Rhaena Targaryen
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| Character | |
|---|---|
| Name: | Rhaena Targaryen |
| Occupation: | Lady, Princess, spare to the Iron Throne (temporarily; book) |
| Relationships: | Daemon Targaryen & Laena Velaryon (parents), Rhaenyra Targaryen (stepmother/first cousin), Jacaerys Velaryon & Joffrey Velaryon (stepbrothers/cousins), Lucerys Velaryon (stepbrother/cousin/fiancé), Baela Targaryen (sister), 3 half-siblings {Aegon, Viserys, Visenya}, Corlys Velaryon & Rhaenys Targaryen (maternal grandparents), Corwyn Corbray (first husband; book), Garmund Hightower (second husband, book), unnamed first dragon (book), Morning (second dragon; book), two stepdaughters (book), seven children (book) |
| Fandom: | A Song of Ice and Fire, House of the Dragon |
| Other: | |
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Rhaena Targaryen is one of characters in Fire & Blood chronicle by George Martin, as well its adaptation House of the Dragon.
Canon
Book
Rhaena was daughter of Prince Daemon Targaryen and his second wife Laena Velaryon, and sister to Baela Targaryen (her elder twin) as well to unnamed boy who died as infant. After the death of her mother, Rhaena soon gained a stepmother in the person of her first cousin Rhaenyar Targaryen, alongside three stepsiblings (including her fiancé Lucerys Velaryon) and three half-siblings.
Rhaena was the only known dragon rider from the A Song of Ice and Fire universe who was bonded to more than one dragons. Her first dragon died on the day it hatched when girl was very young; her second dragon, a female called Morning, hatched when Rhaena was around 14.
Rhaena grew up with her father and siblings on Dragonstone as stepdaughter of the Crown Princess. When the civil war called Dance of the Dragons broke, Rhaena accompanied her stepbrother Joffrey and his dragon Tyraxes to guard Vale, ruled by Queen Rhaenyra's ally and cousin, Lady Jane Arryn. Joffrey soon left, but Rhaena from unspecified reasons remained in Vale. It was during this time her dragoness Morning hatched. Remaining far from war ultimately turned out to be good for the animal - after two years of war almost all Targaryen dragons were killed, temporarily leaving Morning as only dragon under Targaryen control. Still possessing one dragon (versus zero on Green side) made Team Black look more legitimate on symbolic level.
After the ending of Dance, Rhaena became spare to throne of her half-brother Aegon III (with their sister Baela being heir presumptive), and while loved by her brother, she felt unwelcomed, as Aegon pathologically feared dragons and didn't like Morning's presence. Rhaena married for love a man called Corwyn Corbray (Lucerys perished during Dance) but he was killed during fighting few years later. Rhaena later remarried, to Garmund Hightower by whom she had six daughters; her first marriage resulted in one pregnancy that she miscarried.
By 22nd year of Aegon III's reign Morning was believed to be dead. It's unknown whether Rhaena outlived her dragoness or if she passed away by this point and Morning wasn't dead herself but simply fled from Westeros after her rider's death, never to be seen again.
Show
While in book Rhaena is Baela's younger twin, in the show she is two years younger than Baela. Unlike in the book, her first dragon egg never hatched. At age 8, Rhaena is neglected - "ignored" - by her father, who educates however her older sister Baela; it is presumed Daemon cares less for Rhaena because she does not have dragon.
After her mother's death, Rhaena grows up on Dragonstone with her father, stepmother and siblings, including her stepbrother Lucerys Velaryon to whom she develops romantic feelings.
At some point Rhaena tries to claim wild dragon, but that attempt almost costs her life and frightened Rhaenyra does not allow her stepdaughter to try again in fear of her life.
At age 14 Rhaena is engaged to Lucerys - as boy is heir to Corlys Velaryon, Rhaena would be one day Lady of Driftmark. Rhaena is visibly pleased with her betrothal, often smiling to her new fiancé, but her happiness is short-lived, as Lucerys is killed less than week later by his uncle Aemond.
After Rhaenyra's coronation, Rhaena is invited by her stepmother to Royal council as nominal member and cupbearer, but eventually Queen decides to sent her stepdaughter to Vale, as guardian to her younger sons, their two young dragons and clutch of dragon eggs.
Fandom
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Fanworks
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