Is Gerold Dayne actually Jaehaerys Targaryen? World of Ice and Fire spoilers

[Frey family reunion]

In the World of Ice and Fire, we learn that in 274 AC, Queen Rhaella gave birth to a son (ETA Jahearys Targaryen). Some time during that year, the child was said to have died. Aerys originally blamed the child's wet nurse and had her beheaded. Then Aerys blamed his own mistress for poisoning the child.

I've long suspected that Gerold Dayne may have been a bastard child of Queen Rhaella's smuggled from King's Landing by Doran's mother and brought to High Hermitage to be raised as a Dayne. I think that "Jaehearys Targaryen" is that child. ETA: his death faked by Rahella, her ladies in waiting and possibly certain members of the Kingsguard.

This would explain why Doran believes that

Darkstar is the most dangerous man in Dorne.

It has less to do with his prowess as a swordsman and more to do with his birth. Darkstar could possibly have a claim to the Iron throne (especially if it could not be proven that he was a bastard as I suspect) which could disrupt Doran's own long range plans concerning the IT. Which also explains why Oberyn had previously said that he should have killed Gerold when he was a baby.

Speaking of which, Oberyn tells Tyrion that he, his sister, his mother and her consort were on a quest of sorts and visited several locations en route to Casterly Rock shortly after Tyrion's birth. These locations included Starfall and Oldtown. My guess is their quest was an attempt to find a suitable hiding place for Gerold Dayne (another poster, Russo, actuall came up with this particular insight) I believe they found their hiding place with House Dayne who were willing to pretend that the purple eyed infant was a Dayne and placed him with High Hermitage, hidden within the Red Mountains.

The fact that they named the child, Gerold, makes me think that Gerold Hightower might be the child's true father. If you go back to Jaime's memories of the Harrenhall tournament and the account given in the World of Ice and Fire, Gerold Hightower had volunteered to return to King's Landing to guard the queen in Jaime's place. My guess is that Gerold might have wanted to spend more quality time alone with Queen Rhaella, who along with Viserys was being watched like a hawk by Aerys.

The fact that Gerold is described as being half in shadow and half in starlight, coupled with the fact that Balon Swann is being led by Arianne's half sister to Gerold's "lair" and that Gerold attempts to "sacrifice" Myrcella to start a war with King's Landing makes me think that Darkstar is GRRM's Minotaur in this story.

Davos looks up at Dragonstone's various gargoyles and muses:

He raised his eyes to gaze up at the walls. In place of merlons, a thousand grotesques and gargoyles looked down on him, each different from all the others; wyverns, griffins, demons, manticores, minotaurs, basilisks, hellhounds, cockatrices, and a thousand queerer creatures sprouted from the castle's battlements as if they'd grown there.

I have a feeling that this quote may be a subtle hint that Martin has cast a number of characters in the role of one of these creatures and these characters may be descended from or were brought about during the last days of House Targaryen.

The Minotaur is a greek myth, a man with the head of a bull. He was also known as Asterius, "starry" or "ruler of the stars". His symbol was a star. He also lived in the shadowy Labyrinth. Which is why I think Darkstar's description of

Ser Gerold Dayne, stood behind her, half in starlight and half in shadow.

may be significant. It could also symbolize the fact that despite his possibly noble birth (at the very least he would be Rhaella's son) he lives in the shadows under an assumed name.

The Minotaur came about by Queen Europa's, or Queen Pasiphae (depending on which version of the myth) coupling with an actual White Bull (possibly Zeus in disguise, the Greek myths were pretty strange). And then giving birth to the Minotaur. Which makes me wonder if GRRM makes his figurative White Bull, Gerold Hightower, Darkstar's father.

In some of the myths, the Athenians were forced to sacrifice seven youths and seven maidens every year to the Minotaur. Which is why I think it significant that Darkstar tries to "sacrifice" Myrcella to start a war with King's Landing.

In the Theseus myth, Theseus travels to Crete where King Minos' daughter, Ariadne, guides Theseus to the Minotaur's lair the Labyrinth. (Ariadne sounds a bit like Arianne, no?). In our tale, Balon Swann is Theseus who travels to Dorne and is led to Darkstar's lair, High Hermitage, by Ariadne's cousin, Obara. In the Thesus tale, Theseus told his family that he had two sails, one white and one black and the choice of sails on his ship would tell if he survived the encounter. In out tale, Balon is known by the two competing swans one white and one black.

Interestingly enough the only time GRRM has used the term Labyrinth was to describe the streets of Oldtown (the home base of House Hightower).

Finally the World Book's revelation that Aerys believed that his son Jaehearys was poisoned and first blamed his son's wet nurse, makes me think of the following quote from Darkstar:

"I was weaned on venom, Dalt. Any viper takes a bite of me will rue it."

[Knight Of Winter]

Back to the elementaries - where's the proof for any of this? Your OP just seems to jump from one big assumption to another without proving any textual evidence for any of it:

1) that Rhealla's child was not stillborn

2) that Rhealla hid the child and faked his death

3) that White Bull was the father

4) that child in question in Darkstar

5) that analogy with Greek mythology even exists in this case

[Bringer of Rain]

Wow, nice one. Don't necessarily agree with all of the specifics but definitely agree with the general direction you are going in. I have always thought that there has to be more to darkstar

[Frey family reunion]

Back to the elementaries - where's the proof for any of this? Your OP just seems to jump from one big assumption to another without proving any textual evidence for any of it:

1) that Rhealla's child was not stillborn

2) that Rhealla hid the child and faked his death

3) that White Bull was the father

4) that child in question in Darkstar

5) that analogy with Greek mythology even exists in this case

1) Rhaella's child was not stillborn, allegedly the child died within the first year of its birth, which is why Aerys was accusing people around the child of poisoning him.

2) As for points 2 to 4, that is why its a theory,

5) GRRM is subtly referencing numerous mythis throughout this story, once you start to familiarize yourself with them you start to recognize his (sometimes very subtle) references.

ETA: one other possible clue is Darkstar's "glacially silver" hair (with a black streak). Mace Tyrell's wife Alerie Hightower is also described as having silver hair thus it is possible that her uncle shared this feature (or it was a recessive trait in her uncle).

[The Snowfyre Chorus]

Love this. There's some great intertextual reading and analysis here, FFR! :cheers:

[Hangover of the Morning]

You do realise that Jaeherys Targaryen has never been mentioned in the main series? If Darkstar is indeed Aerys' son and has a legitimate claim to the throne, which is better than Danny's, Aegon's and Jon's, I would have thought that we'd heard about Rhaealla's stillborns and dead babies by now.

[Hangover of the Morning]

Why would Rhaella voluntarily part with her son, fake his death, smuggle him out of King's Landing and create an elaborate conspiracy to cover it up?

Even if Jaeherys was Rhaella's and the White Bull's lovechild, the kid clearly had Targaryen features and Aerys hasn't suspected anything.

Aerys was desperate for another male heir and as evident from the OP took the death of Jaeherys pretty badly? He probably blamed all the stillbirths on Rhaella anyway. Their relationship wasn't rosy to start with and the death of their son must have worsen it.

P.S. Since when did the Lord Commander of the Kingsguard Gerold Hightower became such a stud? He apparently banged both the Queen and the wife of the Hand.

[Greymoon]

to the OP,

I'm curious to know why you'd cast Gerold Hightower as the boy's father... A case has been made for a Martell connection (son of Oberyn/son of Elia) based on Darkstar's physical appearance.

- the aquiline nose, compare to Oberyn's sharp nose.
- the dark angry eyes, compare to Oberyn's dark, angry eyes.
- the dark hair, compare to Oberyn's dark hair.

Further evidence is found in that quote you posted, the allusion to poison and vipers.... Whatever it is, there is something going on between Darkstar and the elder Martells Oberyn and Doran. What? We don't know. We can only summarize he dislikes the Martells, and it seems to be mutual. It doesn't stop there though. Gerold, dislikes Arthur Dayne and Lannisters, too.....

We are told that Lewyn Martell had a paramour. We are told that paramour is still alive, I'm aware -- but is Arianne truly knowledgeable on the subject? Why mention Lewyn's paramour at all, if not because she is/was important somehow? Barristan mentioned her, too. And in the Arianne WoW chapter doesn't she think that

Gerold is as pretty as a dragon lord?

Anyway, isn't there a stronger case to be made for Lewyn + Rhaella? That would make Gerold Dayne even more dangerous to Doran. It further explains Darkstar's placement in Dorne, and even Rhaegar's own connection to Dorne. The boy was born only a few short years before Rhaegar's marriage to Elia, after all...

As for Darkstar's name , rather than seeing that as evidence that Gerold Hightower fathered him, I wouldn't be surprised if someone like Arthur had to 'take care' of the 'problem' and was left with finding the boy a name. And the Arthur connection, would explain the surname, too, or why the boy was placed with the Dayne family to begin with.

Also... Lewyn + Rhaella = Jaehaerys. Sound familiar, anyone? R+L=J ;)

[Mithras]

I like this theory. Still, one has to explain the midnight black streak in Darkstar's hair.

[Greymoon]

Why would Rhaella voluntarily part with her son, fake his death, smuggle him out of King's Landing and create an elaborate conspiracy to cover it up?

Even if Jaeherys was Rhaella's and the White Bull's lovechild, the kid clearly had Targaryen features and Aerys hasn't suspected anything.

Aerys was desperate for another male heir and as evident from the OP took the death of Jaeherys pretty badly? He probably blamed all the stillbirths on Rhaella anyway. Their relationship wasn't rosy to start with and the death of their son must have worsen it.

P.S. Since when did the Lord Commander of the Kingsguard Gerold Hightower became such a stud? He apparently banged both the Queen and the wife of the Hand.

ah, but the kid also has features that are clearly not Targaryen -- and his 'parents' are fair haired siblings. Rhaella would willingly part with a child to protect that child from her husband's wrath.

[Greymoon]

I like this theory. Still, one has to explain the midnight black streak in Darkstar's hair.

The black hair came from Lewyn Martell. it was Lewyn, not Gerold Hightower. As I stated above Lewyn + Rhaella = Jaehaerys makes R + L = J and GRRM is laughing at us, poor poor souls.

[Elessar]

My question to all OP of these shit threads is this:

If your theory is true, how does it get revealed in a convincing and believable way, and how does it impact the series?

[Black Dragon]

Personally, the 'Oberyn is Darkstar's father' seems a better fit to me... though your theory is still interesting.

[Bael's Bastard]

No, Darkstar is a HH Dayne, not a secret Targaryen or secret anything else.

[Greymoon]

My question to all OP of these shit threads is this:

If your theory is true, how does it get revealed in a convincing and believable way, and how does it impact the series?

It will matter when fAegon can't fly a dragon to save his live and Gerold can. It will matter when Gerold makes for a more 'plausible' Aegon than fAegon himself. It will matter, because Dany needs a paramour ;) or Arianne needs one. Take your pick.

It will matter when Gerold makes a bid for the IT, or for Sunspear and Dorne is thrown into a civil war... he's not 'dangerous' for nothing.

[Elessar]

You didn't answer either question.

[kimim]

You do realise that Jaeherys Targaryen has never been mentioned in the main series? If Darkstar is indeed Aerys' son and has a legitimate claim to the throne, which is better than Danny's, Aegon's and Jon's, I would have thought that we'd heard about Rhaealla's stillborns and dead babies by now.

...which is why this theory bothers me. The story has fragmented enough!!!!! It is bloated enough. If GRRM starts bringing in more lost/hidden Targs, it will never end :bawl:

[The Amethyst Empress]

Oh God no

[himashaa]

this is pretty awesome. whether its true or not darkstar is gna be one of the most badass characters in the upcoming books. i said it before but

wen ppl start jumping on his bandwagon its gna be hilarious

[Hangover of the Morning]

ah, but the kid also has features that are clearly not Targaryen -- and his 'parents' are fair haired siblings. Rhaella would willingly part with a child to protect that child from her husband's wrath.

The march of the king's madness seemed to abate for a time in 274 AC, when Queen Rhaella gave birth to a son. So profound was His Grace's joy that it seemed to restore him to his old self once again... but Prince Jaehaerys died later that same year, plunging Aerys into despair

Doesn't sound like Aerys had any suspicion or was planing to mistreat the kid. Quite the contrary.