Rhaegar II Targaryen

Prince Rhaegar Targaryen is the eldest child of Prince Aemon and Princess Visaera, siblings wed in classic Targaryen fashion and second in line to the Iron Throne. Born in 387 A.C., Rhaegar immediately developed a strong connection with his dragon, Nightwing, and his twin sister, Rhaenys Targaryen. Once a sweet boy with stars in his eyes, Prince Rhaegar has surprised many of the royal court by developing into a knight worthy of song. A young man unparalleled in the art of swordplay, Rhaegar is as gallant as he is deadly.

Some say Nightwing is a reflection of the young Prince's dark side.

Appearance and Character
Tall and athletic, Rhaegar has only recently grown beyond the lanky boy he once was and become the knight he always strived to be. Prince Rhaegar bears all the tell-tale hallmarks of the old world. Lilac eyes and hair of spun silver, worn long and loose or drawn into a tight braid between his shoulders. He keeps a strong jaw perpetually clean shaven, never looking a day more than his twenty years. He has kind eyes for a dragon rider, but Rhaegar’s expression is ever changing, as turbulent as the heart that lies beneath his gallant veneer.

Early Life
In 387 A.C. Rhaegar came into this world in the same way Prince’s so often do, in a royal chamber, from the labors of a royal woman. The remarkable part was that he wasn’t alone. At his heels came his twin, Princess Rhaenys, thus the most significant moment of his life was his very first, for their fates would be forever intertwined.

Named for the Last Dragon by his father and given no lack of care as a babe by his mother, Rhaegar was groomed for greatness from the moment he was first swaddled. His promise as the future of House Targaryen was further cemented when the egg placed in his cradle hatched not year after his birth. Nightwing as the beast would come to be known as was found coiled about the young prince. A beautiful dragon of black scales and a deep indigo inlay, Nightwing is a stark contrast to her own mother Tyraxes. In the crib beside Rhaegar, Vhaegon hatched in the same instant. From there on forward, the two dragons would share a bond, not unlike that of their riders.

For the first few years of Rhaegar's life, he was given the upbringing and attention that the future Lord of the Seven Kingdoms called for. His mother, though sometimes a cold, calculated woman, spared every moment for her firstborn son. He proved to be a sweet young boy, perhaps a little too sweet but was loved by everyone in the royal court. The sense of acceptance Rhaegar experience in early in life would become invaluable in helping him with the conflict that would spawn after adolesesnce. In a stroke of irony, Nightwing couldn't have been any different than the boy she was bonded to. The black dragon proved to be a troublemaker and a cunning huntress. When not with Rhaegar or Vhaegon, Nightwing spent the evening hours hunting cats, hounds, rats... Anything furry that stirred in the streets of King's Landing or the crags of Dragonstone, she meant to sink her fangs into.

One Heart, Two Minds
No matter the affection Visaera and Aemon gave Rhaegar, every relationship the young prince developed paled in comparison to closeness he and Rhaenys had as children. They were inseparable, irreplaceable to one another. They had the same interests, the same wit, the same needs, the same destiny as dragon riders. As youth, they even almost looked identical. The only tangible difference between Rhaegar and Rhaenys was that the little princess was always one step ahead of her brother.

Rhaenys was the first to take a step, the first to string a bow, the first to recite her letters fluently. She was always tougher than Prince Rhaegar and would often win their games, playful completions where the victor would always win a prize. Sometimes it was a favored training sword, sometimes a kiss. Unbeknownst to the twins, a secret betrothal had been arranged for the two by their grandfather, Prince Viserys. Having been born of parents that were siblings themselves, boundaries were never set. Closeness and affection bloomed between the twins that few could ever hope to understand.

Under Pressure
While Rhaegar's bond with Rhaenys deepened, the affection his mother showed him soured. Everything Rhaegar could do, Rhaenys could do better. A sweet boy with a heart too kind wouldn't last a moment in the great game, let alone as King. When Rhaenys finally mounted her dragon, Vhaegon, at the age of eight, Visaera turned her eye on Rhaegar to do the same. Every victory of Rhaenys became a challenge for Rhaegar to overcome. Encouragement degraded into an impossible standard to meet. Visaera pushed him to train harder, learn faster, to overcome his fears and trepidations lest he be belittled for his failures.

It was almost through force of will that Visaera's constant pressure chiseled Rhaegar from a soft boy into a young dragon to be reckoned with, though not without earning his resentment.

War of the Three Thieves
When war returned to the Seven Kingdoms, Rhaegar was initially too young to join the fray. Rather he was squired to Axell Connington, an honorable and steadfast member of King Aenar's court. Rhaegar's dragon Nightwing, however, was vicious enough to be considered a strategic asset in the conflict. Eventually, Rhaegar would follow Axell Connington to Griffon's Roost on his father's orders, Nightwing's mere presence enough to make the marauders think twice about launching a mainland assault on the Stormlands. When it came time to reinforce the assault on Sunstone, Rhaegar would join Lord Connington in managing logistics and ferrying men for the final battles. A chance incursion saw their transports under attack, an event in which the young prince would bloody his sword and kills his first man. As young as he was, Rhaegar fought valiantly but was never in any true danger. He would never truly come to know that he was little more than another pawn on the cyvasse board.

To Rule the World
After the war, battle was no longer a vague concept to the young prince. He returned to the capital and doubled his efforts in the sparring ring, honing his budding talents with a blade into something remarkable. What he lacked in raw experience, Prince Rhaegar seemed to overcome with tenacity and natural ability. His swift rise in physical prowess partially gave thanks to his mother's continuous oversight. Even as Rhaegar became a man grown, she continued to push him to unattainable heights.

One particular matchup saw him squaring off against Alester Steelsong, a man Rhaegar befriended during his stays at Dragon's Rest. Alester soundly defeated the prince in one on one combat, to which Rhaegar requested he become his new tutor. Through half a hundred duels and a dozen adventures, Alaster would become Rhaegar's closest confidant and brother in arms, save for his twin Rhaenys.

Rhaegar would eventually come to understand it took more than a perfect sword arm to run seven kingdoms. His passion would always lie in the heat of battle, but with every passing year, Rhaegar would spend more and more time with his Great-Grandfather's court. He followed Aemon, his father and the Hand of the King, and Perceon Vance in particular as they navigated the endless administrative duties it took to keep Westeros in one coherent piece. During this time, Prince Rhaegar took advantage of his proximity with King Aenar to learn from the man directly.

A Maiden, a Dragon and a Tower
When the Scarlet Winter came, Rhaegar had taken on many of the responsibilities fitting for the future heir of the Seven Kingdoms. Paramount was the defense and protection of the people of Westeros. The cruel weather conditions saw a stark increase in banditry and crime, story after story of injustice and bloodshed fell on the Prince's ears. He took it upon himself to resolve as many conflicts as he could personally. With the help of Alaster and the Golden Company, as well as Nightwing, Rhaegar began to gain a reputation as a just prince, a benevolent young leader that valued the integrity of his people, noble and smallfolk alike.

One quest ,in particular, seemed to be straight out of a storybook. A cabal of extremists following the Red God R'hllor had kidnapped the daughter of a wealthy Volantene merchant and meant to sacrifice her to their dark god. The man pleaded to Prince Rhaegar personally, begging him to act swiftly before he lost his only child. Perhaps caught up in the story, perhaps eager to prove himself worthy of the songs he adored, perhaps still simply naive, Rhaegar agreed to help the man without question.

Prince Rhaegar, Alester Steelsong and the young Lord Hightower tracked the cabal through the frozen swamps of Massey's Hook with a group of knights. To keep the element of surprise, Rhaegar bid Nightwing stay back at the capital, leaving the men with only their wits and their swords to see the night through. It was no sooner than the group had snuck up on the bandit's camp that they were discovered, as though their presence had been anticipated. What ensued was a fight for their lives, one in which Rhaegar swung his sword like a man possessed. During the chaos of the ambush, the Prince managed to push his way to the cage that held the merchant's daughter and cut his way through the calamity back to safety. Every good man that fell that night was handpicked by Rhaegar, men he trusted and admired... Men that he had lead to their deaths.

Surrounded by the broken bodies of friend and foe alike, Rhaegar was knighted by Alester Steelsong In 405 A.C. on Massey's Hook.

Fire and Blood
With heavy hearts, Rhaegar and his men returned to the capital with their rescued captive in tow. Rhaegar insisted the maiden share his saddle, an honor he thought the young woman might never forget. Unfortunately, the honor would be lost on the girl, for Prince Rhaegar could have never expected what would occur next.

Arriving to the merchant's manse with their quest at an end, the men were shocked to find the place littered with Goldcloaks. The maiden's father had been murdered in their absence. The killer responsible ,however, had been promptly captured and to Rhaegar's surprise, claimed he would only speak to the prince. What followed was the revelation of a conspiracy. The merchant's daughter had been little more than bait, Prince Rhaegar had been the intended target. The man claimed the mastermind and leader of the cabal, a disgraced Red Priest from Volantis had collaborated with the merchant and his daughter. The entire affair had been a set up to capture Rhaegar, and when the bandits failed, they sent him to tie up the loose ends.

Rhaegar wasn't just disappointed, he was enraged. His friends had died for a farce. He'd fought and bled and killed for nothing. Something wild possessed the usually charming prince. He beat the beat the prisoner until the location of the Red Priest was given up on bloody lips. Storming out of the Goldcloaks barracks he ordered the man's execution and found Nightwing already waiting for him. The dragon stirred impatiently, eager to share in Rhaegar's newfound bloodlust.

That night Rhaegar became as much a beast as the monster who ferried him across the Crownlands him to the bandit's hideout, an old abandoned tavern near the Whispers. Every window was lit when Rhaegar arrived on silent wings. Pyres littered the surrounding grounds, adorned with charred effigies and human remains. Prince Rhaegar dismounted, drew his sword and uttered a single word: Dracarys.

The decrepit wood lit up like a tinderbox. Any man that tried to escape met the prince's sword. In his momentary madness, Rhaegar had given the men two options, fire or blood. When the screaming died down, a single soul emerged from the inferno. Burnt beyond recognition, a charred man limped his way towards the prince with fire in his glare. The Red Priest who had meant to capture Prince Rhaegar for himself cackled out words darker than Rhaegar had ever heard. With one final stroke of his sword, Rhaegar robbed the man of a death by fire.

So it was, Prince Rhaegar's first act as a true knight was one of unparalleled vengeance.

For the Love of a Princess
After the events of the Tourney of the Red Comet, Rhaegar returned to King’s Landing with a heart in turmoil. Of all the people in the world, Selenya Targaryen was the last he expected to see in attendance to the great feast. But as if her presence were not surprising enough, Rhaegar soon discovered she was with child, with his child, an unexpected consequence from their love affair months prior in the city of Lys. His relationship with Rhaenys suffered from Selenya’s presence and the blatant fact Rhaegar didn’t intend on dismissing the Lysene woman did little to repair the sibling’s tumultuous bond. Despite his clear affection for her, Rhaegar did everything in his power to consol Rhaenys after her maiming at the tourney. It seemed truly as though his heart was torn in two opposite directions. Fortunately, prince’s don’t have to choose.

With a political strife washing across the Seven Kingdoms and war on the horizon, Rhaegar grew ever more concerned for the civilization he would one day inherit. Though he always fancied himself the next great warrior, he loathed the thought of open conflict and countless lives wasted over a conflict solely between the varying branches of the Targaryen family. It was ultimately to his future that Rhaegar’s thoughts flew, what that picture of him sitting on the Iron Throne might look like. A rare opportunity presented itself in the shape of the errant dragon Rhaegal, his father’s mount. He would reconcile his love for both Rhaenys and Selenya by choosing them both. Rhaegar meant to emulate Aegon the Conqueror and fix himself between two dragon-riding wives. Selenya just needed a dragon.

When the expedition to tame Rhaegal set out, Rhaegar was as blinded with confidence as Selenya. He thought if only he willed it, the future would bend before him. Such was the folly of a man who’d never wanted for anything. The encounter on Massey’s Hook would claim the lives of four people and become the ultimate resting place of the dragon Cyrax. Selenya barely survived with her life, and Rhaegar watched as his dream of glory turned to ash before his eyes.

The next months were little more than a blur of a tragedy. Rhaegar’s closest companion, Alester Steelsong perished in a coup at Storm’s End, Rhaenys would not speak to him, the rumors of war grew more and more reliable and finally, the life of Selenya and the child that grew within her hung by the thinnest thread. Everything Rhaegar cherished was collapsing around him.

Kill the Boy
Upon returning to King’s Landing, Rhaegar would proclaim his failures and uncertainty at the foot of the Iron Throne. With nothing left to guide him, Rhaegar turned to his mother's strength, a crutch that never failed him. In a passionate conversation, Visaera hit him like a strike of lightning and realigned the thoughts of a starry-eyed young knight into that of a future king. Rhaegar left the throne room envigored and determined.

He found Rhaenys later that evening and apologized for his willful stupidity that nearly got them both killed in Massey's Hook. They shared a kiss in the middle of the dragon-pit while Nightwing and Vhaegon looked on, and for a moment, Rhaegar felt like there was still hope for his future. He spent most of his nights in King's Landing with his sister, rekindling a flame he'd nearly snuffed out over the past few months.

All the while, the Mummer's War was in full swing in the Riverlands and the Reach. Rhaenys was dispatched to deal with Maekar in the south, and it would ultimately fall on Rhaegar's shoulders to placate the Riverlands while the Queen met the Knights of the Vale led by Alaric Arryn. But before Rhaegar set out, a most unexpected opportunity presented its self. Maegor Waters, the Black Bastard, had written him directly asking for a clandestine parlay. Suddenly, Prince Rhaegar had the chance to sway the war in whatever way he pleased. He stayed up all night, reading the letter over and over again, deciding whether to bring it to the Queen or to fly at once and give credence to the men who so desperately wanted to crown him over his mother. In the end, it was Rhaegar's desire to end the war swiftly that prevailed over the prospect of ultimate power.

So Rhaegar, Lucerys Velaryon and Queen Visaera flew to the Quiet Isle on dragonback to treat with the bastard. Upon arrival, a treacherous storm rocked the coast, perhaps underscoring the gravity of the moment. In the midst of the downpour, Rhaegar heard Maegor's proposal and deemed it self serving and unworthy of acceptance. He promptly challenged Maegor to an honorable duel, to which the bastard responding by tossing his sword into the river. Rhaegar made his decision, but not without struggling with the consequences. As he prepared to strike Maegor down, he understood that by killing this man, he would be crossing a threshold over which there was no return.

In the spring of 407 A.C., at the height of the Mummer's War, Prince Rhaegar Targaryen slew Maegor Waters on the Quiet Isle. The true events of that day would be twisted by Visaera not long afterward. The Queen crafted her own truth, that Maegor attacked them and left Rhaegar no choice but to act. The decision Rhaegar made that day would haunt him until his last.

The Edge of Reason
After the events at the Quiet Isle, Rhaegar and Visaera retreated to Harrenhal to gather their forces for the inevitable battle with the Knights of the Vale, who'd begun their campaign across the eastern Riverlands and northern Crownlands. In those haunted halls, Rhaegar stewed on all he'd done and the supreme loneliness that seemed impossibly intertwined with the path he'd chosen. He told himself over and over that he was protecting his kingdom, that he was building a future of peace and prosperity, but the truth was far more selfish. It wasn't peace he'd chosen, but Visaera. Everything he'd done since their conversation in the Throne room months prior, he'd done for her. The need for her

One night, their twisted relationship reached a crescendo. Prince Rhaegar entered the Queen's chambers and did not leave until the sun crested the horizon. It was a terrible thing in eyes of Gods and men, but Rhaegar's greatest personal victory. The very thing he sought his entire life, the Queen's love, acceptance, and admiration, he gained in a way he never thought possible. It seemed as though on the eve of the final battle, his journey was already complete. During those heated nights, Rhaegar never stopped to think of how wrong it was, he never considered the consequences nor the bigger picture, but only the complete exaltation that filled him every time they were together.

He was a simply a man, she a woman, and for the first time in Rhaegar's life, he felt whole.

The Lesser Evil
With the loyalist host prepared for the battle against the Vale, Rhaegar set out with Visaera and Lucerys again on dragon-back. A host jointly composed of the Golden Company and the Riverlanders marched due east to snuff out the flames of rebellion once and for all. Rhaegar felt indestructible coming from Harrenhal, like perhaps he had made the right choice by killing Maegor on the Quiet Isle. It was the noticeable absence of his old friend Alester at the head of the Golden Company that allowed doubt to creep back into Rhaegar's conscious.

When it came to parlay with Alaric Arryn, Rhaegar and Lucerys flew ahead to offer the terms of surrender. In few words, Rhaegar implored Alaric to see that the battle was unwinnable and to spare the lives of his men. He told Lord Arryn he'd chosen the lesser evil, but when Lucerys unexpectedly drew Maegor's rotting head from a saddlebag and tossed it at the opposing commanders, Rhaegar again second guessed that fateful moment on the Quiet Isle. He swallowed his concerns, for even at the young age of twenty, Rhaegar knew the eve of battle was no place for doubt.

During the battle, Rhaegar fought predominately from Nightwing's back and rained fire from above. Only briefly did he dismount and to help rally the Golden Company after Aeron Goldfyre fell in battle. While on foot, Rhaegar engaged Artys Arryn in single combat, ultimately slaying the knight but not before taking a wound to the shoulder. He finished the battle again on Nightwing's back and didn't return to solid ground until the Knights of the Vale routed.

Rhaegar was granted with one final opportunity of reflection before returning to the capital a veritable war hero. He walked through the scores of charred corpses and blackened earth. Ash fell like rain and the countryside burned steadily, having tested the might of three grown dragons and lost. But the victory wasn't the glory he read about as a boy. Walking through the devastation, Rhaegar wondered if there was any truth to the stories that led him to knighthood for all he saw on the Ruby Ford was death.

No Rest for the Wicked
At the beginning of 408 A.C., Rhaegar returned to King's Landing to prepare for the royal wedding of he and Rhaenys, but rather than joy, he found more death. Selenya had succumbed to wounds in his absence and passed away, leaving behind their daughter, Visenya Silvermoon. The shadow of her passing weighed heavily on the prince, but Rhaenys' promise to Selenya that would raise Visenya as one of her own softened the blow. As a wedding gift, Visaera passed on the sword Blackfyre to Rhaegar. Rhaegar and Rhaenys finally completed their lifelong dream and wed on the first moon of 408 A.C. Rhaenys would become pregnant little more than a month later.

Even as a married man, Rhaegar continued to visit his mother in the dead of night. He was determined to imbibe in their clandestine relationship as long as it lasted. Unbeknownst to Rhaegar, Visaera had already become pregnant from their affair. The Queen acted swiftly, sending Rhaegar on a tour of the realm to herald in the new generation of the Targaryen family. During Rhaegar's absence, Rhaenys gave birth to Rhaenyra, his first trueborn daughter. Shortly afterward, Visaera married Corlys Velaryon and announced her pregnancy not much later before finally retreating to the fortress of Dragonstone to give birth.

In 408 A.C., Rhaegar would have three children. Visenya Silvermoon by Selenya Targaryen of Lys, Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen by his wife Rhaenys and Prince Aerys Targaryen, who would masquerade as the son of Corlys, both his son and younger brother. Between the war and tour of the realm Visaera imposed on him, he would miss the birth of all three.

A Peaceful Land, a Quiet People (408-413 AC)
In the years after the Mummer's War, Rhaegar dedicated himself to repairing the lasting damage from the conflict. At first, it seemed as though the whole world was holding its breath to see if the Queen's peace would last, but as time passed, life went on for most folk as it always did. Rhaegar took an active hand in politics, mending broken bonds between noble houses great and small and set his mind to understanding what it truly meant to rule. He was popular at court in King's Landing, Dragonstone and Summerhall, rarely seen without his sister-wife.

Rhaegar assisted his goodfather, Coryls, in expanding and reorganizing the Golden Company to its original capacity of ten thousand soldiers. He actively trained with the men, never losing his proclivity for swordplay.

In the second moon of 411 A.C., Rhaenys gave birth to a healthy baby boy who they named Aegon, the child who would one day be king. Nearly a year and a half later, Rhaenys gave birth again, though a troublesome pregnancy and unnatural size of their second son nearly killed her. In the eleventh moon of 412 A.C., Aemond was born. Having nearly lost Rhaenys, Rhaegar spent the next year with her at Summerhall and their budding family.

Wayfaring (414 A.C.)
In early 414, Visaera tasked Rhaegar with traveling east to retrieve a new crown commissioned to the smiths of Qohor. Due to Nightwing's prodigious swiftness, Rhaegar alone could cover more ground than any other member of the royal court. It was supposed to be a quick trip, but as ever, opportunity arose in the strangest of places.

While lodging in Pentos for an evening, Rhaegar happened across Selwyn Storm, a mercenary captain and exile of Westeros. After a night of drinking with the man, Rhaegar came to understand that he was allegedly one of the most fearsome warriors in the Narrow Sea. Naturally, when dawn came, Rhaegar challenged him to a duel. For the first time since the Tourney of the Red comet in 407 A.C., Rhaegar was bested in single combat.

The men were equally impressed with each other and quickly formed a bond. Though his trip to Qohor would have been speedy and effortless on Nightwing's back, Rhaegar elected to travel with Selwyn and the Stormbringers further east. In and around Pentos, Rhaegar heard rumor of other dragonriders in the Free Cities, the progeny of a long forgotten wanderer of the Targaryen dynasty. Rhaegar intended to follow the rumors, but Selwyn had more urgent concerns.

A rival company, the Stomrbreakers, was apparently in their path near the city of Norvos. Rhaegar assisted Selwyn with devising a strategy to see their undoing and fought alongside the Stormbringers in the coming battle. They say there's no bond like that forged in battle and on that day, Prince Rhaegar fought shoulder to shoulder with the mercenaries. He earned their respect through his deeds, rather than his name.

Rhaegar often sparred with Selwyn's second in command, Meilin Chai, a deadly woman from Yi Ti who Rhaegar found endlessly fascinating. Her fighting style and appearance were unlike anything he'd encountered before, both of which he took the time to thoroughly explore.

Rhaegar and the Stormbringers parted ways near Norvos, and Rhaegar went on to Qohor on dragonback to complete his mission, but it would be another two months before he returned home.

Loose Ends (414-415 A.C.)
Rhaegar detoured south on his way back to Westeros. He couldn't shake the rumors he'd heard in Pentos. One name in particular stood out, 'Aelor', a bastard of Maegor Waters. If the rumors were to believed, Aelor was spotted on Rhaegal, his father's dragon. Rhaegar searched near Tyrosh and the Stepstones, to no avail. Becoming more and more frustrated by his need for answers, he hunted and inevitably assaulted a well known pirate who allegedly knew of Rhaegal's whereabouts. It was during this time that he came into contact with Titianna Sarmyr, the Princess-Admiral of Myr. A fierce woman with her own agenda, the two conversed for a time before going their separate ways.

Having chased ghosts of his past long enough, Rhaegar hastily returned to Westeros and the wife he was starting to miss. Two months later, Rhaenys became pregnant with their fourth child. Daemon, a beautiful baby boy, would be born in early 415 A.C.

The Darkest Dungeon (415-417 A.C.)
Rhaegar quickly settled into the bustle of administration and raising his children once more. It wasn't the grand adventure he'd just returned from, but Rhaegar was utterly devoted to the prosperity of the realm and equally, that of his family. When it came to justice, he was swift and fair, but unyielding. The crown's rule was the ultimate and Rhaegar enforced it as such.

For all the demons Prince Rhaegar carried with him, for all his wicked passions and his tumultuous emotions, he loved his wife and children with every fiber of his being. As the years passed, he and Rhaenys took an active hand in their development, particularly with it came to their dragons.

Rhaegar understood Blackfyre and Nightwing weren't enough to protect the Seven Kingdoms, and with chaos reigning in the Narrow Sea, he looked for more pragmatic ways to ensure the security of the realm. In 415, Rhaegar bolstered the fleet of Dragonstone, enlisting the assistance of Alannys Harlaw during the reorganization of his personal navy. Their efforts were particularly suited to shallow water engagements and combating the ruthless tactics employed by the corsairs near the Stepstones.

Halfway through 415, Rhaegar received a letter from his longtime friend, Lord Leyton Hightower, personally requesting his assistance in Oldtown. After arriving south on Nightwing's back, Leyton and Rhaegar spent the breadth of evening speaking of a grisly string of murderers across the city. When Rhaegar mentioned the city guard, Leyton spoke of trust and assured the Prince the matter was far too delicate.

With Blackfyre and Vigilance in hand, the pair ventured deep into the labyrinth beneath the city. They emerged hours later, gritty and grim. What they encountered dredged up memories of the Scarlet Winter, and the darkness Rhaegar confronted in a dingy old tavern in the middle of nowhere.

Rhaegar returned home with a cloud in his thoughts, only to discover that he and Rhaenys had once again conceived a child. In late 416, Rhaegar's fourth son and fifth child, Aerion, was born without complication.

Origins and Endings (417- 418 A.C.)
Since returning from Essos in 415, Rhaegar's methodology of ruling started to reflect more and more that of Queen Visaera. As the inevitable future where Rhaegar would sit on the Iron Throne loomed ever nearer, he became more strict and authoritarian. He began to understand that a strong Targaryen on the throne, in tandem with their dragons, was the foundation of the peace he cherished. Without being absolutely sure of his power, the realm was like to fall to chaos akin to the Mummer's War. He saw first hand what a power vacuum was capable of if not sealed swiftly.

Though he was sure of the king he meant to be, Rhaegar found himself weighed down by the past. The Scarlet Winter, Selenya's passing, the moment he drove a sword into Maegor's heart, the nights spent between his own mother's legs, the death he dealt at the Ruby Ford. He was still haunted by the decisions he made. Before returning to King's Landing, Rhaegar saught catharsis.

To go forward, he had to go back. Leaving Summerhall in mid 417 A.C., Rhaegar detoured on his way back to the capital. He flew far south, across the Red Mountains and the sands of Dorne, riding Nightwing tirelessly. Under the cover of darkness, Rhaegar touched down on the outskirts of Lys exactly ten years after his week of passion with Selenya Targaryen. Using the same alias, he sought out the Pristine Gardens once more, chasing little more than a cherished memory of the woman he once loved. What he found were bitterness and rage. All traces of Selenya and her family had been scrubbed from the city. It was as though she never existed, and his memories were just that, phantoms of a simpler time.

Arriving back in King's Landing, Rhaegar promptly went to his mother and requested a position on the Small Council and buried himself in the matters of the royal court. In early 418 A.C. Rhaegar left the city briefly to help Rhaenys oversee the coming tournament at Summerhall, but returned to King's Landing before the turn of the second moon.