When Aegon III ascended to the throne, he was merely 11 years old. Exhausted by the war and deeply unhappy due to the loss of his loved ones, he was deemed unfit to rule. As a result, a council was established, consisting of Lady Jeyne Arryn, Lord Corlys Velaryon, Lord Roland Westerling, Lord Royce Caron, Lord Manfryd Mooton, Ser Corrhen Manderly, and Grand Maester Munkun, to govern in his place. Although Aegon sometimes wished to make decisions on behalf of the kingdom, the council disregarded him and followed their own counsel.
Aegon III married his cousin, Jaehaera. However, Jaehaera took her own life just two years later. Some believed that her suicide was orchestrated as an assassination by Lord Unwin Peake. Unwin Peake intended to wed his daughter, Myrielle, to Aegon. Many lords in Westeros had offered their daughters to Aegon, but he had no interest in remarriage. That is, until Baela and Rhaena Targaryen suddenly appeared with 6-year-old Daenaera Velaryon. Aegon agreeing to marry Daenaera caused a rift between House Peake and himself.
In the year 134, Alyn Velaryon, returning from a long voyage, brought back Viserys Targaryen, who had been missing for many years and presumed dead by many. Viserys’ return brought unprecedented joy to Aegon. During his time in Lys, Viserys had grown close to the Rogare family and had married Larra Rogare. King Aegon declared that there would be no issues and that he accepted them all amicably into the realm.
King Aegon, believing that everything would improve further with Viserys’ arrival, was thrown into chaos when Gaemon Palehair was poisoned and died during a dinner attended by the king. It was initially thought to be an assassination attempt on the king, but it was revealed that he had escaped poisoning because he didn’t consume the dessert. This revelation triggered a ruthless hunt for the culprits throughout the city. However, this was not the only problem. The downfall of House Rogare, who operated a bank in Essos, led to strained relations with Lys and, eventually, their enmity. Taking advantage of these events, some Westerosi lords attempted to imprison the entire Rogare family, plunging the kingdom into great turmoil. Despite everything that transpired, King Aegon III declared his support for the Rogares. In response, the lords sought to imprison the king, who supported the Rogares. Sensing the imminent danger, Aegon III, along with his wife Daenaera, Viserys, Larra, and their champion from Lys, Sandoq, locked themselves inside Maegor’s Holdfast. The king announced that anyone who tried to enter or harm the Rogares would be mercilessly killed. Some soldiers who attempted to breach the holdfast were brutally slain by Sandoq alongside Amaury Peake.
During the 18-day confinement, those close to the king began investigating the true motives behind the events. As days passed, the investigations revealed that the Rogare family had been deliberately framed. At the culmination of this treacherous chain of events led by Unwin Peake, Lord George Graceford was sent to the Night’s Watch, and Ser Mervyn Flowers, who served as the king’s guard, was executed. After 18 days, King Aegon II emerged from the holdfast and appointed William Stackspear, Marq Merryweather, and Lorent Grandison as his new advisors, declaring Torrhen Manderly as his Hand.
While everyone expected young Aegon to withdraw to his chambers again, upon reaching the age of 16 in the year 136, he fully assumed the reins of power. With his complete takeover, the reign of Aegon the Broken King commenced. Throughout his 26-year rule, Aegon III exhibited a quiet and weak leadership, often deferring to his brother Viserys. Eventually, he appointed Viserys as his Hand. The duo spent their days suppressing the various small rebellions that arose in the aftermath of the civil war, one of which claimed to be led by someone named Daeron Targaryen.
Due to his personal traumas, Aegon III had difficulty forming close relationships, but over time, he grew closer to his wife, Daenaera, and they had five children together: Daeron, Rhaena, Elaena, Baelor, and Daena.
While King Aegon III succeeded in bringing peace to Westeros after the war, he was considered a failure for various reasons. One of the most significant factors was that no new dragons hatched from the four remaining eggs inherited from the dragons that perished during the war. Despite sending envoys and sorcerers to Essos, healthy dragons failed to emerge from any of the eggs. Thus, Aegon III, at the age of 36 in the year 157, bid farewell to life in a quiet kingdom without the dragons that would ensure the continuation of his family.
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