To the casual observer at the Ashford Meadow tourney, House Targaryen appears unshakeable. This is a century before Game of Thrones, an era when the “Red Dragon” commands Westeros through law, lineage, and political might rather than fire and blood. The dynasty is vast, respected, and seemingly united beneath a polished royal image.
But beneath the silks and banners lies a family quietly tearing itself apart.
The Targaryens of this era embody the infamous “great coin toss” — the idea that every new Targaryen prince is a gamble between greatness and madness. A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms brings this idea to life not through dragons or sprawling wars, but through a simmering family drama where every prince represents a different fracture line.
Baelor vs. Maekar: Two Brothers Who Define the Realm’s Fate
At the heart of the Targaryen political machine stand two very different princes: Baelor “Breakspear” and Maekar.
Baelor “Breakspear” — The Realm’s Hope
The eldest son of King Daeron II, Baelor is everything a future king should be. Despite his Dornish looks — inherited from his mother, Myriah Martell — he embodies Targaryen honor more than anyone in his generation. As Hand of the King, he is respected by lords and beloved by smallfolk. His presence at Ashford Meadow symbolizes stability and fairness.
Maekar Targaryen — The Iron and Flint Prince
Maekar, the fourth son, lives in permanent shadow. He rules from his seat at Summerhall with a stern, uncompromising sense of duty. Where Baelor inspires admiration, Maekar inspires fear. He is a brilliant warrior, but overshadowed by the charisma of his brothers and the expectations placed upon his sons.
This sibling tension doesn’t just define their relationship — it radiates outward, shaping the destinies of all four of Maekar’s children and fueling political rivalries that affect everyone around them, including a hedge knight named Dunk and a mysterious boy called Egg.
Maekar’s Sons Explained: Four Princes, Four Diverging Fates
Maekar’s household captures the full spectrum of Targaryen possibility — brilliance, tragedy, cruelty, wisdom, and destiny.
Daeron Targaryen — The Dreamer Who Drinks
Daeron, the eldest, bears the burden of prophecy. Plagued by “dragon dreams” — visions that often come true — he seeks refuge in wine, numbing both his fear and his royal responsibilities. He is a tragic figure who sees danger long before it arrives but cannot escape it.
Aerion “Brightflame” — The Prince of Delusion
If Daeron is a victim of Targaryen blood, Aerion is its curse. Beautiful, proud, and frighteningly unstable, Aerion believes himself a literal dragon trapped in human form. His entitlement and volatility make him the most dangerous presence at the Ashford tourney. He is the embodiment of the Targaryen coin landing on madness.
Aemon Targaryen — The Boy Who Chose Wisdom
Realizing Westeros has more princes than thrones, young Aemon is sent to the Citadel to become a maester. Long before he becomes Maester Aemon of the Night’s Watch, he is already the calm center of this volatile family, the one Targaryen who understands duty without craving power.
Aegon “Egg” Targaryen — The Future Hidden in Plain Sight
The youngest, Aegon, escapes suffocating expectations by disguising himself as a stable boy. Traveling with Ser Duncan the Tall teaches him humility, loyalty, and the perspective his royal upbringing never would. Readers know him as future King Aegon V — but in this story, he is just Egg, a boy who chooses the road instead of the throne.
The Blackfyre Rebellion: The Shadow That Haunts Every Targaryen
No discussion of this era is complete without the Blackfyre Rebellion, a civil war that ended only fifteen years before A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms begins.
What Sparked It
King Aegon IV legitimized all his bastards on his deathbed, including Daemon Waters — who took up the ancestral Valyrian steel sword Blackfyre and claimed the throne.
The realm split into:
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Red Dragons (Daeron II’s legitimate line)
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Black Dragons (Daemon Blackfyre and his supporters)
Why It Still Matters
Although the rebellion was defeated, the wounds never healed. Exiled Blackfyre heirs still plot overseas, and every noble at Ashford Meadow is quietly judged:
Which dragon did you fight for? Red or Black?
This lingering paranoia shapes every royal interaction and adds explosive tension to even the smallest conflict — especially once Aerion enters the fray.
Why the Targaryens Are Their Own Worst Enemy
The tragedy of this golden-age Targaryen family is painfully simple:
with no dragons left to battle, they start burning each other.
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Baelor tries to heal the realm.
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Maekar tries to prove himself.
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Aerion tries to reinvent himself as a god.
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Daeron tries to escape.
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Aemon tries to serve quietly.
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Egg tries to survive long enough to become the king Westeros needs.
And in the middle of this dynastic chaos stands a hedge knight — tall, untested, earnest — and a boy hiding the most dangerous secret in Westeros.
It’s a story about nobility without titles, honor without banners, and a family whose greatest threats come from within their own bloodline.
