Maury Povich: Westeros Edition, Aegon you are….

[Lady Stonehearts Simp]

Do you think Aegon the Conquerer was the father of Aenys and Maegor? Just Aenys? Just Maegor? Neither?

 

Personally, I love the irony of a man with a hyper masculine title of “Conquerer” heir being a sickly weakling. I also think it might a smear campaign in F&B against Rhaenys. Perhaps from accounts of the maesters who didn’t like the Targs, or maybe even Visenya herself. Who I think actually resented their polygamous marriage.

Edited May 21, 2023 by Lady Stonehearts Simp
I was corrected

[SilverGhost]

I believe he was the father of both kids. While Aenys' character is sometimes used as a mark against his legitimacy, his children certainly lived up the expected ideals of what a Targaryen should be. Aenys was far from the Conqueror in personality but some of his traits would be shown by several future Targaryens such as Baelor the Blessed, Princess Daella, Aerys I, and Prince Rhaegel.

BTW it was the Maury Povich show that was famous for the paternity tests. However House Targaryen would have made for one hell of a Springer episode back in the prime of that show. Probably second only to House Frey from the era of the books.

As an aside I feel that HOTD really missed an opportunity by not having Alicent and Rhaenyra throwing chairs at each other in the aftermath of Aemond's eye incident, the two having to be separated by a bald Kingsguard named Ser Steve while the crowd chanted "Viserys! Viserys! Viserys! Viserys!".  

  

[Curled Finger]

When I first read the short story published before FAB I had the distinct feeling neither of his sons were fathered by Aegon.  As I dig more into Targaryen history it is clear it doesn't matter.  Even the Baratheons have some Targ in them, albeit from an impure bastard line.  There are a lot of would be kings and queens who never got the chance.   In the end every family has its myths and legends.  Personalities and features change with the times.  We have such a vague picture of who Aegon the Conqueror was.  Maybe he was exactly like Aenys and Maegor but we don't see it.  Aenys definitely took after his mother while I never thought Visenya was a monster of any sort.  I thought the idea of Maegor as a living sort of shadow baby, made of dark magic, blood magic was great.  Other than some excellent scenes we just don't know that much about Visenya, either.   A few distinctions about the personality and deeds of an historical person isn't the same as reading their journal and knowing their struggles and concerns.   

There is no way for me to understand the dynamics of an inter sibling incestuous marriage, much less of magical people!   I don't know if a lot of them practiced or not.  This is their way and I'm guessing it would be like other relationships where they all play games with each other and love each other and can't stand this about the other.  Maybe Visenya wasn't down with sharing Aegon with anyone.  But she still wanted to burn Dorne to the ground when she learned her sister was dead.  Complicated.  

[Angel Eyes]

I remember there was a tangent on a thread of mine about why Aegon a) didn't have more kids and b) waited so long to have kids. We the readers don't even hear of miscarriages and stillbirths as were wont to happen (especially with the Targaryens).