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Targaryen Queens and their Gifts

Queen Daenys, Oracle, first Chosen Queen, was blessed by a vision of the Goddess, predicting her arrival in Westeros and the Targaryen line of dragons, called the Dreamer due to her extraordinary strong Oracle Gift and the visions that most often found her while asleep

Queen Visenya, Warrior, spared her younger sister Queen Rhaenys and shared her King- Consort Aegon with her, said to have been a Legion-cursed Queen hiding her Poisoner Gift

Queen Rhaenys, Elemental, mother to the current Targaryen line, was killed by Mainlanders

Queen Vaella, [Gift], youngest sister of Queen Rhaena and Queen Alysanne, died at the beginning of their Ascension Year

Queen Rhaena, Oracle, her daughters and her were spared by her sister Queen Alysanne, after forfeiting all claims to the throne

Queen Rhaella, Naturalist, daughter of Queen Rhaena, joined the Temple to become a priestess

Queen Aerea, Elemental, daughter of Queen Rhaena, was attacked on a trip to the Mainland and died (burned for a witch?)

Queen Alysanne, [Gift], sister of Queen Rhaena, abolished the tradition of Queenslaying during the Ascension Year, has seven daughters, none of which succeed her:

• Queen Daenerys, Oracle, died in the cradle shortly after birth

• Queen Alyssa, Warrior, mother of Daemon and Viserys, died without a daughter of her own, was favoured as Queen Alysanne’s heir

• Queen Maegelle, [Gift], joined the Temple to become a priestess

• Queen Saera, Elemental, deserted the throne to leave for the Mainland, presumed Giftless by rumours

• Queen Daella, Naturalist, mother of Queen Aemma, familiaris: a white dove?

• Queen Viserra, Elemental / Warrior, died on the run from potential suitors through the streets of Queen’s Landing

• Queen Gael, Poisoner, committed suicide, after being shamed by a Mainlander for her pregnancy out of wedlock

Queen Aemma, Naturalist, mother of Queen Rhaenyra, familiaris: a silver falcon

Queen Rhaenyra, Elemental, daughter of Queen Aemma, Chosen Queen

other important people

Aegon I Targaryen, Oracle, King-Consort of both Queen Visenya and Queen Rhaenys

Aenys Targaryen, Giftless, son of Aegon and Queen Rhaenys

Maegor Targaryen, Warrior, suitor of Queen Rhaena, went to war against his nephews Aegon and then Jaehaerys to claim her hand and failed

Aegon Targaryen, [Gift], brother, suitor and short-time husband of Queen Rhaena, fathered her daughter, before being slain by Maegor during Queen Rhaena’s Ascension Year

Jaehaerys I Targaryen, [Gift], King-Consort of Queen Alysanne, meddled in her government quite often

Aemon Targaryen, Warrior, father of Rhaenys Baratheon / Velaryon, killed by Mainlanders

Baelon Targaryen, Warrior, father of Daemon and Viserys, devastated by Queen Alyssa’s death

Vaegon Targaryen, Giftless, left to become a maester at the Citadel

Viserys I Targaryen, Giftless, claiming to be an Oracle, disrespecting his late wife Queen Aemma and their daughter Queen Rhaenyra

Daemon Targaryen, Warrior, son of Queen Alyssa, destined to be Queen Rhaenyra’s Prince- Consort as stated by an Oracle

Rhaenys Baratheon / Velaryon, Poisoner, Aemon Targaryen’s daughter, contested Queen Aemma’s Ascension

Corlys Velaryon, Elemental, husband of Rhaenys Baratheon / Velaryon

Laena Velaryon, Elemental, daughter and heir of House Velaryon

Laenor Velaryon, Warrior, Laena’s younger brother

Aegon II Targaryen, Giftless, at first proclaimed a Warrior by his father, but does not show any signs of the Gift

Helaena Targaryen, Oracle, though at first proclaimed Giftless by her father, a Queen?

Otto Hightower, Giftless, advisor and friend of Viserys, schemes to put his granddaughter on the throne and return Westeros to a patriarchy

Alicent Hightower, Giftless, mother of (Queen?) Helaena, daughter of Otto and second wife of Viserys, formerly Queen Rhaenyra’s friend

Gwayne Hightower, Giftless, son of Otto and brother of Alicent

Critson Cole, Mainlander, washed up on Westerosi coast, a potential suitor of Queen Rhaenyra

Mysaria, Mainlander, Daemon’s lover, the daughter of an exiled Poisoner, a whore and a spy who has immigrated to Westeros, maybe a Poisoner?

Lyma Beesbury, Giftless, member of the Black Council

Liola Strony, Naturalist, member of the Black Council, mother of Harwin and Larys Strong as well as Alys, her heir

Alys Strong, Poisoner, eldest, daughter and heir of her mother, a Beltane child

Harwin Strong, Warrior / Naturalist, brother of Alys, a potential suitor of Queen Rhaenyra

Larys Strong, Oracle / Giftless, younger brother of Alys and Harwin

Harrold Westerling, Warrior, first male Lord Commander of the Queensguard

Many say the Targaryens are all Legion-cursed Naturalists due to their dragons. Although they themselves admit the connection between Targaryen and dragon is comparable to the one between Naturalist and familiaris, they also emphasise it is not the same: A Naturalist summons her familiars from the wild, receiving an ordinary animal that becomes a part of her soul. Dragons are no ordinary animals. The fiery beast cannot be summoned by a stranger either. A Targaryen must seek out their dragon on their own. And though they do share a soul once bonded, some Targaryens hatch their mounts in the cradle. This is why some speculate that they are, in fact, born sharing their dragon’s soul.

Great Houses of Westeros

House Targaryen, Dragonstone and Queen's Landing,
royal line of the Triplet Queens, Blood of the Dragon, Valyrian

most prominently Giftes as Warriors, Elementals and Oracles (who are sometimes called Dragon Dreamers)
Though House Targaryen can also boost some impressive Poisoners, but only very few Naturalists

House Velaryon, Dristmark,
Valyrian, vassals and allies of House Targaryen

most prominently Gifted as Elementals

House Baratheon, Storm’s End
descented of the Warrior and Naturalist House Durrandon and the Conquerors’ alleged half-brother

most prominently Gifted as Warriors

House Arryn, Eyerie in the Vale of Arryn

most prominently Gifted as Oracles and Seers

House Stark, Winterfell

most prominently Gifted as Elementals

House Lannister, Casterly Rock

most prominently Gifted as Poisoners

House Tyrell, Highgarden

most prominently Gifted as Naturalists

House Hightower, Oldtown

most prominently Giftless

House Stong, Harrenhal

most prominently Gifted as Naturalists and Warriors

places in Westeros

Westeros – Fennbrin

King’s Landing – Indrid Down => Queen’s Landing

Small Council – Black Council

Maegor’s Holdfast – Volroy

Dorne and the Free Cities – Mainland

Chapter Text

Before the Goddess had descended onto the earth to bless the worthy with her Gifts and the royal line with their dragons, women had had little say in anything in Westeros. Men had dominated their daughters and sisters, used their wives for their wombs and their cunts for their pleasure. They had shamed them for their intellect and confidence if they were brave enough to show any. And even their mothers were often ignored once the men outgrew boyhood.

Were he not his mother’s son, Daemon supposes he might have turned into one of those men who longed for a return to those times. But he was the second son of Queen Alyssa Targaryen. His mother would have thrown him from her dragon’s back mid-flight if he had ever developed a mindset like that.

As it was, many lamented that he had been born a boy and not a girl. Had he or his brother Viserys been a girl, their line would have been secure. But unfortunately, the Goddess had called their mother back to her side, before a daughter was born to her. Their father Prince Baelon had always thought himself somewhat of a failure to his sister-wife who he had promised as many daughters as there were stars in the sky.

So instead it was Queen Daella’s daughter Queen Aemma who would follow their grandmother the Good Queen Alysanne. It had been the Good Queen who had ended the brutal tradition of kinslaying among the Queens for their Ascension to the throne. Queen Alysanne had spared her sister Rhaena, after a civil war throughout the island. Queen Rhaena and her daughters had been allowed to live, although they had needed to forfeit all their claims to the throne in favour of Queen Alysanne.

Since then Alysanne had brought forth seven daughters in two Triplet births and even three sons who lived past the cradle and childhood. Her favourite and youngest daughter Queen Gael who had been born fourth in her mother’s last Triplet birth, had been seduced by a Mainlander and had chosen to drown herself in shame for it.

Daemon had been a boy on the cusp of adulthood back then, but had his grandmother asked it of him, he would have happily pursued the bastard and killed him for driving his aunt as far as suicide due to his twisted and outdated views on propriety and women. Since the Goddess had come to them, there has not been any shame for a girl to lay with whoever she wished. Wed or unwed, no one would think to question her. No one but a man from the Mainland.

Queen Saera had runaway to the Mainland, abandoning her claim to the throne just as easily as her family. The Good Queen had wanted to bring her back but her King-Consort Jaehaerys had raged against such an action. For him his daughter had died as soon as she had left the isle. It had led to a great argument between the Queen and her brother-husband. Their first dear daughter Queen Daenerys who had returned to the Goddess too soon, was even mentioned some say.

Of course, despite the Queen’s favouritism towards her youngest, everyone had thought it would be Queen Alyssa, the wild girl who had seduced her own brother and beaten every guard in the yards, that would succeed her mother. Daemon’s mother had been proud of her Warrior Gift. Many of their House were Warriors, Daemon’s uncle Aemon, his father Baelon and even he himself. But the most prominent Warrior of House Targaryen must have been the Warrior Queen Visenya.

Queen Visenya had been an outlier for sparing her Elemental sister Queen Rhaenys and sharing their brother Aegon with her as consort. Queen Rhaenys’ death at the hands of some Mainlanders had sparked one of the most vicious wars in Westerosi history. Yet it had been her and not her elder sister’s line that preserved.

Some claimed it was, because Queen Visenya had turned from the Goddess by practising blood magic. Others said the Warrior Queen had been hiding her Legion-curse, secretly being a Poisoner too. The Goddess then punished her for flouting one of her Gifts.

But that had been almost a century ago. Now, the Good Queen was ruling from the Iron Throne. But she was an old woman now and soon the Goddess would recall her too. The Good Queen had suffered from the loss of all her daughters in recent years. Losing her heir Alyssa to the birthing bed as well as Queen Daella, Saera leaving for the Mainland and Gael drowning herself.

Many thought Queen Alysanne had only stayed to finally settle the matter of her succession. For the Queen had two granddaughters who wished to claim her throne.

Daella’s daughter Queen Aemma had been born and raised in the Eyerie, the secluded city of the Seers and Oracles. Though the young Queen herself had only inherited a rather dormant Naturalist Gift from her mother. Weak Gifts had been rather common among Queen Alysanne’s daughters. Only Queen Alyssa’s Warrior Gift had been strong enough to befit a Queen, her sisters’ Gifts had all been so weak some questioned, whether they had even possessed any. But Queen Gael’s failed attempt at poisoning herself had proven her as a Poisoner, though the rumours stating Queen Saera had only left for the Mainland due to her lack of a Gift never ceased even until this day.

Queen Aemma’s claim was contested by her cousin Rhaenys Baratheon. She was a Targaryen on her father’s side, but her Poisoner Gift was quite strong – not as strong as a true Poisoner Queen’s, many said and rather untypical for her family of Warriors on both the paternal and the maternal side.

And Rhaenys had claimed the late Queen Alyssa’s she-dragon Meleys, while Queen Aemma had never even approached any of the great beasts.

There were some who would have preferred Rhaenys to follow after the Good Queen. So Queen Alysanne called for an Oracle, the High Priestess and her entire family to settle the matter.

And when Queen Aemma claimed the Black Dread and took the oldest and greatest of their dragons on his last flight, the matter was settled. Or so the official story goes.

The unofficial story says that it was indeed the Oracle’s prophecy that determined the next Queen of Westeros. They say the woman looked at both girls and told of their futures as certainly as the very first Queen, the Oracle Queen Daenys, once would have.

Rhaenys Baratheon would marry a powerful Elemental and the man would beget a son and a daughter on her. They would both have the dragon blood of their mother, but neither of them would have the Goddess’ blessing to rule. The Mainland would one day become their home as it had for their great-aunt Queen Saera.

Queen Aemma would struggle in childbirth as her mother had before her, but she would bear another Queen. The next daughter of the Goddess’ choosing would be named Queen Rhaenyra, a powerful Elemental and a passionate dragonrider.

The Oracle was said to have prophesied that Queen Rhaenyra would lose her mother too soon, but that she would have a strong King-Consort at her side to guarantee her Ascension against her half-sister the Mad Queen Helaena and the King who would try to usurp her throne.

And so it had come. Queen Alysanne and her King-Consort Jaehaerys had left to return to the Targaryens’ ancestral home, letting Queen Aemma ascend the Iron Throne.

Sure enough, her daughter Queen Rhaenyra arrived promptly and was quickly carried off by her uncle. Daemon had personally picked the dragon egg for the girl’s cradle and when the little golden dragon hatched within a week of her rider’s birth, he was beyond proud. Taking Queen Rhaenyra on flights astride his own Blood Wyrm Caraxes, until she took to the sky own her own at a mere seven years of age!

Rhaenys Baratheon had married Lord Corlys Velaryon as the Oracle had foretold. The Velaryon Lord’s ambitions for his children, however, created some tensions with the crown. His scheming of making his son Laenor Queen Rhaenyra’s King-Consort were but one of them.

Yet Queen Aemma’s Black Council was kept busy even more often by the quarrels between Daemon Targaryen who had been granted a seat on the council as well as command of the City Watch, so the capital might not descend into chaos after Queen Alysanne’s reign had ended, and Otto Hightower who claimed Daemon was reaching for his cousin and niece’s throne. To many it was clear Otto only remained on the council for his close friendship with Queen Aemma’s own King-Consort Viserys. Why the Queen had not married her far more attractive and Gifted cousin Daemon was unclear to most. Though rumour had it the Oracle had foretold a match between the Warrior and his Elemental niece.

Harrold Westerling, the male Lord Commander of the Queensgaurd, always sided with Prince Daemon and assured Queen Aemma of the prince’s loyalty. He was often joined by Liola Stong, a Naturalist, as well as Lyma Beesbury, a Giftless lady, who both served on the Black Council as well.

But then Queen Aemma died in the birthing bed. She already had a daughter, an heir who was blessed by the Goddess through the word of an Oracle. Why had the Queen tried for another child if she had already known who would succeed her. For more than a century there hadn’t been an Ascension Year of Triplets murdering each other for the throne, one daughter would have been enough for the fragile Naturalist Queen.

Well, her King-Consort Viserys who claimed to be a Seer – though his brother often laughed about the alleged Dragon Dreams Viserys thought to have – had pushed his wife for another child. For a son of all things! Viserys claimed he had dreamed of the boy, of him sitting the Iron Throne instead of Queen Rhaenyra.

Treason. Many had whispered across the entire isle. The Goddess herself had come to her children to tell them of her blessed daughters, of the strength Gifts more easily acquired in girls than boys and the hypocrisy of shaming a woman for a man’s deeds. To now claim that a boy was more fit to rule than his sister, a Queen, a daughter of the Goddess herself. Such a claim was simply insane.

Yet Viserys seemed so obsessed with the vision, he remarried within less than a year of the Queen’s death. His next bride was Alicent Hightower, a plain girl who possessed no Gift but was his friend Otto’s daughter.

The marriage had hurt Queen Rhaenyra who had been close friends with Alicent, before her betrayal. For the young Queen had not known of her father’s plans nor of her friend’s closeness to him.

Daemon who had already fought with his brother for the role of Regent until his niece would come of age, tried to stop the union. To no avail though. Instead Viserys had banished his brother and married his daughter’s friend.

The histories would come to claim both events were accompanied by great Shannon storms summoned by the enraged Elemental Queen.

Soon Alicent bore a son Aegon and then a girl Helaena. The boy much like his mother, did not show any Gift, but his sister was undoubtedly an Oracle. Viserys proclaimed his second daughter’s Gift a sign of the Goddess’ favour, after much unrest due to Otto Hightower’s insistence on calling Viserys and his new bride King and Queen.

Queen Rhaenyra, meanwhile, retreated more and more. She spent almost her entire days in the clouds on her she-dragon Syrax’s back or wandering the gardens. Before her mother’s death she had been the Black Council’s cupbearer and were Queen Aemma still alive, her daughter would now sit to her right to learn the art of governing. But Otto Hightower had advised Viserys against burdening his griefing daughter with such tedious duties.

All that would change upon her uncle’s return from the Mainland and the war Lord Corlys had waged against a fleet of pirates with Prince Daemon’s help.