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House Targaryen
House Targaryen

"King's Landing has been in decline since my grandmother passed."
Viserys I Targaryen[src]

Queen Alysanne Targaryen was the sister-wife of King Jaehaerys I Targaryen, fourth king of the Targaryen Dynasty. Alysanne rode the dragon Silverwing, and her husband Jaehaerys rode the dragon Vermithor.

Biography[]

Background[]

HL5 List of dragons manuscript

Alysanne's name appears on-screen in a list of dragons and dragon riders from an in-universe manuscript.

Alysanne was the sister-wife of Jaehaerys I, the fourth king of the Targaryen dynasty. Like Jaehaerys, she was a child of the second Targaryen king, Aenys Targaryen. Their uncle Maegor the Cruel seized the Iron Throne upon their father's death, during the Faith Militant uprising.[citation needed]

After Maegor eventually died, Jaehaerys ascended to the throne, with Alysanne as his queen. Jaehaerys and Alysanne ruled so long that upon Jaehaerys's death, he was succeeded by their grandson, Viserys I Targaryen.[3]

Queen Alysanne was a dragonrider. Her mount was Silverwing, one of the large second-generation progeny of the original three Targaryen dragons.[1]

House of the Dragon: Season 1[]

Viserys says that Daemon's radical reforms of the City Watch may be a good thing, as King's Landing has been on a decline since Queen Alysanne's death.[3]

Lord Beric Dondarrion claims that Queen Alysanne visited Blackhaven, and was inspired by the view across the Marches.[2]

Family[]

Ancestors[]


 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Famtree-Visenya
Visenya
Targaryen

Deceased
 
Famtree-AegonI
Aegon I
Targaryen

Deceased
 
Famtree-QueenRhaenysTargaryen
Rhaenys
Targaryen

Deceased
 
Famtree-OrysBaratheon
Orys
Baratheon
House Baratheon
Deceased
 
Famtree-ArgellaBaratheon
Argella
Baratheon
née
Durrandon House Durrandon
Deceased
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Famtree-AenysTargaryen
Aenys I
Targaryen


Deceased
 
House-Velaryon-Square
Alyssa
Velaryon[c]

Deceased
 
Famtree-MaegorTargaryen
Maegor I
Targaryen


Deceased
 
House-Hightower-Square
Ceryse
Hightower

1st wife
Deceased
 
Famtree-AlysHarroway
Alys
Harroway
House Harroway
2nd wife
Deceased
 
Famtree-Tyanna
Tyanna of
the Tower

3rd wife
Deceased
 
Famtree-ElinorCostayneBlackBride
Elinor
Costayne

Black Bride
Deceased
 
Famtree-JeyneWesterlingBlackBride
Jeyne
Westerling

Black Bride
Deceased
 
Famtree-RhaenaTargaryenBlackBride
Rhaena
Targaryen

Black Bride
Deceased
 
House-Baratheon-Main-Square
Axel
Baratheon


Deceased
 
House-Baratheon-Main-Square
Raymont
Baratheon


Deceased
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Famtree-RhaenaTargaryen
Rhaena
Targaryen

Deceased
 
Famtree-AegonTargaryenSonOfAenys
Aegon
Targaryen

Deceased
 
Famtree-JaehaerysI
Jaehaerys I
Targaryen

Deceased
 
House-Targaryen-HotD-Square
Alysanne
Targaryen

Deceased
 
House-Targaryen-Square
Child

Stillborn
 
 
 
 
 
House-Targaryen-Square
Child

Stillborn
 
House-Targaryen-Square
Child

Stillborn
 
House-Targaryen-Square
Child

Stillborn
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Descendants[]

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Famtree-RhaenaTargaryen
Rhaena
Targaryen

Deceased
 
Famtree-AegonTargaryenSonOfAenys
Aegon
Targaryen

Deceased
 
Famtree-JaehaerysI
Jaehaerys I
Targaryen
1
Deceased
 
House-Targaryen-HotD-Square
Alysanne
Targaryen

Deceased
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
House-Targaryen-HotD-Square
Aemon
Targaryen

Deceased
 
House-Baratheon-Main-Square
Jocelyn
Baratheon

Deceased
 
House-Arryn-Square
Rodrik
Arryn[c]
Deceased
 
House-Targaryen-HotD-Square
Daella
Targaryen

Deceased
 
House-Targaryen-HotD-Square
Baelon
Targaryen

Deceased
 
House-Targaryen-HotD-Square
Alyssa
Targaryen

Deceased
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Famtree-CorlysVelaryon
Corlys
Velaryon
House Velaryon

 
Famtree-RhaenysVelaryon
Rhaenys
Targaryen


 
Famtree-AemmaArryn
Aemma
Arryn
House Arryn/House of the Dragon
Deceased
 
Famtree-ViserysITargaryen
Viserys I
Targaryen

Deceased
 
Famtree-AlicentHightower
Alicent
Hightower
House Hightower

 
Famtree-DaemonTargaryen
Daemon
Targaryen
Daemon Targaryen

 
Famtree-RheaRoyce
Rhea
Royce
House Royce
Deceased
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Famtree-DaemonTargaryen
Daemon
Targaryen
Daemon Targaryen

 
Famtree-LaenaVelaryon
Laena
Velaryon
House Velaryon
Deceased
 
Famtree-LaenorVelaryon
Laenor
Velaryon
2 House Velaryon

 
Famtree-RhaenyraTargaryen
Rhaenyra
Targaryen


 
Famtree-DaemonTargaryen
Daemon
Targaryen
Daemon Targaryen

 
Famtree-Aegon Targaryen
Aegon II
Targaryen
Aegon II Targaryen

 
Famtree-HelaenaTargaryen
Helaena
Targaryen


 
Famtree-AemondTargaryen
Aemond
Targaryen


 
House-Targaryen-HotD-Square
Daeron
Targaryen


 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Famtree-Baela Targaryen
Baela
Targaryen


 
Famtree-Rhaena Targaryen
Rhaena
Targaryen


 
Famtree-Jacaerys Velaryon
Jacaerys
Velaryon
House Velaryon

 
Famtree-Lucerys Velaryon
Lucerys
Velaryon
House Velaryon
Deceased
 
Famtree-JoffreyVelaryon
Joffrey
Velaryon
House Velaryon

 
Famtree-AegonIII
Aegon
Targaryen


 
Famtree-ViserysII
Viserys
Targaryen


 
Famtree-PrinceJahaerysTargaryen
Jaehaerys
Targaryen


 
Famtree-JaehaeraTargaryen
Jaehaera
Targaryen


 
House-Targaryen-HotD-Square
Maelor
Targaryen


1 Jaehaerys had thirteen children in all. For simplicity, only the direct ancestors of future generations are on this family tree and they are not in the exact order of birth. The thirteen children in correct order are: Aegon, Daenerys, Aemon, Baelon, Alyssa, Maegelle, Vaegon, Daella, Saera, Viserra, Gaemon, Valerion, and Gael.
2 While Jacaerys, Lucerys, and Joffrey are officially Laenor's, he and Rhaenyra never had any biological issue. His three sons are in fact fathered by Harwin Strong.

In the books[]

Roman Papsuev - Alysanne Targaryen

Alysanne Targaryen by Roman "Amok" Papsuev.©

In the A Song of Ice and Fire novels, Jaehaerys I is fondly remembered as one of the best kings the Targaryen dynasty ever produced, and his sister-wife Alysanne is similarly remembered as one of its best queens. Indeed, Alysanne was practically a co-ruler with Jaehaerys, heavily involved in governing the realm - and given that they were both children of the past king and married to each other, it was somewhat of a moot point exactly which one of them was the "official" monarch (technically Jaehaerys was).

Jaehaerys I and Alysanne were the youngest children of Aegon I's older son, Aenys I, a weakling who did not easily hold onto the throne. He died of stress at the outbreak of the Faith Militant uprising, at which his younger brother Maegor the Cruel usurped the throne ahead of Aenys's own children. Maegor killed Aenys's eldest son Aegon in battle, then forced his sister-wife Rhaena (Maegor's own half-niece) to marry him. When Maegor's mother Visenya died in 44 AC it caused enough of a distraction for Aenys's wife Alyssa Velaryon to flee their captivity on Dragonstone along with Jaehaerys and Alysanne. Aenys's second son Viserys was then tortured to death by Maegor at King's Landing in retaliation. Jaehaerys was left as Aenys's heir, and rebel lords across the realm increasingly switched loyalty to him. In the end there was no great new civil war as all of Maegor's allies totally abandoned him, and he opened his wrists on the Iron Throne rather than be taken alive.

Jaehaerys, who knew well how the Faith regarded incestuous marriage, took precautions to assure that his marriage would be accepted by his subjects - not by force (as his weak father and evil uncle acted), but willingly. For that purpose, he sent out three men and four women - known as the "Seven Speakers" (among them was one of Maegor's wives, Elinor Costayne) - throughout the realm to tell anyone they met about Alysanne's kindness, piety, and generosity, her sweet and gentle nature, and her love for her husband and all the people of the kingdom, great and small. Whenever someone challenged the Seven Speakers by citing passages from The Seven-Pointed Star, they had a ready answer, known as the Doctrine of Exceptionalism: the Targaryens were different, their roots were not in Andalos, but in Valyria of old, where different laws and traditions held sway, therefore the laws of the Seven did not apply to them. The Seven Speakers successfully performed their assignment, and no one rose against the King Jaehaerys and Queen Alysanne (though there was a nasty incident at Maidenpool when a band of particularly fanatical septas tried to assassinate a pregnant Alysanne).

The subsequent reign of Jaehaerys I and Alysanne lasted over 50 years and was a golden age of peace and prosperity across all of Westeros. Alysanne is popularly remembered as "Good Queen Alysanne". Among her many acts governing the kingdoms, she convinced Jaehaerys to enact several new domestic violence and rape laws, among them the "First Night" right; by that, Alysanne earned the love of the smallfolk. A dragon rider like her husband, Alysanne once flew to Winterfell on a royal visit - her on Silverwing, Jaehaerys I on Vermithor, along with four other dragons. On a whim she flew ahead to the Wall; recognizing the poor state of repair that the Night's Watch had dwindled to, she became a great patron of the order, paying with her own jewelry. She also persuaded her husband to extend the Gift.

Jaehaerys and Alysanne ruled wisely and well for over fifty years. Jaehaerys lived so long that he actually outlived Alysanne as well as most of his children (many of whom died untimely deaths), and was thus succeeded by his grandson Viserys I - the only time in history that a king was succeeded by his grandson. Alysanne predeceased Jaehaerys by about three years, and her loss broke the old king for the few remaining years of his life, leaving him bedridden until his death.

In terms of Alysanne's personality and temperament, Alysanne was the very model of a dignified, wise, yet powerful monarch (much like her brother-husband). George R.R. Martin described her appearance (for licensed artwork) as similar to Katharine Hepburn's portrayal of Eleanor of Aquitaine in the 1968 film adaptation of The Lion in Winter.

Children[]

Jaehaerys and Alysanne had thirteen children together. In order of birth, their names were Aegon, Alyssa, Aemon, Baelon, Daella, Aeryn, Vaegon, Maegelle, Valerion, Viserra, Gaemon, Saera, and Gael - but of these thirteen only nine would live to adulthood: Aegon, Aeryn, Valerion, and Gaemon all died young. Apparently, only four of them had children in turn (and two of them, Baelon and Alyssa, were married to each other). According to Fire & Blood, however, the second child was called Daenerys (the first Targaryen who was named Daenerys, preceding the daughter of Aegon IV and Daenerys Stormborn), and there was no Aeryn.

Aemon married outside of the family, to Jocelyn Baratheon, and had a daughter whom he named Rhaenys, after his father's grandmother. Aemon died in 92 AC fighting against Myrish pirates who had seized the eastern side of Tarth. Jaehaerys ultimately chose Baelon over Rhaenys as his heir - despite the fact that an older daughter normally succeeded ahead of a younger uncle according to the normal inheritance laws in Westeros. The exact circumstances that led to such a decision are unclear but it briefly caused a major rift between Jaehaerys and Alysanne.

Baelon himself had two surviving children with his sister Alyssa, sons Viserys and Daemon. Baelon was also named Hand of the King, but later died of a burst belly in 101 AC, two years before Jaehaerys I died, leading to a Great Council to determine who the heir should be. Rhaenys again put forward her claim, along with those of her children Laenor and Laena Velaryon, but she was again rejected in favor of Jaehaerys's grandson Viserys I Targaryen. Daella married Lord Rodrik Arryn and died giving birth to a daughter, Aemma Arryn, who was the first wife of Viserys I and the mother of Rhaenyra Targaryen.

Vaegon was given to the Citadel at a young age and later became an archmaester, holding a ring, rod, and mask of yellow gold suggesting that he mastered economics. Maegelle joined the Faith and became a septa. Well known for her compassion, she nursed children afflicted with greyscale, but she eventually became afflicted herself and died. Viserra was a high-spirited girl who as betrothed to Lord Manderly of White Harbor, but she died in a mishap when she fell off her horse while racing drunkenly through the streets of King's Landing. Saera was given to the Faith, but she had other wishes and left across the Narrow Sea and did not return from the East, greatly saddening Jaehaerys I in his old age. She later became the owner of a famous pleasure house in Volantis. Gael was a simple-minded but sweet girl who was Queen Alysanne's favorite. It was said that she died of a summer fever but the truth was that she drowned herself in the Blackwater. The reason was that she had been seduced and abandoned by a traveling singer who left her pregnant. In her grief, Alysanne would die a year later - leaving the elderly Jaehaerys an empty shell of himself for the last three years of his life.

The practical result of all this is that despite Alysanne giving birth to thirteen children by Jaehaerys, they only had three grandchildren who survived to adulthood and had children of their own: Rhaenys, Viserys I, and Daemon.

Appearances[]

References[]

Notes[]

  1. Conjecture based on information from George R. R. Martin's A World of Ice and Fire — A Game of Thrones Guide; may be subject to change.
  2. 2.0 2.1 Conjecture based on information from Fire & Blood; may be subject to change.
  3. 3.0 3.1 Conjecture based on information from The World of Ice & Fire; may be subject to change.

External links[]

Preceded by Queen consort of the Seven Kingdoms Succeeded by


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