Aethan Velaryon
Aethan Velaryon was the heir of Driftmark and, like his father before him, commanded the royal fleet under the first Targaryen kings. Under Aegon I he served as Master of Ships and Lord Admiral, leading House Velaryon's ships against the piracy that harried the Stepstones. His blood was bound to the Targaryens through his daughter's marriage to King Aenys I.
Chapter 1
The heir of Driftmark
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Aethan was the son of Daemon Velaryon, a close friend of King Aegon I Targaryen and the first man to serve as Master of Ships of the realm. On his father's death, Aethan inherited the title of Lord of the Tides and command of Driftmark, along with House Velaryon's standing beside the throne. Chronicles describe him as a man of majestic bearing.
The king also named him Master of Ships and Lord Admiral, continuing the trust he had placed in his father.
Chapter 2
The war against Sargoso Saan
29–30 ACBooks only
In 29 and 30 AC, Aethan led a naval campaign, together with the Hand of the King Osmund Strong, against the pirate Sargoso Saan, whose ships harried the Stepstones. Prince Maegor Targaryen, Aegon I's youngest son, joined the expedition and fought at his side.
Chapter 3
A marriage with the crown
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Aethan married Alarra Massey, with whom he had several children. One of his daughters, Alyssa, became the wife of King Aenys I Targaryen, a match arranged as a political alliance between the crown and House Velaryon.
Chapter 4
Refuge at Driftmark
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When Maegor Targaryen proclaimed himself King of the Seven Kingdoms, his wife Alyssa sought refuge with their children at Driftmark, her father's castle. Aethan died during Maegor's reign, and the title of Lord of the Tides passed to his son Daemon.
In his memory, one of the ships in Lord Corlys Velaryon's fleet was named Glory of Lord Aethan.