Aemon


 * "Aemon Targaryen" redirects here. For Maester Aemon's namesake, the uncle of his grandfather, see: "Aemon the Dragonknight".

Maester Aemon is a recurring character in the first, third, fourth and fifth seasons. He is played by guest star Peter Vaughan and debuts in "Lord Snow."

Aemon is the maester at Castle Black and is one of Lord Commander Jeor Mormont's closest advisers in the Night's Watch.

He was born Aemon Targaryen and is the last known Targaryen in Westeros. He is the great uncle of Daenerys Targaryen, who is unaware of his existence, and unknown to him, he is the great-great uncle of Jon Snow. Aemon's origins have long been forgotten by most, as he has remained dedicated to his vows as a Maester and a brother of the Night's Watch for decades uncounted.

Background
Aemon was born into the royal House Targaryen, the son of King Maekar I. Unlike the majority of his forbears, Aemon and his brothers were not born out of marriage between brother and sister. Their father and grandfather respectively married Dyanna of House Dayne and Myriah of House Martell. Originally known as Prince Aemon Targaryen, he was not his father's eldest son, so he eventually joined the order of Maesters. Aemon gave up all rights to inheritance when he took his vows, which also included relinquishing his surname "Targaryen".

Aemon's older brother, Aerion, later died, however, and despite being a sworn maester there were those who felt that the crown should pass to him. Aemon refused the throne, however, and it passed to his younger brother, who became King Aegon V. Aemon then joined the Night's Watch to remove himself from the political intrigues of the royal court, and those who wished to set him up as a rival against his brother.

Many years later the crown passed to Aegon V's son, Aemon's nephew Aerys II, called "The Mad King". Aerys's growing insanity ultimately led to the outbreak of Robert's Rebellion, which saw House Targaryen deposed and practically exterminated. Upon hearing about the brutal death of his family in King's Landing during the rebellion, Aemon bore great sadness which has never left him.

Around one hundred years old, Aemon is thought to be one of the oldest living men in Westeros, though he has retained all of his wits and his mind is still very sharp. He has served as the maester at Castle Black for many decades.

Aemon has long since gone blind due to old age. It is not clear when he went blind (he was not born blind), though he has stated that he was already old and blind during Robert's Rebellion. As a man of learning, he laments not being able to read anymore, even though Castle Black ironically has an ancient and well-stocked library consisting of thousands of books. Because one of a maester's basic duties is to handle messages sent to and from a castle by messenger-ravens, Aemon has to rely on the assistance of others to physically read the letters for him.

Season 1
After Tyrion Lannister has arrived at Castle Black, Maester Aemon asks him to urge the Queen to send more men to the Night's Watch: there is a severe lack of men to defend the Wall. They discuss the coming winter, and Aemon assures Tyrion that the next winter will be long and terrible. Lord Commander Mormont is worried about rumors of White Walkers abroad north of the Wall. He sends Benjen Stark ranging to investigate.

When Jon Snow and the other new recruits are done with their first training, Maester Aemon gives the new stewards their assignments. Jon is to become Jeor Mormont's steward, which is a great disappointment to Jon: he had hoped to become a ranger. Samwell Tarly is assigned as Aemon's steward, to help physically read letters delivered by messenger-ravens to the blind old man. Aemon chides Jon that he swore a vow to serve the Watch in any capacity, then departs. Sam then reminds Jon that being a steward for the Lord Commander might mean that Jon is being groomed for a high command position in the Watch. The bodies of two of the rangers who accompanied Benjen are found near the Godswood. The Lord Commander plans to have Aemon examine them, but they return as wights and have to be burned before he does so.

When Jon hears about Eddard Stark's imprisonment, he is torn between his loyalty to the Night's Watch and his love for his family. Maester Aemon intercepts Jon as he is preparing to desert the Watch. Aemon says he is aware of Jon's struggle and reveals to him that his real name is Aemon Targaryen, and that he is a long forgotten uncle of the Mad King, who unbeknownst to them both was Jon's actual paternal grandfather. He sat and waited on the Wall while he heard about his family being butchered during Robert's Rebellion and the few survivors fleeing into exile, and did nothing: after having joined the Watch, his duty was with his brothers there and no longer with his House. Aemon explains that this was a difficult decision, yet he had to make it and that one must live with the consequences of one's choices for the rest of one's life. Maester Aemon remains at Castle Black during the Lord Commander's great ranging.

Season 3
Maester Aemon is still at Castle Black when Samwell Tarly returns with Gilly after escaping from Craster's Keep. Aemon at first advises Sam that he swore an oath when joining the Night's Watch, believing that Sam fathered Gilly's son. Samwell corrects him that he is not the father, but that the girl is one of Craster's daughter-wives, which engenders sympathy in Aemon. Because it is too dangerous beyond the Wall, Aemon relents and offers shelter to Gilly in Castle Black for the time being. Gilly thanks him and calls him "my lord", but Aemon insists that he gave up being a lord many years ago (when he joined the Order of Maesters and left House Targaryen). With the matter settled, Aemon commands Samwell to make sure all of the messenger-ravens are well-fed, and tells him to take a quill and parchment: he dictates to Samwell a request for help which will be sent to all the major lords throughout the Seven Kingdoms, imploring them for aid against the threat of the White Walkers.

Season 4
Maester Aemon is one of the five black brothers to "judge" Jon Snow for his actions during his time with the wildlings. Jon hides nothing of his actions, neither his murder of Qhorin or his affair with Ygritte. Ser Alliser Thorne, the acting Commander of the Night's Watch, and the recently-arrived Janos Slynt believe that Jon should be executed for his actions and for the breaking of his vows, but Aemon defends him, saying that Jon was merely following Qhorin's orders and that he isn't the first to have broken his vow of chastity. Ser Alliser points out that Jon has quite literally slept with the enemy. Jon counters with all the information that he had learned while among the wildlings, such as Mance Rayder's strategy of attacking the Wall from the North and the South, and demands that they either kill him or let him go. Aemon tells him that they have no intention of executing him and Jon leaves. Alliser reprimands Aemon for having overruled him but the maester answers that he knows when a man is lying and when he is telling the truth. When asked how he acquired such insight, Aemon wryly replies that he grew up in King's Landing.

Maester Aemon is present when Olly brings news of the massacre that occurred in his village. Many black brothers present want to retaliate, but Aemon reminds everyone that there are just over 100 men at Castle Black (including himself). He insists that defending Castle Black is the priority and they cannot afford to lose a single man. Jon Snow reluctantly agrees, reminding everyone that he knows from his time infiltrating the wildlings that they are trying to lure as many men out of Castle Black as possible, to weaken it for the main assault from the north.

On the eve of Mance Rayder's assault on Castle Black, Maester Aemon confronts Sam in Castle Black's library. Aemon remarks on the ironies of old age: the library is well-stocked with thousands of books, but his blind eyes can no longer read them. They discuss some of the propaganda surrounding wildlings before discussing Sam's feelings for Gilly. Aemon shares with Sam the same warning he gave to Jon, that love is the death of duty. Aemon implies that he might have become King of the Andals and the First Men if he'd been willing to break his vows. He also mentions that as a royal prince, he was sought after by a great many women in his youth – but there was only one whose advances he accepted. Aemon reprimands Sam for not realizing his elders were young once too. Although Aemon says that his memories of that woman are in some ways more real to him than Sam is (given that he'll never really know what Sam looks like), he lets the subject drop and says that he and Sam should both focus on their duties.

Following the arrival of Stannis Baratheon, Maester Aemon leads the eulogy for the black brothers that gave their lives defending Castle Black. When Jon Snow speaks to Tormund, the captive wildling curiously asks why he was given medical treatment. Jon tells Tormund that it is Aemon's duty as a maester to treat anyone who is wounded, friend or foe.

Season 5
Maester Aemon presides over the choosing of the 998th Lord Commander of the Night's Watch. He allows people to speak for their candidates before the voting begins. When Sam asks to speak and is mocked by Janos Slynt, Sam reveals that he had found Janos hiding in a cellar during the Battle of Castle Black. As Sam continues to humiliate Lord Janos to the delight of many black brothers, Maester Aemon smiles at his steward's boldness. When all of the votes are counted, it is revealed that there is a tie between Jon Snow and Ser Alliser Thorne. Aemon is the last to vote and breaks the tie by voting for Jon.

Jon Snow notices Maester Aemon's absence at a meeting of the Night's Watch and questions Sam. According to Sam, Aemon does not feel well and apologizes for not being able to attend the meeting. Jon tells Sam to take good care of the old maester.

Sam reads him a letter from Slaver's Bay detailing the recent activities of Daenerys Targaryen, Aemon's great-niece. In spite of his dedication to his vows, Aemon muses with sadness at the injustice of Daenerys fighting her battles alone, with her last relation "useless and dying" thousands of miles away. Jon Snow then arrives, asking for Aemon's advice on a plan he's been devising. Jon asks how he's feeling, and Aemon sardonically points out he feels like a hundred year old man slowly freezing to death at the Wall. Aemon bluntly tells him to "kill the boy, and let the man be born", that Snow must make the mature decisions that will save lives, rather than the immature decisions that will get people to like him.

Aemon's old age catches up to him and he takes to bed as he grows weaker, tended by Gilly and Sam. His mind starts to wander, and he imagines conversations with his late brother "Egg" before he passes away. Sam later gives a eulogy as Aemon's body is cremated on a funeral pyre.

Quotes
"The Starks are always right, eventually: winter is coming. This one will be long, and dark things will come with it."
 * Spoken by Aemon

- Aemon to Tyrion Lannister.

"The Night's Watch is the only thing standing between the realm and what lies beyond, and it has become an army of undisciplined boys and tired old men. There are less than a thousand of us, now. We can't man the other castles on the Wall. We can't properly patrol the wilderness. We have barely enough resources to keep our lads armed and fed."

- Maester Aemon to Tyrion Lannister

"Love is the death of duty."

- Maester Aemon to Jon Snow

"We're all human. Oh, we all do our duty when there's no cost to it. Honor comes easy then. Yet, sooner or later in every man's life there comes a day when it's not easy. A day when he must choose."

- Maester Aemon to Jon Snow

"If we beheaded every ranger who lay with a girl, the Wall would be manned by headless men."

- Maester Aemon defends Jon Snow when he admits to breaking his vows.

"Thousands of books, and no eyes to read them. Old age is a wonderful source of ironies, if nothing else."

- Maester Aemon on his blindness.

"They came to us from White Harbor and Barrowton, from Fairmarket and King's Landing. From north and south, from east and west. They died protecting men, women, and children who will never know their names. It is for us to remember our brothers. We shall never see their like again...and now, their watch is ended."

- Maester Aemon delivery the eulogy of those who died during the Battle of Castle Black.

"A Targaryen alone in the world is a terrible thing."

- Aemon after hearing about his great-niece Daenerys's conquests in Slaver's Bay.

"You will find little joy in your command, but with luck, you'll find the strength to do what needs to be done. Kill the boy, Jon Snow. Kill the boy, and let the man be born."

- Aemon to Jon Snow

"Egg! I dreamed...that I was old..."

- Aemon's last words.

"His name was Aemon Targaryen. He came to us from King's Landing. A Maester of the Citadel, chained and sworn, and sworn Brother of the Night's Watch, ever faithful. No man was wiser, or gentler or kinder. At the Wall, a dozen Lord Commanders came and went during his years of service, but he was always there to counsel them. He was the blood of the Dragon... but now his fire has gone out. And now his Watch is ended."
 * Spoken about Aemon

- Samwell Tarly eulogizes Aemon at his funeral.

In the books
In the A Song of Ice and Fire novels, Maester Aemon is widely believed to be one of the oldest living men in all of Westeros. He is nearly a hundred years old in the first novel, and advances into his 102nd year by the third novel (corresponding to his appearance in Season 3). He has been on the Wall for almost seventy years and is known for his great wisdom, wise counsel and trusted judgment. He is the third son of King Maekar I Targaryen, and the older brother of King Aegon V Targaryen ("Egg" from the Dunk and Egg short stories by George R.R. Martin), the uncle of King Jaehaerys II Targaryen and thus the great-uncle of the Mad King and the great-grand-uncle of Daenerys Targaryen. Aemon was actually offered the throne, being Maekar's eldest surviving son, but declined on account of his vows, thus allowing Aegon V "the Unlikely" to assume the throne. Aemon then joined the Night's Watch in the hope that having taken oaths as both a member of the maesters and then the Night's Watch to forsake any claim to inheritance, no one would think of him as a legitimate heir to be used as political pawn against his younger brother. Despite being isolated at the Wall for many decades and unable to travel due to his increasing age, Aemon knew Prince Rhaegar Targaryen well because they regularly corresponded via messenger-raven, making Aemon's decision not to leave the Wall all the more painful.

For the TV series, Jaehaerys II has been removed, with Aerys II being the son of Aegon V, thus the televised Aemon more closely related to Daenerys and Viserys, being their great-uncle instead of their great-great uncle.

Aemon began training to be a maester when he was 9 or 10 years old, and finished his studies when he was 19, during the reign of his uncle King Aerys I (Pycelle was only a baby at the time). The Dunk and Egg short stories begin about two years after Aemon left to train at the Citadel, so while he is alive in that timeframe he does not prominently appear (though his brothers do). When he received his chain of office, Aemon's father asked him to come to King's Landing to serve on his small council, but fearing that this would cause him to clash with the Grand Maester, Aemon chose instead to serve as at Dragonstone. Aemon joined the Night's Watch when he was 35, following the death of his father and succession of Aegon V, meaning that by the time Jon Snow joined the Night's Watch Aemon had been at the Wall for about 65 years.

In the books, Lord Commander Jeor Mormont makes it clear to Jon Snow that he is fully aware that Aemon is actually a Targaryen. However, he saw no reason to tell Robert Baratheon, as the rules of the Night's Watch are that any member sheds all previous family ties, and the Night's Watch are their family now. Further, Aemon was already a blind old man, and a respected member of the Night's Watch for decades. Aemon took no particular action in support of House Targaryen when it was overthrown by Robert, so Mormont was confident that Aemon held true to his vows and no longer considered himself a Targaryen.

Other characters later point out that it is somewhat unusual that Aemon, a respected member of the Order of Maesters for decades, was never promoted to the rank of Archmaester, to become part of the ruling Conclave in Oldtown. It is speculated that the Conclave was wary about making a member of the royal family an Archmaester, given the entanglements this might create with the Targaryens. Whatever the case, the entire reason that Aemon joined the Night's Watch was to move as far away from the centers of power as possible, so it is probable that even if he were asked he would have declined a promotion to Archmaester at the Citadel.

Aemon is 99 years old in the first novel. Actor Peter Vaughan was 88 years old during Season 1. While portraying the blind Aemon, Vaughan is himself partially blind.

Aemon should have the rare and distinctive purple-colored irises of House Targaryen, though no one ever mentions it - and they might deduce his secret past as a Targaryen from this. More probably, his blind eyes are apparently so white with cataracts that no one can tell what their original color was.

In the novels, Aemon does not automatically take Sam as his personal steward, but is persuaded to do so by Jon Snow. In A Feast for Crows, he doesn't perish in Castle Black. Instead, Lord Commander Snow sends him to the Citadel in Oldtown via Braavos, along with Sam and Gilly, fearing that Melisandre may sacrifice him for his "king's blood". Aemon grows weaker and feverish during the journey and his mind starts to wander not just to his youth with Egg but also dreams of dragons and Daenerys Targaryen, cursing his age for making him unable to seek her out and counsel her. During one of his fits he grows convinced that it was a mistake for him to leave the Wall because "cold preserves", implying that the ice magic of the Wall was keeping him alive. He finally perishes aboard the Cinnamon Wind, a merchant "swan ship" of the Summer Islands travelling from Braavos to Oldtown, after asking Sam to find Daenerys and help her return to Westeros. The eulogy Sam gives aboard is the following:

"He was a good man... No. He was a great man. A maester of the Citadel, chained and sworn, and Sworn Brother of the Night's Watch, ever faithful. When he was born they named him for a hero who had died too young, but though he lived a long long time, his own life was no less heroic. No man was wiser, or gentler, or kinder. At the Wall, a dozen lords commander came and went during his years of service, but he was always there to counsel them. He counseled kings as well. He could have been a king himself, but when they offered him the crown he told them they should give it to his younger brother. How many men would do that? He was the blood of the dragon, but now his fire has gone out. He was Aemon Targaryen. And now his watch is ended."

Aemon's body has not been burned yet, because the captain would not allow a funeral pyre aboard the ship. It is currently being preserved in a cask of blackbelly rum until Sam has a chance to conduct a proper funeral in Oldtown.

In honor of Aemon's memory, Gilly decides to name Mance Rayder's baby son "Aemon Battleborn" or "Aemon Steelsong", but only after he is two years old, as per wildling tradition (she has not chosen a name for her own baby yet).