House of the Dragon: Here’s what you need to know about the illegitimate King Aegon II Targaryen!

• Born: 107 after Aegon the Conqueror
• Dragon: Sunfire
• Faction: The Greens

33% discount: “House of the Dragon” and more 6 months for 9.98 euros per month.❯

The HBO series House of the Dragon is a spin-off of George RR Martin’s Game of Thrones. The show tells the story of House Targaryen, who ruled the Seven Kingdoms for over 300 years. The main focus is on the inheritance war “Dance of the Dragons”. In which Aegon II Targaryen and his half-sister Rhaenyra Targaryen fight for the crown of Westeros.

Aegon II is the first son of King Viserys I Targaryen and his second wife Alicent Hightower. His birth sparks a great deal of debate in the realm, as tradition has it that Aegon II would be the king’s heir apparent.

Two years earlier, however, Viserys I named his firstborn daughter, Rhaenyra Targaryen, as his legal successor, after years of not having a son with his first wife, Aemma. Aegon II’s birth does not change Visery’s I decision, so Rhaenyra remains his heir.

The desperate attempt to make Aegon II king

For years, his mother Alicent and grandfather Otto Hohenturm try to convince the king to appoint Aegon II as heir to the throne after all. Since Otto is too harsh in this attempt, he is dismissed from his post as Hand of the King by Viserys I.

Alicent’s proposal to marry off the half-siblings Rhaenyra and Aegon II is also rejected by Viserys I. A group called the Greens formed around the Targaryen Prince, led by his mother, Alicent. Their goal is to make Aegon II king. Opposing them are the blacks who support Rhaenyra’s claim to the throne.

hatred of the nephews

The rivalry between the siblings passed to the children of Rhaenyra over the years. These are almost the same age as Aegon II and his siblings Helaena, Aemond and Daeron. They are taught together and attend the same festivals.

At the funeral of Laenor Velaryon, Rhaenyra’s first husband, Aegon II’s little brother Aemond Targaryen and his nephews Jacaerys and Lucerys Velaryon clash. Aemond calls the boys “The Krafts”, a reference to their alleged illegitimate birth. Since the children of Rhaenyra bear no physical resemblance to her husband, it is assumed that her bodyguard, Harwin Kraft, is the children’s real father.

When Aemond is asked by his father where he got these claims from, the boy points to his brother Aegon II. Viserys I then decrees that anyone who questions the legitimacy of Rhaenyra’s children shall lose his tongue. Rhaenyra marries her uncle, Daemon Targaryen, shortly after her husband’s fake death. When the couple also name their first child Aegon, Alicent sees it as an insult to her own son.

Aegon’s marriage

At the age of 15, Aegon II is married to his younger sister, Helaena Targaryen. Together they have twins Jaehaerys and Jaehaera and son Maelor. According to rumors, the two twins in particular should not be completely healthy. The daughter Jaehaera is said to be developmentally delayed and the son Jaehaerys is said to have one finger and two toes too many.

In the forced marriage with his sister, Aegon II is not faithful to his sister. He shows himself to be busy and fathers several illegitimate children, including one with the daughter of one of his mother’s maids.

After his brother Aemond murdered Rhaenyra’s son Lucerys, there is an assassination attempt on the royal family. The two assassins Blood and Cheese attack Helaena, who is making her way to her mother with her children. The assassins force the young mother to have one of her sons killed. At first she offers herself, but when the men push her harder, she decides to take her younger son, Maelor. However, the villains kill Jaehaerys, heir to the throne of Aegon II, and leave King’s Landing with his head.

The Dance of the Dragons

After the death of his father Viserys I, his mother Alicent and grandfather Otto seek the throne of Aegon II. They cover up the king’s death and search the whole city for Aegon II in order to crown him king before Rhaenyra. However, the prince is nowhere to be found.

Only when Otto makes contact with Mysaria the “White Worm” can Aegon II be found. At first the young man refuses to take the throne, but he quickly changes his mind. His mother tells Aegon II that Rhaenyra had him and his siblings killed after her coronation. To prevent this, he has Kriston Kraut anoint him king in front of the people in the dragon pit.

The coronation of Aegon II becomes the trigger for the bloody War of Inheritance “Dance of the Dragons”. Aegon II himself goes into numerous battles and, together with his troops, is able to claim some areas of Westeros for himself. When he is badly wounded in battle, his brother Aemond takes over his duties as Prince Regent for a short time.

After a trap set by his sister, King’s Landing falls to the enemy blacks. Aegon II then flees the city. He hides in the abandoned fortress of Dragonstone, otherwise inhabited by Rhaenyra. When Rhaenyra herself has to flee the capital, she returns with her son Aegon III. back to Drachenstein.

Aegon II ambushed his sister and nephew and had them led into the courtyard. Before the eyes of Aegon III. Aegon II throws his sister Rhaenyra to his dragon Sunfire to eat. The war appears to be over and the Greens have won. But the blacks do not give up, they are now fighting for the accession to the throne by Aegon III.

Aegon II’s end

The blacks can defeat Aegon II’s troops, which still doesn’t make the king lay down his crown. That stokes tension among the nobles of Westeros. They have given everything for the war and are not willing to pay a higher price. When Aegon II makes his way to the castle sept in his sedan chair, he drinks his favorite wine, which has been poisoned.

Having only arrived at their destination, his servants fail to find out that Aegon II has died. Many of his closest confidants died shortly thereafter. The attack takes place so quietly that no alarm is rung in the Red Keep. The murder of the king is most likely commissioned by his ally Larys Kraft.

In order to finally bring about peace between the Greens and the Blacks, Aegon II’s daughter Jaehaera, with Rhaenyra’s son Aegon III. married. He then ascends the throne and rules over the Seven Kingdoms.