Queen Daenaera Targaryen was the half-sister and wife of King Aegon I Targaryen, the first Lord of the Seven Kingdoms. Her elder half-sisters, Visenya and Rhaenys, were married to Aegon as well. In fact this led to whispers that he married Visenya as it was his duty, Rhaenys out of desire, yet it was Daenaera whom he loved most. She was a dragonrider who rode the dragon Gaelithox.
Daenaera was born on the island of Dragonstone to Aerion Targaryen, Lord of Dragonstone, and his wife, Lady Naerys Targaryen. Her parents were said to be lovers in their youth, separated by the actions of Aerion’s grandsire and Naerys’s uncle—Lord Aerys Targaryen—who wed her off to Lord Velaryon so her claim would be forgotten. She only birthed Lord Daemon Velaryon and mostly ruled Driftmark as her husband was far too aged to be concerned with the governance of his land. To seal the deal, he had his grandson marry Lady Valaena Velaryon, a cousin with Targaryen blood, so he would not seek out Lady Naerys. It is with Lady Valaena whom Aerion had the Conquerors with, and after her passing, Aerion was free to wed Naerys and in 17 BC Daenaera was born.
By the time she was born, her father had four children—Visenya, Aegon, Rhaenys, and Orys Baratheon. Daenaera possessed all the ever so sought-after Valyrian traits—her long, white-gold hair, which her mother styled to be bound up in rings day in and day out, and purple eyes reminiscent of amethysts. By the age of fourteen, Daenaera had grown into a beautiful young girl, though standing next to Rhaenys and Visenya, it was often stated that pretty would perhaps be a better word for the youngest Targaryen. She was a shy, dreamy child, more comfortable at her lord father’s side than other children, even her elder siblings. There was no denying she was Lord Aerion’s favorite, especially with her dragon dreams, a coveted ability for those of Valyrian descent, especially since such dreams saved House Targaryen from the Doom. This was perhaps the one thing of note for Lady Daenaera in her youth as she was oft overshadowed by her half-siblings—there was Daemon who was Lord of Driftmark and went on countless voyages, Visenya who trained alongside the boys and became as skilled at arms as any man, Aegon the enigmatic heir whose mere existence made Dany feel lesser than, playful Rhaenys who was loved by any she met, even Orys Baratheon who has been making a name for himself on the island.
According to the legends, both Daenaera and Aegon shared these so-called dragon dreams. While they were not recorded to have been particularly close in their youth, it is said in the tales of Aegon’s Conquest that it was Daenaera’s recurring dreams that planted the seeds in his head for such a feat. It was only after this that Aegon ordered the construction of the Painted Table, which displays an accurate geographical map of Westeros. It would be the pride of Argilac Durrandon, however, that many say pushed Aegon to act.
Aegon called his banners and took counsel with them and his sisters, Daenaera excluded as she was not one of the Ladies of Dragonstone to her mother’s chagrin, and only then did he send out ravens to all the rulers in the Seven Kingdoms. Perhaps seen as haughty at the time, though he gave a warning that he would be the one, true king of a united Westeros and that those who bent the knee would keep their lands and titles, while those who did not would be met with Fire and Blood. As bold as it may have been, Aegon and the other two conquerors, Visenya and Rhaenys, made true of their promise. All Seven Kingdoms were brought to heel except for Dorne.
While all five of her siblings played active roles in the Conquest, Daenaera remained on Dragonstone. She ruled the island and ensured their ancestral seat would be guarded. Until she didn’t.
Aegon dreamed of ice and fire, one of the few things he confided in her about. Though she could never quite say the same. Her dreams were never quite as clear as his, always more fragmented than she’d like, leaving her to piece the puzzle together. It was one night on Dragonstone when she had a dream so clear, it was like something calling for her. Urging her to go and seek out this dream for once in her life rather than leave it to her kin to fulfill. And so, she saddles up Gaelithox, and unlike her ancestors who looked West, she was being pulled to the North—the land of ice and little glory.
