Aemon Targaryen
Maester Aemon Targaryen, the blind, 102-year-old maester of Castle Black, is the living repository of the Night's Watch's history and the conscience of its leadership. In A Dance with Dragons, his role shifts from healer and counselor to a symbol of the wisdom that the Watch can ill afford to lose, and his departure marks a decisive turning point in Jon Snow's command.
Identity and Background
Aemon Targaryen is a prince of the blood, the son of King Maekar I Targaryen and brother to King Aegon V, known as Egg. He forsook all claims to the Iron Throne when he took the black, serving the Night's Watch for decades. By the time of the novel, he is ancient, blind, and frail, yet his mind remains sharp. He is the only man at Castle Black who can speak with firsthand knowledge of dragons, kings, and the great prophecies of the realm, making him an irreplaceable advisor to the young Lord Commander, Jon Snow.
Counsel and the "Kill the Boy" Doctrine
Aemon's most significant contribution in this volume is his final counsel to Jon Snow. As Jon struggles with the brutal decisions required of a lord commander—sending Gilly and her child away, forcing Samwell Tarly to leave for Oldtown, and preparing to open the Wall to the wildlings—Aemon offers a lesson from his own past. He tells Jon that when he parted from his brother Egg, who was chosen king at the Great Council, he gave him the same advice: "Kill the boy within you. It takes a man to rule. An Aegon, not an Egg. Kill the boy and let the man be born." Aemon recognizes that Jon's burden is even crueler than Egg's, and that he must suppress his own youthful sentiment to do what must be done. This advice becomes Jon's internal mantra, a justification for the harsh commands he issues, including his threat to Gilly and his execution of Janos Slynt.
Departure and the Journey South
Recognizing that Aemon's Targaryen blood makes him a target for Melisandre, who seeks "king's blood" for her fires, Jon Snow decides to send him south. Aemon is dispatched to Oldtown alongside Samwell Tarly, Gilly, and her child, ostensibly so Sam can forge his maester's chain. The journey is perilous; Jon fears for the old man's life, knowing that a sea voyage could kill him. Aemon accepts the command with the same quiet dignity he has shown for a century. Before departing, he leaves Jon a book, The Jade Compendium, with a passage marked about Azor Ahai's sword, Lightbringer, which Jon later reads to confirm his suspicions about Stannis's magical blade. Aemon's departure leaves Castle Black without its most seasoned voice of reason, a loss that contributes to the growing isolation and danger surrounding Jon Snow.
Thematic Significance
Aemon Targaryen embodies the theme of sacrifice and the burden of duty. He gave up a crown, a family, and a name to serve a cause greater than himself. His final advice to Jon is a distillation of this philosophy: that leadership requires the death of the self. His removal from the story also underscores the Watch's desperate state; it is losing its wisest members just as the greatest threat approaches. Aemon's quiet, principled existence stands in stark contrast to the violent, ambitious machinations of the other Targaryens and the lords of Westeros, making him a figure of tragic, unheralded heroism.
