Princess Aerea departs Dragonstone on Balerion, returns a year later at the brink of death. Where had they gone, and what dreadful creatures had they faced?
Princess Aerea Targaryen's life was marked by political turmoil from birth. After her father's death, she became a pawn in the struggle for the Iron Throne. Her great-uncle, King Maegor I Targaryen, declared her his heir and kept her at court in King's Landing, where Aerea flourished, enjoying the attention and liveliness of court life. When her uncle Jaehaerys claimed the throne in 51 AC, Aerea's mother, Queen Rhaena, demanded Dragonstone as her seat and Aerea's return. King Jaehaerys agreed, forcing Aerea to leave the home and life she loved. On Dragonstone, Aerea felt isolated and miserable, missing her friends and the excitement of court. Her relationship with her mother, a virtual stranger, was strained.
As days turned to months, Aerea's resentment grew; her mind constantly wandered to thoughts of escape.
One night, Princess Aerea Targaryen vanished from Dragonstone, stealing Balerion, the Black Dread. A year later, they returned, but something was horribly wrong. Balerion, the greatest of the Targaryen dragons, had been wounded, bearing a 9-foot gash with blood still dripping from his scales. Princess Aerea's fate was far worse. She clung to Balerion, her flesh burning from within, her skin cracked like cooking pork as smoke seeped from her mouth. Septon Barth's account reveals the true horror. Aerea had become a living husk, but her gaunt and starved body concealed something that moved beneath her skin.
As days passed, Aerea's condition worsened. Her flesh darkened and cracked like burnt meat, while smoke issued from her mouth and nose.
At last, the maesters lowered her into ice, hoping to ease her suffering. A worse horror emerged. The shock stopped Aerea's heart instantly but drove the creatures within her to burst forth. Septon Barth struggled to describe the sight of worms with faces and snakes with hands - slimy, twisting things that pulsed and squirmed as they erupted from her body.
What could have caused this nightmare? Clues point to Old Valyria, Balerion's birthplace and a realm of dark magic.
In Valyrian mines dwelled creatures known as Firewyrms, beings akin to dragons that breathed fire but burrowed through earth instead of soaring through skies. Legends claim they inhabited the Fourteen Flames even before dragons, and while young Firewyrms were small, they could grow to monstrous sizes. The mines often revealed burnt and blackened corpses in cracked tunnels, testament to the Firewyrms' deadly nature.
As for Aerea, her last words were a mere whisper: "I never..." Perhaps a final regret for her journey to Valyria.
What do you think? What creature wounded Balerion, and what other horrors await the unwary in Valyria?
#houseofthedragonseason2 #aegontargaryen #danceofdragons #fireandblood #dragon #gameofthrones #asongoficeandfire #asoiaf #valeria #valeriyan #georgerrmartin #houseofthedragonbook
DISCLAIMERS:
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Balerion art in intro by Ertac Altinoz, used with permission.
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"Shadowlands 2 - Bridge" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
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"Ice Demon" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
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