"Aegon" is a Blackfyre just not for the reasons everyone thinks

[Frey family reunion]

Even though I was resistant at first, I've come around to the conclusion I think most people have on this board, that "Aegon" is a Blackfyre descendant. The evidence is too great to dismiss. What I still have a hard time fully believing is the next most commonly held belief about Aegon's parentage, that Illyrio's "Serra" is Aegon's mother.

It superficially seems to add up, after all, as Illyrio discusses the Blackfyre lineage and the Golden Company, he flips open a silver locket to show Tyrion his lost love, Serra:

"A maiden?" I know the way of that." Illyrio thrust his right hand up his left sleeve an drew out a silver locket. Inside was a painted likeness of a woman with big blue eyes and pale golden hair streaked by silver. "Serra. I found her in a Lysene pillow house and brought her home to warm my bed, but in the end I wed her.

There is nothing about Serra's appearance that would dispute the fact that she is of Lysene descent. The Lysene have been described as having blue eyes and strong Valyrian features. It's also important to note that Valyrian features while extremely rare in Westeros aren't nearly as rare in Essos. For example, the island of Lys still has residents with Valyrian features. I would assume that Volantis, especially behind the black walls have a number of inhabitants with strong Valyrian features.

So it stands to reason that if you wanted to find a child with Valyrian features it wouldn't be that difficult. Now, the problem is, Illyrio and Varys' plan, we assume, is to have a child that resembles the last Targaryen dynasty sufficiently to fool one of Rhaegar Targaryens closest friends, Jon Connington.

Now granted when Tyrion first describes Young Griff he does describe him with blue eyes:

Like his sire, Young Griff had blue eyes, but where his father's eyes were pale, the son's were dark. By lamplight they turned black, and in the light of the dusk they seemed purple.

However, Tyrion later remarks that it is Young Griff's blue hair that makes his eyes appear blue

"The blue hair makes your eyes seem blue, that's good.

So the blue hair tricks Tyrion into initially thinking that the boy's eyes are blue when in fact they are purple even if it is a purple that is a lighter color than Rhaegar Targaryen.

"Your father's lands are beautiful," he (Rhaegar) said. His silvery hair was blowing in the wind, and his eyes were a deep purple, darker than this boy's ("Aegon").

I assume the artist who painted Serra would have painted her eyes purple if in fact they were, since that would probably constitute her most unique feature, but he paints them blue.

So under the predominate theory, Varys and Illyrio rests their hopes that Serra's child will grow up to look like enough like Rhaegar to fool Connington, but we have no particular reason to believe that Serra looks like the last Targaryen family. The only time the two are compared is when Illyrio comments

"Daenerys was half a child when she came to me, yet fairer even than my second wife (Serra), so lovely I was tempted to claim her for myself.

So the reader is never given a hint that they particularly look alike (other than the common Valyrian features of hair color).

It's important to note that GRRM often writes as a mystery writer as opposed to a fantasy writer. And what I mean by that is he drops hints and clues in his stories but disguises them so that odds are the reader overlooks the significance of the clue. I think GRRM is doing that here as well, he's given us clues as to Aegon's parentage but has hidden them so the reader completely overlooks the significance.

Let's start with a little piece of information that Illyrio tells Tyrion in ADWD:

"Black or red, a dragon is still a dragon. When Maelys the Monstrous died upon the Stepstones, it was the end of the male line of House Blackfyre." The cheesemonger smiled through his forked beard.

Obviously, what is unsaid but implied is that the Blackfyre line has lived on through a female line. I think this line coupled with Illyrio flipping open his locket to Serra in the same chapter is what has lead a number of people to conclude that his beloved Serra is the Blackfyre and mother of "Aegon".

But the books do tell us specifically about a Targaryen line that is defined maternally as opposed to paternally.

The first clue's significance is completely hidden to the reader in the context under which the information is given out.

In ASOS Dany has a verbal confrontation with the Braavosi sellsword, the Titan's Bastard. The Bastard gets the ball rolling during his introduction to Dany:

Mero tossed down his wine straightaway, wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, and leered at Dany. "I believe I fucked your twin sister in a pleasure house back home. Or was it you?"

Their verbal sparring commences, and we assume naturally enough that the Titan is just trying to get under Dany's skin.

But then in AFFC, we learn in one of Arya's chapters about the Black Pearl of Braavos:

"The Black Pearl," she told them. Merry claimed the Black Pearl was the most famous courtesan of all. "She's descended from the dragons, that one." the woman told Cat. "The first Black Pearl was a pirate queen. A Westerosi prince took her for a lover and got a daughter on her, who grew up to be a courtesan. Her own daughter followed her, and her daughter after her until you get to this one... Cat told the kindly man about the Black Pearl too. "Her true name is Bellegere Otherys," she informed him. It was one of the three things that she had learned. "It is," the priest said softly. "Her mother was Bellonara, but the first Black Pearl was a Bellegere as well."

That's a lot of information for a character that I would assume has little relevance in the series, unless...

The story of the Pirate Queen set off my b.s. meter a bit. This is where I turn to the wiki (I know, I'm not really crazy about using this as a source either). The wiki details Aegon IV's list of 9 mistresses and the order in which they occur, Bellegere Otherys is listed as Aegon IV's fourth mistress (so there is a good chance that Aegon IV was still a prince when he took her as a mistress. Interestingly enough in the list of 9 mistresses, Daena (the most significant mistress) isn't mentioned on the list, the wiki merely states that Aegon had an affair with Daena in his youth. So we assume that Daena could possibly predate the other mistresses.

We are never told the name of Daemon's wife. But it would be fairly conceivable that Daemon (who pursued his half sister Daenerys) might turn to another half sister in her place. So there is a good chance that Daemon may have turned to one of Aegon's illegitimate daughters. When Daemon's rebellion was crushed, and Daemon and two of his sons are killed a number of his children and I think we can assume his wife, fled Westeros.

My guess is "Bellegere Otherys" or whatever her actual name was, may have been Daemon Blackfyre's wife. While the sons ended up with Aegar Rivers' sellsword company, my guess is "Bellegere" fled to Braavos with her daughters, and perhaps with at least one son. From there, to hide her identity as a Blackfyre, she takes up the mantle of the Black Pearl along with the "Pirate Queen" cover story to protect her and her children from being hunted down by Bloodraven to end the Blackfyre line. And from there her daughter and grandaughters continued the family line as courtesans. Giving us the Blackfyre dynasty along a maternal line. My guess is to keep the line pure even though we don't hear of the sons of the Black Pearls, my guess is they were the fathers of the next Black Pearl.

Listen to this additional description of "Aegon" in ADWD

This beardless boy could have any maiden in the Seven Kingdoms, blue hair or no. Those eyes of his would melt them... His eyelashes were as long as any woman's.

If we have a line of descendants who rely on feminine beauty to continue the family trade (i.e. any ugly children are probably out of the family business, thus no longer in the Black Pearl line of descent), it wouldn't be a surprise that even the sons take on a feminine beauty after a while. If I had to guess, Lysono Maar, the Golden Company's spymaster might be Aegon's father/uncle his description also has a certain feminine bent:

The spymaster was new to Griff, a Lyseni named Lysono Maar, with lilac eyes and white-gold hair and lips that would have been the envy of a whore. At first glance, Griff had almost taken him for a woman.

Aegon as the son of a prostitute also seems to fit perfectly into Varys' philosophy. It doesn't matter what family you were born into, what matters is the type of person you are trained/bred to be. I think in addition to having someone that they believe based on his mothers appearance (if of course you believe the Titan's Bastard's taunt) will grow into someone resembling Rhaegar's family members, Varys gets to prove that putting someone on the throne based on his his parent's status (see Joffrey) is less important than how that person was raised. Plus they can honestly tell the Golden Company that they are going to put a Blackfyre (albeit through a maternal line) on the throne.

[J. Stargaryen]

Interesting. One thing that struck me about the name Bellegere Otherys is that the last name sort of looks like Other-ys. And -ys is a common, though not exclusive, ending for Targaryen names.

[Fire Eater]

I think Bellegere Otherys's story is to bring us to mind a Targaryen bastard by Aegon the Unworthy whose mother was a queen (Bellegere was a pirate queen) whose descendant became a prostitute. Daena, Dameon's mother, was Baelor's queen, and Serra, a sex worker, is descended from Daemon.

What is more, the descendents of Bellegere Otherys have used the title of "Black Pearl" like their forebear for generations just like the descendents of Daemon have continued to use the black dragon of their forebear.

[J. Stargaryen]

I think Bellegere Otherys's story is to bring us to mind a Targaryen bastard by Aegon the Unworthy whose mother was a queen (Bellegere was a pirate queen) whose descendant became a prostitute. Daena, Dameon's mother, was Baelor's queen, and Serra, a sex worker, is descended from Daemon.

What is more, the descendents of Bellegere Otherys have used the title of "Black Pearl" like their forebear for generations just like the descendents of Daemon have continued to use the black dragon of their forebear.

These are both good points, to which I'll add that "Black Pearl" could be a hint of the Blackfyres surviving through the female line, without necessarily descending from the BP herself.

[Dragon Roast]

This seems as credible a theory as many others out there, and it does tie together more story lines.

One thing I've always found curious about the Blackfyre Rebellion is that it looks like House Baratheon sat out the Targ vs Targ conflict. That would be in keeping with (according to TPatQ) how House Baratheon acted in the DWD. It seems that the Baratheons have a complicated history with the Targaryens. Perhaps this is because the founder of their House, Orys Baratheon came to Westeros with Aegon the Conquer (and was rumored to be his bastard brother).

I couldn't but help notice some similarities between the names Orys Baratheon and Bellegere Otherys:

• Orys Baratheon
  
• Bellegere Otherys
  

The name "Belle" seems to be a root variation of Baratheon and sounds similar to "Bara". Variations of this structure are included in the known names of some of Robert's bastards, like:

• Bella
  
• Barra
  

The structure also shows up in the name Myrcella Baratheon

This could all mean absolutely nothing as GRRM has a lot of people to name and repetition of forms is common, but if the OP theory turns out to be true, this could support it.

I have a hard time believing the House Baratheon sat out the Blackfyre Rebellion. I suspect that they kept their options opened and played both sides for as long as they could. Somehow I think a House built by a Targaryen bastard would have some sympathies for other Targaryen bastards.

Bellegere Otherys might not have been some random woman of Essos when she became Aegon IV's mistress. She could have been a Baratheon of Storm's End or a member of an exiled branch (In the wake of TPatQ it is hard to believe that Aegon III did not exact some retribution on House Baratheon for their part in the murder of his older brother and starting the DWD).

A lot of narrative threads would be tied if fAegon is a descendant of a Targaryen/Baratheon/Blackfyre union.

[Rickeen Stark]

Any descendant of Daemon is a king or queen I'd follow.

[Fire Eater]

snip

SE sided with Aegon according to Tyrion. Also, the army Baelor led in the Battle of the Redgrass Field in the Blackfyre Rebellion was made up of stormlords, so I think the Baratheons sided with Daeron.

Bellegere Otherys might not have been some random woman of Essos when she became Aegon IV's mistress. She could have been a Baratheon of Storm's End or a member of an exiled branch (In the wake of TPatQ it is hard to believe that Aegon III did not exact some retribution on House Baratheon for their part in the murder of his older brother and starting the DWD).

If she was a Baratheon, her name would have been Baratheon instead of Otherys. Aegon III was still a boy by the end of the DoD, and his regent likely didn't want to start anymore battles as he wanted to consolidate Aegon's rule, and the Baratheons had no hand in Luke's death.

[Mithras]

I always imagined the Pirate Queen as a Summer Islander because the name Black Pearl sounds like them and their waters teem with pirates and corsairs. Kojja Mo is a strong archer, so it is not impossible for a Summer Islander woman to be a pirate queen.

[John Hulboy]

This is one of the reasons I love the forum..thank you great responses to OP..

[FittleLinger]

I caught this piece of foreshadowing in a Davos chapter (my current copies are not in English so slight translation issues might exist" - he is on the ship "The happy midwife" (the figure on the ship has a baby in her hand and is smiling, and a midwife literaly delivers a baby) , "Stormdancer" (probably foreshadowing Aegon taking Storm's end), "The brave magister" and "The horn of plenty" (Illyrio using his wealth for the Aegon cause), and then we have... Braavosi ships painted in crimson.

Maybe reading too much, maybe not, make of it what you will.

[Frey family reunion]

I think Bellegere Otherys's story is to bring us to mind a Targaryen bastard by Aegon the Unworthy whose mother was a queen (Bellegere was a pirate queen) whose descendant became a prostitute. Daena, Dameon's mother, was Baelor's queen, and Serra, a sex worker, is descended from Daemon.

What is more, the descendents of Bellegere Otherys have used the title of "Black Pearl" like their forebear for generations just like the descendents of Daemon have continued to use the black dragon of their forebear.

Actually, I've gone back and forth on this. The hard part of deciphering GRRM is distinguishing actual plot devices from clues to plot devices. Originally, I preferred the Black Pearl theory to the Blackfyre because it seemed to fit so perfectly with Varys basic philosophy, that it doesn't matter your birth status, what matters is how you were bred or raised. When I became fully convinced that "Aegon" was a Blackfyre I took your position that the Black Pearl line was just a clue that a Targaryen line could exist maternally. Eventually it occurred to me that the two theories need not be mutually exclusive.

The amount of information GRRM gives to the Black Pearls also makes me think this story may be more than a simple clue to the Blackfyre lineage. And if you couple it with the Titan's Bastard apparently offhanded comment on Dany's resemblance to a "whore" in Braavos than this story may have been referenced over two books. Couple that with the fact that Arya actually meets the Black Pearl and we learn not only her name, but her mother's name, makes me think that it's at least possible that this is the actual source of Aegon's lineage.

But I can see your point as well this could be nothing more than a clue to a maternal Blackfyre lineage. I just think this is at least a possible alternative scenario to the Serra Blackfyre theory that I've never completely warmed up to.

[WakeTheDragon]

I really don't see any evidence there what so ever. People read too much into things. I always wondered if there wasn't a mystery revolving a well liked characters lineage (Jon) would these kind of questions even be asked? Not everything is a conspiracy. Varys telling dying Kevan that Aegon is exactly who we are told he is is evidence enough for me and much more conclusive than any of this crackpot nonsense I read on here. I don't get the infatuation with the blackfyres.

[Mayura]

Very nice theory!

However, I would then have two questions about Varys/Illyrio's relationship to Aegon:

1. Illyrio seems to be very fond of Aegon and it seems Aegon grew up in his manse for quite some time. If Aegon's mother is indeed a Braavosi whore, I don't understand why Varys/Illyrio would have bet on that particular boy and especially why Illyrio would be so attached to the boy. This is why I believe there has to be a blood link between Illyrio and Aegon for him to be so emotionnally involved (at least that's how he looked to me when I read and re-read the passages during which we can guess Illyrio is talking about Aegon).
   
2. I don't know, I might be the only one to think something weird is up but... Don't you guys think it's super creepy that Illyrio is keeping Serra's hands in his bedroom... I mean, what for? As a memory? Yikes, it sounds quite creepy and it is something we have rarely seen in the books (so it doesn't seem to be common practice to keep a bit of your deceased partner's body). However, as I've already mentionned in another thread: the only other persons who we encounter in the books and who are known to be keeping deceased body parts are the members of the Golden Company, linked to Bittersteel and to the Blackfyres. They keep the skulls of their former captains, dipped in gold, to be carried back to Westeros. Which brings me to my own theory: I think the reason why Illyrio is keeping Serra's hands is so he can bring them back to Westeros when Aegon crossed to take the throne, mirorring Bittersteel's last wishes. Maybe the hands might even be dipped in gold (However, the story of how Serra died of the grey plague seem fishy as well, why would then Illyrio keep the hands of a person who died of the grey plague, aka massive biohazard? If Serra indeed died of the grey plague then he ought to have done some speacial treatment to the hands so they didn't rot and keep spreading the desease. Dipping them in gold would be a good idea.
   

[Frey family reunion]

Very nice theory!

However, I would then have two questions about Varys/Illyrio's relationship to Aegon:

• Illyrio seems to be very fond of Aegon and it seems Aegon grew up in his manse for quite some time. If Aegon's mother is indeed a Braavosi whore, I don't understand why Varys/Illyrio would have bet on that particular boy and especially why Illyrio would be so attached to the boy. This is why I believe there has to be a blood link between Illyrio and Aegon for him to be so emotionnally involved (at least that's how he looked to me when I read and re-read the passages during which we can guess Illyrio is talking about Aegon).
• I don't know, I might be the only one to think something weird is up but... Don't you guys think it's super creepy that Illyrio is keeping Serra's hands in his bedroom... I mean, what for? As a memory? Yikes, it sounds quite creepy and it is something we have rarely seen in the books (so it doesn't seem to be common practice to keep a bit of your deceased partner's body). However, as I've already mentionned in another thread: the only other persons who we encounter in the books and who are known to be keeping deceased body parts are the members of the Golden Company, linked to Bittersteel and to the Blackfyres. They keep the skulls of their former captains, dipped in gold, to be carried back to Westeros. Which brings me to my own theory: I think the reason why Illyrio is keeping Serra's hands is so he can bring them back to Westeros when Aegon crossed to take the throne, mirorring Bittersteel's last wishes. Maybe the hands might even be dipped in gold (However, the story of how Serra died of the grey plague seem fishy as well, why would then Illyrio keep the hands of a person who died of the grey plague, aka massive biohazard? If Serra indeed died of the grey plague then he ought to have done some speacial treatment to the hands so they didn't rot and keep spreading the desease. Dipping them in gold would be a good idea.

1. I think you can make two arguments to use a son of the Black Pearl: if it is important to have a descendant of Daemon a Blackfyre and if indeed the Blackfyre's descendants run through the Black Pearls through their maternal line than the son of a Black Pearl may be the closest you could get to having someone who you know for certain is a descendant of Daemon Blackfyre. The second argument depends on how accurate Mero's taunt to Dany was. Remember Dany is said to strongly resemble her brother, Rhaegar. If the last Black Pearl courtesan, does look a lot like Dany (thus like a female Rhaegar) then you would have a decent chance that Aegon would bear enough of a family resemblance to the last Targaryen clan to convince Connington of the truth of Varys' claim.

ETA I've never really been convinced that Illyrio's fondness for Aegon necessarily means that Aegon is a blood relative. After all Illyrio basically "adopted" and raised the kid in his manse, and an adoptive parent can have the same fondness and attachment to their adopted child as they do to a biological child. Especially if Illyrio has no biological children of his own, Aegon could have been the closest thing he had to an actual son.

2. I think there is some definite strangeness surrounding Illyrio, enough at least to make me believe that he may be more than a fat magister looking to put his son on a throne. The fact that it is Serra's hands that he keeps in his bedroom, makes me think of Melisansre's remark that finger bones are a good source for a glamor because the identity of the deceased is strongly associated with the finger bones.

The fact that the Black Pearls reside in Braavos also makes me wonder if the iron bank of Braavos might not have a hand in the Faegon plot. (If of course Aegon is the Black Pearl's son). There is a line about when a prince doesn't repay the Iron Bank another prince appears out of nowhere to take his place.

[Lord Martin]

Very interesting theory. I'm fully on board with Serra as a Blackfyre... but am convinced we simply don't have enough text to determine who her ancestors were.

Did you give any consideration to a different one of Aegon's mistresses? Serenei of Lys? She was his final mistress and the mother of Shiera Seastar whom she died birthing. http://www.westeros.org/Citadel/SSM/Category/C91/

That SSM states that she was from an ancient but poor Valyrian family from Lys. Serenei and Serra are similar sounding names. Though that would make Serra a descendant of Shiera Sea Star and little enough is known of her once Maekar took the throne. Lys would be as likely a place for her to go as any other as that is where her family was from.

I like this option because it causes the last of Aegon's Great Bastards to have a role in the story when the other three already loom large.

And could you go over how Daeomon's descendants ended up in Bravos? IIRC, Bitter Steel took all the remaining children to Tyrosh.

Also, and I'm not sure how much it helps, but my understanding is the word "Rys" in Valyrian means "fire." As in "dracarys" "draca" = Dragon and "rys" = Fire. Given how many Targs have "rys" in their names, it makes some sense. And a non-sequitor extrapolation of that is "Valar" meaning "all men" so Va = "man." So Varys = "Man of Fire"

Also, Daemon Blackfyre had 7 sons, 2 of whom are never named in the series, so there are lots of options for Serra's Blackfyre heritage.

I wonder if there are any other "pearl" references that might help with your theory though.

[Frey family reunion]

Very interesting theory. I'm fully on board with Serra as a Blackfyre... but am convinced we simply don't have enough text to determine who her ancestors were.

Did you give any consideration to a different one of Aegon's mistresses? Serenei of Lys? She was his final mistress and the mother of Shiera Seastar whom she died birthing. http://www.westeros.org/Citadel/SSM/Category/C91/

That SSM states that she was from an ancient but poor Valyrian family from Lys. Serenei and Serra are similar sounding names. Though that would make Serra a descendant of Shiera Sea Star and little enough is known of her once Maekar took the throne. Lys would be as likely a place for her to go as any other as that is where her family was from.

I like this option because it causes the last of Aegon's Great Bastards to have a role in the story when the other three already loom large.

And could you go over how Daeomon's descendants ended up in Bravos? IIRC, Bitter Steel took all the remaining children to Tyrosh.

Also, and I'm not sure how much it helps, but my understanding is the word "Rys" in Valyrian means "fire." As in "dracarys" "draca" = Dragon and "rys" = Fire. Given how many Targs have "rys" in their names, it makes some sense. And a non-sequitor extrapolation of that is "Valar" meaning "all men" so Va = "man." So Varys = "Man of Fire"

Also, Daemon Blackfyre had 7 sons, 2 of whom are never named in the series, so there are lots of options for Serra's Blackfyre heritage.

I wonder if there are any other "pearl" references that might help with your theory though.

I'm more onboard with Serra being a descendant of Shiera than I am of her being a descendant of Daemon, actually. But I would agree that if my theory isn't correct, then Serra would be the most likely character to be the mother of "Aegon". The impression that I get is that there is no evidence that Daemon and Shiera were romantically linked, instead the lovers triangle was Bloodraven, Aegar, and Shiera, but who knows a future Dunk and Egg story may give us more info on that end.

ETA: The wiki says that Aegor excaped with the sons to Tyrosh, is there an account as to what happened to the daughters? I'll keep looking and I'll update the post if I find something.

There is a great thread by Yolkboy where he gives a pretty good account of how Melisandre may be the daugter of Bloodraven and Shiera Seastar. I was extremely skeptical at first, but his thread kind of won me over.

I've been thinking recently (even though still in the crackpot stage) is if Bloodraven and Shiera had one child together, why not three? The story of Cadmus and Harmonia and the cyclops, Polyphemus and Galatea of Greek mythology pointed me in this direction. But that's for another thread.

[Mayura]

1. I think you can make two arguments to use a son of the Black Pearl: if it is important to have a descendant of Daemon a Blackfyre and if indeed the Blackfyre's descendants run through the Black Pearls through their maternal line than the son of a Black Pearl may be the closest you could get to having someone who you know for certain is a descendant of Daemon Blackfyre. The second argument depends on how accurate Mero's taunt to Dany was. Remember Dany is said to strongly resemble her brother, Rhaegar. If the last Black Pearl courtesan, does look a lot like Dany (thus like a female Rhaegar) then you would have a decent chance that Aegon would bear enough of a family resemblance to the last Targaryen clan to convince Connington of the truth of Varys' claim.

ETA I've never really been convinced that Illyrio's fondness for Aegon necessarily means that Aegon is a blood relative. After all Illyrio basically "adopted" and raised the kid in his manse, and an adoptive parent can have the same fondness and attachment to their adopted child as they do to a biological child. Especially if Illyrio has no biological children of his own, Aegon could have been the closest thing he had to an actual son.

2. I think there is some definite strangeness surrounding Illyrio, enough at least to make me believe that he may be more than a fat magister looking to put his son on a throne. The fact that it is Serra's hands that he keeps in his bedroom, makes me think of Melisansre's remark that finger bones are a good source for a glamor because the identity of the deceased is strongly associated with the finger bones.

The fact that the Black Pearls reside in Braavos also makes me wonder if the iron bank of Braavos might not have a hand in the Faegon plot. (If of course Aegon is the Black Pearl's son). There is a line about when a prince doesn't repay the Iron Bank another prince appears out of nowhere to take his place.

Interesting indeed but indeed, I have to admit that it still seems to me that the whole Illyrio/Varys/Serra trio has to have a stronger link with Aegon than just picking him up because, as the son of a Braavosi prostitute with valyrian features, he would maybe have Targ features himself. It seems to me that Varys/Illyrio needed a lot more guarantees that the kid would look valyrian to pick him up. Moreover, they are both (especially Varys) dedicating their entire life to that plan. And I truly wonder why they would give their life and time to install the son of a prostitute who is completely unrelated to any of them on the Iron Throne. Hence why I am still shipping the "Serra Blackfyre" theory.

Also, the official WOIAF states "Illyrio suggests only that his aid to Varys is predicated on a bond of friendship and affection, a suggestion Tyrion doubts." [while mentionning Aegon Targaryen's uprising]. So I think it is also hinted that Illyrio is helping Varys in the "Aegon matter" for another reason than just supporting his friend's plot. This suggests that Illyrio is himself more involved than it seems. This is also one of the reasons why I doubt fAegon has no blood ties at all with Illyrio.

However, you're right in your OP post, Serra is described as having blue eyes so there was no guarantee she would have a valyrian looking son with Illyrio. If we take Rhaegar x Elia as an example, we can maybe infer there is a 50% chance the kid would have Valyrian features indeed. So that is the downside of the theory.

About Serra's hands and Mel's words, I believe Mel was talking about Davos's fingerbones, I'd be willing to be she got her hands on them and she is up to something. Using the fingerbones of Serra could "only" be used to glamor her image on someone else provided they wore the bones. So you're right, it is not impossible indeed that Illyrio is up to something in his bedroom (yikes!).

[Frey family reunion]

Interesting indeed but indeed, I have to admit that it still seems to me that the whole Illyrio/Varys/Serra trio has to have a stronger link with Aegon than just picking him up because, as the son of a Braavosi prostitute with valyrian features, he would maybe have Targ features himself. It seems to me that Varys/Illyrio needed a lot more guarantees that the kid would look valyrian to pick him up. Moreover, they are both (especially Varys) dedicating their entire life to that plan. And I truly wonder why they would give their life and time to install the son of a prostitute who is completely unrelated to any of them on the Iron Throne. Hence why I am still shipping the "Serra Blackfyre" theory.

Also, the official WOIAF states "Illyrio suggests only that his aid to Varys is predicated on a bond of friendship and affection, a suggestion Tyrion doubts." [while mentionning Aegon Targaryen's uprising]. So I think it is also hinted that Illyrio is helping Varys in the "Aegon matter" for another reason than just supporting his friend's plot. This suggests that Illyrio is himself more involved than it seems. This is also one of the reasons why I doubt fAegon has no blood ties at all with Illyrio.

However, you're right in your OP post, Serra is described as having blue eyes so there was no guarantee she would have a valyrian looking son with Illyrio. If we take Rhaegar x Elia as an example, we can maybe infer there is a 50% chance the kid would have Valyrian features indeed. So that is the downside of the theory.

About Serra's hands and Mel's words, I believe Mel was talking about Davos's fingerbones, I'd be willing to be she got her hands on them and she is up to something. Using the fingerbones of Serra could "only" be used to glamor her image on someone else provided they wore the bones. So you're right, it is not impossible indeed that Illyrio is up to something in his bedroom (yikes!).

Once again, it depends on how seriously you take Merro's taunt to Dany. This might be GRRM's way of subtly telling us that Dany looks a lot like the current Black Pearl of Braavos, which means, that Varys, Illyrio and whoever else may be part of the conspiracy, would have a decent idea that the son of the Black Pearl would not just have Valyrian features, but would have a resemblance to Rhaegar's immediate family.

Also my theory is that the Black Pearl dynasty could be a direct descendant at least on the maternal side of Daemon Blackfyre. So for example, let's say that you are trying to convince House Yronwood to support your side, Yronwood were longtime Blackfyre supporters. Yronwood also believes in Dornish law, that succession does not necessarily fall to a male heir, but the oldest heir whether male or female. So having a Black Pearl/(Blackfyre) heir in your backpocket may just be the coin that an ally such as Yronwood would require to join in on your invasion plan.

And if you are comfortable witht he fact that Aegon will grow up to resemble the last Targaryen family, then he can also be used to convince non-Blackfyre allies that he is Rhaegar's son.

To paraphrase the advice Varys gives to Tyrion, the sellsword decides who lives or who dies and the way to influence the sellsword is to find out what cause they will fight for.

So Aegon is the tool needed to give Varys and Illyrio the army they need to take King's Landing. Now what their plans are for Aegon after they take King's Landing??? At the very least my guess is they are planning to be the power behind the throne.

(now I do have a much more crackpot theory, but that's for another thread)

[Andros Sotherton]

Can't believe after all this time since I finished ADwD I had never come across the theory that Aegon was in fact a Blackfyre! Well now I believe it too, very persuasive intel you guys post.

[Mithras]

Spoiler from the Mercy Chapter from TWoW.

She had dressed in a low-cut gown of pale yellow silk, startling against the light brown of her skin. Her black hair was bound up in a net of spun gold, and a jet-and-gold necklace brushed against the top of her full breasts. “They should call her the Brown Pearl,” Mercy said to Daena. “She’s more brown than black.”

Definitely she has no resemblance to Dany with her light brown skin and black hair.