Westeros Notorious Rulers and Families

Aerys I Targaryen

Aerys Of House Targaryen, First Of His Name, King Of The Andals, The Rhoynar, And The First Men, Lord Of The Seven Kingdoms, And Protector Of The Realm. King Aerys was also known as Prince Aerys, son of Daeron II Targaryen and Myriah Martell, born in 172/176 AC. King Aerys married Aelinor Penrose, they had no children. King Aerys died in 221 AC, it is undocumented how.

History: Aerys Targaryen was the second son of King Daeron II Targaryen and Queen Myriah Martell. He was very much interested in books about ancient prophecy and the higher mysteries. At some point, Aerys read a prophecy that spoke about the return of dragons. He was married to his cousin, Lady Aelinor Penrose, but he never showed any interest in getting her with child, instead shunning her bed. According to rumor, Aerys did not even consummate the marriage.

Reign: Aerys became king in 209 AC, following the death of his father, King Daeron II Targaryen, and Daeron's immediate heirs, Princes Valarr and Matarys in the Great Spring Sickness. The plague continued for some time under his rule. Upon becoming king, Aerys appointed his uncle, Brynden Rivers, known as Bloodraven, as Hand and let him rule while he occupied himself with the study of books and lore. A new Grand Maester was also elected and said to be involved in sorcery. As Aerys had not yet fathered a child with his wife Aelinor, his small council, hoping that Aerys shunned her bed because he disliked her, urged Aerys to set Aelinor aside and take another wife. Aerys would not hear of it, however, and they remained married.

Aerys's reign began during the Great Spring Sickness, and at its start suffered a great drought that lasted more than a year. It was widely held that travel was less safe during the reign of Aerys than under his father Daeron II.

Aerys's reign was furthermore troubled by war. In 212 AC, Lord Dagon Greyjoy led the ironborn in raiding Fair Isle, the Arbor, and the north. That same year, Lord Gormon Peake, a Blackfyre loyalist, brought Daemon II Blackfyre to the Seven Kingdoms from across the narrow sea and attempted to gather support for an insurrection, the Second Blackfyre Rebellion. Thanks to Brynden Rivers's network of spies and the actions of Ser Duncan the Tall and his squire, this rebellion ended at the Whitewalls tourney with relatively little bloodshed.

The Third Blackfyre Rebellion was launched in 219 AC and ended with the capture of Aegor Rivers and the death of Haegon I Blackfyre. Aegor Rivers was brought to King's Landing in chains and while Brynden Rivers and Prince Aerion Targaryen wanted him put to death, King Aerys I sentenced him to take the black instead.

Throughout his reign, Aerys acknowledged four different heirs. First was his brother Rhaegel, who died in 215 AC when he choked on a lamprey pie. Aerys next acknowledged Rhaegel's only son Aelor as his heir, but Aelor died in 217 AC during a mishap caused by his twin sister and wife, Aelora. Aerys's third heir was Aelora. However, she was mad with grief following her brother's death, and committed suicide some time later, leaving Aerys to recognize his fourth and last heir to the throne, his youngest brother Maekar. When Aerys died in 221 AC, Maekar succeeded him.