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Why was it so hard to find a bride in free cities for rhaegar?


purple-eyes

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It is my belief that Steffon Baratheon, first cousin to Aerys i might add was sent to find a Targaryen bride in efforts to keep the line pure. Steffon had no daughters to offer and we know that the most powerful house ally at the time was seen as the help and the mad king don't marry his heir off to the help. I believe Steffon was either trying to track down the daughter of possible exiled or disinherited family members who perhaps were married off to form allies across the narrow sea. My targets are a daughter of Maegor Targaryen, Vaella Targaryen or the last of the Blackfyre line. 

Here is where it gets interesting, while Steffon chased down a lead on his possibly enslaved cousins it led him to only a male  relative known as patchface. Due to patchface being his kin he decides to keep his identity a secret but bring him home, we know he has a shaved head and i find it interesting that he can sing in many tongues this is not something i would expect from a slave but definitely expect from a person of noble birth.

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Maybe Steffon didn't like the nobility of Essos.  Apart from anything else, Westeros prides itself on its hatred of slavery, and yet every noble, rich person of the blood of Valyria would have hundreds.  Or maybe Steffon was a bit of a xenophobe and just didn't like their customs.  Or maybe he was zealous for the Seven and hated their religions.  Or maybe, or maybe, or maybe.  

I don't think there's any need for complex theories here.  Steffon didn't like the nobles of Essos or the nobles didn't like Steffon (and/or the Seven Kingdoms and/or the Mad King and/or Targaryens), or perhaps both.  

And so his mission failed.  Simple.  

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Well, we don't know when exactly Larra was married to Viserys, do we? But one assumes that part of that reason clearly was the ambition of the House Rogare to control the Heir Presumptive of Aegon III Targaryen. Back in the day the Targaryens still had dragons, too.

But Lys and later Tyrosh are in a different league than Volantis. Volantis is the oldest and largest Free City, and despite the fact that the Targaryens controlled a huge continent, they were living in castles, riding in tourneys, and ruling as feudal overlords. In comparison to the Volantene society that really looks like a joke. Becoming the wife of the future King of Westeros should have been as attractive a prospect for a daughter of the Old Blood as the idea of marrying the King of England would have been for a Byzantine princess.

In Tywin's case we just don't know why he was in Lys. Could have been anything, really. Trade stuff, contracts, loans, etc. The Hand of the King has a lot to do, and one assumes that many a king (or at least his top minister) visited the Free Cities for various reasons throughout the Targaryen reign. After all, if they didn't have any diplomatic contacts on the topmost level the idea that there were never any conflicts or major wars between Essos and Westeros is flat-out ridiculous.

Maybe Tywin was looking for one of those manufactured hotties. 

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Why not Lynesse Hightower (or a sister)? Ser Jorah said she looked like Daenerys. Don't the Hightowers have Targaryen ancestors?

Hightower's dragon blood was introduced by rhaena, daughter of Daemon in about year 140.

But Martell's blood was introduced by Danaerys in about year 200. 

So it is newer. 

I think Aerys did not care about if that woman has certain Valyria look, he is more concerned about the blood. 

Of course if she had silver hair and purple eyes, it would be even better. 

but dragon blood is more important. 

Otherwise he can simply choose any Lys girl. 

 

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He was looking for more than a girl of Valyrian blood.  She still had to bring something to the table.  Politically, there has to be a good reason for a royal heir to marry a foreigner.  The non-hereditary power structure of the free cities makes it difficult to forge a meaningful marriage alliance.  I don't think the Iron Throne had the debt problems that developed under Robert yet, so promises of gold would be less appealing and pledges of slave armies, while useful, could alienate some of the Westerosi.

So I don't think it was a simple case of Steffon not finding anyone willing to marry Rhaegar, but that there were no good deals to be made.

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He was looking for more than a girl of Valyrian blood.  She still had to bring something to the table.  Politically, there has to be a good reason for a royal heir to marry a foreigner.  The non-hereditary power structure of the free cities makes it difficult to forge a meaningful marriage alliance.  I don't think the Iron Throne had the debt problems that developed under Robert yet, so promises of gold would be less appealing and pledges of slave armies, while useful, could alienate some of the Westerosi.

So I don't think it was a simple case of Steffon not finding anyone willing to marry Rhaegar, but that there were no good deals to be made.

Pretty much this.

Having old Valyrian blood wasn't enough. The girl's family had to have political power and social relevance too. Somebody like Serenei of Lys, who was "the last daughter from an ancient but impoverished Valyrian noble family" wouldn't fit the bill. The same goes for somebody like Nymeria Sand's mom.

 

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We need to know more details about Aerys' ambitions when it came to Rhaegar's bride. Because it's an interesting topic. My guess is Aerys wanted to find a bride of Targaryen blood and sent Steffon to locate one in Essos (there are after all several Targaryens that have left offspring in Essos). Which leads into the marriage with Elia, Martells have Targaryen blood and thus became Aerys' best option once Steffon's expedition met it's end.

You're right.  Aerys was looking for something specific.  The Targaryens already had the treasury of the kingdom at their disposal.  Money wasn't lacking for Aerys.  What else motivates a Targaryen?  Dragons.  Aerys wanted to bring back the dragons.  He was actively looking for someone with the right DNA. 

While we're at it, we may as well discuss the death of Steffon Baratheon.  Were it not for the sudden storm, I would think it was sabotage/assassination.  Sink the ship within sight, to be sure it happened.  Sink the ship that may possibly carry the right genetic material to bring back the dragons.  Make sure Steffon and Aerys do not get to sit and share info.  However, I doubt even warlocks can make a storm.  So, bad luck?  Coincidence?  Was Patchface involved?

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You're right.  Aerys was looking for something specific.  The Targaryens already had the treasury of the kingdom at their disposal.  Money wasn't lacking for Aerys.  What else motivates a Targaryen?  Dragons.  Aerys wanted to bring back the dragons.  He was actively looking for someone with the right DNA. 

While we're at it, we may as well discuss the death of Steffon Baratheon.  Were it not for the sudden storm, I would think it was sabotage/assassination.  Sink the ship within sight, to be sure it happened.  Sink the ship that may possibly carry the right genetic material to bring back the dragons.  Make sure Steffon and Aerys do not get to sit and share info.  However, I doubt even warlocks can make a storm.  So, bad luck?  Coincidence?  Was Patchface involved?

steffon already wrote a letter and said he did not find a bride. Only got patch face. 

So there was probably no targ girl in his ship. 

 

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Wow, what a disappointment.  You send Steffon to the east to find a beautiful, silver-haired bride and he brings back Patchface!!!  Can you say underwhelming.  Aerys didn't exactly feel like celebrating christmas when he heard the news. 

Oh, by the way Sire, we did find this little guy but everyone else was lost at sea.

Well, the question we need to ask is this.  How much effort did Steffon put into the task?  He brought his wife with him.  Why?  I'll tell you why.  He and the missus actually took a luxury vacation, on the King's tab.  That's what they did.  Steffon and wife spent the trip on perpetual high from sniffing Myrish talc.

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Don't the Hightowers have Targaryen ancestors?

We don't know. There were certainly Hightowers with Targaryen blood at one time. But unless I'm mistaken we don't even know if Rhaena's husband was ever Lord Hightower. If he was, it's worth nothing that they were said to have only had daughters. So it's possible they were all married off and when Gormund died a brother or nephew with no Taragaryen blood took over and continued the line. 

I'm surprised nobody has suggested that Steffon failed on purpose. If Rhaegar has children that just pushes Steffon further down the line of succession. We know next to nothing about the man and I'm not saying I think this is what happened, but it's possible no? 

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We don't know. There were certainly Hightowers with Targaryen blood at one time. But unless I'm mistaken we don't even know if Rhaena's husband was ever Lord Hightower. If he was, it's worth nothing that they were said to have only had daughters. So it's possible they were all married off and when Gormund died a brother or nephew with no Taragaryen blood took over and continued the line. 

I'm surprised nobody has suggested that Steffon failed on purpose. If Rhaegar has children that just pushes Steffon further down the line of succession. We know next to nothing about the man and I'm not saying I think this is what happened, but it's possible no? 

I thought Aerys meant to make him as hand of the king after he succeeded, so I guess he will be motivated. 

he is quite far in the line, even Rhealla is likely before him. So that claim should not be a big concern, IMHO.

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Wow, what a disappointment.  You send Steffon to the east to find a beautiful, silver-haired bride and he brings back Patchface!!!  Can you say underwhelming.  Aerys didn't exactly feel like celebrating christmas when he heard the news. 

Oh, by the way Sire, we did find this little guy but everyone else was lost at sea.

Well, the question we need to ask is this.  How much effort did Steffon put into the task?  He brought his wife with him.  Why?  I'll tell you why.  He and the missus actually took a luxury vacation, on the King's tab.  That's what they did.  Steffon and wife spent the trip on perpetual high from sniffing Myrish talc.

Not sure what your getting at my point was he followed a trail and it led to the boy and not the girl so he bought his freedom i believe i said he wasnt planning on telling Aerys about who patches was, also patches was normal then just a slave entertainer who was more educated than young lords sound familiar ?

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Plot twist: Patchface is actually a beautiful girl of old Valyrian blood.

This totally changes everything.  

u should read before u disrespect i didnt say he was a girl 

he's a bald educated slave who knows a bunch of different languages they they bought his freedom just to have him as a slave fool ? he would be a slave 

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