Aerea and Balerion’s Lost Flight

This thread follows Aerea’s troubled childhood, her flight on Balerion, and the mystery of what happened beyond Westeros.

increasingBearing stren­gth in each eventdecreasing

An Unwanted Heir

Aerea’s Unsettled Place A Child of a Lost Claim Aerea is the daughter of Aegon the Uncrowned and Rhaena, and may be heir after Maegor dies. Her claim remains uncertain. A Difficult Reunion After Rhaena takes her to Dragonstone, Aerea misses the bustle of court and grows resentful of her mother’s authority.

A Dragon Chosen

Aerea Claims Balerion Flight from Control Aerea slips away from her mother and chooses Balerion, the oldest and most dangerous dragon, rather than a young mount. An Uncertain Destination She intends to escape but has little experience controlling a dragon. The flight becomes a journey beyond her own control.

A Year Missing

A Search Without Answers Rumors Across the Narrow Sea Reports place dragons in distant lands, but none can be confirmed. Rhaena searches, while the court worries about Balerion’s power. A Wider Mystery Septon Barth suspects that Balerion took Aerea to Valyria. The absence of reliable witnesses makes speculation easier than certainty.

The Return to King’s Landing

A Dying Rider A Terrible Arrival Balerion returns with Aerea in a state of extreme illness. She collapses in the Red Keep and dies despite the maesters’ care. A Hidden Account Barth records that living creatures emerged from her body as she died. The court publicly calls it fever, concealing horrors it cannot explain.

The Cost of Forbidden Knowledge

The Valyrian Mystery Balerion Is Wounded The Black Dread returns with severe unexplained wounds, supporting Barth’s theory that Aerea was taken to Valyria. A Royal Ban Jaehaerys forbids voyages to Valyria and orders the dragons guarded. The event changes royal policy by turning uncertainty into a lasting prohibition.

48–54 AC, from childhood to Dragonstone

54 AC, during the Year of the Stranger

54–56 AC, while Aerea is absent

56 AC, after more than a year missing

After Aerea’s death, in 56 AC