Why did Prince Daemon only have Jaehaerys killed?

[robdavies1775]

So early on in the Dance of the Dragons, Prince Aemond and his dragon Vhagar kill Lucerys and his dragon Arrax.

In revenge, Prince Daemon hires a brute and a rat-catcher whose names were Blood and Cheese to sneak into the Red Keep, kidnap Queen Helaena and her children and then kill one of them. They kill Prince Jaehaerys and then leave with his head.

Surely if you're Daemon Targaryan and you have access to the royal family, you'd have them all killed?

So why didn't he get Blood and Cheese to kill Aegon II's two sons, his daughter and the queen?

It would have ended his line of succession...

[Wmarshal]

Because, this wasn't about actual doing harm to the green cause, but being a vengeful monster.

[Lord Varys]

We have to keep in mind that Daemon was not exactly directly in charge of his operation. He was in Harrenhal at that time, and sent word to his former paramour (and later Rhaenyra's Mistress of Whisperers) Mysaria 'Lady Misery the White Worm' to arrange his revenge and see to the details.

I imagine the 'An eye for an eye, a son for a son' line from the letter to Rhaenyra was confirmed and examined by historians on Dragonstone later on, but we don't really know whether the revenge was supposed to enacted against Alicent or Aegon II. My guess is the former, as Rhaenyra/Daemon would have been aware who was pulling the strings at this point.

Thus I think Mysaria - or Blood and Cheese - did misunderstand/miscommunicate who was to be killed. TPatQ speculates that the first target Blood and Cheese considered was Aegon II, but they could not get into Maegor's Holdfast nor overpower the KG which constantly surrounded the king.

At that time, Aemond would still have been in the Stormlands, presumably, and Daeron already/still in Oldtown, eventually leading to Blood and Cheese settling on Helaena and her children, after they realized they could get easily to her.

However, it is clear that Mysaria/Daemon did not instruct them in detail and left them to modify the plan as they saw fit. If Daemon had known that they could have taken out Otto, Alicent, Helaena, and all of Aegon's children, I'm pretty sure he would have told them - go on, kill them, it is not as we intend to let them live/pardon them later.

Thus I'd say that Blood and Cheese misconstrued their mission as 'a son for a son' thing rather than realizing that no one would have complained if they had taken out more Otto, Alicent, Helaena, Jaehaera, and Maelor. It is not unlikely that we never see these two guys again because Mysaria was not exactly pleased with their work when they told her that they had Alicent, Helaena, and her children in their grasp but decided to kill only Jaehaerys.

[Rhaenys_Targaryen]

Killing Maelor would have made Aemond heir... No one on the side of the Blacks would have wanted that.

[Lord Varys]

Why not? If Alicent, Helaena, Jaehaerys, Jaehaera, Maelor, and Otto (into whose chambers Blood and Cheese could also slipped during the night) all had been dead, the Blacks would have surely have profited from that.

Not to mention that Aemond was de facto already Aegon's heir. If Aegon II had died at Rook's Rest, Aemond would have taken the Iron Throne. in the war, the Greens needed a grown-up figurehead with a big dragon.

[Wmarshal]

We have to keep in mind that Daemon was not exactly directly in charge of his operation. He was in Harrenhal at that time, and sent word to his former paramour (and later Rhaenyra's Mistress of Whisperers) Mysaria 'Lady Misery the White Worm' to arrange his revenge and see to the details.

I imagine the 'An eye for an eye, a son for a son' line from the letter to Rhaenyra was confirmed and examined by historians on Dragonstone later on, but we don't really know whether the revenge was supposed to enacted against Alicent or Aegon II. My guess is the former, as Rhaenyra/Daemon would have been aware who was pulling the strings at this point.

Thus I think Mysaria - or Blood and Cheese - did misunderstand/miscommunicate who was to be killed. TPatQ speculates that the first target Blood and Cheese considered was Aegon II, but they could not get into Maegor's Holdfast nor overpower the KG which constantly surrounded the king.

At that time, Aemond would still have been in the Stormlands, presumably, and Daeron already/still in Oldtown, eventually leading to Blood and Cheese settling on Helaena and her children, after they realized they could get easily to her.

However, it is clear that Mysaria/Daemon did not instruct them in detail and left them to modify the plan as they saw fit. If Daemon had known that they could have taken out Otto, Alicent, Helaena, and all of Aegon's children, I'm pretty sure he would have told them - go on, kill them, it is not as we intend to let them live/pardon them later.

Thus I'd say that Blood and Cheese misconstrued their mission as 'a son for a son' thing rather than realizing that no one would have complained if they had taken out more Otto, Alicent, Helaena, Jaehaera, and Maelor. It is not unlikely that we never see these two guys again because Mysaria was not exactly pleased with their work when they told her that they had Alicent, Helaena, and her children in their grasp but decided to kill only Jaehaerys.

Yeah, I don't think it was misanything, they were his monsters, I doubt he would sent them without a plan. Even if you want to blame Alicent(which you really can't) the guy responible was Aemond.

[Lord Varys]

If you check TPatQ then it becomes evident that Mysaria chose the Blood and Cheese, not Daemon. Nothing suggests that he knew them or had a personal connection to them.

I tried to say that I think that the 'son' Daemon refers to in his letter to Rhaenyra refers to a son of Alicent's rather than a son of Aegon, as Rhaenyra/Daemon clearly blamed the Hightowers for the whole coup.

As to the blame of Luke's death: Considering that Blood and Cheese seem to have been an immediate retaliation for Luke's death, we should assume that Rhaenyra/Daemon did not have a clear or complete picture of what had actually transpired at Storm's End. They could easily have assumed that Aemond had orders to take out any envoy Rhaenyra would send there. If that had been the case, then a retaliation against Aegon/Alicent would have been justified.

[aryagonnakill#2]

What do you mean you really can't blame Alicent, she started the whole damn war. I mean sure maybe you can blame Otto more, but after him comes Alicent.

[Maia]

It is not unlikely that we never see these two guys again because Mysaria was not exactly pleased with their work when they told her that they had Alicent, Helaena, and her children in their grasp but decided to kill only Jaehaerys.

Well, in AFFC, or maybe in ADWD Jaime thinks to himself how during his explorations of the tunnels under the Tower of the Hand, he came across some bones and a pouch full of tarnished silver coins minted during the reign of Viserys I. When TPRatQ came out, it immediately occurred to me that this was a hint at the ultimate fate of Blood and Cheese...

[Lord Varys]

That's AFfC. I'm wondering if this has something to with the Dance, as well, but the Regency would also be an interesting period for this thing. If the bones and the silver belonged to Blood and Cheese, they would have been killed/died in the walls, which would be strange. Nothing suggests that the Greens had the means/time to follow them, nor does it make sense that Mysaria would take them out within the Red Keep. After all, it seems that Cheese was hired explicitly because he knew many of the tunnels. That does not suggests that she also had a map of the tunnels (else she would most likely have sent multiple assassins into the castle...).

[Rhaenys_Targaryen]

Why not? If Alicent, Helaena, Jaehaerys, Jaehaera, Maelor, and Otto (into whose chambers Blood and Cheese could also slipped during the night) all had been dead, the Blacks would have surely have profited from that.

Not to mention that Aemond was de facto already Aegon's heir. If Aegon II had died at Rook's Rest, Aemond would have taken the Iron Throne. in the war, the Greens needed a grown-up figurehead with a big dragon.

Yet Aemond only became the de facto ruler after Aegon's accident at Rook's Rest... Jaehaerys, by then, was already dead. Had Blood and Cheese killed both Maelor and Jaehaerys that night, only Aegon would have stood between Aemond and the throne...

It is possible that Aegon's injuries from Rook's Rest were not accidental on Aemond's side. With Aegon dead, Aemond could have ruled through Maelor, until such a time that Maelor could also be disposed off (after the war was done, perhaps).

Aemond becoming the protector of the realm gave him a lot of power, but being king would have given him quite some more.. Cole could not have refused to join him, for example, had Aemond been king.

Removing all heirs between the king and Aemond would have been dangerous.

[Lord Varys]

The impression I get is that Aemond did only not become king because Aegon II was still alive. Had he died, Aemond would have seized the throne, even if Maelor (and Jaehaerys) was still alive.

The line of succession did not really seem to matter at that point, and Aemond most likely would not have cared that Jaehaerys/Maelor came before. With Helaena mad, and Otto fired, only Alicent could have objected (not sure if Ser Criston or others would have cared), and I'm not sure whether Alicent would have preferred King Jaehaerys/Maelor over King Aemond. She did seem to be quite fond of Aemond...

Sure, if the war was over and won, and if Aegon's sons had been older, they would have been the natural heirs. But I guess Aemond would have remained a 'bad uncle', and could easily have tried to stage a coup of his own in his later year, especially Aegon II had died early.

[Barrick Eddon]

If you check TPatQ then it becomes evident that Mysaria chose the Blood and Cheese, not Daemon. Nothing suggests that he knew them or had a personal connection to them.

I tried to say that I think that the 'son' Daemon refers to in his letter to Rhaenyra refers to a son of Alicent's rather than a son of Aegon, as Rhaenyra/Daemon clearly blamed the Hightowers for the whole coup.

As to the blame of Luke's death: Considering that Blood and Cheese seem to have been an immediate retaliation for Luke's death, we should assume that Rhaenyra/Daemon did not have a clear or complete picture of what had actually transpired at Storm's End. They could easily have assumed that Aemond had orders to take out any envoy Rhaenyra would send there. If that had been the case, then a retaliation against Aegon/Alicent would have been justified.

I think he knew Blood , he was a serjeant in the city watch he had lost his cloak after beating a whore to death.

[Ser Duncan of Flea Bottom]

It was and eye for an eye thing

Lucerys was killed by Aemond, so let's do a vendetta and killed one of the other side.

[LordQorgyle]

For me it is just normal that Aemond killed Luke...The guy had taken his eye and they were at war..For this i can't judge Aemond

[Wmarshal]

For me it is just normal that Aemond killed Luke...The guy had taken his eye and they were at war..For this i can't judge Aemond

I judge him because it was dishonest and really childish, causing the acceleration of the war. Aemond caused the death of his nephew and for that he and Daemon were the biggest scum in this book to me.

[teemo]

For me it is just normal that Aemond killed Luke...The guy had taken his eye and they were at war..For this i can't judge Aemond

Aemond did say at the time he lost his eye though that it was worth it to get Vhagar.

[Fire Eater]

I judge him because it was dishonest and really childish, causing the acceleration of the war. Aemond caused the death of his nephew and for that he and Daemon were the biggest scum in this book to me.

It was all you say. He killed one of Rhaenyra's sons who was serving as an envoy having sworn not to fight, and who outright stated he didn't want to fight.

What did Aemond think the blacks were going to do after he pulled that? If the blacks didn't retaliate they would risk losing face in front of the lords, and custom would require them to avenge Luke.

If anything, it guaranteed Rhaenyra was going to fight them, because she knew the greens wouldn't punish Aemond for what he did.

As for why Jaehaerys, the instructions were to kill the child Helaena chose to spare, the one she cared about most, as a kind of twisted vengeance against the greens for Luke's death.

Aemond got his, which was satisfactory. Daemon OTOH was pretty much dead on the inside after he learned of Rhaenyra's order to kill Netty, whom he had actually grown to love, to the point he basically chose death.

[LordQorgyle]

For me the real responsible for the death of Luke is Borros and not Aemond

[C.T. Phipps]

It was all you say. He killed one of Rhaenyra's sons who was serving as an envoy having sworn not to fight, and who outright stated he didn't want to fight.

What did Aemond think the blacks were going to do after he pulled that? If the blacks didn't retaliate they would risk losing face in front of the lords, and custom would require them to avenge Luke.

If anything, it guaranteed Rhaenyra was going to fight them, because she knew the greens wouldn't punish Aemond for what he did.

As for why Jaehaerys, the instructions were to kill the child Helaena chose to spare, the one she cared about most, as a kind of twisted vengeance against the greens for Luke's death.

Aemond got his, which was satisfactory. Daemon OTOH was pretty much dead on the inside after he learned of Rhaenyra's order to kill Netty, whom he had actually grown to love, to the point he basically chose death.

This reminds me in some small way of the whole situation with the Reynes and Tarbacks. There's a large sense the chevalier culture in Westeros is one which doesn't quite GET war. We even have the term, "Summer Knights" for people like Renly's Armies who are very good at playing with war but aren't really WARRIORS. Actually, I'd argue they're warriors but warriors are crap compared to SOLDIERS. Tywin Lannister is a soldier and a soldier's job is to win a war. If I make a bizarre comparison, Westeros is more like Discworld in many ways. Discworld draws a sharp distinction between two kinds of nobility.

"The ones who throw a party and the ones who were very good at killing things."

Alicent's family was all about being Summer Knights and schemers. Very very Highgarden types.

Daemon, however, is a ****ing Pirate King.

LITERALLY a pirate king.

His reaction to his family being killed in a duel is to have one of their family murdered.

This isn't a game for him.