Jaehaerys II Targaryen

Jaehaerys II Targaryen, the second son of King Aegon V Targaryen, ruled the Seven Kingdoms for a brief but consequential period. He ascended the Iron Throne in 259 AC after the death of his father at Summerhall, and reigned until his own death from a sudden illness in 262 AC. Though his reign was short, his actions, especially concerning the succession and the marriage of his children, had profound and lasting consequences for House Targaryen and the realm.

Lineage and Accession

Jaehaerys was the second son of King Aegon V, known as the Unlikely, and his sister-wife, Queen Betha Blackwood. He had an older brother, Prince Duncan the Small, who had been the heir to the throne. However, Duncan's decision to marry a common woman named Jenny of Oldstones, breaking a betrothal to a Baratheon princess, led to a crisis. Aegon V eventually disinherited Duncan, making Jaehaerys the heir. Jaehaerys himself married his own sister, Princess Shaera, in secret, defying their father's wishes for a political match. This act of defiance, mirroring his brother's, further strained the family. Jaehaerys became king after the tragedy of Summerhall, a great fire that killed Aegon V and Prince Duncan, among many others.

Reign and Key Decisions

Jaehaerys II's reign lasted only three years, from 259 to 262 AC. During this time, he faced the Fourth Blackfyre Rebellion, which he helped to suppress. His most significant and fateful decision was to insist on the marriage of his two children, Prince Aerys and Princess Rhaella. This was done in accordance with Targaryen tradition to keep the bloodline pure, despite the fact that Aerys and Rhaella were known to be ill-suited for one another. This union, born of dynastic policy rather than personal compatibility, would produce Rhaegar, Viserys, and Daenerys Targaryen, and its dysfunction is often cited as a contributing factor to Aerys's eventual madness.

Death and Legacy

King Jaehaerys II died in 262 AC after a short illness, which Grand Maester Pycelle later recalled as an example of how quickly a king could be taken. He was succeeded by his eldest son, Aerys II, whose reign would end in disaster. Jaehaerys's legacy is thus a mixed one: a king who held the realm together for a short time, but whose dynastic choices helped pave the way for the ruin of his house. His reign is often overshadowed by the dramatic events that followed, but his role in shaping the Targaryen succession is a critical piece of the story that leads to Robert's Rebellion and the events of the main narrative. The memory of his reign and his decisions lingers in the minds of those who recall the last days of the dragon kings.