Death of King Rhaegar

Life, Death

King Rhaegar dies of a stroke in his sleep. His son and sister, Aemon and Daenerys, wed a week following his death, and are crowned together as King and Queen of Westeros. Tyrion Lannister is made Hand.

Rhaegar Targaryen awoke from slumber knowing this would be his last day on earth. How he knew or even if he knew is debated, but it was noted that he was more morose than normal, and sent letters to every member of his family, issuing apologies and remarks of love and affection. He would have dinner with all his wives and children and siblings, requesting that Aemon and Daenerys wed within a week’s time. Both were of age-- He twenty, and she nine-and-ten --and both consented to the date. King Rhaegar would kiss his queens goodnight, and retire to his chamber alone. In the morning, he was dead. A stroke had claimed him, the Grand Maester proclaimed solemnly to court, the same that which stole away Aegon the Conqueror. There was no trickery, no schemes, merely nature demanding her toll for a life well-lived. It was the year 303 AC, and King Rhaegar had been four-and-fourty.   Prince Aemon and Princess Daenerys would wed in a week’s time as they had agreed, and were crowned the King and Queen of Westeros in the Sept of Baelor in all the splendor they deserved.   Elia Martell, first wife and Dowager Queen of Rhaegar, returned to Sunspear a widow. Her son was dead and her daughter wed, and her blood did not sit the Iron Throne now, so there was little reason for her to remain in the Capital that had brought her so much heartache. Even as Lyanna insisted the Dornishwoman stay, she refused and left by ship for her homeland the next morning. She would spend the rest of her days in the Water Gardens, comforting her brother Prince Doran as his gout progressed, and letting him comfort her in her long-standing grief.   Odd news ferried across the narrow sea would cause momentary frenzy. It was a chest of gold from a Pentoshi by the name of Illyrio Mopatis, and it came with deepest apologies. He had intended to make a gift of three dragon eggs to the Realm’s Delight on her wedding day, but the eggs had been pirated off to ‘the ends of the earth’. For an instance it seemed like anyone with a skiff was willing to find the stolen gifts and return them for a handsome reward -- Or keep them for themselves in the hopes of hatching their own dragons. The craze passed soon enough, though; the logistics of finding three eggs in the vastness of not only Essos, but the Narrow Sea, proved too impossible to undertake.   With dragons a distant memory in the Capital, Aemon Targaryen was instead learning to navigate Kingship. The North had come to champion ‘their’ Prince, embracing him for his Stark blood and appearance, and he had a good relationship with Robb Stark, the North’s hero. His queen Daenerys did not have to try hard to win the people’s affections -- She had been beloved since she was a child, the Realm’s Delight now the realm’s Queen. The West held Targaryen love through Princess Rhaenys, and the Stormlands were at best indifferent to Viserys Targaryen’s presence, though were charmed by his bride Margaery at the very least. Renly and her became friends, and Viserys was said to steam with anger every time they shared words. He was also of the belief that he would become Aemon’s Hand, despite having no evidence to believe so, and was so angered when Tyrion Lannister was granted the boon instead, it would take Margaery a day and a night of them alone to put the Dragon back to sleep.   Still, it was a peace. Queen Mother Lyanna Stark advised her son as she had advised her husband, and spent many long days with the new Queen, her goodsister and gooddaughter, imparting the motherly wisdom that Daenerys would never receive from her own mother. Princess Rhaenys was particularly pleased to return to the capital with her husband, though lamented missing her mother’s departure by mere weeks. She brought with him her children, dark and blonde of hair, and filled the Red Keep’s halls with the sounds of joy again as her husband proved himself up to the task of the Hand’s duties.