Laenor Velaryon

Laenor Velaryon
Biographical information
Born	98 AC
Died	Missing and believed dead as of 126 AC (aged 28)
Political information
House(s)	Velaryon Targaryen (by marriage)
Affiliation(s)	Blacks
Title(s)	Ser Prince consort (formerly)
Personal information
Culture	Valyrian
Religion	Faith of the Seven
Father	Corlys Velaryon
Mother	{Rhaenys Targaryen}
Spouse(s)	Rhaenyra Targaryen (separated)
Lover(s)	{Joffrey Lonmouth} Qarl Correy
Issue	Legal, fathered by Harwin Strong: Jacaerys Velaryon {Lucerys Velaryon} Joffrey Velaryon
Sibling(s)	{Laena Velaryon} Paternal half-siblings: Alyn of Hull Addam of Hull
World of Westeros
Series	House of the Dragon
Season(s)	1
Appeared in	5 episodes (see below)
First seen in	"The Heirs of the Dragon"
Portrayed by	John Macmillan Theo Nate (adolescent) Matthew Carver (child)

"Laenor is a good man and a fine knight. He will bore you senseless."

―Daemon Targaryen to Rhaenyra

Ser Laenor Velaryon is the son and first-born child of Lord Corlys Velaryon and Princess Rhaenys Targaryen, as well as the first husband of Queen Rhaenyra Targaryen. As Lord Corlys’s son, he is the presumed deceased former heir to Driftmark. He once rode the dragon Seasmoke.

Biography

Background

Aemon Targaryen, Laenor's grandfather through his mother Rhaenys Targaryen was the eldest son and heir of old King Jaehaerys. Laenor's grandfather died before Jaehaerys did, but then Jaehaerys controversially passed over Rhaenys as heir on account of her sex, instead naming his second son the heir (even though by traditional inheritance law based on primogeniture, a lord's daughter inherits before his younger brother). Jaehaerys's second son himself died a few years later, after which the elderly Jaehaerys held the Great Council at Harrenhal, in which all the lords of Westeros held a vote on whether Viserys, grandson of Jaehaerys through his second son, or Rhaenys was to succeed to the throne. Viserys won the election by a wide margin, and succeeded to the throne a few years later when Jaehaerys finally died. If Rhaenys had been chosen, Laenor would have been next in line to the throne.

House of the Dragon: Season 1

Laenor attends the Heir's Tournament with his family. As some knights start to kill each other, his younger sister Laena clutches onto his arm. Along with the Targaryens and the Small Council, the Velaryons leave the royal box when news arrive of Queen Aemma's death.

A few years later, Laenor, mounted on his young dragon Seasmoke, fights in the War for the Stepstones. It is Laenor who proposes sending in Daemon as bait to lure out the Triarchy forces from the caves, as the Crabfeeder has been using them to evade dragonfire. When his uncle, Ser Vaemond, criticizes Daemon, Laenor responds by accusing his uncle of inaction and cowardice, calling him the "Master of Complaints." Laenor then participates in the following battle, burning Triarchy men with his dragon.

To avoid Corlys making an alliance with the Sealord of Braavos by marrying Laena to his son, King Viserys arranges a marriage between Rhaenyra and Laenor to unite the two most powerful houses in the realm.

Viserys and Rhaenyra travel to High Tide to finalize the arrangements for Laenor and Rhaenyra's marriage. As the prospective bride and groom walk along the shore together, they come to an understanding that the arrangement is entirely a political one and that they both have found love elsewhere, Laenor being attracted to men. With that in mind, they both agree to do their duties to their families, and afterwards to love as they please. He later shares this information with his lover Joffrey Lonmouth, who is pleased with the agreement.

At the opening feast of what is planned to be a seven-day prelude to the wedding ceremony, Laenor dances with his betrothed and exchanges gossip with Joffrey, who has figured out that Rhaenyra has a secret lover of her own: Ser Criston Cole of the Kingsguard. After Joffrey talks to Criston about this, Cole begins beating him. Laenor makes his way through the crowd and tries to throw Criston off of Joffrey, but the stronger Kingsguard punches Laenor in the face and into a table, knocking him out. When Laenor wakes up, Joffrey has been beaten to death, causing Laenor to loudly anguish over his loss. Later that evening, Laenor and Rhaenyra are married in a private ceremony while Joffrey's blood is still warm.

Ten years later, Laenor, despite trying, has failed to produce an heir with Rhaenyra, though they remain on good terms. Instead, Rhaenyra has three bastards on her new lover, Harwin Strong: Jacaerys, Lucerys, and Joffrey, who Laenor names after his deceased lover. The boys are presented to the realm as the trueborn sons of Laenor, who seems to be content with this and is a loving father to them regardless. Like his wife, Laenor also finds new love, in the lowborn knight Qarl Correy. While Laenor wants to return to the fighting in the Stepstones, Rhaenyra commands him to stay when the rumors of their sons' legitimacy begin to surface. The family also moves to Dragonstone to be away from the Greens, and Laenor is allowed to take Qarl with him.

Laenor attends his sister Laena's funeral after her death. After the burial, he stands in the sea, where he begins to tear up over having lost his beloved sister. Later that night, Laenor's absence is noted during the altercation in the Hall of Nine. As a result, Laenor decides to recommit himself to Rhaenyra as they discuss their marriage, their sons' parentage, and Qarl going off to fight in the Stepstones.

In a ploy to strengthen Rhaenyra's claim by instating Daemon as prince consort, and to allow Laenor his desired freedom, a pretend-duel is staged between Laenor and Qarl in the Hall of Nine in front of a witness, who quickly leaves to inform Corlys. Before Corlys and Rhaenys arrive, a servant murdered by Daemon is planted in the hall and burned beyond recognition so as to make it seem that Laenor has been killed. Laenor, who has shaved his head to hide his Valyrian features, escapes on a boat with Qarl with the aim of self-exile in Essos.

House of the Dragon: Season 2

Baela asks Jacaerys, Laenor's eldest legal son, about what her uncle was like. Jace recalls how Laenor taught him and Luke how to catch fish, that he'd sing sailor's shanties, and that Laenor liked cake, showing that Jacaerys remembers Laenor fondly despite knowing that Harwin Strong is his biological father.

After observing Seasmoke's recent change in behavior, Rhaenyra believes that the dragon misses his bond with Laenor.

Personality

Laenor loves his children, despite knowing that they are not truly his. He is considered by others to be a good man.

Quotes

Spoken by Laenor

"I am a knight. And a warrior. And I have played my part here, faithfully, for ten years. I am owed some—"

―Laenor, to Rhaenyra

"I hate the gods for making me as they did."

―Laenor

"We made an arrangement, all those years ago, to do our duty, and yet explore happiness. But there are times, I think, when these things cannot mutually exist."

―Laenor, to Rhaenyra

Spoken about Laenor

"You are an honorable man with a good heart. It's a rare thing."

―Rhaenyra, to Laenor

"House Velaryon has long allied itself with Princess Rhaenyra and what has it gained you? Your daughter dead alone in Pentos, your son cuckolded."

―Alicent to Rhaenys, about Laenor.

"He taught us to catch fish, and sing sailors' shanties. He had a weakness for cake."

―Jacaerys, remembering Laenor

Family

Paternal

Daemon Velaryon Deceased

Lady Velaryon Deceased

Aenys I Targaryen Deceased

Alyssa Velaryon Deceased

Corwyn Velaryon Deceased

Wife Deceased

House Targaryen

Marilda of Hull

Corlys Velaryon

Rhaenys Targaryen Deceased

Vaemond Velaryon Deceased

Alyn of Hull

Addam of Hull

Laenor Velaryon1

Rhaenyra Targaryen

Daemon Targaryen

Laena Velaryon Deceased

Jacaerys Velaryon

Lucerys Velaryon Deceased

Joffrey Velaryon

Baela Targaryen

Rhaena Targaryen

¹ While Jacaerys, Lucerys, and Joffrey are officially Laenor's, he and Rhaenyra never had any biological issue. Their three sons were in fact fathered by Harwin Strong.

Maternal

Rhaena Targaryen Deceased

Aegon Targaryen Deceased

Viserys Targaryen Deceased

Jaehaerys I Targaryen1 Deceased

Alysanne Targaryen Deceased

Vaella Targaryen Deceased

Aemon Targaryen Deceased

Jocelyn Baratheon Deceased

Rodrik Arryn Deceased

Daella Targaryen Deceased

Baelon Targaryen Deceased

Alyssa Targaryen Deceased

Corlys Velaryon

Rhaenys Targaryen Deceased

Aemma Arryn Deceased

Viserys I Targaryen2 Deceased

Alicent Hightower

Daemon Targaryen

Rhea Royce Deceased

Daemon Targaryen

Laena Velaryon Deceased

Laenor Velaryon3

Rhaenyra Targaryen2

Daemon Targaryen

Aegon II Targaryen

Helaena Targaryen

Aemond Targaryen

Daeron Targaryen

Baela Targaryen

Rhaena Targaryen

Jacaerys Velaryon

Lucerys Velaryon Deceased

Joffrey Velaryon

Aegon Targaryen

Viserys Targaryen

Jaehaerys Targaryen Deceased

Jaehaera 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 Due to the nature of their respective births and deaths, Baelon Targaryen, son of Viserys and Aemma, and Visenya Targaryen, daughter of Rhaenyra and Daemon, are not included on this family tree.

³ While Jacaerys, Lucerys, and Joffrey are officially Laenor's, he and Rhaenyra never had any biological issue. Their three sons were in fact fathered by Harwin Strong.

Behind the scenes

On October 5, 2021, HBO announced that John Macmillan and Theo Nate had been cast in the role of Laenor Velaryon for House of the Dragon, portraying the older and younger versions of the character, respectively. His character description reads as follows:

"Son of Corlys Velaryon and Rhaenys Targaryen."

In the books

In Fire & Blood, Laenor was the son of Corlys and Rhaenys. He was one year younger than his sister, Laena. Like their mother, Laenor and Laena were also dragon-riders: Laenor's dragon was Seasmoke.

There is no mention that Laenor participated in the War for the Stepstones.

In the books, Laenor is killed in a duel by Qarl Correy in Spicetown. Although rumors persist that Daemon paid Qarl to murder Laenor, freeing Rhaenyra to remarry, this is never confirmed. The show has altered this subplot considerably, by instead having Laenor be a willing participant in a plot to fake his own death, allowing him to escape his sham marriage to Rhaenyra and live out his days with Qarl in Essos.

Appearances

• – "The Heirs of the Dragon"
• – "Second of His Name"
• – "King of the Narrow Sea" (mentioned)
• – "We Light the Way"
• – "The Princess and the Queen"
• – "Driftmark"
• – "The Lord of the Tides" (mentioned)
• – "The Green Council" (mentioned)
• – "The Black Queen" (mentioned)
• – "Rhaenyra the Cruel" (mentioned)
• – "The Burning Mill" (mentioned)
• – "The Red Dragon and the Gold" (mentioned)
• – "The Queen Who Ever Was" (mentioned)

External links

• Laenor Velaryon on A Wiki of Ice and Fire (potential spoilers for House of the Dragon)
• Laenor Velaryon on The Official Guide