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Princess of Dragonstone

THIS IS A REPOST

So yes, some of my points might seem exaggerated or like the epitome of overreaching.. BUT I’M SIMPLY HAVING FUN!! SO NO WHINING!!! I do not have the patience for any kind of disagreement

Daemon and Rhaenyra Targaryen met their ends in similarly tragic ways. Their deaths mirror one another in structure (in the writing for example), symbolism, and even the poetic imagery used to describe them. These parallels highlight the idea that they were doomed right from the beginning, and the tragedy of their separation ultimately sealed both of their fates.

They Died the Same Year, 130ac, 5 Months Apart

Daemon died on the 22nd day of the 5th moon, Rhaenyra on the 22nd day of the 10th moon—exactly five months later. Rhaenyra’s final months were defined by despair, loss, and betrayal, culminating in deaths that reflected their separate but intertwined fates. As if their souls were tied.

Their Last Impressions of One Another: Love Turned to Sorrow

Daemon’s last recorded moment thinking of Rhaenyra is filled with a heavy, silent grief: “The prince greeted me politely, but as he read I saw the joy go from his eyes, and a sadness descended upon him, like a weight too heavy to be borne.”

This was after the letter that he received wherein Rhaenyra accuses him (READ THIS I BEG YOU) of adultery. In a sense, Daemon feels betrayed by her, and does not recognise his wife in those words (which is why he frames Mysaria, with no proof)

Rhaenyra’s last recorded impression of Daemon, however, is one of rage and betrayal:

”[…]she raged when she learned that Maidenpool had gone over to the foe, that the girl Nettles had escaped, that her own beloved consort had betrayed her.”

While Daemon was weighed down by sorrow (water), Rhaenyra was consumed by rage (fire). Yet both were, in their own ways, devastated by what they believed had become of the other. This reflects how each perceived their separation: Daemon mourned the loss of Rhaenyra as if it were a personal failure, while Rhaenyra saw it as yet another betrayal in a life filled with them.

Their Deaths Came Swiftly

Both Daemon and Rhaenyra, despite all their struggles and suffering, died in an instant.

Daemon’s death is described as happening in “half a heartbeat.” One moment, he is alive, locked in combat with Aemond, and the next, both he and Caraxes crash into the lake. His end is as sudden as it is dramatic, leaving no time for reflection or regret.

“Half a heartbeat later, the dragons struck the lake, sending up a gout of water that was said to have been as tall as Kingspyre Tower.”

Rhaenyra’s death is just as swift. Sunfyre, roused by the smell of blood, incinerates her so suddenly that those around her barely have time to react. The horror of her demise is immediate—one moment she is there, the next she is gone, leaving only charred remains.

“The smell of blood roused the dragon, who sniffed at Her Grace, then bathed her in a blast of flame, so suddenly that Ser Alfred’s cloak caught fire as he leapt away.”

Their abrupt deaths puts a light in the brutality of the war, and how even once powerful figures can disappear in an instant. But it also emphasises how fate ultimately allowed them no time to resist or bargain, or think it through (for Daemon, though he had 13 days to change his mind, he didn’t)

As you can notice by my colour code, even the structure of these two passages is alike. Almost as if they were dying the death of one another, at the same time as their own.

Their Final Hours: Isolation and Despair

Before their deaths, both Daemon and Rhaenyra experienced a period of deep loneliness and anguish: it is as if they were, in a, sense, already lost before their final moments. Daemon seemed already dead inside after he read the letter.

Rhaenyra at Duskendale

“Despairing and fearful, Her Grace walked the castle battlements of Duskendale weeping, growing ever more grey and haggard.”

She is described as grey and haggard, a shell of the once-proud queen, her power slipping away.

Her weeping on the battlements mirrors her descent into hopelessness—she is already mourning herself before death even comes. She’s desperately seeking refuge with her son, losing all rationality, like when she turned down Manderly’s offer to sail for White Harbour. She also refuses Ser Harrold Darke’s suggestion to go to the Vale, under the protection of Lady Jeyne Arryn.

Daemon at Harrenhal

“When the last of them was gone, Daemon Targaryen walked the cavernous halls of Harren’s seat alone, with no companion but his dragon.”

He, too, is isolated, wandering alone through the vast, empty halls of Harrenhal.

His only remaining companion is Caraxes, the last vestige of his former strength. Daemon was born under the reign of King Jaehaerys I. He lived though the golden years of House Targaryen. His uncle and father were beloved, even women, like Laena and Rhaenys, were fearless dragon riders, his own wife became a dragon rider at age 7: the YOUNGEST.

With the war and the Greens, House Targaryen went through a decline of their mighty power. The realm was burning, his wife, the very embodiment of a Targaryen, was straying away from him. He also lost two stepsons, and most importantly his OWN SON.

In his eyes, his beloved House was but a shell of what it once was. Daemon could no longer withstand this, and instead went to his death, thinking that if he took out Vhagar, his children (I include Joffrey) and his wife would triumph and would be safe (remember: he did not know of the betrayals, and thought that Sunfyre was dead…)

Both had once commanded and ruled over armies and men, inspired loyalty, and shaped the course of history. Yet, in their final hours, they were utterly alone (including Aegon the Younger) left to dwell on their pasts.

They were both a shadow of their own being. A hopeless Daemon, and a terrified Rhaenyra. They were family and allies and husband and wife, they lived 9 years of peace with their children on Dragonstone, a place where dragons thrive. But as two individuals, they were bound by tragedy, they fought for power, for her birthright, but died with nothing, thinking that her son was next.

The Elements of Their Deaths: Fire and Water

Daemon’s final moments are associated with water, while Rhaenyra’s are tied to fire—opposing but deeply connected forces.

Daemon’s last battle takes place above the lake at Harrenhal, a still body of water that reflects his impending death: ”[…] the lake was calm, its surface glimmering like a sheet of beaten copper.”

Meanwhile, Rhaenyra meets her fate on her own ancestral seat, with her doom reflected in the very scales of the dragon that kills her:

“Sunfyre’s scales still shone like beaten gold in the sunlight.”

The imagery of metal—copper and gold—also creates an invisible link. Both are dying in the light of a fading sun, the day closing in on them as their stories reach their tragic conclusions.

Even the lines echoes one another’s. Beaten copper/Beaten gold; Glimmering/Shone

Additionally, their last sights mirror each other:

Daemon: “The sun was close to setting…”

Rhaenyra’s escort: “They found themselves face-to-face with ‘a dead man and a dying dragon (Sunfyre)’”

Both moments capture the finality of their fates—Daemon vanishing into the waters of the Gods’ Eye, Rhaenyra facing death by fire at the hands of a golden dragon that was already halfway to the grave. Sunfyre was deemed “the most magnificent dragon”, but now was a rotting corpse: House Targaryen spurning their women, and thus sacrificing the power of their own dragons.

Both Announced Their Own Deaths

Daemon’s Final Mission was a willing sacrifice:

“Let it be known through all your lands that I fly for Harrenhal.”

Daemon wasn’t just going to Harrenhal to hold it—he was setting the stage for his final stand.

He knew that after leaving Harrenhal, he would face Aemond in a battle he wasn’t meant to survive. And he did NOT wish to survive.

His message wasn’t just an announcement; it was a declaration that he was choosing his fate. But that he was doing it with the intention of striking a blow to his enemies.

Rhaenyra’s Last Journey was tainted by false hope:

“The queen had sent a raven from Duskendale [to Dragonstone] to give notice of her coming…”

Unlike Daemon, Rhaenyra thought she was returning to safety to protect her last living son—she still believed she had some measure of control.

Her message was one of expectation, not finality. She was reaching for what was once hers, not realising she was walking into her death. The name of the ship she traveled on to Dragonstone , the Violande, comes from a Latin word Violanda which can be translated as: a woman guest who suffers a violent betrayal in a sacred place.

The Contrast Between Acceptance and Desperation

Daemon went knowing he would never return. He embraced death on his own terms, throwing himself into a final act of vengeance for his family…out of sorrow. Daemon was a brilliant strategist and a brave warrior, but he was also awful at communication. He was impulsive and emotional, especially after all those losses. This can be noticed when he wanted to destroy Houses Baratheon and Lannister, which was a senseless suggestion.

Rhaenyra went believing she was escaping danger, running away from the dragonslayers. She had lost nearly everything, but she still hoped to find safety with her son—only to be met with betrayal and destruction in her own seat.

This makes Daemon’s death feel like a sacrifice—a warrior choosing how he will fall—while Rhaenyra’s death feels like a cruel condemnation, reinforcing the tragedy of her downfall.

The Time of Day: Eventide, the End of Their Journeys

Daemon and Rhaenyra both died at the close of the day.

Daemon: “The hour was late.”

Rhaenyra: “Finally the Braavosi put into the harbor below the Dragonmont on the eventide.”

However, the word eventide doesn’t solely mean “end of the day”— it also signifies the final stage of a life. It underscores that their stories were always leading to this point.

The Symbolism of Jonquil and Harrold Darke

The last places they stayed before their final seconds were Maidenpool (Daemon) and Duskendale (Rhaenyra). Both locations are significant:

Maidenpool is linked to the legendary Jonquil, a maiden from a song, and Jonquil’s Tower stands in the town.

Duskendale is tied to House Darklyn, but ALSO to House Darke, specifically Jonquil Darke, a woman knighted and the sworn protector of Queen Alysanne (who was nearly murdered in a bathhouse at Maidenpool)—another water connection. Jonquil was the bastard half-sister of Lord Darklyn under the reign of King Jaehaerys I. The Darke are thus a sort of “cadet branch” of House Darklyn.

From Jonquil Darke’s lineage (or closely related) came Harrold Darke, a Queensguard knight loyal to Rhaenyra until the very end. His fate mirrors Daemon’s last stand:

Daemon: “Caraxes raised his head and gave a scream that shattered every window in Jonquil’s Tower.”

Rhaenyra: “An axe split Ser Harrold Darke’s head before his sword could clear its scabbard.”

Both “namesakes” (ykwim)—Jonquil’s Tower and Harrold Darke—are destroyed in the days or mere moments leading up to Daemon and Rhaenyra’s deaths. (Fun fact: Aegon the Younger attempted to use newly-murdered Harrold Drake’s sword to defend his mother against Ser Alfred Broome’s men, but Broome knocked it aside).

Jonquil Darke was Queen Alysanne’s sworn protector… Daemon was Protector of the Realm. The Realm is the throne, and the throne is the Queen. But there’s no longer a Protector of the Realm. When Daemon died, he unknowingly forfeited his protection over his wife, believing that her enemies were falling one after another.

Blood and the 13 Slashes

Daemon’s death is marked by thirteen slashes he carved into the heart tree at Harrenhal, one for each night he spent awaiting his fate:

“Each night at dusk he slashed the heart tree in the godswood to mark the passing of another day. Thirteen marks can be seen upon that weirwood still; old wounds, deep and dark, yet the lords who have ruled Harrenhal since Daemon’s day say they bleed afresh every spring.”

Rhaenyra’s imminent death is marked by her blood staining the Iron Throne, a wound that will never truly heal:

“Her Grace swung from rage to despair and back again, clutching so desperately at the Iron Throne that both her hands were bloody by the time the sun set.”

This parallel between Daemon’s thirteen slashes and Rhaenyra’s bloody hands on the throne is deeply symbolic, tying both their ends to the physical manifestation of their struggles. For both of them it happens in the last hours of the day. RHAENYRA’S BLOOD IS LITERALLY AND EXPLICITLY ON THE THRONE!!!

The structure of these two passages is also similar. The wounds Daemon slashed AT DUSK bleed every spring, and Rhaenyra’s hands were bloody by the TIME THE SUN SET. They are connected to one another through their blood and wounds, through their bodies.

The number 13 is also deeply significant—twelve monarchs followed Rhaenyra, and the thirteenth will be Daenerys Stormborn, another dragon queen fated to shape the realm. The last book of ASOIAF is titled A Dream of Spring—echoing the fresh blood in the weirwood every spring.

This connects Daemon and Rhaenyra’s doomed struggle to the larger Targaryen arc, suggesting that Daenerys may ultimately be the fulfillment of House Targaryen, THROUGH FREEDOM. Dany will break the curse of the Targaryen women, by tracing her own journey, and even (this is my hope) have a happy ending.

Their Enemies Were One-Eyed

Daemon’s final foe was Aemond Targaryen, whom he struck in his blind right eye with his sword:

“Daemon ripped off his nephew’s helm and drove the sword down into his blind (right) eye.”

Rhaenyra’s executioner, Sunfyre, had an empty right eye socket, crusted with black blood:

”[…] and where his right eye should have been was only an empty hole, crusted with black blood.”

Aemond represented a direct, personal enemy—Daemon’s own kin, whom he actively sought out to face in a one-on-one duel. Daemon chooses to meet his fate in fire and blood.

Sunfyre, on the other hand, was simply a weapon wielded by others—Rhaenyra’s end was not a warrior’s duel, but a humiliating, powerless slaughter at the hands of a half-dead dragon used as an executioner. This is the exact thing that Dany is against, especially when it comes to children: she recalls Aegon III witnessing the scene, after she began facing problems when Drogon killed a young girl, Hazzea. She herself put it properly: I am the Mother of Dragons. If they are monsters, so am I.

The contrast between their battles reflects the difference in their final moments: Daemon went out on his own terms, choosing his death, while Rhaenyra was given no choice at all. Yet both of them, in the end, met their doom at the hands of a one-eyed foe. And… there is also a nice parallel between Daemon and Baela: Daemon is the one who thrust his sword in Aemond’s eye, Baela’s dragon, Moondancer, is the one who maimed and partially blinded Sunfyre during the Fall of Dragonstone. It’s papa and daughter teamwork haha. After all, Baela is a carbon copy of her father.

And of course, the last thing both of them saw before dying was: one eye. Literally.

Their Bodies Vanished

Neither Daemon nor Rhaenyra left behind remains.

Daemon: “That Prince Daemon died as well we cannot doubt. His remains were never found.”

Rhaenyra: “Septon Eustace tells us that the golden dragon devoured the queen in six bites, leaving only her left leg below the shin ‘for the Stranger’.”

Daemon vanished into Legend

Daemon’s body was never found after his final battle with Aemond. His death was certain, yet the lack of a corpse allows for speculation. Some (with no credence) tales claim he may have survived, but whether or not this is true (it is not), the fact that he left no remains gives his story a sense of myth—his ending is not entirely concrete, much like the figure he was in life, a man who always seemed larger than reality. The Rogue Prince, really. Defiant even in death.

Rhaenyra was erased from existence

Rhaenyra’s fate, in contrast, is brutal and definitive—her body is completely devoured by Sunfyre. Unlike Daemon, who simply disappeared, Rhaenyra was consumed, leaving “only her left leg below the shin as a symbolic remnant”. The idea that this was left “for the Stranger” ties into the religious imagery of Westeros, implying that her death (murder) was an offering to death itself.

Sunfyre obviously did not leave out a leg. But I do appreciate Eustace’s line for its symbolic.

This mention and that of the“six bites” are, again, likely Septon Eustace adding religious overtones, but the key takeaway is that there was nothing left of her. This reflects the way she was stripped of everything—her children, her power, her throne, her allies—until she was quite literally erased. LITERALLY. This is what, in my opinion, Rhaenyra’s murder is a feminicide: it is the erasure of a woman, because as a woman, she overstepped the patriarchal system’s boundaries. No one is saying that Rhaenyra was leading a feminist revolution, but her winning the war could’ve truly strengthened the claims of girls in Westeros, as a precedent. Her death wasn’t not only a tragedy for her, it was a tragedy for Targaryen women, and all women of the realm.

DO NOT FORGET: The power of the dragons is tightly linked to the treatment of Targaryen women and their own power. The betrayal that Rhaenyra suffered on Dragonstone echoes the tragic fate of the Amethyst Empress, and how her usurpation by her brother, the Bloodstone Emperor, issued the Long Night. This is called the Blood Betrayal. Rhaenyra’s murder caused the eventual extinction of dragons—the power of FIRE needed to defeat the Others during the Long Night (ICE). Without this power, the realms of men are doomed. This is why Dany’s ascent into power and strength is so important, and this is something that the Westeros will have to acknowledge and accept once she’ll have sailed there.

How They Met Death: Jumping and Raising Their Head

Daemon leapt to his fate:

“Prince Daemon Targaryen swung a leg over his saddle and leapt from one dragon to the other.”

Rhaenyra lifted her head to meet hers:

“Rhaenyra Targaryen had time to raise her head toward the sky and shriek out one last curse upon her half-brother.”

Both faced their end without flinching, true Targaryens to the last. Rhaenyra never yielded, even in horror. A way of saying: “this isn’t the end, your entire line will pay for this”. She kind of echoed the way Daemon killed Aemond, when she rose her head and cursed her half-brother.

A funny detail : Sunfyre perished a bit more than a month after her death. It’s clear that Rhaenyra’s death didn’t just stop eggs from hatching (Morning likely hatched before her death), but also caused their decline in health. The last dragon was ugly and ill, and the remaining dragons after the war surely died because of injuries or illnesses.

It was a progressive decay. House Targaryen neglected their women for the sake of Westerosi assimilation, and thus jeopardised themselves. They shot themselves in the foot.

In my post about king Jahaerys' reign I noticed that Daella's fears were connected to tragic fates that befell her sisters. I went through the book again and here's what she was scared of:

Alyssa

Vaegon

kittens

dragons, even Silverwing

a prince from Summer Isles, dark-skinned, with a feathered cloak,

singing (by herself)

bees

horses

old gods/marriage before weirwood

pregnancy

She cried because of:

Vaegon saying: "She should find some lord in need of stupid children, for that’s the only sort he will ever have of her.”

scoldings

being asked to read from Seven-Pointed Star

a boy trying to kiss her without permission

maester not letting her hold her newborn child (that one sounds like a normal reaction to her current situation and not having any prophetic reasons)

Jaehaerys listed the major fears of Daella when talking to Alysanne:

"Find her someone. Someone gentle, as she is. A kind man, who will never raise his voice or his hand to her, who will speak to her sweetly and tell her she is precious and protect her…against dragons and horses and bees and kittens and boys with boils and whatever else she fears.”

5 fears, 5 sisters:

Kittens - Daenerys had a kitten, cats hunt rats, rats carry disease, Daenerys died of Shivers.

Boys with boils - Maegelle nursed patients with greyscale, got infected and died (also reading Seven-Pointed Star could have reminded Daella of her sister's future death, causing her to cry).

Bees - Saera's disgrace was caused by her affair with Braxton Beesbury. Additionally, it would explain Daella's fear of flirting squires. (Crack theory because we don't know how Saera died, but it would be funny if she was allergic and died because of a bee stinging her when she was living in Volantis.). Also, Saera said she might like to marry a trader from Summer Isles, which could connect with Daella's fear of the prince of Summer Isles (another theory - maybe Saera lost her virginity with that trader, after all later she was experienced when she corrupted Perrianne and Sweetberry and she did say that the 3 boys were silly and all thought they were her first, implying that they actually weren't. Summer Isles are known for their sexual liberation). Daella's fear of scoldings could be connected to Saera's interrogation/trial by Jaehaerys.

Horses - Viserra dying because she was racing while drunk and fell off a horse. She was also meant to marry a Manderly, probably having a wedding before the old gods, which could be the connection to Daella's fear of weirwood. If Daella's prophetic ability allowed her to see the outcome of different choices, maybe Viserra was doomed to die anyway as a result of that marriage. Or maybe she was doomed to die while running from that marriage - so it was the major, underlying cause of her death.

Dragons - ?

Dragons aren't connected to any of Daella's sisters deaths. The only left are Alyssa and Gael. Alyssa was a dragonrider, but she died from complications after childbirth: "She never fully recovered from Aegon’s birth, and died within the year at only four-and-twenty." This fits with Daella's fear of pregnancy and how she purposely chose a suitor that already had children, thinking that he wouldn't force her to get pregnant (unfortunately for her, lord Arryn was a sicko that "loved her for years" and just wanted to have sex with her). I guess her fear of Vaegon could be connected to the fear of pregnancy as initially Vaegon was supposed to marry her. Though I'm not sure why Daella was afraid of Alyssa as she didn't cause anyone's death and even defended her from Vaegon's hurtful words. (Crack theory without any basis in text whatsoever - Vaegon took revenge on Alyssa by ordering the maester that was taking care of her to do a shit job and that's why she didn't recover after childbirth. If Daella knew, maybe that's why she was scared of Alyssa, probably she was just avoiding her. Sadly, she still caused Vaegon's grudge against Alyssa who humiliated him to defend Daella.)

That leaves Gael. Her fate is described like this:

"A sweet-natured girl, but frail and somewhat simpleminded, she remained with the queen long after her other children had grown and gone, but in 99 AC she vanished from court, and soon afterward it was announced that she had died of a summer fever. Only after both her parents were gone did the true tale come out. Seduced and abandoned by a traveling singer, the princess had given birth to a stillborn son, then, overwhelmed by grief, walked into the waters of Blackwater Bay and drowned."

Daella's fear of singing fits with the traveling singer causing Gael's downfall. However, Daella was afraid of being asked to sing. She had a positive reaction to a Blackwood suitor's singing to her. That makes the involvement of a traveling singer in Gael's death very doubtful. On the other hand, the last clue and fear of Daella that's not connected to any of the other sisters, was fear of dragons.

The strong connection between Daella's fears and her other sisters' deaths should mean that Gael's death is connected to dragons. In addition, it makes the whole "true tale" of Gael's death suspect because Daella did not fear water or drowning - she visited Driftmark to see Corlys who was one of her prospects and she only got seasick on the boat. Oddly, that one voyage she took didn't cause any fear or tears.

Some fears/causes of death were literal, like kittens and horses, so it could be that a dragon caused Gael's death. Maybe she tried to claim one on Dragonstone and it burned her or she fell from its back and drowned in the sea. Would Jaehaerys cover it up? Probably, it would look bad for his propaganda how Targaryens are special and godly if it was known that his daughter was killed by a dragon like any commoner.

Fears of singing and dragons can be connected - I'm basing this on HOTD, not the book. In the show Daemon was singing to dragons to prepare them for new riders. Maybe Gael tried singing to a dragon she wanted to claim but it didn't work and she was killed?

The whole theory with Gael failing to claim a dragon assumes Dragonkeepers were sleeping on a job as Jaehaerys created their order to prevent any unsanctioned claiming of dragons after Saera's attempt. However, she may have tried to claim a wild dragon on Dragonstone, so the theory that her death was caused by a literal dragon can't be entirely discarded.

On the other hand, the fear of bees connects to a Beesbury, which is a metaphorical interpretation. Therefore fear of dragons may refer to a Targaryen causing Gael's death but which one? The list of suspects is: Alysanne, Jaehaerys, Baelon, Viserys, Daemon. All people who had access to Gael.

Events surrounding Gael's death:

92 AC - Aemon's death, Baelon becomes Prince of Dragonstone, Alysanne quarrels with Jaehaerys about succession and goes to Dragonstone

93 AC - Alysanne's last flight on Silverwing, birth of Laena, Viserys claims Balerion

94 AC - Alysanne and Jaehaerys reconcile, birth of Laenor, Balerion's death

95 AC - Alysanne breaks her hip and starts using a cane to walk

96 AC - Maegelle's death

97 AC - birth of Rhaenyra, Daemon's marriage to Rhea Royce

98 AC - great tourney at King's Landing, whole family gathers, Septon Barth's death a fortnight after the tourney

99 AC - Gael gives birth to a stillborn child and dies, then Alysanne returns to Dragonstone; Baelon becomes Hand

100 AC - Alysanne's death

101 AC - Baelon's death, Great Council

103 AC - Jaehaerys' death, after his death the "true tale" of Gael's death comes out; Viserys is king, Daemon is brought back to court

It's hard to say what was the order of events within a year because Gyldayn sometimes mixes it up. For example, it's unknown if Baelon became Hand after Gael's death or before.

Alysanne could be indirectly responsible for Gael's death due to smothering she did to the girl. Maybe the life under her mother's thumb, never allowed to grow up and be free was the cause of Gael's bad decisions leading to her suicide? Counterarguments: Alysanne was infirm, walked with a cane and was going deaf (couldn't hear singing), I doubt those last few years Gael didn't get more freedom. What's more, Daella worshipped her mother, she was never afraid of her. Gael died in 99 AC, Alysanne in 100 AC from wasting illness and grief over losing her last daughter. I think Alysanne didn't cause Gael's death.

It's important to determine Gael's whereabouts. The quote says that she "remained with the queen" but "in 99 AC she vanished from court, and soon afterward it was announced that she had died of a summer fever". Alysanne went to stay on Dragonstone after Gael's death. So Alysanne and Gael were in 98 AC in King's Landing for the tourney. And that's when Gael became pregnant. Presumably she vanished only when the pregnancy was impossible to hide but Alysanne stayed in court. Where did Gael go?

Out of all elements of the "true tale", Gael giving birth to a stillborn seems the most likely to be true. It's a shame of the family so if she didn't have a child, then the "true tale" wouldn't mention its existence at all and just said that she killed herself because her traveling singer left her. It seems to me that other elements that are questionable and don't fit with Daella's fears are obfuscating the most important mystery - the identity of the father of Gael's child. And the official version of the story is obfuscating it on purpose because it's so scandalous for the man. That man wasn't a mere traveling singer. One of her own Targaryen male relatives seems most likely to be the father and fits with Daella's symbolic fear of dragons as well as known incestuous preferences and traditions of the family. Three of the suspects were married (Jaehaerys, Viserys, Daemon) and one was a widower with a reputation of total loyalty to his dead wife (Baelon). Having a bastard with Gael would cause a big scandal for any of them.

If someone wanted to hide a visibly pregnant Gael, especially from her infirm and overprotective mother, where would he take her? I think the answer is easy - Dragonstone. A place she could try to claim a wild dragon to run away from her captor. Conveniently, Baelon was the Prince of Dragonstone, meaning it was his seat of power and he was ruling it. The same year Gael died, 99 AC, Baelon became Hand, therefore he had to take residence in the Tower of the Hand. Alysanne returned to Dragonstone after Gael's death. If Gael still lived when Baelon became Hand, his absence could have been the perfect time for her to try to claim a dragon (or kill herself). Though Baelon becoming Hand after her death also works.

Baelon spiriting Gael away makes sense thematically within ASOIAF - we have the famous tale of BAEL the Bard kidnapping the king's daughter and impregnating her. In the main story Petyr BAELish kidnaps Sansa and hides her away in his own seat of power. The name BAELon is pretty damning. The connection with the "true tale" is clear: "traveling singer" -> Bael the Bard -> Baelon. Furthermore, the peak of Targaryen romance is "take me to Dragonstone and make me your wife" just like Jaehaerys and Alysanne.

Baelon being the father of Gael's child makes sense. He was a widower and heir, but he couldn't marry her because of Alysanne. Previously Alysanne actively prevented him from marrying Viserra and he was feeling bad for what happened to his sister, wondering if it was his fault. "Prince Baelon was greatly distraught as well, wondering if he should have spoken to his sister less brusquely the night he found her naked in his bed." Baelon had a good reason to hide the affair and pregnancy from Alysanne and also a close place to hide Gael. After Gael died Baelon kept visiting Alysanne. "Only Baelon the Brave remained near her till the end. Her Spring Prince visited her as often as he could and always won a smile from her". He knew how much the loss hurt his mother and tried to make it up to her, probably out of guilt.

Baelon also had a good reason to hide the affair from Jaehaerys who the last time personally killed the man that seduced his daughter (Saera).

Despite all above making Baelon the most likely suspect behind Gael's disappearance, a case can be made that he wasn't really the father of her child, just the person hiding her away. Let's examine the other suspects.

Jaehaerys - it's in line with the theory that he was molesting his daughters. In 98 AC all of them were dead (and Saera was in Essos), except Gael who Alysanne always kept close and protected. In addition, his most trusted advisor, practically his conscience and moral compass, Septon Barth died that year. Maybe after that Jaehaerys took the opportunity to go after the last untouched daughter. Then Baelon realized what was happening with Gael and hid her on Dragonstone, finally saving one of his sisters from her abuser. Hiding this from Alysanne made sense, if she knew, it would break her heart. Whether Jaehaerys knew where Gael was, it doesn't matter, either way he would want her pregnancy covered up to preserve his own reputation.

Viserys - that one seems the most unlikely of all suspects. He was married, Rhaenyra was born in 97 AC and he was probably optimistic about having a son with Aemma. Additionally, he just doesn't seem like the type to have dangerous affairs like that. No true motive. He even had no dragon to kidnap her. I'm crossing him off the list of suspects. However, the "true tale" comes out after Jaehaerys' death, when Viserys was king. He would want to preserve his father's memory as a perfect prince and heir so he would cover up Baelon's involvement in Gael's disappearance. Same if the baby's father was Jaehaerys.

Daemon - it could have been him, he was unhappily married to Rhea Royce and had a known preference for Valyrian maidens. Gael would have been a suitable royal match for him, but Alysanne wouldn't allow her to marry anyone. It's possible that Daemon took the chance at the tourney to seduce Gael and later his father hid this from the king and queen. However, later on we have an incident with Daemon being found in Rhaenyra's bed, when he hoped to get annulment of his first marriage and marry the princess instead. Why didn't he try causing the same sort of scandal with Gael? It must be because he knew that Jaehaerys would just kill him like Beesbury, instead of granting him anything. Viserys posed no danger to Daemon's life on the other hand. On top of that the time of the "true tale" coming out means that if Daemon was Gael's seducer Otto would have probably used it to exile him sooner. It wouldn't be "traveling singer" but the "Rogue Prince" and everyone would know. Therefore, the chances that Daemon seduced Gael are very low.

Did Gael really commit suicide?

A real or figurative dragon's involvement in Gael's death is possible in accordance with Daella's prophetic fear. However, it's uncertain how much Daella knew or understood about her visions. The only people she was afraid of were Alyssa and Vaegon and they didn't kill any of her sisters. She didn't fear lord Arryn who caused her own death from childbirth. She wasn't scared of Jaehaerys, Alysanne, Baelon or any of the other suspects in Gael's case but on the other hand she cried because of boys similar to Saera's boyfriends.

The suicide by drowning can't be entirely ruled out as the cause of Gael's death. Daella wasn't afraid of water or drowning, but maybe she just didn't receive a warning vision because Gael chose to die. All the tragic fates of the other sisters were beyond their control. They all wanted to live and find happiness, but it was taken away from them.

Why would Daella fear suicide? She never wanted to kill herself, instead she worked hard to avoid death and misfortune. Drowning by choice was never a danger to her.

It's hard to say if the tale of Gael's suicide is true or a fabrication. Her situation on Dragonstone may have looked so bleak that it was possible she decided to kill herself. There's no mention of any suicide note which is a reason to question and doubt that the suicide happened at all.

Too many things are unknown, especially in regards to the "true tale" and how exactly it came out. We don't know if Gael's body was recovered, proving that she drowned, if there were any witnesses to her fate and what did they say before being silenced that the official story had to acknowledge their testimony or cover it up for some reason.

Was drowning real or a cover-up for a dragon-related cause of death? Was Gael truly trying to drown herself or did she attempt to escape by swimming away, back to her mother? We don't even know if she tried any other method of suicide or if it was it her first, successful try.

The true cause of Gael's death will remain a mystery as there's not enough evidence to be certain.

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HOUSE OF THE DRAGON + parallels

The King and the Queen

The Cast-Aside Queens

The Queen's Right-Hand men

The Second Sons

Daughters of the Rogue Prince

The Innocent and the Guilty

The New Hands

The Warden of the North

Jaehaerys and Jaehaera Targaryen.

"You hear that, boy? Your mama wants you dead."