What if Maegor I had a living child?

[The Grey Wolf]

This topic has fascinated me for some time so I decided to make a thread about it. As things stand with the information available I think there are five possibly scenarios worth discussing.

1. If Cerys gives him a child.

If this happens then Maegor's exile doesn't happen and his future marriages don't happen either which may mean that Maegor doesn't have as hard a time with the Faith Militant as he does in canon if he doesn't chose to save Aenys's ass. On the other hand it may also lead to the line of Visenya being the ruling branch of the family rather than Rhaenys's and who knows how that would go.

2. If Alys gives him a child.

This assumes that the child Alys gave birth to was normal and healthy. All I can foresee from this is that 1. The Harroways don't fall from power, 2. Maegor's reputation isn't tarnished (if it was by the event), 3. House Towers never rises to prominence and dies out, which means every house after them doesn't get Harrenhal or at least not in the same way, 3. With an heir of his own body Maegor might have been able to come to an understanding with the Faith in exchange for recognizing the child as legitimate. On the other hand he would also have no need to spare any of his nephews once the child came of age.

3. If Tyanna gives him a child.

I think this one would be much the same as #2 only there would be no chance of reconciling the faith given Tyanna's foreignness, reputation, and actions. In fact I wouldn't be surprised if an even harder line was taken against the throne's enemies, especially by Tyanna, in order to ensure the safe and smooth transition of power to their child someday.

4. One of the Black Brides gives him a child.

This assumes either the child by Elinor Costayne or Jeyne Westerling lives. Considering that by 47 AC much of the realm was on the verge of turning against Maegor I don't think him having a child successfully at this point would have done much except possibly motivating Maegor in 48 AC to go down fighting rather than committing suicide to avoid being overthrown.

5. If the child in any of the above scenarios was a girl.

The possibilities for female rule and inheritance are there to say the least. All hail Queen Maegora I anyone?

[Lion of the West]

Daughters inherit in the absense of sons so there's nothing strange with a daughter of Maegor taking the throne after him, provided he didn't turn the realm against him and provided that Aenys' children were unable to claim their birthright.

[A Sand of Starfall]

The war with the faith militant would probably continue, if he had a girl what he should do is marry her off to one of Jaehaerys' sons to preserve the male Targareyn line, that and it gives more legitimacy to his reign since the 'true' line will inherit.

If a boy then Maegor has options, he could marry him to Aerea Targareyn (Daughter of Aegon who was the son of Aenys) this would probably upset more people especially if the mother was Rhaena Targaryen because more insect. Or he could marry him off to the daughter of a powerful Lord, probably Tyrell because then he can get at the High Septon. 

Either way there's more bloodshed but the Targareryen line continues, Maegor may well be deposed by his own children along with the backing of most of Westeros, who will be happy to have the tyrant dead.

The only way I can see this changing is if Maegor dies just after his child is born, if this happens we probably get Jaehaerys either making himself King and marrying his son off to Maegor's daughter. But if he has a son then Jaeharys could be regent and deal with the Faith, then probably marries his daughter off to Maegor's son.

[Lord Varys]

7 hours ago, The Grey Wolf said:

1. If Ceryse gives him a child.

If this happens then Maegor's exile doesn't happen and his future marriages don't happen either which may mean that Maegor doesn't have as hard a time with the Faith Militant as he does in canon if he doesn't chose to save Aenys's ass. On the other hand it may also lead to the line of Visenya being the ruling branch of the family rather than Rhaenys's and who knows how that would go.

There wouldn't be an exile and subsequently no Aegon-Rhaena marriage if Maegor had a daughter for Prince Aegon to marry. Perhaps Princess Rhaena could even have married Maegor's son if he had no daughters, then Aenys I may have named them co-heirs or something like that. Aenys really wanted to get along with his brother, after all.

The Aegon-Rhaena incest match clearly was only made because there were no Targaryen cousins from Maegor available who Aenys' children might have been able to marry. Aenys I wanted the Red Keep to become the castle of future generations of his Targaryen descendants. He would have included Maegor's children among them, too, had there been any.

7 hours ago, The Grey Wolf said:

2. If Alys gives him a child.

This assumes that the child Alys gave birth to was normal and healthy. All I can foresee from this is that 1. The Harroways don't fall from power, 2. Maegor's reputation isn't tarnished (if it was by the event), 3. House Towers never rises to prominence and dies out, which means every house after them doesn't get Harrenhal or at least not in the same way, 3. With an heir of his own body Maegor might have been able to come to an understanding with the Faith in exchange for recognizing the child as legitimate. On the other hand he would also have no need to spare any of his nephews once the child came of age.

If King Maegor had had any children he would have immediately put down all male offspring of his half-brother, possibly even Alysanne, Rhaena and her twins if he only had had a daughter. A son could have been married to Aerea or Rhalla or possibly even Alysanne to unite the lines but Maegor would never have married his young daughter to a son of Aenys I.

A reconciliation with the Faith would have been unlikely considering their stand on polygamy. Even if Maegor had kept the Faith under control during his lifetime the succession would have been challenged after Maegor's death (unless the man had ruled for decades).

7 hours ago, The Grey Wolf said:

3. If Tyanna gives him a child.

I think this one would be much the same as #2 only there would be no chance of reconciling the faith given Tyanna's foreignness, reputation, and actions. In fact I wouldn't be surprised if an even harder line was taken against the throne's enemies, especially by Tyanna, in order to ensure the safe and smooth transition of power to their child someday.

I guess they would have tried something like that - and thus would have just hastened their own demise.

7 hours ago, The Grey Wolf said:

4. One of the Black Brides gives him a child.

This assumes either the child by Elinor Costayne or Jeyne Westerling lives. Considering that by 47 AC much of the realm was on the verge of turning against Maegor I don't think him having a child successfully at this point would have done much except possibly motivating Maegor in 48 AC to go down fighting rather than committing suicide to avoid being overthrown.

It wouldn't have made a difference. And I very much doubt Jaehaerys I and Alyssa would have included such a child in their dynastic plans. Aerea and Rhalla weren't married back into the royal family, either, so Maegor's daughter or son just would have died in obscurity considering that nobody would have supported the claim of a child of Maegor the Cruel.

7 hours ago, The Grey Wolf said:

5. If the child in any of the above scenarios was a girl.

The possibilities for female rule and inheritance are there to say the least. All hail Queen Maegora I anyone?

Not very likely unless Maegor rules for decades and puts down any other rival male claimants. But even then the lords might have decided to refuse to bow to a woman, fragmenting the Realm in the process.