Laenor Velaryon

Laenor was born in 94 AC, the second child of Lord Corlys Velaryon and Princess Rhaenys Targaryen, a year after his sister Laena came into the world. His birth came at an awkward moment: two years earlier, the death of the crown prince had thrown the Targaryen succession into question, and King Jaehaerys I had chosen his second son, Baelon, over Rhaenys's branch of the family.

Because he was male, many at court believed Laenor's claim to the throne outweighed his own mother's. Both House Velaryon and House Baratheon, Rhaenys's mother's family, pressed the point hard, and it was even said that Lord Corlys was gathering ships and men at Driftmark to back his infant son's claim.

When Baelon died in 101 AC, the question reopened, and the king summoned a great council of lords at Harrenhal to settle it. Laenor was seven years old and had not yet even ridden Seasmoke, the dragon he had claimed; his rival, Prince Viserys, was twenty-four. Despite the support of Lord Boremund Baratheon and several great houses, the council voted for Viserys by an overwhelming margin.

The marriage was arranged for political convenience: King Viserys I and his council were seeking a husband for his heir, Princess Rhaenyra, and a union with Laenor brought House Velaryon and House Targaryen back together. It was noted that Laenor showed no interest in women, but Grand Maester Mellos judged that no reason to break the match. Rhaenyra resisted at first, and only agreed after her father warned that he might name her half-brother Aegon his heir instead.

Ser Laenor and Princess Rhaenyra married in 114 AC, a fortnight after he was knighted. At the wedding tourney, Laenor gave his favor to Ser Joffrey Lonmouth, and during a joust Ser Criston Cole struck him a mortal blow; Joffrey died six days later. Laenor was said to have stayed at his side the whole time and to have wept openly when he died.

After the burial, Laenor returned to Driftmark while Rhaenyra remained at court, which fed doubts about whether the marriage had ever been consummated. At High Tide, Laenor soon found a new companion, Ser Qarl Correy.

Though they lived apart most of the time, Laenor and Rhaenyra had three sons between 114 and 117 AC: Jacaerys, Lucerys, and Joffrey, the last named for Ser Joffrey Lonmouth. Both the jester Mushroom and Septon Eustace maintained that the couple did lie together seeking an heir, and Mushroom claimed that on at least one occasion Laenor's lover, Ser Qarl Correy, joined them.

None of the three boys had their parents' silver hair or violet eyes; all three had the brown hair and flat nose of Ser Harwin Strong, Rhaenyra's sworn shield, who was widely rumored to be their true father. Queen Alicent Hightower once told Laenor, in front of the court, to keep trying, though King Viserys himself doted on each new grandson.

Between Jacaerys's birth and Lucerys's, Laenor took up with Marilda of Hull, daughter of one of his father's caulkers, and fathered two children with her, Addam and Alyn. Unable to bear Alicent any longer, Rhaenyra moved to Dragonstone with Ser Harwin at her side, though Laenor was said to visit often.

In 120 AC, Ser Laenor was stabbed to death at a fair in Spicetown by his friend Ser Qarl Correy. Merchants who witnessed the fight said the two men had argued before the knives came out.

Accounts of the motive disagree: Septon Eustace blamed jealousy, claiming Qarl believed Laenor had fallen for a younger favorite; Mushroom instead claimed, without proof, that Qarl had acted on Prince Daemon Targaryen's orders. Lord Corlys collected his son's body and offered ten thousand golden dragons for Qarl's capture. King Viserys traveled with his whole court to High Tide for the funeral.

During the civil war known as the Dance of the Dragons (129-131 AC), the three sons Laenor had raised as his own all died. In the midst of the war, Prince Jacaerys offered land, wealth, and knighthood to any dragonseed bastard who could tame and ride a dragon, and Marilda of Hull put forward her sons Addam and Alyn, claiming Laenor had fathered them.

Both boys looked like Laenor, and it was known he had visited the shipyard at Hull where Marilda's father worked, but many doubted the claim, recalling Laenor's preference for men over women. Even so, Lord Corlys welcomed his supposed grandsons gladly — Mushroom went so far as to suggest they were his own sons — and had Queen Rhaenyra legitimize them.

Soon after, Addam claimed Seasmoke, the dragon that had once been Laenor's.