[TWOIAF SPOILERS] what was in Prince Nymor's letter to Aegon the Conqueror?

[Lord_Pepsi_Cupps]

Agreed. It's a tricky situation that George has outlined. It's going to take some careful explaining on his part to make this believable and fit into continuity.

My only explanation is that Dorne must have had the Targs in some incredible checkmate situation, that basically handicapped Aegon from doing anything but agreeing to a truce.

We forget just how desperate Dorne was by this stage - everything except Sunspear had been burnt at least once, so they were I think desperate (although they'd rather die than surrender). In that context, sending Nymor's daughter to deliver a threat would also send a message to Aegon: this is how serious I am, I've sent you my daughter to show you I've got nothing left to lose.

So Aegon would take the threat, whatever it was, that much more seriously.

I reckon Nymor told him they've stolen some Targ dragonlore from Dragonstone and they either know how to poison dragons or how to hatch dragons. Might be hatching, but Nymor is sane enough to realise that it's much better to threaten to hatch dragons to get the Targs off Dorne's back, than to actually hatch more dragons.

[King of the West]

Could be she had a child by a Dornishman as said previously. A Dayne and they fit into the prophecy. Thus Argon knew the sword and Fayne/Targaryan blood would be important. He went to DS to consult something written by Daeny the Dreamer, confirmed it; and called for peace!

[Cubicz]

Guys, on Aegon cutting his hand - it seems unclear whether it's the letter or the Iron Throne that cuts his hand.

"Aegon read it upon the Iron Throne, and men say that when he rose, his hand was bleeding, so hard had he clenched it."

My initial reading is that the "it" was the letter. But on second thought - if he was reading the letter, he couldn't have been clenching it (or he wouldn't have been able to read it). Alternatively, he maybe read the letter, THEN clenched it so hard his hand bled. And then, having done this, he rose from the Iron Throne.

I was confused too when reading it as well. But the image of Aegon accompanying the text clearly show his hand bleeding from holding the letter itself

[Ramsay's Penguins]

Does it truly take such a short time to fly to Dragonstone? Aegon left during the day or night, and arrived back the next morning. Unless he turned around (we are yet to know why he went to Dragonstone, Rhaenys was hostage there?) that is a very short time for a long distance. 600 miles in one night? Even on a dragon!?

[Rhoynar]

What if the blood was not actually Aegon's but from some piece of princess they sent him? He clenched the letter hard and then suddenly he had blood in his hand, right?

[Ramsay's Penguins]

What if the blood was not actually Aegon's but from some piece of princess they sent him? He clenched the letter hard and then suddenly he had blood in his hand, right?

Things dry, decompose. Safe to say it was his own blood

[MyrinLannister]

I think his flight to Dragonstone is the key here. Maybe Nymor had a ship sail to Dragonstone as the letter was being delivered that brought the remains of Rhae back to her place of birth as a sign of peace, to be given a proper Targ ceremony (cremation). Aegon held the ceremony over night and returned to Kings Landing to accept the peace offering.

[MizasterJ]

What if the blood was not actually Aegon's but from some piece of princess they sent him? He clenched the letter hard and then suddenly he had blood in his hand, right?

:bang: No, that's not at all what the sentence says. Read correctly or don't read at all.

it says specifically. "His hand was bleeding."

[LionOfCasterlyRock]

I do believe that it had something to do with Rhaenys.

OK, let us analyze this rationally

Rhaenys surviving the fall

How likely is this? The book says that both dragon and the rider ``fell from the sky``. They probably flew above the highest point of the castle, but within the range to unleash dragonflame when they were brought down by scorpion bolt.

When dragon fell she destroyed part of wall and castle highest tower (this was probably the point above which they flew). Meraxes was also second largest Targ dragon, able to swallow the whole horse.

I find it unlikely that Rhaenys survived such fall, presumably while wearing full armor, and death throes of the second largest dragon that destroyed part of the castle and a whole tower.

Rhaenys being tortured

Again, even if she somehow miraculously survived all that, it is ridiculous to think that she would be in fit state to be tortured or mutilated. Think Quentin in ADWD. It would take a huge effort just keeping her alive, though admittedly, such life would be pretty painful and miserable in itself.

But its unlikely. I think she died fairly quickly or very soon after the fall. But Dornishmen collected her body. They had the field at the end of the day.

The Letter

These were peace negotiations between two sides that were both fed up with war, neither holding a distinct advantage over the other. So more or less on equal footing.

However lords of seven kingdoms demanded from Aegon, who was in favor of peace himself, that there be no peace without submission, because of sacrifices they had made for his cause.

As a token of good will Dornish brought the head of Meraxes, but not the bones of the queen. Why?

Well there is a simple rule to diplomacy (and bargining in general) `demand more to receive less, and offer less than you’re prepared to give`. Therefore, knowing their relation, Rhenys bones were the Dornish trump card, rather than simple act of good faith, ultimate barging chip that they saved for last.

The letter perhaps wasn’t intended to be private, at first, but because the lords were so unhappy about the possibility of peace without submission, and may view the Kings willingness to accept the bones of his sister in exchange for good terms as betraying them, the letter was given to Aegon personally, and understanding the situation, Aegon burned it after reading.

IMO letter contained an final act of good faith and sincere plead to end the war that caused so much pain on both sides rather than a threat.

It is by far a much more diplomatic solution.

The bones were perhaps shipped secretly to or near Dragonstone (it would not be vise if Dornish brought them to Kings Landing ,even in secret if they wanted to use them for bargaining with Aegon), and Aegon went in person to collect them, not arousing his lords who could not have blamed him for anything since they had no knowledge what was in the letter.

Also clutching the Iron Throne and cutting his hand was probably symptom of grief and strong emotion rather than anger. I don’t think that he would have any reason to hide his anger. Years of Dragons Wroth were in response to Rhaenys death, and I don’t think that telling Aegon that his beloved wife and sister was being tortured and mutilated for years, and whom he held for dead for years anyway, would achieve anything more than additional retaliation.

However he had every reason to hide his tears.

Nor was Aegon a man who horribly enjoyed violence, he always inflicted the exact amount of violence on his enemys needed to subdue them and then accepted fealty. Years of Dragon Wroth are obvious exception, but this was more emotional than rational response. And so was the signing of the pace.

[Gaston de Foix]

I do believe that it had something to do with Rhaenys.

OK, let us analyze this rationally

Interesting post, Lion. Let me ask you about what I think is the missing part of your theory: Aegon knew (or assumed) that she was dead. What significance did the bones have to him that he was willing to change his mind on a such an important question?

I think the deliberate construction of a mystery is a clue that such an anti-climactic reasoning may not be true to the narrative.

[SeanF]

Rhaenys should have been killed in the fall. But, people do occasionally survive falls from great heights, sometimes with minor injuries.

I hope for her sake that Rhaenys was killed in the fall.

[Faint]

The writing does not make clear whether she fell off Meraxes or whether she fell while on the dragon. If the latter, I do not think it particularly unlikely that she survived to be tortured.

[LionOfCasterlyRock]

Interesting post, Lion. Let me ask you about what I think is the missing part of your theory: Aegon knew (or assumed) that she was dead. What significance did the bones have to him that he was willing to change his mind on a such an important question?

I think the deliberate construction of a mystery is a clue that such an anti-climactic reasoning may not be true to the narrative.

Well first I think that both sides were fed up with the war by then, Dorne slightly more though.

Second it would give him closure, it was the love of his life after all.

And I disagree strongly that it would be anticlimactic, it would be a quite twist that it was an act of good will and plead to sanity that ended the war and suffering rather than blackmail or threats like everybody thought.

I think the letter read along the lines of: “We all lost homes, friends, brothers, sisters and wives, I return you the bones of your sister and let us have no more of this.”

I don’t think that Aegon was a man that could not be moved by such an act.

It would also explain why peace lasted.

[Ser Duncan of Flea Bottom]

I think it was about contracting a faceless man. Aegon would not bear losing another member of his family after Rhaenys, so that's why he let Dorne forgotten after this letter.

[Creticus]

Well first I think that both sides were fed up with the war by then, Dorne slightly more though.

Second it would give him closure, it was the love of his life after all.

And I disagree strongly that it would be anticlimactic, it would be a quite twist that it was an act of good will and plead to sanity that ended the war and suffering rather than blackmail or threats like everybody thought.

I think the letter read along the lines of: “We all lost homes, friends, brothers, sisters and wives, I return you the bones of your sister and let us have no more of this.”

I don’t think that Aegon was a man that could not be moved by such an act.

It would also explain why peace lasted.

I think this is the explanation that I favor barring further revelations.

Threatening Rhaenys never sounded right to me because it seems like the kind of thing that'd lead to the Dragon's Wroth 2.0: Burn More Burn Hotter. Not to mention that Aegon's later relationship with his Dornish counterparts makes no sense in that context.

That said, I like the idea of one humane gesture being reciprocated with another even in the worst of circumstances, so I'm pretty biased in this respect.

[Kushluk of Skagos]

Random thought.... what if the letter was poisoned somehow? Requiring a periodic antidote that only Dorne could generously provide?

Theory two is that they interrogated Rhaenys and she provided them with dragonlore. A theory is that they stole a binding horn, and had an idea to use it as a weapon if Aegon dared to come near sunspear.

Another theory above that is pretty good is that they merely threatened to reveal the shattered ruin of Rhaenys to the people and besmirch Aegon´s face/honour. That seems chillingly realistic and subtle for Dornish people to do.

[MizasterJ]

I do believe that it had something to do with Rhaenys.

OK, let us analyze this rationally

Rhaenys surviving the fall

How likely is this? The book says that both dragon and the rider ``fell from the sky``. They probably flew above the highest point of the castle, but within the range to unleash dragonflame when they were brought down by scorpion bolt.

When dragon fell she destroyed part of wall and castle highest tower (this was probably the point above which they flew). Meraxes was also second largest Targ dragon, able to swallow the whole horse.

I find it unlikely that Rhaenys survived such fall, presumably while wearing full armor, and death throes of the second largest dragon that destroyed part of the castle and a whole tower.

Rhaenys being tortured

Again, even if she somehow miraculously survived all that, it is ridiculous to think that she would be in fit state to be tortured or mutilated. Think Quentin in ADWD. It would take a huge effort just keeping her alive, though admittedly, such life would be pretty painful and miserable in itself.

But its unlikely. I think she died fairly quickly or very soon after the fall. But Dornishmen collected her body. They had the field at the end of the day.

The Letter

These were peace negotiations between two sides that were both fed up with war, neither holding a distinct advantage over the other. So more or less on equal footing.

However lords of seven kingdoms demanded from Aegon, who was in favor of peace himself, that there be no peace without submission, because of sacrifices they had made for his cause.

As a token of good will Dornish brought the head of Meraxes, but not the bones of the queen. Why?

Well there is a simple rule to diplomacy (and bargining in general) `demand more to receive less, and offer less than you’re prepared to give`. Therefore, knowing their relation, Rhenys bones were the Dornish trump card, rather than simple act of good faith, ultimate barging chip that they saved for last.

The letter perhaps wasn’t intended to be private, at first, but because the lords were so unhappy about the possibility of peace without submission, and may view the Kings willingness to accept the bones of his sister in exchange for good terms as betraying them, the letter was given to Aegon personally, and understanding the situation, Aegon burned it after reading.

IMO letter contained an final act of good faith and sincere plead to end the war that caused so much pain on both sides rather than a threat.

It is by far a much more diplomatic solution.

The bones were perhaps shipped secretly to or near Dragonstone (it would not be vise if Dornish brought them to Kings Landing ,even in secret if they wanted to use them for bargaining with Aegon), and Aegon went in person to collect them, not arousing his lords who could not have blamed him for anything since they had no knowledge what was in the letter.

Also clutching the Iron Throne and cutting his hand was probably symptom of grief and strong emotion rather than anger. I don’t think that he would have any reason to hide his anger. Years of Dragons Wroth were in response to Rhaenys death, and I don’t think that telling Aegon that his beloved wife and sister was being tortured and mutilated for years, and whom he held for dead for years anyway, would achieve anything more than additional retaliation.

However he had every reason to hide his tears.

Nor was Aegon a man who horribly enjoyed violence, he always inflicted the exact amount of violence on his enemys needed to subdue them and then accepted fealty. Years of Dragon Wroth are obvious exception, but this was more emotional than rational response. And so was the signing of the pace.

For the last time...He didnt "cut" his hand..it bled from him clutching it so hard. That's how the passage is written, that's how it should be read and understood.

[MizasterJ]

What significance did the bones have to him that he was willing to change his mind on a such an important question?

I think the deliberate construction of a mystery is a clue that such an anti-climactic reasoning may not be true to the narrative.

Now you're thinking. that's the kind of reasoning that will get us to the truth.

I agree I think this is once again evidence of an unreliable narrator.

[Gaston de Foix]

Now you're thinking. that's the kind of reasoning that will get us to the truth.

I agree I think this is once again evidence of an unreliable narrator.

Okay so here's an idea, not sure whether I or anyone else has raised it before.

Aegon went to dragonstone to consult a glass candle and saw Rhaenys was alive. The letter required Aegon to agree to peace in order for Rhaenys to be delivered up after years of torture at the hands of the Ullers. Maybe the Martells found out about it afterwards, and tried to heal Rhaenys with limited success - hence the attempt to return her to Aegon. It says somewhere Visenya supervised construction of King's Landing while Aegon was on Dragonstone after the Peace Treaty. Maybe he was with the broken and maimed Rhaenys?

[RumHam]

The glass candle idea is interesting. They apparently only stopped working around a hundred years ago so it is a possibility.