House Targaryen of Lys

House Targaryen of Lys is one of the more prominent noble families of Lys, and has held a level of influence among the fair city enough to rival that of the magisters themselves. Their manse is located towards the perimeter of the city proper, a regal structure of complex archways and elaborately decorated domes, near to a pit that had been constructed to house the late Leviathan when need arose. Though the pit had rarely been utilised, and not at all since the great beast's demise, the family has kept the compound in pristine condition, ever hoping to see another dragon grace it with their presence.

Unlike its heroic founder, this faded royal family has since fallen into the mercantile ways of the city in which it is housed. Successive generations have seen to acquire a multitude of businesses with numerous sources of income. Pillow houses, wineries, import/export brokers, and a branch of the Rogare bank all number themselves with Targaryen administration. Some also rumour of their involvement in pursuits to provide services of great risk and greater return, of darkened rooms with coins stacked high, of cellars with vials of billowing fumes and fanned flames. Oddly, those who speak such sentiments often find themselves lost, never to be found again.

Above all, the Targaryens of Lys are proud. Valyrian blood has always flowed most strongly in the blood of the Lyseni, and each successive generation has maintained the traditional Targaryen appearance. With their fall from power in Lys, they have consistently kept their gazes high; Baelon may have over-reached, but he had achieved a level of prosperity that Lys had not seen in years. House Targaryen has always aimed to restore what the Prince of Lys had founded, to re-establish themselves as a power to rival the magisters.

The sigil of House Targaryen of Lys was first developed during the rise of the Leviathan's ''Maw. ''As an homage to the Leviathan, the House sigil is a pale green dragon upon a sea of deep blue.

The current head of House Targaryen of Lys is Aeryn Targaryen.

Diplomatic Foundations
In an effort to maintain positive relationships with the Free Cities of Essos, King Aegon VI Targaryen dispatched his son, Baelon Targaryen, to Lys on a diplomatic mission in 322 AC. Not only would this decision bolster the trading relationship, decreasing the crown's dependency on the Iron Bank and its Lords, it would also serve to facilitate the introduction of Prince Baelon to the famous courtesan, Eireni. Upon his return to the mainland, there was little else of which or whom he would speak, and little time would pass before he began to verbalise his intention to take her as his bride. Though the Small Council strongly countered the suggestion, the king and queen eventually relented, and Baelon and Eireni were married at the Great Sept of Baelor in the year of 324 AC.

Following the death of King Aegon VI in 325 AC, Queen Daenarys I willingly abdicated the throne to her eldest son, Rhaegar Targaryen. Baelon lingered in King's Landing with the hope of being appointed to his brother's small council, but was denied despite his frequent entreating. Thus, in the spring of 326 AC, Baelon and Eireni returned to Lys in search of better prospects.

Eireni had been a rather influential figure in the upper stratosphere of the Lysene hierarchy; and given her status and Baelon's family ties, the couple were able to find a success far greater than they had previously. Many among the upper eschelon of the city spurned the pair's presumption, particularly Baelon's self-proclamation of "Prince of Lys". It was a title that, while never formalised, found him with a power towards the end of the decade to rival that of the magisters.

The council may have moved to intervene, to cast the ambitious Targaryen down, had it not been for the presence of his dragon, the Leviathan. The presence of the colossal beast alone was enough to stay their hands.

Line of Succession
Like the Lys line, the main line of House Targaryen originates from King Aegon VI Targaryen and Queen Daenerys I Targaryen, who had two sons: Rhaegar I Targaryen and Baelon Targaryen. It is Rhaegar's descendants who currently sit the thrown, and so numerous are they that House Targaryen of Lys could only ever hope to sit the Iron Throne by inheritance as the result of mass slaughter.

Their position as a great family of Lys is the most to which they could currently hope to aspire. Even then, some may hold the opinion that their line could be considered perilously close to extinction. Currently, there remain only two living members of this infamous House, Selenya and Aeryn, both of whom were born bastards by different fathers. Prior to her death, their mother - Evaeline Targaryen - legitimised her children as a point of formality and appointed Aeryn as her heir.

With her passing, the young Aeryn assumed the mantle of the House's head, Selenya as his heir

Family Tree

 * Baelon "Prince of Lys" Targaryen (305 AC - 334 AC)
 * m. Eireni of Lys (306 AC - 350 AC)
 * Saera "the Siren" Targaryen (328 AC - 374 AC)
 * m. ________ Rogare
 * Evaeline Targaryen (353 AC - 405 AC)
 * Selenya (b. 381 AC)
 * Aeryn (b. 391 AC)