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What is in it for Illyrio?


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Illyrio himself has to be the one with the blood of the dragon, not Serra. Varys most certainly has Targaryen or Blackfyre blood, too, but he might only be a bastard or the descendant of a Targaryen or Blackfyre bastard. The chances are very bad that Illyrio just happens to fall in love/marry a former whore who is descended from the Blackfyres or Targaryens. Even if she is Varys' sister, there is no reason why the hell he should marry her. But if Illyrio wants to father a son who is supposed to have Valyrian looks so that he can impersonate Rhaegar Targaryen's son then he better chose a mother with Valyrian looks to accomplish that. And said mother shouldn't just be some whore but Illyrio Mopatis' legitimate wife or else the son of that union would face a lot of difficulty inheriting Illyrio's estates, holdings, and offices in the Free City of Pentos (assuming the inheritance laws of Pentoshi society are more advanced and complex than those in Westeros).

Should Illyrio die or had Illyrio died long before the plan was beyond its gestating phase, then Aegon most likely would have inherited all his father's wealth. Aegon may have been groomed to take over Illyrio's role in the whole enterprise, and they would have decided to postpone the whole invasion or to make it a Blackfyre restoration rather than a Targaryen restoration.

Two points I would like to add to this:

1) In AFFC Cersei meets Aurane Waters (a Velaryon bastard) and is reminded of Rhaegar Targaryen.  She then takes a closer look, and begins to count the ways in which Aurane does not look like Rhaegar (just like JonCon, at Griffin's Roost, thinks of how Aegon's eyes are lighter than Rhaegar's).  I wonder if this partially serves as a nudge that the right gene pool of Valyrian looks means it is possible to produce someone that looks like a Targaryen, even if they are not the real deal.

2) Regarding the possibility of a Blackfyre restoration, when Tyrion is surprised that the Golden Company have broken their contract with Myr and hooked up with Illyrio, the latter says that "Some contracts are writ in ink, and some in blood. I say no more." Tyrion pushes him further, reminding him that the Golden Company always fought on the side of the Blackfyres, but Illyrio simply replies that "Black or Red, a dragon is still a dragon." Illyrio, to me, tries to shrug off Tyrion's suspicion with a statement that effectively implies that the Golden Company are essentially Targaryen supporters (even though Dany recalls Viserys feasting some of the captains and them laughing at his request for support) but this is a sellsword company that was founded to place a Blackfyre on the throne of Westeros, and Aegor Rivers swore to return to Westeros and to place Daemon Blackfyre's son there.  Illyrio's comment about contracts writ in blood suggests that the Golden Company are about to fulfill Bittersteel's vow. 

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In my opinion, there's more potential evidence for Serra and/or Varys to be Blackfyres than Illyrio. 

I mean, we know Illyrio was handsome and blonde when he was young, but that's it.

For Varys, however, there's the hint that Maegor swore that "only the blood of the dragon would know the secrets of the Red Keep". Varys certainly has discovered a great deal of those secret passages and rooms. And Serra is described as having hair streaked with silver, a common Targ trait.

However, I like the idea of Varys being just Varys. It would have more, I don't know, pathos, if he's just an orphan turned mummer turned spymaster that pulled himself up by the strength of his feet. 

So I started thinking: when Tyrion asks Illyrio what's in it for him in all these, he says old friends have debts of affection or something like that. So I wonder if he's talking about Varys and not him. What if he saved Varys from getting beat up and killed in his days as a thief, and Varys owns him ever since. So Illyrio married Serra (a Blackfyre), and Varys' way of repay him for saving his life is to help seat Illyrio's son on the throne.

 

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dornishdame,

well, since TWoIaF my theory about Illyrio's heritage is that he is descended from Daemon Blackfyre's eldest daughter Calla and her husband, Aegor Rivers. True, we don't yet know whether anything came of that betrothal or whether they had any children if they eventually married, but it is a pretty big hint that Bittersteel may have had issue of his own.

If Bittersteel and Calla had no sons, or if all those sons died without issue of their own fighting in the Golden Company or during the Third Blackfyre Rebellion then any offspring one of Bittersteel's daughters had with some Tyroshi nobleman wouldn't actually have been watched that closely. Illyrio's own Blackfyre heritage might be rather distant going through his mother, his grandmother, his great-grandmother to Calla Blackfyre and Bittersteel. If so, then it is very likely that nobody in Westeros knows anything about that. And I'm actually very inclined to believe that it was Varys who revealed to Illyrio who he was and from whom he was descended. That is why Varys and Illyrio teamed up.

More importantly, the influence Illyrio actually has with the Golden Company is much better and much easier explained if Illyrio isn't just some obscure Blackfyre cousin through the female line (possibly even descended from a guy who never even commanded the Golden Company) but the direct descendant of the legendary founder and longtime captain-general of the Golden Company, Aegor Rivers, as well as from Daemon Blackfyre himself.

Aegon's eye color isn't a hint to anything, I'm afraid. The shades of the eye color of the various Targaryens changed dramatically over the generations despite the fact that they were all very closely related. For instance, both Jaehaerys I and Alysanne are described to have had blue eyes yet their grandchildren and great-grandchildren all had eyes of deeper shades of purple (confirmed for Laenor and Rhaenyra and sort of also for Viserys I). It can even be better observed with the children of Aerys II and Rhaella. Rhaegar seems to have had eyes of a darker purple than Viserys (Dany's thoughts when she sees the vision of Rhaegar in the House of the Undying), and Dany's own eyes seem to have different shade as well (how deep her purple eyes isn't clear since she they seem to be described as being of a lighter shade in AGoT but then George has also described as physically resembling Queen Naerys a lot who had very big purple eyes).

Therefore, I'd not go with eye colors and stuff as hints that Aegon isn't Rhaegar's son. Him actually not being the real deal should be recognized by somebody who knew both Rhaegar and Elia by seeing that he doesn't resemble any of his alleged parents in any aspect besides the superficial stuff about eye color and hair color. What kind of hair Aegon exactly has has yet to be revealed. After all, his hair is still blue.

Connington clearly feels haunted by anyone being blessed with Valyrian hair and eyes. That's what makes him so afraid/shocked about Lysono Maar's appearance when he first sees him. 

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Short answer is that this is at least the right question to be asking even if we certainly don't have a clear answer. 

 

What really gets me is how do all these plots fit together.

Steal/hide/plant (f)Aegon

"sell" Dany for Dothraki Screamers

He's best buds with Varys (who self admittedly hates magic since his slicing) and yet is the one to give dragon eggs to Dany. Also he says he never expected her to come back from being "sold". Why support Viserys and Aegon?

Its unclear (to me anyway) whether he knew about the Dornish marriage plot. But the agreement was signed by the Sealord of Braavos, who seemingly suddenly died right after. Illyrio was a "bravo" in his youth if he can be believed. 

He also (really creepily) keeps Sera's hands...

 

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Illyrio it's either wed to a Blackfyre or is one himself. He wants to put his son Aegon on the throne with or without Dany. 

He gave Dany the eggs to hatch them, and has his cronies (Jorah and the handmaids) try to get the eggs, the Dragon-queen and her Horse-King to Asshai. There Drogos kings blood would be used to hatch the eggs, or so Illyrio hoped. 

 

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Short answer is that this is at least the right question to be asking even if we certainly don't have a clear answer. 

 

What really gets me is how do all these plots fit together.

Steal/hide/plant (f)Aegon

"sell" Dany for Dothraki Screamers

He's best buds with Varys (who self admittedly hates magic since his slicing) and yet is the one to give dragon eggs to Dany. Also he says he never expected her to come back from being "sold". Why support Viserys and Aegon?

Its unclear (to me anyway) whether he knew about the Dornish marriage plot. But the agreement was signed by the Sealord of Braavos, who seemingly suddenly died right after. Illyrio was a "bravo" in his youth if he can be believed. 

He also (really creepily) keeps Sera's hands...

 

One of the most popular theories (I think?) around these parts is that Illyrio/Varys wanted Viserys and Dany to invade the 7K with the Dothraki and the Golden Company (so far this is supported by the text), and then Aegon would show up, defeat the Mad King's spawn and their savages and sellswords and be hailed as a hero. 

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One of the most popular theories (I think?) around these parts is that Illyrio/Varys wanted Viserys and Dany to invade the 7K with the Dothraki and the Golden Company (so far this is supported by the text), and then Aegon would show up, defeat the Mad King's spawn and their savages and sellswords and be hailed as a hero. 

But how could Aegon defeat the Dothraki and the Golden Company? Wouldn't it make more sense that they wanted the Dothraki to invade Westeros so that Aegon can defeat them with the help of the Golden Company? (The GC would much sooner fight for a Blackfyre than for a Targaryen anyway.)

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But how could Aegon defeat the Dothraki and the Golden Company? Wouldn't it make more sense that they wanted the Dothraki to invade Westeros so that Aegon can defeat them with the help of the Golden Company? (The GC would much sooner fight for a Blackfyre than for a Targaryen anyway.)

That's one of the many things wrong with that theory, unfortunately

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I don't really buy the Golden Company officers belief that they were supposed to team up with Viserys and Drogo. That just doesn't make much sense if they want to install Aegon as the perfect king. If the Golden Company and he are associated with Viserys, Drogo, and the Dothraki then he can hardly be a savior of the troubled Realm.

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