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| “ | Do not mourn me, mother. It was a fair exchange. I may have lost an eye, but I gained a dragon. | „ |
| ~ Aemond Targaryen to Queen Alicent Hightower. |
| “ | Final tribute. To the health of my nephews: Jace, Luke, and Joffrey. Each of them handsome, wise... strong. Come! Let us drain our cups to these three Strong boys! | „ |
| ~ Aemond mocking the illegitimacy of his nephews. |
Prince Aemond Targaryen, also known as Aemond-One-Eye and Aemond the Kinslayer, is a supporting character in the A Song of Ice and Fire franchise and one of the two secondary antagonists (alongside Aegon Targaryen) of the television adaptation House of the Dragon.
He was the second son of King Viserys I Targaryen and Queen Alicent Hightower, as well as the younger brother of King Aegon II Targaryen and Princess Helaena Targaryen, the older brother of Prince Daeron Targaryen, and the half-brother of Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen. He allegedly had a son with his rumored wife and witch, Alys Rivers.
When he was 10, he decided to claim the dragon Vhagar, one of the largest and oldest dragons. After riding Vhagar, he fought Joffrey's elder brothers, Jacaerys and Lucerys Velaryon, which resulted in the loss of his right eye. Aemond would later wear a sapphire in place of his eye. During the Dance of the Dragons, he supported his older brother as part of the Greens against Rhaenyra and the Blacks..
In the television adaptation House of the Dragon, he is portrayed by Ewan Mitchell as an adult and was portrayed as a teenager by Leo Ashton.
Personality[]
Books[]
In the books, Aemond is shown to have a hot temper and is a fierce individual; even as a child, he is also described as being bold, hot-tempered, and wild. Aemond is also a very ruthless and resentful person, hunting down and killing Lucerys Velaryon in revenge for the loss of his eye, after being outwitted by one of Lord Borros Baratheon's daughters. One of the darker parts of his personality was his ruthlessness. When he found out that King's Landing had been captured by Daemon and Rhaenyra, he flew into a rage and proceeded to burn the Riverlands and attack all settlements that were aligned with the Blacks or were suspected of being disloyal.
TV series[]
Aemond began as a moody, quiet-natured kid. However, he had a giant chip on his shoulder even before he lost his eye, feeling left out and insecure over the fact that he didn't have a dragon, as well as being bullied for it by his brother and nephews.
After he claimed Vhagar and lost his eye, he became much bolder and more violent. His repressed jealousy of others came to the surface, specifically for Rhaenyra's sons and, in a more veiled sense, Aegon. His anger also caused him to become very aggressive as a young adult, to the point of threatening Lucerys.
However, despite his personality, unlike in the books, he is more in control of himself, as he chased Lucerys just to intimidate and force him into removing one of his eyes as compensation. In addition, he reacted in shock and horror when Vhagar killed Lucerys and Arrax, causing Aemond to ultimately come to the revelation that while he was denied the chance to have the debt repaid, he had accidentally made himself a kinslayer. Later, he regretted what happened that day, as he lost his temper and was sorry for it.
Aemond idolized his uncle, Daemon Targaryen, and developed a mixed hatred and respect for him. And he is proud that Daemon considered him such a foe, as he sent assassins to kill him, even though in reality it's because of his dragon..
Biography[]
Aemond was born as the second son of King Viserys I Targaryen and his second wife, Queen Alicent Hightower. As his mother and his aunt/half-sister Rhaenyra Targaryen have a tense relationship with each other, this was also passed on to him, along with his other siblings, and he became bitter rivals with Rhaenyra's three sons, Jacaerys, Lucerys, and Joffrey Velaryon, as he resents them for stealing his birthright. When King Viserys tried to make the children get along by making them spend more time with each other, this failed as they disliked each other even more.
In 120 AC, Prince Aemond, who was 10 years old at the time, accompanied his parents as they attended the funeral of Ser Leanor Velaryon, who was killed by his own friend, Ser Qarl Correy, who disappeared. Aemond's siblings had claimed dragons of their own, with Prince Aegon claiming the golden-scaled Sunfyre and Prince Daeron claimed the blue-scaled dragon Tessarion. As for Princess Helaena, she claimed the dragon Dreamfyre, who was originally the mount of Princess Rhaena Targaryen, the daughter of King Aenys I.
Aemond himself was the only one who hadn't claimed his own dragon, and his father commented that he could only claim a dragon, egg, or hatchling if he was "bold enough." Annoyed by this, he decided to claim the dragon Vhagar, currently the largest and oldest dragon, who used to be the mount of Queen Visenya Targaryen, Prince Aemon Targaryen, and Lady Laena Velaryon. Aemond hoped that he could claim the dragon in secrecy, as he knew that his father and mother would not allow him to go near Vhagar. When he was caught by his half-nephew Joffrey Velaryon, who loudly ordered him to stay away from Vhagar, Aemond, fearing that this would set off the alarm, shouted at him to be quiet before pushing him into a pile of dragon droppings.
When Joffrey started bawling, Aemond became so fearful of being caught that he completely forgot his fears of being eaten or burned to death. Running straight to Vhagar, he climbed onto her back, causing the dragon to break free of her chains and circle around the towers of High Tide while in the air with Aemond riding her. Thus, he became a dragonrider himself. When he came back down, Joffrey had returned with his older brothers, Jacaerys and Lucerys Velaryon, who were called by their little brother, and all three were armed with wooden training swords. In an ensuing fight, Aemond brutally breaks Lucerys' nose before wrenching Joffrey's training sword from his hand before using it to strike the latter in the back of the head, which forced Joffrey to his knees.
Aemond's eye is slashed out by Lucerys.
When Aemond began to sardonically mock the three boys by calling them "the Strongs," since they were rumored to be bastard sons of Ser Harwin Strong, Princess Rhaenya's secret lover, Jacaerys was the only one who could understand the insult. When he charged at Aemond, the latter began to brutally pummel him until Lucerys drew out his dagger and slashed out Aemond's right eye, leaving the princeling to scream in pain as he writhed on the ground while Vhagar roared. When King Viserys learned of the incident, he tried to bring peace by making each of the boys apologize to each other, but it didn't satisfy their mothers, as they both sought vengeance. Queen Alicent demanded that Lucerys' eye be cut out as penance, as per the debt An eye for an eye, but Rhaenyra insisted that Aemond should be questioned sharply until he revealed where he heard her sons being called "Strongs".
When pressured by his father, Aemond reveals that it was his brother Aegon who told him that Jacaerys, Lucerys, and Joffrey are Strongs. King Viserys puts an end to the questioning by decreeing that anyone—man, woman, child, noble, common, or royal—who would dare mock his grandsons as "Strongs" will have their tongues removed with hot pincers as punishment. Despite losing his eye, Aemond counted that it was a fair exchange, as he also claimed a dragon for his own.
Even with the loss of his right eye, he would grow up while being trained by Ser Criston Cole to become a proficient and dangerous swordsman.
Dance of the Dragons[]
After King Viserys died in his sleep and the coronation of Aegon II Targaryen was being hastily prepared, Queen Alicent sent Aemond, now nineteen, to Storm's End in order to win the allegiance of Lord Borros Baratheon by betrothing to one of his four daughters. There at Storm's End, he was warmly welcomed by Lord Borros, who arranged feasts, hunts, and jousts in Aemond's honor and even accepted the latter's marriage pact. However, Prince Lucerys Velaryon, who is now thirteen years old, was also sent to Storm's End by his mother, Rhaenyra, who was crowned queen and had also sought to gain the support of House Baratheon. When Lucerys arrived, he found Prince Aemond already with Lord Borros. Aemond attempted to provoke his nephew, but Lucerys ignored him.
Aemond demands Lucerys to cut out his eye as compensation.
When Aemond attempted to snatch a letter that Lucerys was going to give to Borros, Lord Baratheon had his guards intervene while one took the letter and gave it to Borros. When Lucerys tells him that he is not free to marry and that he is already betrothed, Lord Borros immediately dismisses him from Storm's End. Before Lucerys could leave, however, Aemond stops him and reveals to Lucerys that he owes him a debt. Tearing off his eyepatch, he reveals a sapphire underneath, which was placed in the empty eye socket his right eye used to be in. He orders his nephew to cut out one of his eyes as compensation for slashing out his in the past, but Lucerys refuses, and he tells his uncle that he only came as an envoy and not a knight. This caused Aemond to accuse him of coming as a craven and a traitor and threaten Lucerys, but he was restrained by the guards, allowing Lucerys to leave.
When Aemond was teased by Lord Borros' second-born daughter, Maris, who remarks that she is glad that she wasn't chosen and that she prefers a husband with all body parts, this angered Aemond, who immediately asked Lord Borros for his leave. The Lord of Storm's End tells him that he can't do anything with him if he is outside of his roof and lets him go. Aemond immediately rushed outside and mounted his dragon Vhagar to pursue his nephew with the intent of killing him. In a raging storm, he met up with Lucerys and his dragon, Arrax, above Shipbreaker Bay. Aemond then kills Lucerys by having Vhagar and Arrax locked together until the much older and larger dragon kills Arrax, causing the dead dragon to fall, broken, into the water below along with Lucerys.
According to Mushroom, the court fool, Aemond cuts out Lucerys' eyes after the prince's body washes ashore along with the dead Arrax, before presenting the eyes to Lady Maris in a bed of seaweed. However, this claim seems to be excessive. Consequently, due to being fully responsible for murdering his own nephew, Aemond would therefore be known to all as a Kinslayer. When he returned to King's Landing, he expected to receive a hero's welcome but was disappointed as his mother and grandfather looked really concerned and distressed, as they had learned of Lucerys' death. While a pale Queen Alicent cried out to the Mother, a godly aspect of the Seven, for mercy, Ser Otto Hightower, the Hand of the King, scolded Aemond for his actions. However, King Aegon II did not share the same opinion, and he threw a great feast in his brother's honor while also hailing him as the "true blood of the dragon".
Aemond's killing of Lucerys had a negative effect on House Targaryen and eventually the entire realm; Upon hearing of her son's death, a broken Rhaenyra collapsed in grief while Prince Joffrey swore an oath of vengeance. Rhaenyra's husband/uncle, Prince Daemon Targaryen, who was away in the Riverlands, sent a letter to his wife/niece via a raven, in which he wrote: An eye for an eye, a son for a son. Lucerys shall be avenged. Setting a plot for revenge in motion, Daemon, through his spymaster, Mysaria, hires two assassins named Blood and Cheese, giving them the task of murdering one of the sons of King Aegon. The assassins were successful as they managed to sneak into the Red Keep and assassinate the king's eldest son, Prince Jaehaerys, which caused King Aegon's sister-wife, Queen Helaena, to slowly descend into depression and madness. This ultimately results in the beginning of an open war between the Blacks and the Greens, with the former group being the supporters of Rhaenyra and the latter group being the supporters of Aegon II.
Aemond and King Aegon II during the Siege of Rook's Rest
Siege of Rook's Rest[]
Aemond, on his dragon Vhagar, accompanied King Aegon and Ser Criston Cole (now the Hand of the King, following Otto Hightower’s dismissal) as they marched on and besieged the castle of Rook's Rest, the seat of House Staunton. Together with his brother, they slew Princess Rhaenys Velaryon, the wife of Corlys Velaryon, along with her dragon Meleys. In the aftermath of the battle, Aemond and Vhagar were the only ones who survived intact, however, Aegon II was left burnt and physically broken, while his dragon Sunfyre was inflicted with a half-torn wing. Seizing Rook's Rest, Aemond and Criston Cole proceeded to put the castle's entire garrison to death while Lord Staunton was beheaded and his head was sent to King's Landing to be placed on a spike.
While Aegon recovered, Aemond was convinced by Ser Criston Cole to rule the realm as regent until his brother fully recovered. Aemond then took his brother's crown, which is the Valyrian steel circlet of Aegon the Conqueror, and named himself only King Regent and Protector of the Realm. He even states that the crown fits better on his own head than Aegon's.
Retaking Harrenhal[]
Seeing that his uncle Daemon and the host that he had gathered in the Riverlands are a greater threat, he rallies his council and banners and announces his intention of meeting Daemon in battle and punishing the riverlords, who support the Blacks, before proposing to strike the riverlands from both the east and west, which would force the lords of the Trident to fight on two fronts at once. According to the plan, Lord Jason Lannister and his army were to cross the Red Fork with fire and swords while Ser Criston Cole marched with the Greens' army to the Riverlands. When the Greens and the army of rivermen converge on the ruined castle of Harrenhal, then the Greens are expected to crush the "traitors of the Trident" between them, and if Prince Daemon emerges from the walls of Harrenhal, then the dragon Vhagar is expected to overcome Daemon's dragon Caraxes, allowing Aemond to return to King's Landing with his uncle's head.
While this bold stroke only earned Aemond the favor of Criston Cole and Ser Tyland Lannister, the Master of Coin, Grand Maester Orwyle, urged the prince to send word to House Baratheon and add the might of the Baratheon army to his own. Lord Jasper Wylde, the lord and head of House Wylde, advised that he should summon Lord Ormund Hightower and Prince Daeron, now called "The Daring," from the south, as he noted that two dragons are better than one. Moreover, Queen Dowager Alicent Hightower cautiously urged Aemond to wait until King Aegon and his dragon had recovered so they could join in.
However, despite all these clever advices, Aemond, in his arrogance, had no time to delay, as he believed that he didn't need any help. In addition, he believed that King Aegon was too badly injured to join in the attack, while Prince Daeron was too young. Moreover, while Caraxes is fearsome, savage, cunning, and battle-hardened, Vhagar is older and more fierce, as well as being twice as large. According to Septon Eustace, Prince Aemond is determined that the victory over Daemon is his and his alone, as he wants all the glory to himself. While he rode out of King's Landing with Ser Criston Cole and a host of 4,000 men, as well as taking Vhagar with him, Lord Jason Lannister descended on the Red Fork and the heart of the Riverlands with the full might of his army, forcing the Lords of the Trident to meet them in battle. However, as Aemond, Criston, and most of the Greens' army advanced towards Harrenhal, Prince Daemon had already received word of his nephew's plan, and he had long been expecting it. While the Greens' army continued on to the riverlands, he left Harrenhal on his dragon, as well as evading the enemy army, to rejoin with Rhaenyra. Consequently, the absence of Aemond and Criston left King's Landing undefended enough for Rhaenyra and Daemon to take the city, allowing the former to take the Iron Throne.
Aemond eliminating House Strong.
Aemond and his army finally arrived at Harrenhal nineteen days and a day later, but they found the gates open and the castle empty. That night, the Greens celebrated their "victory," and Aemond proclaimed that Daemon and the rivermen, whom he referred to as "riverscums," had fled rather than face his wrath. However, he was infuriated upon learning that King's Landing had fallen to the Blacks as a result of his own arrogance.
The near extinction of House Strong[]
Due to his paranoia and hatred over House Strong, due to the rumors that Rhaenyra had sired her three eldest sons with the late Harwin Strong, Aemond came to believe that Ser Simon Strong, who had yielded Harrenhal to Prince Daemon, was a traitor, but the old knight denies this and protests his innocence, reminding the King Regent that Simon’s nephew, Larys Strong, also known as the Clubfoot, was Lord of Harrenhal and Master of Whisperers to King Aegon. Unfortunately for Ser Simon, his own denials only made Aemond more suspicious, and this caused him to also believe that Larys is also a traitor.
Forcing Simon Strong to a duel to prove his innocence, Aemond cuts him into pieces before feeding his remains to Vhagar. The King Regent then proceeded to have all, including every man and boy who had Strong blood, put to death, thus nearly driving House Strong to extinction, leaving Larys Strong as the last of his house until his eventual execution by Lord Cregan Stark much later during the Hour of the Wolf.
Meeting Alys Rivers[]
While the rest of the Strongs were ruthlessly executed, the only one who was spared was a wet nurse named Alys Rivers, whom Aemond made as a bedmate and also as a prize of war. Alys will then become his paramour.
Becoming the terror of the skies[]
Aemond and Ser Criston Cole got into a debate on a solution to respond to the attacks of Queen Rhaenyra. When Criston urged a withdrawal to the south, Aemond disagreed and stated that "only a craven runs from traitors. When he received word of the Battle by the Lakeshore, also called the Fishfeed, in which the Blacks were victorious, he began strangling the squire, who delivered the news, to death, only to be stopped by Alys Rivers. When Aemond proposed an immediate attack on King's Landing, insisting that Rhaenyra's dragons are no match for Vhagar, Ser Criston Cole called it a folly, as he knew that a battle between one and six dragons is foolish since Vhagar is outnumbered, and once again advised that the Greens should go south and join forces with Ormund Hightower, but Aemond refused.
Since they couldn't settle the matter, they decided to part ways, where they would meet separate fates. While Criston Cole would take the Greens' army south, Aemond stayed behind in the Riverlands to burn down settlements that were aligned with the Blacks before vanishing and then reappearing from the sky about fifty leagues away. While Aemond was away, Harrenhal, after it was abandoned, was captured by Lady Sabitha Frey and her army, and Alys Rivers was kept hostage. However, Aemond returns and attacks Harrenhal, killing over six knights and two score of men-at-arms, while Lady Sabitha survived, as she hid in a privy. Aemond then rescued his paramour and took her with him, disappearing to parts unknown.
Battle Above the Gods' Eye[]
Aemond with Alys Rivers prior to the Battle Above the Gods' Eye.
Aemond about to meet his end.
Daemon and the baseborn girl Nettles, one of the Dragonseeds, whose mount is the wild dragon Sheepstealer, tried to search for Aemond and Alys but were unsuccessful. Eventually, after sending Nettles and her dragon away, Daemon returned to Harrenhal to wait for his nephew, as he anticipated that Aemond would find him there if he wanted to challenge him. After fourteen days, as expected, Aemond arrived on Vhagar with Alys, who is now pregnant. After helping his paramour down from his dragon, Aemond reveals to his uncle that he heard that he was seeking them. When Daemon asked who told him on where to find him, his nephew revealed that Alys had seen him in a vision in a fire that they both used to cook supper with. Aemond then mocks Daemon for coming alone only for his uncle to retort that he would not have come if he himself were alone. Aemond responded back, saying, Yet you are, and here I am. You have lived too long Nuncle, and Daemon replies On that much we agree,.
As his uncle climbed back on Caraxes, Aemond passionately kissed Alys before climbing back on Vhagar. Together as one, both dragons and their respective riders leapt into the sky. Daemon and Caraxes ascended swiftly into the clouds before disappearing, while Vhagar and Aemond followed on, though slower. As an hour passed and the sun was close to setting, Aemond searched for Daemon while Alys Rivers watched from below. Suddenly, as quick as a thunderbolt, Daemon and Caraxes suddenly attacked from above, from Aemond's blind side, and Caraxes slammed into Vhagar, causing both dragons to start battling each other until they locked themselves. As the two dragons rapidly plunged into the God's Eye while wounding each other at the same time, Daemon leapt from one dragon to another as Aemond looked on in terror. Reaching his nephew, he rips off the latter's helm before driving his Valyrian steel longsword, Dark Sister, into Aemond's blind eye, and the blade comes out of the latter's throat, killing him. Both dragons then crashed into the lake, and Prince Daemon could not possibly have survived the impact.
The now-dead Aemond was still chained to the saddle when the dragons hit the water a moment later. The bodies of Aemond and Vhagar would be found a few years later, with Dark Sister still through Aemond's eye socket. Daemon's body, however, was never recovered, though it is very likely he died or had survived. In the aftermath of the Dance of the Dragons, much of the Riverlands were left burned and destroyed in the aftermath of Aemond's rampage.
Legacy[]
Aemond's skeleton with Dark Sister still through his eye socket.
Following Aemond's death, Alys would take over Harrenhal as apparently a witch queen before allegedly giving birth to Aemond's son, whom she also claimed to be legitimate through marriage, but it's unknown on what became of the child.
Aemond's actions and crimes prior to and during the Dance of the Dragons earned him a negative historical account, with Archmaester Gyldayn remembering him as an impetuous, hot-tempered, unforgiving, and vengeful person who ended up sparking irreversible armed warfare.
House of the Dragon[]
Season 1[]
Background[]
Born sometime between the years 115 AC and 126 AC, Prince Aemond Targaryen was the fourth child and second son of King Viserys I Targaryen, ruler of the Seven Kingdoms of the continent of Westeros, and his wife Alicent Hightower of House Hightower. His elder half-sister, Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen, was the heir to the Iron Throne despite the existence of Aemond's elder brother, the second-born Prince Aegon Targaryen. He also had two nephews around his age, the Princes Jacaerys Velaryon and Lucerys Velaryon, born from the marriage of his half-sister Rhaenyra and Ser Laenor Velaryon of the noble House Velaryon.
House Targaryen claimed dominion over Westeros thanks to their control of dragons, which only those who carried their blood could command. Despite being of Targaryen blood, Aemond was unable to bond with a dragon during his youth. Growing up in King's Landing, the capital of the Seven Kingdoms, Aemond Targaryen played with his elder brother Aegon and his nephews. The Princes were all trained in combat by Ser Criston Cole, the personal protector of Queen Alicent, who showed bias towards Aemond and Aegon due to his personal grudge against Princess Rhaenyra.
In 126 AC, Aemond accompanied his brother and nephews to the Dragonpit, where the Targaryen dragons were housed and trained, shortly after the birth of Princess Rhaenyra's third son, Joffrey Velaryon. Aegon, Jacaerys, and Lucerys told Aemond that they had found him a dragon he could ride. However, the "dragon" in question was nothing more than a dressed-up pig designed to mock Aemond.
After that, he tells his mother about the incident. Later, Alicent reprimands Aegon, whom he calls a twat. Aemond later trains in combat under Ser Criston Cole with Aegon, Jace, and Luke. He attends his aunt Laena Velaryon's funeral on Driftmark.
He and his brother quarrel about Aegon's betrothal to their sister and their distaste for her while watching their sister Helaena investigate a spider. Reminding Aegon that Helaena is their sister and his future queen, Aemond stands up for her. When Aegon proposes that Aemond wed Helaena if he is prepared to stand up for her, Aemond responds that he would fulfill his obligation to preserve the purity of their Valyrian ancestry if they were engaged. He later approaches Rhaena, Baela, and Jace, who are all grieving for a parent. They exchange a lengthy gaze, but neither says anything.
Claiming Vhagar[]
Aemond claiming and taming Vhagar.
Aemond makes the decision to fulfill his ambition of claiming a dragon in order to prove himself that evening after his grandfather, Otto Hightower, pulls an inebriated Aegon off to bed. After slinking away from his family, he discovers Vhagar dozing down on the shore. She wakes up when he comes over and starts to mount her. After Aemond retreats, Vhagar returns to slumber, but when the child tries again, a furious Vhagar nearly burns him alive. By giving her instructions to collect herself and serve him in High Valyrian, he is able to establish a bond with her. Then, he mounts her and nearly perishes as Vhagar flies into the skies since he forgot to secure himself to the saddle before giving her the order to take off. Still, he picks it up fast, riding the dragon around High Tide before coming to a stop.
As Aemond arrives at the castle, he is confronted by Jace, Luke, and Laena's daughters, Baela and Rhaena. Rhaena claims she is entitled to Vhagar because she is Laena's daughter, but Aemond, overcome with vanity and pride, orders her to go claim a pig instead, as that will fit her. The two battle, but Aemond tosses Rhaena to the ground. Baela punches him, but Aemond fights back, threatening to feed her to Vhagar if she attacks him again. This leads Jace to join the fray, followed by Luke. Both are knocked down, and Luke's nose is broken. Jace manages to shove Aemond to the ground, and he, Baela, and Rhaena begin to pummel him. Aemond gets to flee before seizing Luke by the throat and wielding a rock to beat him with, cruelly stating that Luke will die screaming on fire, much as his father, Harwin Strong, had called Luke and Jace bastards. When Luke mentions that his father, Laenor, is still alive, Aemond mocks Jace for not knowing his true lineage and calls him "Lord Strong." This causes Jace to unsheathe a knife and attack him, but Aemond avoids him and hits him in the head with the rock. As Aemond tries to attack Jace again, Jace blinds him with sand, and Luke snatches the dropped dagger and slices him in the left eye. As Aemond wails in agony, the Kingsguard, drawn by the ruckus, locates the children. Harrold Westerling is taken aback by what he sees as he instructs the youngsters to stop fighting and turns Aemond over to inspect his injuries.
The children are led to the Hall of Nine, where King Viserys angrily wants to know how this happened from his Kingsguard, while Maester Kelvyn tends to Aemond's eye as Corlys, Rhaenys, Rhaenyra, and Daemon enter, inquiring as to what transpired. Aemond accuses Jace and Luke of unjustified attacks, but an argument quickly breaks out among the involved youngsters, excluding Aegon and Helaena, who yell at and over each other before Viserys silences them. The king challenges Aemond, who is backed by his mother. When Jace mentions Aemond The following day, Aemond rides Vhagar back to King's Landing, with Aegon on Sunfyre and Helaena on Dreamfyre.
Reuniting with his nephews[]
Six years later, Aemond and Criston sparred in the training yard. Although Criston initially has the upper hand, Aemond eventually defeats him. Criston complements him, stating he will be winning tournaments in no time, to which Aemond responds, "I don't give a shit about tourneys." He then observes his nephews, Jace and Luke, and inquires whether they have come to train.
Aemond taunting and mocking his nephews.
Aemond subsequently appears when Vaemond Velaryon requests that the monarch make him the successor to Driftmark. He appears amused throughout the proceedings, particularly when Vaemond publicly announces Jace, Luke, and Joff to be bastards. At supper, Aemond is served a roast pig, which causes Luke to giggle in memory of the joke he, Jace, and Aegon pulled on him. In reaction, Aemond jumps up and raises a drink for his nephews, taunting them about their "strong" nature. A brawl ensues, culminating in Daemon exchanging a challenging glance with Aemond, prompting the latter to back down.
Following the death of his father, Viserys, the Green Council declares Aegon the lawful successor, overturning Rhaenyra's long-standing claim under dubious circumstances. Aegon appears to have vanished from the Red Keep, so his grandfather Otto sent the brothers Arryk and Erryk Cargyll to find him. Alicent, too, wants her son to rule, but she opposes her father's forceful attitude; she believes that openly antagonizing Rhaenyra is a bad idea, so she sends Aemond and Ser Criston to find Aegon before the Cargyll brothers do. Aemond brings Criston to a brothel on the Street of Silk, where Aegon previously took him to lose his virginity, in the hope that he may be sheltering there, but the madam states that she has not seen him. She quietly admits to Aemond that she misses the younger prince's patronage. He attends his brother's coronation in the Dragonpit; when Rhaenys and Meleys attack the ritual, Aemond intervenes to protect his sister Helaena.
Becoming the Kinslayer[]
Subsequently, after Aegon's crowning, Aemond is dispatched to Storm's End to persuade House Baratheon to back the Greens. He gains Lord Borros Baratheon's allegiance in exchange for consenting to marry Borros' daughter Floris, and he is present when Lucerys Velaryon arrives to seek House Baratheon's support for the Blacks. After Borros rejects Lucerys, Aemond demands that Lucerys remove one of his eyes as restitution for the eye Lucerys stole from him at Driftmark.
Aemond revealing his sapphire eye.
When Lucerys refuses, Aemond snarls, "Lucerys is a craven and a traitor," grabs a blade, and attempts to attack Luke. Lord Borros steps in, unwilling to let Aemond breach guest rights by maiming Lucerys, an ambassador, beneath his roof, and has his guards accompany Lucerys back to his dragon while Aemond glares at his nephew.
Not long later, Aemond rides Vhagar and pursues Arrax and Lucerys as they flee, terrifying both with his larger dragon. Unfortunately, things worsen when an enraged Arrax throws a fire in Vhagar's face. He suddenly recognizes that things are out of control and urgently tries to calm the enraged Vhagar, but he is unable to prevent his dragon from killing Lucerys and Arrax. He stares in horror as Arrax's mangled fragments drop to Earth, realizing he has unintentionally become a kinslayer. This conduct ensured that the Blacks would launch a war in retaliation, shattering any hope that Rhaenyra would accept a peaceful settlement to the succession crisis.
Aemond realising what he has done.
Powers and Abilities[]
Powers[]
- Dragonriding: Thanks to the blood of ancient Valyria flowing through his veins, courtesy of his father, King Viserys, Aemond had the capability to form bonds with dragons, allowing him to partner with them and fly them into battle. Dragons were particularly picky with their riders and could typically only be ridden or directed by their chosen partner. In the case of Aemond, he was initially dragon-less as a child, having been unable to bond with any of the beasts in King's Landing. He was eventually able to form a bond with Vhagar, the largest and oldest dragon in existence at the time. Vhagar was perhaps the most formidable creature in the world and was an asset of great import to Aemond's family.
Abilities[]
- Master Combatant: Aemond Targaryen was an expert hand-to-hand combatant and skilled swordsman, even at a young age. As a child, he was able to single-handedly fend off Lucerys, Jacaerys, Raena, and Baela simultaneously, the former two of whom had also received martial training. Before he was eighteen, he was already able to best his mentor, Ser Criston Cole, in a duel, who was an incredibly skilled combatant in his own right and capable of going toe-to-toe with Prince Daemon Targaryen himself.
Quotes[]
A Song of Ice and Fire[]
| “ | Prince Aemond said later that he lost an eye and gained a dragon that day, and counted it a fair exchange. | „ |
| ~ Writings of Archmaester Gyldayn |
| “ | I have never known anyone so strong as my sweet nephews. So let us drain our cups to these three strong boys. | „ |
| ~ Aemond mocking Jacaerys, Lucerys, and Joffrey Velaryon, after describing in detail and "admiration" their brown eyes and brown hair to the entire attending court in a celebration feast. |
| “ | Aemond: Hold, Strong. First pay the debt you owe me. [tears off his eye patch and flings it to the floor, showing the sapphire beneath] You have a knife, just as you did then. Put out your eye, and I will let you leave. One will serve. I would not blind you. Luke: I will not fight you. I came here as an envoy, not a knight. Aemond: You came here as a craven and a traitor. I will have your eye or your life, Strong. Borros: Not here. He came as an envoy. I want no blood shed beneath my roof. [Storm's End's guards put themselves between Aemond and Luke and escort the latter back to the yard] Maris Baratheon: [sweet mocking tone] Was it one of your eyes he took, or one of your balls? I am so glad you chose my sister. I want a husband with all his parts. |
„ |
| ~ The recounted events leading to Aemond killing Lucerys Velaryon. |
| “ | Aemond: Nuncle, I hear you have been seeking us. Daemon: Only you. Who told you where to find me? Aemond: My lady. She saw you in a storm cloud, in a mountain pool at dusk, in the fire we lit to cook our suppers. She sees much and more, my Alys. You were a fool to come alone. Daemon: Were I not alone, you would not have come. Aemond: Yet you are, and here I am. You have lived too long, Nuncle. Daemon: On that much we agree. |
„ |
| ~ Daemon and Aemond's last conversation before their final battle. |
Trivia[]
- In the books, Aemond loses his right eye, not his left.
- The confrontation between Aemond and Lucerys Velaryon at Storm's End plays a bit differently in the novels, as in the television series House of the Dragon, the involvement of a Baratheon into feeding the conflict was omitted.
- In Fire & Blood, it was Maris Baratheon—the second eldest daughter of Borros Baratheon, known to be smart for her age and by then between 10-17 year-old—who was a huge reason for the escalation into violence in the confrontation between Aemond and Lucerys, as she goaded the former into attacking the latter.
- This was mainly done out of spite toward Aemond, as Maris was known to have been angry at him for preferring her comelier sisters than her, and he accepted a betrothal to one of them in order to secure Storm's End's allegiance to the Greens. When Aemond and Luke started to confront one another, Maris taunted Aemond, asking if it was his eye that Lucerys had taken, "or one of [his] balls." Enraged by Maris's words, Aemond left the castle of Storm's End and subsequently attacked Luke with his dragon Vhagar. This made Maris Baratheon the indirect cause of Lucerys's death.
- The fool and jester Mushroom claims that Aemond cut out the eyes from Luke's corpse after killing him, and presented them to Maris on a bed of seaweed, though Archmaester Gyldayn notes his skepticism about such claim and comments that this seems excessive. After the Dance of the Dragons and the coronation of Aegon III, Maris joined the silent sisters for enigmatic reasons.
- This was mainly done out of spite toward Aemond, as Maris was known to have been angry at him for preferring her comelier sisters than her, and he accepted a betrothal to one of them in order to secure Storm's End's allegiance to the Greens. When Aemond and Luke started to confront one another, Maris taunted Aemond, asking if it was his eye that Lucerys had taken, "or one of [his] balls." Enraged by Maris's words, Aemond left the castle of Storm's End and subsequently attacked Luke with his dragon Vhagar. This made Maris Baratheon the indirect cause of Lucerys's death.
- In Fire & Blood, it was Maris Baratheon—the second eldest daughter of Borros Baratheon, known to be smart for her age and by then between 10-17 year-old—who was a huge reason for the escalation into violence in the confrontation between Aemond and Lucerys, as she goaded the former into attacking the latter.
- Despite Aemond's betrothal to a Baratheon girl, Alys Rivers claimed she ended up marry him. Whether she lied or not it's a mystery, and it's possible the two were only lovers. Alys insisted she was Aemond's wife and that their presumed son was King Aegon II's true heir to the Iron Throne. It's possible that Alys simply lied of having wed Aemond before his death and that even if the two had a son he might've been a bastard.
- Whether Aemond's alleged son might've been trueborn or bastard, Aegon II was unaware of Alys's pregnancy and named his successor, Aegon III, his heir and had arranged a betrothal for him with his daughter Jaehaera.
- Whatever became of Aemond and Alys' alleged son is unknown.
External Links[]
- Aemond Targaryen on the A Wiki of Ice and Fire.
- Aemond Targaryen on the Wiki of Westeros.
