Alysanne’s long reign, they have a total of 13 children. Unfortunately, their relationship with their children is not as strong as their relationship with Westeros. Some die at birth, while others pass away at different points in their lives due to various reasons. Some even had to flee to Essos for multiple reasons.
After the Conquest, a tragic event befalls the Targaryen family in the 54th year. Elissa Farmen believed to be Rhaena’s lover, steals three dragon eggs from Dragonstone. She sells these dragon eggs in Braavos and has a ship named Sun Chaser built for herself, setting sail towards the uncharted western lands where no one has dared to venture before. No one ever hears from Elissa again.
Androw, the married brother of Rhaena, who resides in Dragonstone, poisons many people on the island, citing his unhappiness as the reason, causing them to die. He then commits suicide himself.
Amidst the bad news, there is also some good news. King Jaehaerys negotiates an agreement with the High Septon, ensuring that Targaryens will be spared from curses in Westeros as long as incestuous relationships are avoided.
In the year 54, Alyssa Velaryon dies during childbirth. Her daughter Aerea Targaryen, who longs to possess a dragon, takes off on Balerion at the age of 12 and disappears for a year. No one can find out where they went. A year later, Aerea returns, covered in wounds, and after uttering the words “I never…,” she falls and faints. Her appearance is so horrifying that only Grand Maester Benifer and Septon Barth are allowed into her chamber. Underneath her skin were creatures resembling worms wriggling around, and her body seemed to cook itself from the inside. When the two place her in cold water, the young princess screams in agony before dying; although no one understands what happened to her, many speculate that she went to Valyria with Balerion.
In 57, Septon Barth, a friend of the king, becomes the Hand of the King. In 58, the king works towards securing peace between Pentos and Tyrosh. Meanwhile, Alysanne travels north, winning the hearts of the people there, visiting the Night’s Watch, and participating in their traditions. Most importantly, Alysanne establishes a court for women, assisting those who struggle to attain positions of power.
In 61, King Jaehaerys successfully suppresses the Dornish armies and the Vulture King leading them, and he repeats the same feat in 83. During the rebellion in 83, the king manages to quell it with only his sons and dragons without losing a single soldier.
The heir to the throne, Aemon, marries Jocelyn Baratheon, and they have a daughter named Rhaenys, who, on the other hand, marries his sister Alyssa, and they have three children: Viserys, Daemon, and Aegon.
In 84, a major scandal erupts in the king’s city. It is revealed that Saera Targaryen has been involved with Joah Mooton, Ser Braxton Beesbury, and Roy Connington and that she has encouraged Alys Curnberry and Perianne Moore to engage in similar activities. One of these girls becomes pregnant. However, Saera does not back down in her defense, stating that men can have multiple partners, so why can’t she? Her defense drives the king mad. The king tries to resolve the problem by arranging marriages for his daughters with men, but he faces Braxton Beesbury’s request for a trial by combat. Jaehaerys fights Braxton one-on-one and kills him on the spot. Although Saera is punished by being made a septa, she escapes and flees to Lys, where she becomes a prostitute. However, over time, Saera moves to Volantis and becomes an important figure, bearing many bastards. Queen Alysanne wants to forgive her daughter, but the king opposes it, and despite resolving the issue, their relationship is never the same again due to their disagreement.
Despite having many children, the king and queen lose several of them for various reasons. In 52, Aegon passes away, followed by Daenerys in 60, Gaemon in 74, Valerion in 78, Daella in 82, Alyssa in 84, Viserra in 87, Aemon in 92, Maegelle in 96, Gael in 99, Alysanne in 100, and Baelon in 101.
Following the queen’s death and the demise of the heirs, King Jaehaerys summons all his lords and holds a grand meeting to determine the successor. As a result, Viserys, the son of Baelon and Alyssa, is chosen as the king instead of Rhaenys, who had the rightful priority.
After a peaceful reign of 55 years, Jaehaerys Targaryen passes away in 103, and Viserys officially ascends to the throne.
Sources and Further Information
- R. Martin, George. “A Game of Thrones,” Bantam (2002)
- R. Martin, George. “A Clash of Kings,” Bantam (2002)
- R. Martin, George. “A Storm of Swords,” Bantam (2003)
- R. Martin, George. “A Feast for Crows,” Bantam (2011)
- R. Martin, George. “A Dance with Dragons,” Bantam (2011)
- R. Martin, George. “Fire & Blood,” Bantam (2018)
- A Wiki of Ice and Fire
- Wiki of Westeros
- Alt Shift X, YouTube
- Whycreate, YouTube